Dead Man Sleeping

Dead Man Sleeping, a photo by firoze shakir photographerno1 on Flickr.

When Dr Glenn Losack MD came to Mumbai, he presented me the Canon G9..
I have never used a point and shoot always SLR analogue or digital..I was quite confused by his choice of gift, and Glenn sensed I was not too happy with it..

When he was leaving back home, I was willing to buy his used D80... but the Doc was in a hurry to get back to his work and his loved ones.


I rarely used the Canon G9 having given it to Marziyas mom to shoot videos, than I took it back from her and now it is part of my shooting arsenal..

Its totally unobtrusive makes me look like an arsehole amateur.., I dont get into street brawls , just shoot move away..

The D80 on the other hand makes people think I shoot street life to mock their underprivileged circumstances, mock their depraved existence, they think I shoot pictures to make a quick buck at their expense..

Strangely I don't sell pictures at all I share it with all of you. without any reservation or compulsion..I don't begrudge those who make money though photography, its their prerogative..

The money helps upgrading to better equipment from time to time...keeping up with the Jones.

The media does not take a brotherly affection to photo bloggers, photo journos in Mumbai most of them are highly territorial, only they have the God given right to shoot pictures and the newspapers carry their glory and achievements...

We on the other hand share it through our weblog.

I have chosen the Hijdas, the Rafaees , the Shias and the Naga Sadhus as the main platform of my photography.


All four unique...in their methodology, their religious affiliation, and life style.

Street photography is continuous cycle of pain, that remains , politicians become richer and richer the common man is fucked for life..the only important thing in his life does not belong to him, its his right to vote he always votes for the wrong man or the right party.

Before the vote he was fucked after the vote he has sealed his fucked future too.

Soulthrash Kowalski says Good Choice of title..

Well this is how he appeared sleeping next to a dead log, I had the Canon G9.. I shot to kill him with my title and bring him alive on the internet..

When I post pictures here at Flickr , I use the uploader , I post them as I shot them, I work on some of them sometimes, but mostly it is as is where is..

After the pictures are posted , I see them , delete those that look repetitive, or badly under exposed..the poems thoughts come much later.

But I have realized in these few years that the Blog is a very powerful tool, it has long terms advantage and gets instant results..in Mumbai very few really know the holistic power of the blog.. but we keep events in circulation..

I document pain, mains tryst with his fate, and one day if you see an old man shooting pictures with a three old old girl in a head scarf.. you will know that Marziya Shakir photo blogger has arrived.