.
Thursday, June 15, 2006,7:22 PM
A PORTRAIT SESSION, UNUSUAL
Please click on the pictures for full screen view

Hello there !
AAAAIYEEEE ! a guy with a camera ? looking like me ? Wowwee !!
Can I take some portraits please ?
Sure sure ! What do you want me to do tell me, I am ready Is this ok ?


Don't you think its kind of a regular pose ? Its ok, stay still please don't move, would you stop swinging your legs please ?
Sure, do I cross my legs and sit like a philosopher? You people have those rare kind, here we are all philosophers. Is this ok ?
No No, no philosopher pose, its ok but not enough light on your face.
then Shall I'll give you a regular monkey pose ?


You are indeed a philosopher my friend.
How about this ? Take a picture of my tail, you see ? Its very long and I am very very proud of my tail, look at this !

Yea its very long wow ! yea I took a picture of your tail, Happy ? Please please. you are not paying attention would you please look here, Hey common

Yea thats fine thank you, but still not enough light on your face, I can't see your eyes, I want to take your expressions.

Huh ? Expressions ?What expressions ? Take my profile, Hey ! take my profile, is it good ?

Sure sure very good

thats good thats good, stay there, keep still please.

not enough light on your face look up, would you please look up

Look up ! Hey are you listening ?, I said Look up
Wow thats better, Thank you, thats fine, thats very fine, good monkey you are

EEEEEEEEEEEE How about this ? would you like some action shots ?

no no no i can't be chasing you all over the forest,

How about a few jumps ??

No No, no jumps just expressions, Still I can't see your eyes

Yo Yo thats better

shall I show you some tricks ?

no tricks please just expressions

I am a monkey and I want to show some tricks

I said no tricks just expressions

Cool ! yes thats my boy, I can see your eyes now,

What ? no tricks ? I'm not good ? Am I not handsome ?

Wow what an expression ! Thank you , You ARE handsome my friend, Very very handsome

Ayeee Am I handsome ?

Sure you are !

Seriously ?

Yes Seriously,

Do I have a chance in the movies ? I can jump 30 feet y' know ! I can do a lot of stunts.

I am going to post your pictures on my blog, you may even have a fan club. Stay away from the movies, if you want to be happy, thank you so much my friend, I'll call you, You may have to sign some autographs, have a nice day

This is nothing different from the usual portraits I take, but I am not at their mercy. In the forest there is nothing in my control, I am at their mercy, they have to be kind to pose for me. I am an intruder there.

Daylight Again

 
posted by rauf
Permalink ยค


20 Comments:


  • 6:27 PM, Blogger miss terri

    i am definitely a big fan. he's very cute, and a good model. fun fun. i wish that we had a chance to go to the zoo for my photography class. perhaps i will just have to save and go with some friends one day.

     

  • 6:53 PM, Blogger rauf

    Miss Terri, These pictures were shot in Kabini forest near Mysore in the state of Karnataka. While taking pictures I was wondering what he must be thinking of me. they don't sit in one place for long. This one seemed to be very co-operative. He directly looked into my eyes a couple of times, it was a strange feeling. He was alone. I was quiet, making absolutely no noise, the camera too was in silent mode. In the end he looked at me. I said thank you silently in my heart. He turned, one jump and he disappeared. I stood there motionless for some time. It was a strange contact.

     

  • 11:47 PM, Blogger Claudia

    These I like best because of their spontaneousness.

     

  • 2:16 AM, Blogger Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D.

    Rauf,

    Simply wonderful. You amaze me with what your eye can see and your hand can accomplish with a camera. Shadows are indeed very important in photography...and in life.

    Nice job!

     

  • 6:55 AM, Blogger rauf

    My feet were frozen, I did not move a muscle Claudia. just my finger was moving. Wanted to take a few steps closer but I was afraid I'd miss the oppertunity. I didn't want to disturb him at the same time I sought his attention. I could see him looking at me through the lens. No breeze, everything was still. As a rule you have to give only half your attention in one direction when you are alone in a forest. It was not a good idea giving him all the attention.

     

  • 6:58 AM, Blogger rauf

    Shadows are the proof of our existence Don.

     

  • 6:23 PM, Blogger Hayden

    ah, Rauf, you did it again. I so wish you were here to photograph these goat guests of mine. Alas - I can't...

     

  • 12:33 AM, Blogger rauf

    I have goats portraits too Hayden. One good thing about them is they don't ask you to show the pictures.

     

  • 8:46 AM, Blogger Ruth

    Your friend graciously gave you many lovely poses, and you were able to receive and capture them. Magical moments that give me chills. The interchange is a treasure.

     

  • 7:20 PM, Blogger rauf

    Thank you Seema, welcome to the blog.

    Nature is one, we are a part of it. we are one with everything in the universe good and evil. Peace and harmony is what we humans feel, strictly speaking there is no harmony in the universe, every thing every atom of which we are made is in a state of constant agitation individually. At times we find different pockets of harmony. Between two individuals, between a tree and an animal but that doesn't last long. We go back to the state of chaos.
    We humans work towards peace and harmony, it is not natural. Chaos is natural.
    Birds and animals are always restless and are in a constant state of fear. When there is fear there is no harmony. Being fearless is not a good idea. courage does not mean lack of fear.
    One is courageous with hundred fears in him.
    We are afraid and we should be afraid of many things.
    The idea of blogging is to present your ideas and to debate on them, I may be wrong Seema I have never claimed to be right.

    Here in these picture what you say applies. for a brief period there was harmony. Fear disappeared for a moment, both of us were relaxed, perhaps he trusted me. you are right about harmony here Seema. thank you once again.

     

  • 7:28 PM, Blogger rauf

    I really wish he was my friend Ruth, Your comment gave me an idea of a post on eye contact. the eye contact is a magic moment and it gives me the chill. Hope he remembers me. I would remember him as long as I live. I have never forgotten such magic moments. Don't know if it was a magic moment for him. I would be thankful to him for ever, for being patient, for trusting me for a while. Or perhaps he thought this guy belongs to our tribe.

     

  • 7:38 PM, Blogger rauf

    Seema, I am posting some pictures of birds in'Daylight again blog' today, which doesn't speak well of peace and harmony.

     

  • 9:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

    liked the picture with the long tail. it's difficult to shoot him also because he merges so well into the background. his black face really hides his expression. maybe this loner monkey is really a philosopher or poet!

     

  • 12:27 AM, Blogger rauf

    They are normally in a group Chinna, I think its a Nilgiri Langur. He saw me walking towards him but did not move, I could have gone a few steps closer. then i saw him looking at me. After clicking he disappeared. I stood there for a while tried to locate him, my eyes followed him till a few branched, then he just disppeared, no sound of leaves or his jumping.

     

  • 1:34 PM, Blogger ari4u

    Rauf, The monkey posed for you!!, this goes to show how comfortable you make your subjects with your presence. Beautiful pictures and i loved the conversation!! :-)


    Reminds me that at once upon a time we started out with being primates, probably looked like this moneky, but being an evolved species, we are no different from animals. We have more to learn from the evolution to save this beatiful earth from ruins.


    On a technical note, it is very interesting shot; that you got the monkey's eyes and face, the rest of his white hairy body was not overexposed! What camera do you use? How can you turn it to silent? My shutter makes a loud noise when the mirror locks up and there is no way to turn that sound off on any SLR.

    later..

     

  • 11:49 AM, Anonymous Anonymous

    lol! That was funny conversation with the monkey Rauf and it did cooporate in the end and showed its eyes.Which forest were these pics taken? They look so awesome in their natural habitat.

    The portraits of the artists are gorgeous. They look like paintings!:)
    BTW do you paint Rauf?

     

  • 5:48 PM, Blogger rauf

    They all are philosophers e2dees, this is Kabini forest, there's a road to Manandavady from there. 30 kilometers but this forest is in Karnataka.
    These Nilgiri Langurs can be dangerous in a group. This chap was a loner like me. Perhaps he felt sorry for me and trusted me for a while. I kept taking pictures, I froze when I saw him looking at me through the lens Took my eye off the camera. took only 2 or three pictures of the eye contact. Then I looked at him, sort of whispered thank you in my heart and he disappeared.

    No I don't paint e2dees, but I paint my backdrops for portraits, that doesn't require any talent. Chumma few brush strokes. I use screen printing ink not paint. You get all colours in screen printing ink. its cheap and dries fast.

     

  • 7:31 PM, Blogger rauf

    You are a keen observer and a thinker Seema.

    Nature is always balanced, what ever damage man may cause, it heals itself. We are a part of nature. When we fall out of rhythm,
    we injure ourselves spiritually

     

  • 9:47 AM, Blogger Tracy

    I LOVE the narrative in this.
    Great pictures! :)

     

  • 7:33 PM, Blogger rauf

    This chap was cooperating very well, couldn't miss the oppertunity, I was just hoping that he'd stay a while longer.
    The place is Kabini Forest in the State of Karnataka.

     
Post a Comment ~ back home