Number four of the series in which I share some of my favorite images from Asia and the stories behind getting those shots. A few of you sent notes asking about this one from Kolkata and I’m happy to share it with you because I truly love this photograph. There are a lot of things that came together here… with the soft filtered light, the fantastic color and texture and of course this lovely man’s beautiful Mona Lisa smile. His gentle spirt really shines through. 

Yet, none of those things are the reason this shot has become one of my favorites. It’s a favorite because of something much more personal and emotional. Taken near the Mallick Ghat Flower Market in Kolkata, this portrait was gift wrapped and presented to me by my two selfless friends, Sabya Talukdar and Makcik Tenny Schneider. I was on the other side of the street and had walked on down the road, totally missing this guy. By the time Sabya called after me I was a good 75 meters away. I walked back and Tenny showed me her shot, which was fantastic and then Sabya had gotten a cracker too. I was happy for them that they had found this scene but also a little envious knowing I had missed an opportunity. I began to move on because I don’t like to poach other photographers shots on photowalks, in fact it’s something I avoid it like the plague. As I started back down the road they each insisted I take a few shots as well. I took just the one and immediately knew I had a pretty good frame. Like I said, it was a gift. Now here’s the thing, you see for an entire week I had been grousing about another photographer in our group who was constantly horning in on my shots, tailing me and poaching the scenes I was finding. After Tenny and Sabya displayed such grace, I began to lament my selfish behavior and uber competitive nature. I was ashamed. I decided then and there I was going to make a conscious effort to be less competitive with other photographers and instead, be more helpful and inclusive. It turns out old dogs can learn new tricks…

On the technical side, I used the Fujifilm X-T3 and the XF16-55 ƒ/2.8 R LM WR lens at 55mm. The aperture was ƒ/2.8, the shutter speed was 1/125 and the ISO was set at 800. 

If there’s an image in my portfolio you’d like to know more about, just leave me a note here in the comments or via Instagram or Facebook. Until next time…

Peace!

Liuzhou - May 28, 2019