Advanced Pali, a photo from Mandalay, North

Photographer's Note

How about a short break with color photography and a good ol' TriX grainy shot?

Advanced Pali class anybody? taken in Mandalay monastery compound during an advanced Pali course.

You know that Pali is the old hindi used in the buddhists texts. This is the Pali university of Mandalay : Mandalay and surroundings host more than half of the total number of monks in Myanmar.

4 PM and we'd been advised that one of the most respected abbot would hold his advanced Pali class. The monastery rooms where his class was to take place was expected to be full of monks. It was in fact way beyond expectations, not only the first floor room was completely packed (perhaps I'll show you later on), the stairs leading to the first floor were also crammed with monks (another photo op), a roomful attendance was sitting inside the ground floor room and even outside at the entrance of the building (where we are now) some other monks followed the course concentrating on the voice of their professor.

Fortunately enough his voice was carried away by a set of mike and loudspeakers : alternatively I could hear him say a long sentence (which of course neither me nor Ye were able to understand a word -remember it's like latin : who in the assistance speaks latin?)and one the students repeat more or less the same sentence afterwards (I suppose it was from of the tone).

All in all, a wonderful experience : I thank the monks who encouraged me to climb to the room upstairs, directed me to a better place to get my images. I was just there for my own pleasure, only bringing them some additional bother but they cared for me.

bfly, don_narayan, z_nenith, jinju, arnabchat, fixed, sigh, Homerhomer, devimeuxbe, eleparc, AnimeshRay, david, andante heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

Zepi (22848) 2005-09-08 18:10

Salut Luko,
Jolie composition !
J’adore, c’est très zen….bon, en fait, c’est la moindre des choses avec tout ces monks !!!
Excellent choix du couple vitesse/diaphragme, la pdc qui en résulte est excellente !
Le noir et blanc est impeccable,
Rien d’autre à rajouter, a si !!!
Bravo
A++
Sébastien

bfly (5775) 2005-09-08 18:12

hi Luko,
they don't look like they are bothered at all..in fact you must have been almost invisible...
well..I like it as usual :) thanks for being there and being here..

Furachan (0) 2005-09-08 18:13

Je ne pense pas avoir vu une meilleure image de toi que celle-ci. Du bokeh au compte-goutte (Le summicron bien sur!) Composition tres elegante, comme quoi les moines, ils sont exactement ou il faut dans ce cadre, y compris les acteurs secondaires au fond. Et puis ce theme que j'aime beaucoup chez toi: "ecriture et savoir"...
Super travail, tres sobre, tres sur.
Bravo, Francis

don_narayan (2014) 2005-09-08 18:57

wonderful photo. the DoF is so good. I like the lines created but the man's arms and the focus at the eye, going to the book. great framing as well.

BAKO (1691) 2005-09-08 19:01 [Comment]

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bebel (7588) 2005-09-08 19:15

je préfère tes photos en (vrai) noir et blanc qu'en couleurs. Un peu comme Simon aussi.
ça rappelle le labo de la MJC.
a+
Pierrot

poulinp (4528) 2005-09-08 22:36

Wow, I like your uncommon and audacious framing here. Excellent DOF, superb composition. Well done!

efimoore (2126) 2005-09-08 23:13 [Comment]

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arnabchat (7233) 2005-09-09 0:57

thanks to my ignorance, i knew Pali is now an extinct language, once used in times of Buddhist glory, thousands of years ago. Nice to know it is still practiced somewhere outside India. Though, many universities in India offer courses in Pali.

The image, really nice job with DOF and a perfect timeless B&W composition, with rich and justified contrasts.

Thaks for sharing.
Arnab

cgrindahl (6113) 2005-09-09 3:08

I love this Luko. What a wonderful trip this must have been with so many fine opportunities and such support for your effort. This is very fine both in composition and execution. You manage the depth of field well, keeping our focus on the monk absorbed in his book, while filling the frame with the other three monks in the background delicately blurred against the darkened interior. My eye is pulled somewhat by the glaring white of the open book in the background, though that doesn't trouble me. I'm very happy you chose to do this work in black and white, distilling the essence of the scene... the study of this ancient language so essential to their spiritual practice. Fine work Luko.

flydragon (0) 2005-09-09 3:32

tête a tête
quel beau moment ici
quel calme je voudrais voir et sentir
cette endroit m'assoir et regader
Luko tu as ici une tres belle photo
et ton noir et blanc mmmm un délice
vii c ça sort nous ton tri x ,o)
bravo Luko c bo
••nam pla••

vert demain

faubry (35447) 2005-09-09 3:39

hello, vraiment j'aime beacoup ta photo, elle nous montre très bien la concentration de l'homme au premier plan, et le noir et blanc ajoute une note supplémentaire!!!
beau contraste
francine

kinginexile (2598) 2005-09-09 4:25

Luko, we keep following each other. i again was about to post studying monks, but remembered my "flame" image from the Shwedagon.
No problem in this shot, your composition and B&W treatment are fitting perfectly the subject. And your note may remind others of the kind welcome we receive in monasteries in Myanmar.

jinju (14265) 2005-09-09 5:51

Thats like a dream come true. To be accepted into such a group and not only that but ENCOURAGED to take photos. I bet the freedom and ease of image taking must have been like a drug. The effects are awesom. I love the graininess of the image, it matches the old looking bokk, and the monk's clothes.

entrelec (8328) 2005-09-09 6:17

I'm a little bit late, but I want to say how this picture is good for me, because the technical choices are all to communicate the atmospher.
joel

fixed (3836) 2005-09-09 8:02

une image magnifique Luko !
tout est pensé ici
une ambiance zen règne ici.
n&b, grain somptueux!!
Bravo, magnifique!!
A+
Arnaud

recepyuksel (18640) 2005-09-09 8:20

A masterpiece photo
Tebrikler

dolin (7369) 2005-09-09 9:02

Magnifique prise en n/b avec cette tri-x qui nous donne cet agréable grain.
Ca c'est une chose que j'ai vraiment envie d'essayer une fois...bien joli le numérique, mais pas la même magie.
Très agréable atmosphère qui règne dans cette photo magnifiquement cadrée. Ta dof est également très bien gérée.
Joli et merci
Fred

Homerhomer (4080) 2005-09-09 9:40

REading can very often be associated with relaxing moment and pleasure, this isn't the case, the image is so intense thanks to the expression of the monk, he is trying his darnest to absorb every piece of wisdom that is in the book, fantastic moment well captured.
Technically as usual very good, with just the right dof to separate the subject but keep the context.

I know what you mean about the affect the background has on the viewing experience, I myself find that occassionally stumble upon a gallery, be it on pbase or somewhere else and just can't get past overpowering frames, graphics, screaming colours, shades etc etc, I see that you use the same type of frame regardless if the image is colour or bw, perhaps I should reconsider my framing.
Peter

gringofil (0) 2005-09-09 9:49

Wonderful, Luko, simply wonderful. Like Peter said, his expression makes all the difference. Composition wise this is pretty standard (one monk in the foreground and a bunch more in the background), but the way you captured his expression and the reading of a book is simply magnificent. I really like the tones...just perfect. In color I think it wouldn't work as good...color overload, if you know what I mean. I think in situations like this black and white really works if you’re trying to make a “quiet” photo. And this is quiet…I’ve got a feeling right now as I type this to hit the keys a bit softer as not to distract the reading monk. The feeling is there, Luko, so why as for more?

My only minor nit pick is about the hand...a little too hot in places (and the overexposed book in the background also catches my eye a bit too frequently as well). Anyway, I like, Luko, I like very much.

jcandeli (40) 2005-09-09 10:52

beautiful natural light. Good use of DOF and nice composition. For some reason I would prefer to see a little more of the monks back or shoulder but not sure why. Anyway it is great regardless. Nice to see b&w photos of monks since color is the norm. Great job. JP

AmiBe (6042) 2005-09-09 13:00

Hello Luko,
c'est superbe, la grande classe.
Ce n/b est un régal de même que l'atmosphère "zenique" de cette image.
J'aime comme tu as su capturer la concentration sur le monk de gauche avec les autres étudiants en arrière plan.
J'ai vu une inscription en Pali là-bas... pas évident comme langue ! ;-)

adrost (2378) 2005-09-09 17:00

B&W its perfect.
Congratulation.
a.

Amandine (1072) 2005-09-09 17:12

What a beautifull portrait! You succeed in capturing the exporession of this young monk very well. We fell like we will know waht he is reading, what he is thinking about by loooking at his eyes. THh composition is very well done too. The fcat that we can see his envoronment makes use realise physicalthe isolement in wich this man is, as if the other monks aren't far away.

clodreno (0) 2005-09-10 9:35

celle ci est vraiment belle.
encore une fois car tu as su capturer ce moine dans une position moins courante de ce que nous sommes habituer à voir. Il nous laisse gentiment entrer dans son monde.. une DOF appropriée également..
super

hugolef (4913) 2005-09-10 11:16

Ouh ben celle là je ne l'avais pas vue ... mais il ne faut pas publier à des heures indues, c'est que je suis un jeune pere de famille alors je me couche avec les poules (:[)
jolie compo qui me plait plus que l'escalier, certes plus classique dans l'approche, mais la PDC, le n&b au travers de l'oeil du Leica ... (:o) que c'est beau !
Merci pour le partage
Amities

kikvel (4784) 2005-09-10 11:17

Hi Luko

I like the way you composed this, creating an atmosphere of silence and learning, I wonder about the monks ear, a wound?
my respects to your great work as always

K.

devimeuxbe (58557) 2005-09-10 13:07

Hi Luko
Très beau cadrage qui met bien en valeur une atmosphere studieuse et sereine. J'aime le regard un peu dur du moine qui semble sd'arracher les cheveux sur le texte.
C'est splendide.
Amicalement
Bertrand

eleparc (24063) 2005-09-10 14:06

cette image est bcp plus belle que celle en couleur dans les escaliers. je lui retrouve l'esprit de tes 1eres photos dans cette case en indonésie... bien vu! et quelle concentration!
Eric

AnimeshRay (9089) 2005-09-11 12:41

Terrific shot, Luko. WOnderful bokeh that highlights the intense expression on the foreground monk's face. Excellent tonality.

ishai (4097) 2005-09-12 16:13

That’s a good intense concentrated look you have captured here, Luko
The B&W tones are very good here like the play with the DOF

I like that you included the other studying monks

Well captured

Ishai

pascalbene (1717) 2005-09-12 17:17

J'aime beaucoup la saturation du livre au second plan. Et puis, aussi, au premier plan,le détail de l'écriture près des mains. Une belle image.

david (3992) 2006-02-23 6:53

this is a remarkable photograph luko. i'm very impressed by the focus here, as well as the contrast you've created in the b&w image. very professional composition. congratuilations!

andante (7092) 2006-05-20 9:08

Luko, your body of work is truly impressive. Though, I'm commenting only on this one, I'll comeback for more. Hats off to you.
:)
Cheers,
Enrique