Pushkar

Much of the morning is spent on preparing prints and PDIs for camera club competitions, as well as preparing for tonight’s meeting. It’s a ‘members’ evening’ with one half taken up by 10 of us talking about an image or images that are memorable to us. I’ve volunteered, deciding to use images taken in 2014 at Pushkar Camel Fair. There are so many photos I could have chosen, but interestingly, when I mentioned the presentation theme to G he immediately came up with Pushkar too. 

You will know we both love India, and it really is a photographer’s dream in terms of colour, people, architecture, scenery and wildlife. Pushkar stands out as the first time we’d been able to visit an Indian festival as we were now retired and didn’t have to keep to school holidays to travel. 

Taking place in late October/early November, it’s the world’s largest camel fair with about 50,000 camels - and is also one of the largest cattle fairs. It attracts some 600,000 visitors - the town itself has a population of only 20,000 - and it’s very much an Indian festival rather than a tourist honeypot. 

My approach to photography in a place like this would be to wander around, happily getting shots of the general scene, mostly portraits. Generally,  I’ve always disliked posed travel photography, preferring more spontaneous shots. I find people here are usually happy to be photographed , and often just eye contact confirming that. 

The Raikas or Rajasthani camel herders were different. Fabulous characters with wonderful faces, often dressed in white with huge colourful turbans. Here I remember battling with other photographers - mostly men - all with impressive lenses, often long grey EF zooms. They seemed to be monopolising groups, paying for exclusive ‘photography rights’ and I just felt frustrated and intimidated. 

So, I wandered further off, found my own group of Raikas, paid the one who seemed to be the leader, and gestured this money was to be shared with the rest of the group if I could just sit amongst them and take photographs. I didn’t want posed shots, but just wanted to observe their chatter and laughter as they prepared tea and food on open fires, their herds of camels surrounding them.   

And so today I’m posting the photographs I spoke about - obviously not actually taken today. It’s the first time I’ve spoken at Camera Club and I found myself surprisingly nervous - despite doing so much public speaking to staff, pupils and parents during my career. I’m definitely out of practice. 

I also collect my new - or replacement - glasses (having dropped my others over the side of a boat in Langkawi!) It’s good to be able to see properly again!  However, the really frustrating thing is that I’m having major problems walking again, so it’s back to using a walking pole and it takes ages to get to the opticians. I twisted my back carrying some washing last week and things have got progressively worse since then; picking up Lili on Saturday was very foolish. It’s been so wonderful having had six months of totally pain free walking, I just hope this pain is temporary!