'V' is for.... Photo

Photographer’s Note

Harsil - Situated at a height of 7,860 ft. (2,620 mtrs.) from sea level, the beauty of this small hamlet is yet unexplored by the enthusiasts’ travelers. Harsil has a small army base, being not very far from the Sino-Indian border. Apart from being at the way to Gangtori (the origin of River Ganges), it is also the entry point to the Kinnaur Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh. Harsil is surrounded by the breathtaking splendour of the majestic Himalayan peaks. This place is also known as a major apple growing zone. It has a cool climate throughout and gets snow bound between December to March. However, not many people know or visit this place. Harsil is more used as an overnight stopover enroute to Gangotri. A pity, since this small place is really beautiful!

There’s a small Tibetan village in Harsil. A group of Tibetans settled here in the late 1950s, the same time when Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet to India. Mostly shepherds, these Tibetans rear mountain goats & sheep, make wool from them & then make handmade woolen garments for selling in the plains. Life is quite harsh here, climate-wise & in the winter months, these Tibetan families move Southward, in the planes of Uttrakashi.

Pemba and Jakli are the newest generation of Tibetans in Harsil. Not much habituated in seeing outsiders in their village, they were curious about me in the beginning. The they opened up, asked me a lot of questions & in the end Pemba flashed a V sign with both his hands.

"What does this sign mean?" I asked

No reply from Pemba…only a smile. The more mature Jakli in the BG, just kept on smiling.

Possibly they would have picked this seeing their fathers & grandfathers flashing the V sign, during demonstrations & meetings of Tibetans. Interesting how the ‘V’sign (for "Peace"), a meaning that became popular during the peace movement in the US of the 1960s. has become a universal language, even for those who don’t understand the meaning!

mikolaj_kawa, feather, subhendu_bagchi, jhm, pierrefonds, Budapestman, dareco, Emile, dip, danos, ChrisJ, plimrn, avene, Graal, AiresSantos, AiresSantos, siolaw, josepmarin, adores ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

bracasha75 (22211) 2009-08-09 1:02

Helo Angshuman
This lovely and inocente scene and i say "V" for "..." to........
Cheers,Braca

mikolaj_kawa (30601) 2009-08-09 1:10

Hello Angshuman! Wonderful boys, amazing poses, excellent scene. Good capture. Very good double frame. Well done!

feather (49872) 2009-08-09 2:04

Young children do this so innocently....as long as they remember which way round their hands should be, as the other way means something different entirely. :)
The black background from the dark interior is perfect as there is nothing to distract from the children. I love the catch-lights in the eyes of the one at the front and the shy smile of the other one.
Kath

jasmis (50673) 2009-08-09 2:04

Amazing double portrait in deep fresh colours. Superb pose of a boy.
Regards my dear friend.

CLODO (4390) 2009-08-09 3:57

Hi Angshu
I read VW, so the answer should be Volkswagen! LOL
CLODO

jhm (82879) 2009-08-09 4:50

Hello Angshu,

Wonderful boys, or maybe a girl with the red nail finger, amazing pose, excellent scene.
Nice composition and very well presentation, TFS.

Have a nice sunday,
John.

pierrefonds (26449) 2009-08-09 4:50

Hi Angshuman,

A good capture of the smiling expression of the children. The portrait is showing the details and colors of them. The V sign means peace and sometime victory. The nsurrounding light is enhancing the colors. have a nice day.

Pierre

dArpAn (490) 2009-08-09 4:55

Now thats a double treat Angshuman. Two cute faces posing for your cam in their own unique ways. The color pallete of red and yellow against a pitch black backdrop is very attractive.

I recently had a discussion in TE on how to click people. I must say that this shot combined with the note is an excellent answer to me. Ok, another addition to my fav list.

PS: I absolutely love the nail paint of the boy in front, perhaps his misadventures with his sisters ;-)

subhendu_bagchi (3281) 2009-08-09 5:06

Angshu Da, another great shot. The boy with 'V' is fantastic. Framing is excellent here. The darkness of background increases the clarity of the boy. Composition is nice here. TFS.
Regards
Subhendu.

Bartleby (4996) 2009-08-09 5:07

Hi Angshu,

a cute double portrait! Lovely kids! Plus a touch of color from their jackets! The partial wooden frame and the dark background are definite plus.

Best,

Philippe

Budapestman (42328) 2009-08-09 6:37

Dear Angshu,
beautiful double portrait with splendid composition, I like the idea and the realization, the note is excellent likewise, Tfs! Have a nice Sunday!
George

yquem46 (8170) 2009-08-09 7:17

namaste angshu
nice attitude, colors, all this well framed by the window
regards
patrick

dareco (17104) 2009-08-09 19:49

Very natural skin tones and superb detail. Very cute poses!! TFS

Emile (20017) 2009-08-09 21:42

Hola Angshuman.
Amazing portrait of the two children, the black DOF enhances the figure of both, very good colors and frame. Sharpness is perfect here and the expression of the children are great. Very well captured.
Best regards.

berek (28937) 2009-08-09 22:36

Hi Angshuman,
very good double portrait my friend. I like clearness and happy faces. well done.
Greetings.
Burak

dip (12690) 2009-08-09 22:59

Hi Angshu,
wonderful and lovely scene!
excellent captured,I also like the exposure and the colors combination,
very well done!
Dimitris.

danos (32812) 2009-08-09 23:15

Hi Angshu,
nice the portrait of the two little Tibetan children with the ‘V’ sign to be shaped with their little fingers and of course to don't know what the ‘V’ sign means.I like the contrast of their blouses as the black background that makes the colours even more strong.Well done.Well done my friend.

Have a nice week,Danos

John_F_Kennedy (31671) 2009-08-09 23:21

Hello Angshuman
Very interesting and nice portrait of this child. Good framing and colours too.
Best wishes,
Achim

emka (21843) 2009-08-09 23:27

Hi Angshuman, Charming photo of the boys making V sign. In China, when photographed, the people also are always making this sign. It is very funny. Lovely smiles. Nice natural frame, great colours.

Regards

Malgorzata

ChrisJ (70351) 2009-08-10 4:07

Hello Angshuman

A superb dual portrait of the happy kids, with good sharpness, & the dark bg accentuates the fg colour saturation. Excellent dof & sharpness. Tfs!

plimrn (19688) 2009-08-10 8:10

Hi Angshu,
What a couple of cuties - and who can fault the wish for peace?
HLJ, Pat

avene (11062) 2009-08-10 9:56

hello Angshuman,
unversal language indeed, same as photography, don't you think?
love the shot, the kid is obviously pleased with himself, and the direct eye contact with the boy in the background makes the photo really engaging. great shot, my compliments.

best,
Kristine

Waylim (10933) 2009-08-10 12:29

Hello Angshu,
Two V's make a W for Way, I think. :) Very lovely shot, Children are always a favorite subject of mine. I love the innocence and carefree days of childhood. Only if we can stay. I like kids to stay innocence as long as they can. Beautiful color and tone. Technically all is fine as always. Thanks
Way

manojtnair (427) 2009-08-10 19:13

hi angshuman,
nice portrait of these kids. i liked the black bg and the tight cropping. as mentioned in your note the kids surely have picked up the V sign from their elders. Pemba also seem to have picked up something more than the sign - has a different expression in his eyes. tfs.
manoj

jafadabret (39923) 2009-08-10 22:55

Bonjour Angshu.
Ce double portrait d'enfants est superbe. Le "V" symbolise tout l'espoir de ce peuple. Le regard du premier enfant semble dirigé vers l'avenir, pourvu qu'il ne soit pas déçu !
Salutations amicales !
Jacques

Graal (58267) 2009-08-10 23:29

Hi Angshuman,
nice portraits, fine shot and caught moment. Good composition, I like the natural frame and contrast. Well note and photojob.
Gr., Aleksander

AiresSantos (42440) 2009-08-11 1:29

Hi Angshu
Fine note as usual from you !
Beautiful and funny picture with two kids with the 'V' in them hands.
Excellent details and colours. Well seen and done
Regards
Aires

siolaw (25794) 2009-08-12 9:33

Hi Angshu,
I didn't remember the Tibetan settlement in Harsil... Anyhow you got nice spontaneous and natural expressions on these local boys... I like the eye contact with the one on the right side while the other one looks up diagonally...
Nice
Laurent

josepmarin (33861) 2009-08-12 13:08

Hi, my friend Angshuman,
The smiles and the innocent looks of these two children are the true protagonists of this capture. I like the cleanliness and spontaneity of the scene that you have caught, simple but with great symbolism and many vitality.
Excellent work, and a great note, as usual.
Best regards,
Josep

adores (15653) 2009-08-13 16:26

Hi Angshuman!
Good portrait! Very well framed by the window. I like the dark background and their hands making the sign. We see lots of children making it in Vietnam, also.Good work!

testmaniac (12250) 2009-08-13 23:10

Very good capture of the smiling kids. Nice colors and mood. Good job!

TFS

Phil

rajiv_077 (1355) 2009-08-19 4:25

Hi Angshu Ji

Very very good portrait of two cute child's , good pose, expression and colors with black border & background. I like the 'V' also. Thanks also for sharing this place's information, new for me.

regards

rajiv

* Pls give me ur New phone No please

marietom (32040) 2009-08-21 1:41

hello Angshu,

Joli portrait, et belle expression de ces enfants.
J'aime beaucoup.
Bonne journée
Marie

Bluejeans (32633) 2009-08-24 15:28

Ola my friend ,
V is the victory in National Geographic awards :)
Well done .

Muito bonita esta tua foto com estes dois rapazes bem alegres , tem um olhar de paz e amor , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

vmukherjee (395) 2009-11-02 7:39