Showing posts with label Cheetal Grand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheetal Grand. Show all posts

Friday, July 11, 2008

Don’t Potter Around

Are There Any Genies In These Fine Specimens?

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON


Sometimes, photographic treasures are concealed in the least likely places. I took these shots in rural India, in the lobby area of the Cheetal Grand, a popular restaurant with beautifully landscaped lawns, on the highway from New Delhi to Dehra Dun. As some of you might recall, I was in India for five days just before Christmas, of which two days were spent on the road.

During a brief stop at the restaurant on a wintry afternoon bathed in the mellow embrace of pre-Christmas Indian sunlight, I spotted these ceramic pots indoors. The light wasn't great, but the shapes caught my eye immediately.


As always, I had my camera slung over my shoulder and I asked permission to shoot a few quick frames. I disabled the flash, the better to catch the soft play of light across the glazed surface of the pottery. I took the first shot to highlight the gentle curves of three pots - and had to contort myself to make the frame work!

I took the second shot to capture the notion of individuality within conformity. The row of pots had exactly the same shape but were coated in different colour schemes - and if you look really closely, you'll notice that the lime-green pot (above) is a kiln-mutant, for it has emerged shorter than its companions.

Finally, the last frame (below) was taken to emphasise the variety of choice. The sharpest focus is deliberately on the mid-section of the shot, with the depth of field working to produce a soft blur as the serried pots stretch into what seems like the distance - but in reality was only a few feet away.

Infinity is such a nebulous concept to explain. But when you have a camera in your hands, it is a task that becomes so much easier, don't you think?

And yes, while I was taking these shots, I did listen carefully. Just in case I could hear an episode of I Dream Of Jeannie, with Major Nelson in conversation with his devoted genie.

For Photo Story Friday, check out Mama Geek and Cecily.