Foto Far East

A WORLD OF THANKS

2005-10-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

10/25/2005

Earlier this year, on a whim, I contacted a photographer whose astonishing work had stopped me in my tracks, to inquire about a possible internship or assistant position. Now almost ten months later, after having spent just under two months in India I’ve returned to the states with quite an experience under my belt. I can honestly say that the lens through which I see the world has been permanently and profoundly changed.

I could not have made the Foto Far East project possible without the following people and to them I owe a lifetime of thanks:

First of all I’d like to thank master Tarun Khiwal for his immense generosity, patience, commitment to education and the constant growth that results from it and for sharing his world and his remarkable talents. Manpreet, Pandey, and Manish for sharing their world with me, helping me get around, and introducing me to Kachori with Subzi and Rajma Chawal. I’d like to thank my loving and supportive parents for always believing in me no matter how crazy my ideas are, Uncle Jack and Aunt Kathy for helping me get my wings and then teaching me how to fly, and Sarah Mac for everything, period. I’d also like to thank The Brooks Institute of Photography for its involvement and support, Bill Robbins, Inge Kautzmann, Carla White, Pat Murdy, Dr. Greg Strick, Greg Lawler and the rest of the Brooks IT department.

I’d like to thank Maggie, Steve, Alan, Clayton, and Daniella for helping with loose ends while I was abroad. Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of my family and friends who encouraged me to go, who said they were so proud, and even who though this whole damn thing was just bloody crazy.

HOME SWEET HOME

2005-10-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the U.S. now after spending 24 hours in the air over two great oceans and countless countries. We watched the sun rise twice from the plane and gained half a day on the return. I can't say just whether I was ready to leave the great land of Mahabharata but I will say that its great to be home in beautiful California, USA.

My journey took me to places that I could not have created in my wildest dreams, I experienced sights, sounds, and smells that I never knew existed, and I met new friends that I hope to have for the rest of my life. On more than one occasion the conversation arose about what exactly I came to India to learn. Tarun and I both agreed that I didn't need to travel to the other side of the earth to learn how to set up a light stand or fill out an invoice. Don't get me wrong, the industry is not much different in India than my experience would have me know of the industry in the U.S. The same relationships exist between photographer and clients and art directors and other photographers, etc. As with all busy photo studios, there are exhausting shoots, constantly ringing phones, cds to be burned and delivered, and paperwork to be filed. My real lessons however, became about the Indian sensibility that is present in Tarun's work. It was in seeing the colors of which intensity we just don't have in the western world, the textures of buildings that can only be produced by centuries of exposure to a harsh environment, the craftmenship and artistry that has taken a thousand years to perfect, the way ice-cold, sweet lemonade tastes when your body really needs it to sustain in the heat. It is through experiencing these things that my real lessons were found. I am returning home with a new sense of spirituality and an altered perception of the world. I now know that I am not through with India, that this trip was only my maiden voyage into this exotic and challenging country. For now, I can't wait to get back to work, creating new images with a perception that has been permanently altered by the world that I found on the other side of the globe.

Here are a few more photos and tales to accompany from my last week in India.

CHANDNI CHOWK

My story would not be complete if I didn't mention Chandni Chowk. Chandni Chowk is a bustling marketplace and the pounding heart of Old Delhi. When I mentioned to Tarun that we had been spending some time there, the reply was "We don't even go there." The area is composed of a maze of narrow alley ways jam packed shoulder to shoulder with people, carts, bicycles, and various small critters. On more than one occasion I had to rely on my compass just to find my way out.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

One of my favorite things about being in India was all the wildlife that intermingles with society. I felt like a little boy the first time we passed a camel cart on the road.

SHAKEN NOT STIRRED

2005-10-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

By now everyone's heard the news of the devastating earthquake in Kashmir. When last I checked the death toll was upwards of 30,000. We've received several emails inquiring about our safety and I'd like to thank everyone for their concerns. I am happy to report that all is well in my area but my heart goes out to those who were not so lucky.

I will say that the quake gave me a quite a start. My hotel room began to move sometime around 9:00 a.m. At first I wasn't quite sure what was going on but within seconds there was no mistaking what was happening. I haven't felt the ground move like this since the great quake of '89 in San Francisco. It lasted between one and two minutes but felt more like five. Considering that the building codes here (or lack there of) are a little shady, to say the least, I feel very lucky to have avoided a major catastrophe. I only wish that the rest of the region could share in my good fortune.

THE GREAT TAJ CAPER

2005-10-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

A slow day at the studio yesterday gave me a window of opportunity to travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Agra is about a four hour car ride from Delhi but the Shatabdi Express makes the trip once a day in just under two hours. The train leaves New Delhi Train Station at 6:00 a.m. My Lonely Planet guide book talks about the insanity of the station but words do not do it justice. Just when I think my eyes are becoming numb to my surroundings there is always something to remind me that I am on another planet...this time it was the train station.

I thought getting there a half an hour early would be fine but I soon learned that this was not so. Lonely Planet tells you to purchase tickets from one place in the station and only one place. It goes on to warn you of the many conmen who try to lure you away with stories that the window has closed or moved, etc. These men come in all shapes and sizes from shady looking characters with bare feet to men in uniform with i.d. cards that prove their "validity." To make a long story short there is NOBODY to trust.

When I finally found the right counter, it really was closed and the outcome was taxi ride back to my hotel under a cloud of frustration and embarassment for letting this damn place get the best of me. After an hour of deliberation, I decided the best bet would be to hire a car a much higher price and press on.

The great Taj Mahal in all of its glory.

This photo was taken from the base of the Taj.

CASTLES MADE OF SAND, PART III

2005-10-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

A few more photos from Neemrana village and the fort palace:

The above images were taken in and around the fort. The image below is of a hog who is very happy to be living in a place where most of the population is vegetarian.

Here are more scenes from the village.

The villages here are a photographer's dream. Everywhere you turn there is a great image waiting to be born. I actually have to switch off photographer mode sometimes and just let everthing soak in. (This usually doesn't last long).

Dealing with the children is a lot of fun. Walking through a village filled with curious children is like being a Hollywood celebrity. They are so fascinated with us and they always make for great shots.

CASTLES MADE OF SAND, PART II

2005-10-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

The palace comes to life at sundown. From the village below, a couple and their young boy come up to sing traditional Rajasthani folk songs and dance. Its like nothing I've ever seen and again, I'm laughing out loud at this crazy amazing place. After a couple of glasses of French wine I took to dancing with the boy and we were quickly their favorite members of the small audience.

The next day while wandering the coutryside, we were befriended by a young Rajasthani woman dressed in a brightly colored sari. Her name was Santos. She walked with us while we explored a nearby step well that descended seven stories into the earth. On our way back, she insisted that we visit her home, which was a beautiful shanty tent. We sat on a handcrafted bed while she showed us photos of family members and travelers she had met. Then low and behold, who should appear but the young performer from the previous night dressed in shorts and a dirty shirt. He seemed excited to see us. No sooner did he adorn his brigh red robe and turban than festive music came from a rusty radio and he began performing for us right there in the tent. The opportunity to be with these people in their home in the Rajasthani country side was quite an experience indeed and to this point has been the highlight of my adventure.

CASTLES MADE OF SAND

2005-10-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

I've had an amazing week here in India and as I've been without internet for a week, I don't exactly know where to begin. I've had some amazing photo opportunities, but I only wish I could share some of the things that I have seen and not had the chance to shoot.

I really came at the right time because it is a big season for advertising agencies and the studio is really busy. Earlier this week we did a shoot for a jewelry advertisement. It was a pretty mellow shoot but the results were amazing. The great thing about shooting in India, is that its not hard at all to find a great location. Every corner you turn there is a spot with centuries of character. This particular ad called for a period look so we rented out an antique shop near the studio for the day.

Later in the week, Tarun had to go to Dubai to shoot a campaign for a clothing manufacturer. Unfortunately the budget did not allow for me to go so he sent me ahead to the location of our next shoot. I was disapointed at first not to be going to Dubai but the alternative turned out to be the experience of a lifetime.

The location was a 15th century fort palace set on a hillside in the desert of Rajasthan. It has been converted to a luxury resort but definitely maintains its old world charm. To paint a more accurate picture, it was like being in some palace from Lord of the Rings.
Surrounding the palace, at the foot of the hill, is a village where time has stood still for a century. Needless to say, it made for some great photo material and sometimes I found myself laughing out loud at the fact that I was there.

I'm working on images from the last week. Stay tuned, a lot more to come...

A LITTLE HELP FROM THE VILLAGE PEOPLE

2005-09-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm back in Delhi now from a grueling advertising shoot in a remote location in the state of Rajasthan. The spot was about five hours by road from Delhi and the heat was almost unbearable. We've been trying to get this campaign shot since my arrival. We've scouted numerous locations and have had to postpone a number of shooting days due to weather.

We passed dirty little villages where fat hogs ate out of garbage heaps, crowds of monkeys fighting over fruit, women in bright colored saris carrying large bulbous pots on their heads, and carts carrying peasants pulled by camels. It was the India that I’ve been anxiously waiting to see, although the terrain was a little different than expected.

These shots were taken from the car...

We arrived at our hotel in the middle of nowhere (the REAL middle of nowhere) around sundown on the evening before the shoot. I'm getting better and better at sharing my bed with bugs. I actually prefer the ones that you can see...at least you can flick them onto the floor.

We woke before sunrise and began loading the cars full of gear. I snapped off a few shots of the sunrise from behind the hotel then we loaded up and moved out.

The location was about a half an hour from the place where we stayed. It was located in a small village built around a rock quarry. We were spied on by curious monkeys as we hiked up a rocky path passed grazing goats to the spot where we were going to be shooting.

Here’s where it gets good. Before the day of the shoot, the production director went in and spoke with the people of the village about securing the spot. We were going to be shooting in a place where these people work to earn their livelihood.

For a price that amounted to chicken feed in an advertising budget, they doubled the amount of money that entire village would make in a day and told the villagers that they would work for us. So we had an entire village doing the work that the assistants would normally do. For that I am very lucky because the actual spot that we were working was quite a hike and by 8:00 am the sun was intolerable. By 10:00 I was worried about heat stroke.

By noon, we had a whole village of spectators.

The location was amazing and people were beautiful. I felt very lucky to be in this place despite the heat. I don’t think these people had ever seen anything like this. No, I’m certain they hadn’t. We may as well have been Michael Jackson and his entourage. As for me, the only westerner around for miles, the people fixated on me as if I were a talking dog.

The shoot took about eleven hours from set up to break down. All in all, it was a terrific experience but I was so glad to be back in the car when we were finally done.

TOMB RAIDER

2005-09-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

The studio was closed on Sunday so I had a chance to cruise around Delhi and check out some of the local sights. Here are a few random images.

...these photos were taken outside of the city...

India has a vast history of different rulers over many time periods. This history is apparent in the architecture. These photos were taken at the tomb of the great Mughal Emperor Humayun. The tomb was built around 1570 and is said to be the inspiration behind the building of the Taj Mahal.

This is a masjid, or mosque, located on the grounds of the tomb. The area is like a huge park with several other tombs and sacred structures scattered throughout. Its really a great escape from the maddening streets of Delhi with all of its pollution and beggars. The above photo is a masjid, or mosque, that was built around 1545 (this info came from my guide, who was really not a guide at all, but one of the shady characters who hang around the ticket booth and tell you historical facts and then ask for money...I paid 45¢ for that date so I'm gonna stick to it).

This is the tomb of Isa Khan. Its an example of pre-Mughal Islamic architecture (again, I don't claim to be an archaeologist).

This is a dog.

This is the tomb itself. You can see the resemblance to the Taj Mahal.

It really is an amazing sight in person. You can go inside and see the actual tomb. I felt like Indiana Jones.

Just about the time I started to really cut loose on the photo-shooting, my camera battery died. You'd think after three years of photo school I'd remember to charge my battery every once in a while. Maybe this time I'll learn...anyway, I could have spent a few hours shooting around the grounds of the tomb. I'm definitely not done with this place.

TAKING ME FOR A RIDE?

2005-09-17T01:42:00.000-07:00

This crazy contraption is an auto-rickshaw. Known simply as an "auto," its a three-wheeled vehicle with a driver up front and a seat for two in the back.

The auto is my main mode of transportation around town when we're not working in the studio. They can be really noisy but a lot of fun to cruise around in. You're guaranteed a few near-misses with oncoming traffic.

Autos have a meter like a cab but all of the drivers insist that the meter is broken so you have to negotiate a price based on your destination before you get in. They always try to set the price too high for Westerners, but my friends here taught me to say "Do you think I'm a F!@#ing Moron?" in Hindi. This usually brings the price down by about 50%. You're usually haggling over 20 or so Rupees, the equivalent of about 45¢ in U.S. dollars.

DELHI SCENES

2005-09-15T04:07:00.000-07:00

We were supposed to shoot on location today but the shoot was postponed due to weather. I took the opportunity to do a little running around town. Here are a few shots taken around New Delhi...

This is Bahai Temple or Lotus Temple. It was built as a meditation center where people of all religions can come and worship together. I've seen many photos of Lotus Temple but pictures don't do it justice (I can't wait to see the Taj Mahal...they say its overwhelming). While exploring the grounds, I accidentally found myself in a line of people entering the temple. Not wanting to make a scene, I went in. The experience was very moving. So moving in fact, that I'm actually not going to try to describe it.

...one of India's famed sacred cows in the middle of busy Nehru Place Market...

MR. COB'S WILD RIDE or MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

2005-09-14T02:03:00.000-07:00

I could have an entire separate blog dedicated to riding around on the back of this motorbike through the crazy streets of Delhi. There really is nothing like it. Theme park rides will never be the same again.

ADAPTATION

2005-09-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

September 11, 2005

Ok, I've moved into a semi-permanent living situation and I'm beginning to adapt. I have to admit that I started to have a little bit of a freak out on the second and third day. This country is just very different from what I am used to...VERY different. These photos were taken at sunrise from the roof of my hotel.

Just after I shot them, noticed that I was being watched by a large monkey from the rooftop of the adjacent building. I didn't have a long enough lens to capture him though.

This bird was posing for me on the window ledge of my hotel room.

FIRST DAY IN DELHI

2005-09-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

September 9, 2005

I landed at Indira Ghandi International Airport late last night. Tarun’s assistant picked me up from the airport and transported me to the studio where I slept. We got up at sunrise and went location scouting about an hour out of Delhi.

I did a lot of research on India before I left, but nothing, I mean NO amount of reading could have prepared me for the first night and day here. I have never seen anything like this place. It is truly mind boggling. The streets are crazy. The only rules on the road are ‘Watch Out!’ and larger vehicle has the right of way. There are lines on the road to separate lanes but they are really more of a suggestion then a rule. Busses, cars, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes, bicycles…all honking and swirving about. To top it all off, cows. In the midst of all of the chaos created by the people, the cows pretty much run the show. I thought riding in the cab was really crazy until I was asked to hop on the back of a two wheeler and zip through traffic. Needless to say, it has been a wild 24 hours.

This morning we awoke before dawn and went location scouting outside of Delhi for an upcoming shoot. Here are a couple of snapshots from the trip.

I HEART SINGAPORE

2005-09-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

September 7, 2005

I’ve spent an entire day in Singapore and I only wish I had more time. Great food, great people, beautiful scenery, and electronics…lots of electronics. I was half-tempted to order a Singapore Sling just for a laugh but I decided that would be ridiculous.

Here are a couple of images that I shot from a taxi in Singapore.

INTRODUCTION

2005-09-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

Mera nam Jacob Rushing hai. This is Hindi for “My name is Jacob Rushing.” I am currently in my last session at the Brooks Institute of Photography. As my final session at Brooks, I have chosen to take part in an internship with fashion photographer and 2005 Hasselblad master Tarun Khiwal in New Delhi, India.

I came across Tarun’s work while doing some online research of current trends in fashion photography. There was something about his work that really spoke to me…some element that I wanted to see in my own work. Whatever it was, it prompted me to contact Tarun via email and inquire about the possibility of assisting for him.

I am now on my way to New Delhi to live and work for the next seven weeks in India’s now booming fashion and advertising industry. This blog site will be a combination of my experience working in this growing industry, the similarities and differences of the photographic industries of the East and West, and a documentary of my experiences adapting to a completly foreign world. Please stay tunned for tales and pictures from my adventure.

And so begins Foto Far East.