Most of my posts at Flickr , are photo blogs without text , I dont really have an urge to fill blank spaces , a title is more than enough unless I am inspired to write a poem..all these images are from my Ajmer Urus trip 2012 ,,a pilgrimage series and documenting the Malangs Beggars and street life and Hijras .
The hijras I shot are not for public view ,, they are part of my personal blogs ,,
I shot moments I shot raw street emotions ,, as a street photographer I only shoot with my eyes and my eyes can be highly opinionated ,, I may not see what you see ,, do we always see what we really see , we see through layers of thoughts and the clouded murkiness of our minds ,,
Ajmer made me grow I was quite stunted it give me wings to fly and soar and I can see through people I use body language most of all to understand man he could be simple wise or conniving.
Shooting on the crowded streets of Ajmer Dargah lanes is very difficult and you could easily cause a stampede or be caught in a stampede , I have been caught in a stampede at many places and it suffocates you physically and drains you out emotionally too.
There are different species varieties of beggars ,,like a buffet on the streets of pain , take your pick pay the one you really feel sorry for , and mostly God forgive me , those who give are bigger beggars than those who beg, so there is a beggar currency , these are sea shells tiny ones , you buy a whole lot for 50 bucks and you distribute some to the beggars instead of real cash.. the beggar after collecting all these shells will exchange it from the money dealer after paying a small service charge ,,necessity is the grandmother of convention..
There is a strong powerful politically backed beggar mafia at religious places , protection money allegedly the cops are part of this money back scheme ,,but as I come to shoot it does not bother nor does it aggravate the latent social activist in me .. I shoot pictures I dont even ask questions later I shoot in the face ,, ready to face the consequences later and I am street smart..I dont get chickened out ..now as a Malang shooting on the streets I still wear a press card , because fakirs are treated more shabbily than the beggars by the cops.
I have shot this kid for many years , but never talked to him his handler does not allow it ..I dont ask questions I am not at all curious about How Why When just let me shoot ,, let my pictures talk..and that is more than enough for me.
As I said I shoot impulsively I one finger type impulsively I shoot alone so there is no obligation ,no major fuck ups ,,
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