The Jain Sadhvi

The Jain Sadhvi, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,573 items / 855,025 views

walking
the path
of peace
calmly
the jain
sadhvi
a path
she chose
to be one
with the
teachings
of the lord
help humanity
let all creatures be equal
let all creatures be free
bound to the soul
of godly humility
unlocking
the doors of life's poetry

Carrying the Burden of Life

Carrying the Burden of Life, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,569 items / 854,752 views

the quintessential
girl child
all facets
dimensions
of womanhood
a mother
a sister a wife
walking barefeet
on the sharp
blade
of a double
edged knife

Photography is a subject you could read and write about, discuss argue about, but if you dont shoot pictures from your heart and soul the blank canvas on which you will add an impression of life falls flat.

I avoid Facebook chat, but sometimes give in because the person at the other end is an enthusiast of photography , I am happy a lot of kids are taking their cameras and taking the path of street photography, the street has to be selective some place close to home so people know you and than you move ahead , this is for beginners , sometimes talking to the person and than shooting his picture works as well, Muslims generally avoid pictures some take offense.Shooting Muslim women in hijab is a taboo.. I get away because I was destined to shoot them.. I am a cult figure among Muslim beggar women , I give them money , sometimes old clothes and advise too.

Mostly I ask them to contact the local mosque for more generous help.

There is no shortage of pictures in the slums, if you know a resident, feast days are a great time to shoot emotions fun happiness..
Normally at funerals they dont take kindly to street photography the only time they cant tell you that you steal souls.

Shooting hijras is very dangerous and dicey, unless you first talk to them take their consent pay them and shoot..I shoot and face consequences later..I have a Hijra vardan or blessing..


Flea markets like Chor Bazar Kamatipura are great places for street photography..the Red Light area that I have shot is dangerous , unless you pay and service her for photographs, I was plumb lucky that I know Heena Hijra and a few gangsta types here.

And I am writing this for a friend who has taken up street photography , and is meeting resistance from people he shoots.

The Idd Namaz at Bandra Station near the Sunni Mosque is a spiritual high shoot it..local feasts ..are great time.


The bullock cart races at Alibagh and Murud are banned but they honed my photography to a large extent.

Churches with due permission are great places to shoot..
Mosques are forbidden , Dargahs is Ok.. but ask before you shoot the interior..

Haji Malang is a photographers paradise whether you shoot people or hijras even landscape.

I dont shoot landscapes , sunsets insects .

I have had opportunity shooting Nudes but I dont have the temperament as by nudes I mean Peela House whores and Hijras , I was offered money too, but this is not my take.

Shooting the Gay Parade is another special cause and I have never missed it , supporting my gay friends hijras against the draconian anti human law Article 377..

I shoot pain , I cover pain or rather uncover and share with all of you.

And if you want to shoot something crazy , than you can come to Mahim beach , I dont have the dates when I shall pierce a 18 feet rod through my cheeks and walk an hour till the Maryamma temple , you could use my camera and shoot some pictures for me too as I will be handicapped completely.. This will be the first time I shall be participating with the Tamil Hindus to show my solidarity as a Shia Muslim who experiences pain exclusively for Imam Hussain.


I shoot slums and slum life and slum kids..I shoot all festivals in Mumbai but yes Moharam is my only pictorial high both with my camera my body and my soul..

If you ever want to shoot Moharam Ashura Chehlum in Mumbai if I am around dont hesitate contact me I will get you complete opportunity without hurting yourself , just be barefeet and wear black clothes ..this is a mourning event ..for the Shias in memory of Imam Hussain.

So Amin this is for you..and Abhay Pandit too

Ps

Dont forget to shoot Lalbagh Cha Raja his journey to the seas, Ganesh Visarjan , Durga Pandals and Durga Visarjan..and the Nasik Kumbh when it happens .

Playing Hide and Seek With The Butcher

Playing Hide and Seek With The Butcher, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,568 items / 854,731 views

he knows
he will lose
in the end
so
he hides
from the butcher
who loves
to pretend
that he
is the sacrificial
goats only best friend
waiting
with a sharp chopper
on the river bend
so the goats
life and death
imminent
mind you
this goat
is a poet
100%
educated
in a convent
from a long line
of distinguished
poets of
poetic descent
death where
is thy sting
is his only
comment
live and let
live is his
only lament
you commit
the original sin
make me repent


to my loving friend gail orenstein
one of the best photographers of
human form and real life

Marziya Shakir

Marziya Shakir, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,566 items / 854,489 views

her smile
lights up
the darkness
around us
hope on a
digital canvas
on the lotus feet
of our longings
was thrust
in god we trust
live let live adjust
marziya shakir
to us
he did entrust
as a grand daughter
she is our first
quenches
our parched
souls thirst

Hajaamat

Hajaamat, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,563 items / 854,433 views

kabhi na kabhi
kahi na kahi
koie na koie
kisi na kisi ki
hajaamat
karta hai
chahe wo
naiee ho
neta ho
vastre
ki dhar par
ek naya
roop savarta hai
chor ka bhai
ghirakat
karya karta hai
jeb katra bhi
hajamat
karta hai

The Lone Survivor

The Lone Survivor, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,562 items / 854,404 views

searching for
his heritage
his parentage
on the sand dune
the only
lone survivor
when
the planet
was hit by an
atomic
typhoon
only
dust
bestrewn
winds
blowing
from the
other side
of the moon
nothing
but the
sounds
of silence
gone out
of tune
he woke
up from his
dream came
out of a swoon
the child
the father of man
born in captivity
in a cocoon

A Photographer is Born

A Photographer is Born, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,561 items / 854,355 views

This is the shot I took of Marziya shooting her doll, it was her own endeavor and effort and she did not know I would hurriedly rush remove my camera from the cupboard and take the shots..

And this is Marziya and her tryst with Unlearning Photography.

Shooting pictures is only part of the story of the camera, the camera does not make pictures by itself, I talk of a still camera, it needs a person behind it to motivate it to charge it , the camera is only a means not an end.

A camera brand does not make you a good photographer..before you shoot with a camera you should be able to shoot with your eyes...so if you have a mouth and dont have taste than it is as bad having eyes and not being able to see a picture before you shoot it.
And I am going to make sure that my grand daughter when she comes of age even after I am gone may not need to join a camera club culture and be polluted for life , I am not a fortune teller so I dont know about Marziya future but I can assure you she will be one hell of a photographer ..

I know what you learn and see on the street you cant just duplicate it in a studio..the street is where the action is maybe there is no money, who cares , shooting raw human emotions ,touching and being touched is what street photography is all about.

Street photography holistically heals it brings a smile on the beggars face , who is never going to be shot by the media photographer unless she has been raped ..or is worthy as tomorrow mornings news..'

And fucked pompous pedantic salon photographers wont dirty their pristine salon walls with ugly dirty beggar faces,, and in the first place the Judge wont even give it an Acceptance , he will shout out 3R ..rejected by all three fucked judges who dont know their ass from human emotions..so the dick head in charge of the prints will take a felt pen and on your precious print scribble the judges ire 3R ..It has happened to me at my camera club once so I am not making it up at all.

The only place where your pictures are judged , honestly is the Internet..provided you dont show blood , flowing from heads or backs scourged or hijras , or other stuff that gets on the goat of Wahabbi backed culture police freely available on the net, than you will have to choke your Flickr comment box like I have done for life..

And Flickr with all its technology has not yet come up with a tool for the back up of our pictures and text and Flickr is a million light years away from Comment Moderation..

So I hope when I pass away and Marziya takes over my Flickr account she wont have to pay for the sins of her grand father.. Flickr Photographer No1.

Unlearning The Heart of Photography

Unlearning The Heart of Photography, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,560 items / 854,320 views

marziya shakir
2 year old shoots
unlearning the
heart of photography
every rule in the book
she refutes
photography
is not just a vision
but pure poetry
the hard core truth
the prehistoric world
of pedantic
pompous club
salon photographers
their path
is not her route
shooting
the streets of pain
one day
might be her
poetic pursuit
your hearts
your souls
she will loot
she may
not be as colorful
as me
nor barefoot
a hijab
her work suit
a branch
of a tree
a fruit
to humanity
she will
pay tribute
a tricolor
of our
self respect
our dignity
our honor
salute

The Death of Photography at Camera Club Level

The Death of Photography at Camera Club Level, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

123,559 items / 854,216 views

I am a street photographer , I sweep the streets with a camera, I show you what you have seen a million times , I show you what you saw on a big screen as hyped up money generating medium , I show it online what was on the streets I bring it to the hallowed sanctuary of your house almost breaching the walls of your poetic privacy.

I am not a born writer , nor a born poet nor a born photographer I inherited it as default from my surroundings and it is too long a story to take you back into my past.

All I know is my two year old grand daughter is a born photographer , and she is inheriting my perspective of pain as seen on the soul of the viewfinder of our respective consciousness .

Photography is definitely not about vision , my grand daughter has no vision.,.but for a toy she has an antique camera , a collectible , when she is restless , like I am she does weird things without realizing I was watching her ..luckily I had my camera to shoot that moment.

She placed her doll on the table and began shooting pictures , a camera that does not work, but yet she captured something , she knows it and I know it.. I will later post the moment she shot .

In a way she is disgusted with her photos I take , of late she will only allow it when she is in a mood, at two years of her life she has reached saturation point.. with the camera and photography.


So imagine photographers one leg in the grave , totally prehistoric in their temperament their style their so called vision dumping their shit on the fucked soul of photography.. the walls of camera clubs shiver and weep with shame all the year around..I too used to love seeing my pictures on the wall, I gave it up , because I had to make way for the new kid on the block, it was time I began unlearning photography from my juniors..I gave up salon and competitive photography for good.

Now bear in mind I am not disrespecting their contribution , but their shelf life is over , period, the times have changed , please give the new kids a chance on the Wall of Fame.


Yes of late I hate camera clubs and all old retarded regressive camera associations that have done nothing for photography only promoted their kith and kin and glorified their past..taken the new photographer a million light years away from Tomorrow..

Photography is not a just a classroom subject it is a vibrant part of life dont merely distort it with your club politics , and your parochialism , and this is a general thought.

I will of course not discuss media photography , it has lost its adventurism and charm, I would rather shoot a kid on the road than go running to get a continuous mode picture of Sania's elbow and Shoaib Malik's nostrils..''

So I was discussing this on phone with another photographer Venay Parelkar and we came to one single conclusion Photography at camera club level is fucking dead for good.,fucked by the very hand of the father that rocked the Cradle..

If you see the pictures of their brochures and their newsletters nothing has changed , the same fucked mood , the same fucked lighting and fucked attitude..Fucked aperture and Fucked F Stops..

RIP
So I offer my condolences to the Death of Photography at camera club level, may God give the aggrieved family the spiritual strength to bear this irreparable and timely loss .
Amen ..