Apsara Dancer

 I spent 4 days in Siem Reap. Two days were spent in the ruins of Angkor Wat, one day exploring life on the water at Tonle Lake and a bit of touring of the city itself. One night we had a special dinner that included these dancers as entertainment. The dance is ancient and there are many sculptures of dancing women on the temples at Angkor Wat

I was told to go to the balcony to photograph the dancers. I could see the stage clearly, but it was quite a distance from where I stood. We were the only photographers so we weren’t concerned about ruining anyone’s view.  I tried to get my flash output correct, just enough to get a good photo and no noise. I tried several settings, lowering the output and raising it. I was hesitant to increase my flash output to it’s maximum capacity for fear of blowing out the highlights. My LCD screen showed what I thought was a good shot. When I got home, though, I saw that all of my shots needed more light. They can’t be saved.

I need to learn more about my flash. I only got one or two shots out of 50 or more. This is one. I wanted one where the lead dancer held the pose that is typical of these dancers…standing on one leg with the other bent behind her, her extemded foot bent in that graceful way typical of this dance. This woman is lovely and she does have her hands bent. If only her left hand were an inch or so lower, it could be seen better as her bright blouse would contrast with the hand. This is where studio photography has the advantage.

Our guide said that these were not professional dancers. They had day jobs. They looked beautiful to me. As they walked about the stage, they kept their toes pointed upward. Sometimes they relaxed their toes. This was the only time I could see that they weren’t expert.

I’ll be away for a week. I’m going to visit my daughter. I’m taking my camera, of course. I don’t know how much photography I will do, probably not much.

I hope you have a good week. See you soon!

My Money's Worth

 It was late afternoon. The slanting rays of the sun lit this man and his cart beautifully and I stood across the street from him snapping photo after photo. He ignored me, but there was no way he didn’t know that I was photographing him.

When I thought I had the shot I wanted, I crossed the street to give him some money. (I often pay people like this man. I’ve used them as my model and models get paid, don’t they?)  When I handed some money to him, he didn’t take it. Instead he began putting some fruit into a sack. He weighed it and then took my money after handing me the fruit.

I didn’t want the fruit. I wasn’t sure what it was. (Maybe it was quince.) I tried to give it back, but then he gave the money back. After a few seconds, I realized that his pride prevented him from taking money without giving me it’s value in fruit.  His pride made me remember this moment. Pride can be a virtue.

Family Tradition

 Grandfather and Granddaughter compete in team roping at a California Rodeo.

After exploding out of the chute, the horses catch up with the young steer and the rider who is the ‘header’ (in this case, the Grandfather) ropes the calf’s horns. Then the girl must rope the calf’s hind feet…even as it gallops for freedom. It seems impossible but it can be done. The girl is about 10 years old and was first put in the saddle at age 2, something most girls can only dream about.   

Theyyam in Trance

Malabar, the west coast of India.

Theyyam was in his trance; going about the temple yard, brandishing his sword, hopping, twirling, smashing coconuts. Just about everything you could think to do when you are in a trance. I’m not ridiculing him or the practice. It all depends on what you are used to.

I remember entering a church in Tuscany where the head of a woman saint was enshrined in glass box over the altar. For me, this was normal. It was a holy relic, not the head of a woman who had been brutally beheaded centuries ago. But my companions were horrified and one immediately left the church. Me? I stayed and said some Hail Marys.

Lobe Woman with Lip Plug

This was a Lobe village in Burkina Faso. We were told that the women had these lip plugs inserted as a way to make themselves less desirable for the slavers who had once captured them. The lip plugs can be a piece of ivory or just something handy like a peanut. Young women don’t seem to have lip plugs, only some of the older ones. Maybe now it is considered decorative. For tribes living in the bush, it’s easier to make a lip plug than it is to make earrings.

I had a wide-angled lens on my camera when I got this shot. I had to get right up in her face. I was about a foot away and now, looking back, I know I wouldn’t like someone doing that to me, but I wanted this portrait, which I think she would approve.

 She had grace and dignity and the portrait shows that although she seems to be blocking me out mentally. I always get that feeling when I look at this photo. Mea Culpa.

Afternoon Tea

 Morocco’s desert, near the ancient caravan city of Siljilmassa.

I met a Berber boy years ago and through him, his family. I’ve kept in touch with them for nearly 20 years. The boy, now a man, used to take me to visit local people and places. Moroccans and Berbers, in particular, are the most hospitable people I’ve ever met and I took many, many photos of them in their homes, at their work, where ever I could find them. As long as I was with the boy, they did not object. He was their guest and by default so was I. When the women objected, the men would tell them to cooperate with me. I got every shot I could get.

The problem was that their homes were dark and many of my photos are underexposed. The houses have few windows and they keep those shuttered. The heat of the desert is oppressive and to have an open window heats the house quickly. Otherwise the thick adobe walls hold in the cool night air for most of the day.  

Ali didn’t know the man in the photo. We simply entered his home, greeted him with the usual “Salaam” which means “peace”.  and Ali, my young friend, asked him the ritual questions: how are you, how is your family, are they all right, are they really all right, is everything all right? That is the way it goes, each person responding with the traditional answer and then we took our leave.  I grabbed a few shots while they were talking.

I think those ritual greetings are nice. You don’t need to think of any thing special to say and each person feels that he has been fully acknowledged. You needn’t waste each other’s time chatting about nothing in particular if you are in a hurry.

Back to the man. He was preparing tea on that little gas stove set on top of a bottle of gas. That is the way the people cooked in those days and probably they still do. I haven’t been to Morocco for several years.

Tea is drunk several times a day and it is offered whenever guests enter a home. A lot of time is spent drinking tea and chatting. They don’t have much money, but they do have a lot of time.

I returned the next year with a copy of this photo. We remembered the village, but not where the man lived. We showed the photo to some young men and they were delighted with the likeness of their friend. They were happy to take the photo to him. I am sure the man was pleased also.  He does look handsome.

Working Together

 More storks! Here the male and female place twigs on their nest. The nests remain from year to year, but the new couple always needs to remodel a bit. Most likely, the nest sustains a lot of damage from the winter storms. (Storks fly to Africa for the winter.)

I gave this photo a pseudo Asian feel. At least, it makes me think of Chinese or Japanese art. I used Alien Skin’s Exposure 4 for the finishing touches. You can always download a trial of any software to see if it is something you would want to use. I like using software because it makes the work go quickly and it can embellish your bag of tricks when you are looking for that certain something but you don’t quite know what that is.

Opinci and Leg Cloths

 I had hoped to see these old costumes being worn as daily garb rather than for a festival or holiday occasion. We had stopped to photograph some storks building their nest when this woman came along. At first I didn’t notice her shoes and then! there they were! Opinci and leg cloths! Plus she had her hand-woven apron wrapped around her.

Made from an Old Inner Tube

 Of course, I was thrilled. One of my problems is that I get excited easily. And when I’m excited, I’m not thinking as well as I should. My solution is to shoot, shoot, shoot. It isn’t a foolproof remedy as sometimes my best shot is out of focus. This is the case of the first photo, but by sharpening it and increasing contrast to an extreme, it works for me. I also added the grungy edges for an antique look.

Back to the Opinci. The word is pronounced “opeench”. They are sandals worn by people in the area, Romanians, Serbs, Bulgarians, since 2500 years B.C. And they were worn until recently. Now, with the fall of communism people can afford modern shoes and opinci have fallen out of favor except with the very poor and folkloric dancers.

I looked up some info on opinci and discovered that although in the past they were made from a rectangle of leather, now poor people use an old inner tube. And on examination of my second photo, I see that this woman’s shoes are made of rubber. I thought they weren’t very pretty when I was taking the pic. Oh, well. I have to be grateful for her. Her opinci were the only ones I saw.

As for the leg cloths, if you have ever read any books by Alexander Solzhenitzyn, you will recall the prisoners wrapping their footcloths around their feet. It stuck in my mind that Russians didn’t have socks. The idea of wrapping a cloth around your foot and then stuffing the whole thing into your shoe…bound to be uncomfortable!

Fanciful

 My bed and breakfast in Sighisoara was on the main square and I looked onto this view each time I drank coffee on the terrace. (I was reminded of Prague and the street of tiny houses where Kafka’s family once lived.) These colorful houses tilted backward or leaned forward as if drawn by a cartoonist: curving inward and then bowing outward at the foundation and roofline.  I couldn’t quite capture the effect, but this view gives you an idea.  The colors were bright, but I made them brighter and I ended by using Snap Art 3 just to complete the illusion.

Tulips in Cluj Market

 My hotel in Cluj wasn’t so charming but the price was right. I can’t complain. It was clean and the staff was charming and helpful. I could walk out the door and be in the market which was a block or so away. It was a lovely warm day and Daniel and I sat in the square and took surreptitious shots of unsuspecting Romanians, which we compared and critiqued. Fun.

The market was filled with good things to eat. The strong smell of home made cheeses and cured meats was tempting. By this time, I’d eaten a lot of cheese, ham, bacon and sausage and I wished I could bring some back to California. Of course, that is out of the question, but luckily I can buy them in the international markets in the Los Angeles area.

Bottles of home-made palinka, (many homes have a still) was for sale as well. This is an apricot liquor that is popular in Hungary and Romania. The man selling it offered me a drink. I told him I’d already tasted it and that once was enough for me. It’s strong!

Romanians love flowers as do most Europeans. I think they write flowers at the top of their grocery list. Maybe because most of them don’t have yards as large as we do. I can just pick some of my husband’s roses, can’t you?

Here are some tulips. So many beautiful colors and look! a bumble bee. If only he’d spread his wings.  Wait. Let me look. Yes! One of my other shots has his wings open. I’ll have to work on that next. Just goes to prove that taking more than one shot is a good habit to have. You can reduce the risk of an unsharp shot as well.

Although the photograph really needs no ‘gilding’, I did use Snap Art 3 on the tulips as well. Just to keep in the mood. When I show the bumblebee’s wings, I’ll just show the photo unenhanced. You can choose which you prefer.

 To see all of my photo galleries click here: http://rosemarysheel.smugmug.com/

The Lord of the Manor

 Gypsy mansions…somewhere near Cluj. These gypsies have ‘made it’ one way or the other and, by gosh, everyone is going to know about it. Look at those rooftops! Who made those? Who designed them? They look like a combination of an iconostasis and a casino. Gypsies have their own style and this is it.  

I was kneeling at the gate trying to get my shot when this little boy came up to me. He just stood there gazing at me as if I were a caterpillar. I don’t know what he was thinking and didn’t have a chance to find out as his older brother came out and called to him to come in. He turned away from me at his brother’s call and retreated as silently as he had come.

He was definitely a little rich boy, but he had a sweet demeanor. I had briefly thought to give him a pack of Mentos but then caught myself. He probably has a room full of candy.

I’m glad he came out. He makes my photo.