Back in my city, a photographer, looking at this picture asked me:
- "Do they express interest in the result ?"
- Yes, I answered, Like any human being.
Be it an actor or a criminal :-) . Much more if they feel or discover
that they have beeen respectfully and seriously photographed. In this
precise case, I went to their "home" the place were they sleep and wake
up. Apart from tourist and religious visitors.
Those are Sadhus. Holly men that survive from alms. Many of them are
supposed to have made wows of poverty. They pray, give blessings to the
visitors at Pasupatinath, the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu on the
banks of the holy BagmatiRiver,. Devotees of Shiva and sadhus flock to
Pashupatinath and many Nepalis choose to be cremated on the banks of the
holy river. This picture was made very early in the morning, just when they were
waking up, before the visits of the devotees and the start of the
cremations. As a matter of fact, I entered the place were they meet and
sleep. This was clearly a behind the scenes capture...
A last curiosity: they are smoking "Ganja", a variety of Cannabis. Funny
enough, they smoke it without problem whilst a foreigner smoking it
will be in very serious problems in Nepal...
When will go back to Kathmandu, the first thing I will do is bring
them their pictures, big and, possibly, framed. In my experience this
is a present that is accepted with pleasure and gets us (them and me) to
another level of reciprocal understanding.
This "mechanism" (Photo-going back-discussing the photo) is what we (subject pictured and the photographer) enjoy the most.
It opens for both sides new horizons: the "American" tourist is less a
tourist and the Nepali "naked" Sadhu is less naked. This new situations
changes our perception of "the others" and allows, even with an eye
contact without words, a new relation on each future photography, which,
again, becomes only an excuse for another relation...
Me acerqué durante dos días consecutivos a Pashupatinath, Katmandú, a la parte trasera, al lugar en el que duermen. Las seis de la mañana, trás bambalinas, el momento en el que se despertaban, antes de las visitas y del comienzo de las cremaciones.
Al ver esta foto ya en Madrid, me pregunta un amigo:
- ¿Y les interesa el resultado de la foto?
- Desde luego -le contesté- como a cualquier persona, sea actor o criminal.
Les interesa especialmente si entienden que la fotografía es realizada con interés y respeto. De una manera seria.
Les interesa especialmente si entienden que la fotografía es realizada con interés y respeto. De una manera seria.
