India’s People Podcast
India was captivating in many ways. In this podcast, I try to convey how overpowering India’s culture is and how it affected my approach to portraiture photography.
Please click on the image to play the podcast
Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on my trip to India and to re-charge my batteries, I’d love to go back. I think we need something to challenge us, to surprise us from time to time and in that respect, India succeeds hands down.
I’m really quite surprised to discover that it’s taken me just over a year to get round to putting this little podcast together. I think there was a lot going on for me last year and a lot of travel. It was so satisfying going back to the audio recordings I made whilst in India and listening to them with fresh ears. It took me right back. I’m hoping to record more ambient sound for future podcasts….. it’s a much more enriching experience to have sound as well as photos. Perhaps even video at some point, but I feel that involves quite a bit of a leap in technique. For the time being, I’m just going to stick with iMovie for my basic slideshows and an Audio recorder (Sony PCM-D50 which is great by the way) and of course, my photography for the substance to my podcasts.
Hi Bruce,
I think you are creating something very special here. With the constant evolution of the medium and the overal “convergence” I think the mixture of ambient sound with images can create a powerful new type of art. I really believe this is an area that is worth exploring. Thanks for a wonderful podcast.
All the best,
Dumitru
Comment by Dumitru — 24 February, 2010 @ 8:55 pm
Hi Dumitru,
Many thanks for the kind words….. I don’t think what I’m doing here is really anything new – slide shows with music or ambience is nothing new, but I’m really pleased you’re enjoying them.
I really do them for myself – it’s a great way to relive the experience of India – when I listened to the sounds I recorded, for the first time in a year, it took me right back!
I’d love to add some video at some point, perhaps cover some of my processes while I’m out in the field, but that’s a hard one to pull off well. At the moment, I just love adding an extra dimension to my photography by telling a story with sound.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 25 February, 2010 @ 1:31 am
Great format, Bruce.
When I traveled there I noticed they would stare impassively, and your images have many of those impassive stares. Do you have any with smiles?
My experience was you had to engage them first, with a smile or gesture, and then they’re face would crack open into glorious smiles. Wonderful place, wonderful people, wonderful sights and sounds and smells.
If you go back, patch together a trip to Bhutan. You will love it for the people and the landscape. Cheers from Mexico, Sam
Comment by Sam Blair — 25 February, 2010 @ 3:50 am
Hi Sam,
I hadn’t really thought about it too much, but I think you’re right. Most indians have a very impassive look…. But I have to say, I’m not one for taking images of people smiling – it’s perhaps something I should work on. I prefer a ‘neutral state’ as it were. It just seems more natural and for me, the way they seem to gaze right into me was something I found really nice. But yes, certainly room for some variety I think :-)
Would love to go to Bhutan at some point….. I’ll see how my workshop business pans out :-)
Comment by Bruce Percy — 25 February, 2010 @ 11:08 am
hi Bruce,
slideshows with music have been around, true, but I’ve seen very few of them with the kind of ambient sound that you’re managing to record. It complements the image, does not get in the way. Maybe is just me… :)
Comment by Dumitru — 25 February, 2010 @ 1:24 pm
Hi Dumitru,
Well, I’m glad you get something out of it and feel it’s a bit different due to the ambience. I must admit to not remembering to take my audio recorder with me on all the trips I do. I’m going to Eigg in April for a workshop and intend to take my recorded to record the sea on the bay of Laig.
It’s interesting, but I get so much positive comments about the podcasts. I did find one recently that gave it 3 stars out of 5 because the delivery time was slow. What did he expect? Me to deliver a podcast every week? – disappear off to a new country, make some good photos, come home, edit and put it up within a week or so? I was surprised – if he liked the content which he clearly did, why give it a low rating?
This is a lesson in itself – trust in your own ability and your own direction, and don’t be swayed by anyone else’s input: accept the kind comments but do what you have to do, not what others expect.
Comment by Bruce Percy — 25 February, 2010 @ 4:51 pm