Basingstoke Camera Club: What to do with all those pictures

A talk by Michael Huggan

I spent a super evening at Basingstoke Camera Club earlier this month showing a range of my pictures from Africa, USA and India.

The African images were selected from seven years of regular visits capturing the people, places and wildlife. The second show was a selection of my equestrian pictures of cross country, show jumping, carriage driving, heavy horses ploughing and images from the Camargue.

Zebra

Great Egret in Florida

Aligator at Gatorland in Florida

After a coffee break, I continued the talk with images from Florida and my recent trip to India. I always like to get as much audience participation as possible. There are many members who do not have the opportunity to travel as far afield as I have, so it is it pleasure to share my experiences with them. I emphasize that my photography is nothing special and anybody can produce the same results. However, preparation, anticipation and luck do play an important part in getting the ‘right picture’. “F8 and be there”.

Eastern Bluebird in Florida - bronze medal winner Photographic Society of America 2009

Sunset at Lake Blue Cyprus, Florida

Afternoon tea

The main interest seemed to be the pictures of ‘Street Life’ from India showing all manner of activities of people going about their daily business. I also brought along a number of large framed and canvas pictures of a variety of subjects.

Donkeys and bricks

A dancing horses display at the Horse Endurance Show in Dundlod, Rajasthan

Carriage Driving Championships 2009, Windsor Great Park

My thanks to Basingstoke Camera Club for their hospitality and in particular, Cath Farrow, Programme Secretary, for arranging the talk. I received a nice compliment from her as follows:

“Hi Michael,

Thank you again for your excellent presentation. It was a nice mix of AV, prints, you talking about your travels and the images you have taken. The India pictures were different from anything I had seen before, and gave a whole new picture of that part of the country.

It isn't often that the members want to go on after 10 o'clock, and I think we were all amazed at the quality of your prints.

Best wishes,

Cath”
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From Delhi to Roop Niwas by road and by train

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Rajasthan, episode 2

Our road travels took us from Delhi, Agra, Bharatpur and on to Ranthambore by train, back on the road to Jaipur and onto our final destination, Roop Niwas Kothi, Nawalgarh (Shekhawati).

Of all the road trips I have made, either as a driver or passenger, this journey was the most memorable. Never before have I witnessed so many people in so many different modes of transport mixed in with camels, donkeys, horses, ‘sacred cows’, monkeys, dogs and anything else that pops up! Yet, for some reason, the number of accidents are few. However, when you are exposed, for the first time, to rush hour traffic in Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, you cannot believe that all these people manage to get to their destinations intact. Road rage does not exist, but everybody sits on their horns.

Let's have a look at some of the more interesting images:

We took the option to visit Old Delhi where our transport was a three-wheeled bicycle resembling a type of Rickshaw.

Yours truly and Memsahib about to depart in the capable hands of our ‘Wagon Master’

Over a twenty minute period we wove and maneuvered through the pedestrians, scooters, motor bikes, bicycles and other forms of wheeled transport.

Old Delhi: Some of the scenes as we passed by

“Another one of the ‘I don’t believe it’ sights to behold was the electricity distribution system!”

The Central Baptist Church ‘bus’ picking up children on their way to school. There looks to be about six children in the ‘bus’ with two more trying to get on.

Travelling between the major cities and out of in the more rural areas, the volume of traffic decreases, but not the intensity of the driving. Roundabouts and central reservations are often the reserve of small family units and their livestock. On more than one occasion, we encountered cows and cattle walking in the middle of the road towards the oncoming traffic. What is amazing, the traffic swerves round the animals, which are totally oblivious to the dangers around them. You have got to see it to believe it.

Street life:

Sacred cow lying in the road at the edge of a roundabout

The village bus off on another journey

A long rest after a busy morning waiting for trade

One of the intersections in Jaipur

A woman collects water from one of the municipal pumps in Jaipur

Rajasthan, episode 1: Rajasthan - a photographer's paradise

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