Brahmin grandma
Brahmin's mother. Nepal
Brahmin's mother. Nepal
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Jul, 2011Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo as a part of my series on a poor rural brahmin family in Nepal. I gained access to this family with the help of my guide, also a brahmin, who is distantly related to the family. The village of Kanakot is only about an hour away from Kathmandu, yet it feels a world apart from the temples and squares of the big city. There were no roads to speak of, and everybody in the village regarding their social or caste status works on land or with cattle. Pictured here is the brahmin's mother, aged about 80, inside the house.Time
I visited during the day, but most of the photos I took were inside the house.Lighting
I liked the interior lighting as there were small windows in various parts of the house that created an interesting light ambiance.Equipment
Canon 5D and Canon 35/1.4 L lens. No flash or tripod.Inspiration
I am fascinated with the social stratification and various ethnic groups of Nepal. The Brahmins are the highest caste in Hindu religion, yet it by no means signifies their material wealth. As stated above, this brahmin family lives in the same rather poor rural conditions as members of other castes living nearby. When my guide mentioned this family, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to visit them as it is uncommon for foreigners to co-mingle with the members of the highest caste in Hinduism. The brahmin himself kept his distance for the most part, although did not mind me taking a few pictures. Members of his family - his mother and father, his children and grandchildren especially - were very curious about the foreigner in their village and eagerly posed for photos.Editing
For this series, very mininal post-processing was used. The lens I used does wonders in low light, so only minor cropping and sharpness.In my camera bag
Currently, I shoot with Sony and Olympus camera as both are lighter than the very good Canon 5D series of cameras. Normally, my setup would involve a camera body, an all-around zoom (roughly 24-70mm equivalent), a wide-angle zoom and at least one bright fixed focus lens in the 25-35mm range.Feedback
When visiting India or Nepal, photographic opportunities abound by just walking the streets. To get something truly special, a guide would be useful - someone who can take you to non-touristy places.
