One of the ancient market-streets of Hampi (then called Sule Beedi) flanked by a Kalyani, photographed with the grand boulder-strewn landscapes of Hampi and the meandering Tungabhadra River. The photograph was made with an intent not just to document one of the bazaar’s of Hampi, but also to showcase the grand landscapes they are located in.
As a photographer who travels across India to capture its beauty–people, culture, landscapes and heritage–through the lens, I often feel challenged in presenting new facets of the country’s grand edifices built by genius architects from the past. The big question that always haunts me as I look through the viewfinder is – ‘it is never too hard to make beautiful images of Taj Mahal, but how, as a photographer do we add value to an already beautiful structure?’ The answer is not easy, but neither is it impossible.
Every winter, we conduct an intense photography learning tour to Hampi. This tour, an outdoor photography primer, equips you with important and essential knowledge to make unique and interesting images in any outdoor location, using Hampi as an example. On this tour, you will not only learn many fundamental aspects needed to make beautiful images from your journeys, but will also get into the depths of many important and untold concepts that help make a photograph stand apart from the rest. See details about this tour and join us today – Hampi Photography Tour – An Outdoor Photography Primer.
I have spent years working on answer to this question, trying the find beauty that may not meet the eye at first sight. New perspectives and interesting visual stories emerge as we spend time observing and understanding our subjects. A new light (literally), a new point of view or a new object to juxtapose the subject with can completely change the way a heritage sight can appear in the images.
In my dozen or so visits to Hampi in the past few years–sometimes leading photography tours and sometimes on my own–I have worked towards finding those perspectives where photographer brings an additional value to the beauty of heritage through his pictures. The ‘why, how and what’ of photographing architecture keeping these factors in mind is also one of the important subjects I address in my photography workshops in Hampi.
Here is a collection of some of my images of heritage from Hampi. These images do not intend to document the monuments of Hampi, but attempt to highlight the photographer’s perspective of the beauty in those structures.
Morning sun creates interesting patterns of light and shade in the courtyard of Achyutharaya Temple, Hampi. The photograph was made with an intent to showcase the numerous stone pillars ubiquitous inside and outside the temples of Hampi.
Cattle make the best from fresh grass growing on the hills of Hampi, flanked by the mantapas. The photograph was created with an intent to show how life goes on here in a normal pace today, despite a past that moved from excessive riches to plundered ruins and a present that glorifies the days of the past.
Among the many ancient structures of Hampi, Virupaksha Temple is the only living site where everyday worship still happens. When I made this photograph, I wanted to make a frame that conveyed how the religious practices from the past have continued to survive at a site that belongs to the past. In the photo is Lakshmi, the temple elephant blessing a visitor in the courtyard of Virupaksha Temple.
Kalyanis (tanks) and mantapas (pavilions) are a hallmark of Hampi’s landscape. Nearly every main street had a Kalyani, many of them existing even today. But more often than not, some of these Kalyanis may be devoid of water, even during the monsoon months. I had always wished to capture the reflection of Hampi’s boulder-strewn landscape in one of its Kalyanis. After more than half-a-dozen visits, I ended up lucky when a cyclonic weather in the east-coast and subsequent depressions brought unseasonal showers a few days before my planned visit.
Similar to previous image, which attempted to highlight a Kalyani in the landscapes of Hampi, this image was made with an intent to showcase one of the many mantapas in the boulder-strewn landscape of Hampi
I spent a considerable amount of time over multiple visits in this place before I made this diptych above. What had caught my attention in this place was the reflection of the pillars. For some time, I could not make an image that reflected my ideas, when I decided that a combination of two images may do a better job.
Historically, temples courtyards have always been resting places, where pilgrims halted after a long journey. In those days, pilgrims even cooked their dinner and spent the night in the temple premise before continuing their journey further. It caught my attention immediately, when I saw this person taking a nap in one of the courtyards of Virupaksha Temple. It was like reminiscing the times when pilgrims sought shelter in the temple.
Earth is fertile in the months of monsoon and every inch of free land is filled with greenery. In this season, shepherds want to make the best use of grass that grows everywhere. Sheep can be seen grazing everywhere among the heritage landscapes of Hampi, to an extent that they become an integral part of the landscape.
The gopura of Virupaksha Temple is the tallest structure in Hampi. If there is one feature of the gopura that stands out very easily in every photograph taken, it is the height of the gopura against everything around it. While I had many photographs of the high-structure, I wanted to create an image that downplayed its tallness and merely showcase its beauty within its surroundings. This temple tank, and the the colourful wall that dominated the landscape, allowed me to find a perspective that served my purpose.
Perhaps the simplest ways to find unique perspectives are to (a) step-in look for interesting close-ups or to (b) step-back and look for a suitable position that captures the interestingness in the environment around the subject. This image of Lotus Mahal in Hampi clearly tries to do the former.
When you composition is perfected and the you have got the right moment and right light, the device in your hand may not be important. This image was made with a phone-camera. The quality of the image may not be match to a DSLR, but unless you see a very large-sized image, the photograph works very well and is perfect in every way in conveying a mood of Hampi.
While this collection of ten images attempts to showcase some perspectives of Hampi’s heritage, there is much more to Hampi itself besides the heritage sites. As you may see from the first photograph, the region has a brilliant boulder-strewn landscape that in itself can offer many interesting perspectives. The people living in the villages in and around Hampi and their lives can be of interest too. They, however, call for another blog post another day.
More on Hampi Photography Tour
Every winter, we conduct an intense photography learning tour to Hampi. This tour, an outdoor photography primer, equips you with important and essential knowledge to make unique and interesting images in any outdoor location, using Hampi as an example. On this tour, you will not only learn many fundamental aspects needed to make beautiful images from your journeys, but will also get into the depths of many important and untold concepts that help make a photograph stand apart from the rest. See details about this tour and join us today – Hampi Photography Tour – An Outdoor Photography Primer.
Over the last half-a-dozen photography tours to Hampi, our tours have been widely appreciated and welcomed by the participants. Some participants say –
“Indoor & outdoor sessions about the nuances of photography was excellent. This made me think about taking into consideration the light and the subject before clicking. [Darter Photography Lead] explains in simple terms which is nailed in to the head. He was very helpful in answering any questions which I had and also helped in correcting any mistakes.” – Shashishakar J
“Enjoyed every minute of the tour….. it was packed with sessions and field trips …… each part planned very well…and executed well ….all in all a great trip…” – Anil
“the trip really helped me learn the techniques of photography. My passion for photography has reached a new level . I really enjoyed the trip and look forward to many more trips !” – Alpa G
“The pace was perfect… so well thought out and executed equally well.” – Archana
Find out more and join the next edition of our photography tour to Hampi.
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