Many blogger friends have tagged me for various memes while I was in hiatus. I will endeavor to take up those tags faithfully. One issue is that everyone I know in the blogosphere has already been tagged leaving me with no other option than to revert to a “Comment and Self-Tag” policy. Finding untagged bloggers will further delay my taking up the tag! So feel free to leave a comment and take up the tag if you wish.
Rolling has tagged me for the photo tag: post the sixth picture from the sixth folder in my pictures folder, and write about the history behind the photo. My sixth folder is my Personal folder, and here’s the sixth picture:
This is my mother. This photograph was taken around 1960 – almost half a century back.
Such artistic portrait photography was quite rare in that era in India, especially among the middle income population. A relative on my father’s side called Mr. Tambe was from the upper strata, and had his own private studio. He invited my mother for a few sessions immediately after my parents were married. The result: a set of beautiful monochrome photographs of my mother – several with large prints. Here’s another:
Incidentally, I was recently reminded of these photographs when looking at Priyank’s photo of his mom. There is one print which I have sketched in pencil and featured on my blog before if you’d like to take a look.
Thanks for the tag, Rolling!
Related posts:
Hi Mahendra,
I remember your previous post on sketches. These photographs are beautiful indeed. She looks very reflective in the first one, lost in her thoughts. I wonder if it was her state of mind at the time of shooting or just a made up expression. I don’t know why black n white pictures evoke such strong feelings.
cheers, Priyank
I saw your sketches and had to come here to write how wonderful they are.
Your mother’s pictures are beautiful too, another sketch is inspired kya
It is rather funny that I used to hate B&W pics when I was a kid, and now I find them so immensely attractive. Great pics, with a lot of depth and character!
Your visits to my blogs are getting to be enjoyable again, so keep at it!
Hi Mahendra, that is a lovely picture, makes me miss my mom.
Your Mom is gorgeous, — so much dignity and composure…I think all women in that age were so beautiful. Is it because of their brand of modesty? There is something about them, their expressions that I cant quite put my finger on, that haunts me.
wish I were a bit like those strong women.
Thanks for doing the tag.
Me too thought of my mom’s similar black and white picture when I saw this one. There was something unique about the way the oldies clicked their photos, mostly in a photo studio. And there is something very starkly charming when it comes to black and white portraits.
Dont know why but the photo somehow reminds me of the my aunts photo which i think is quite similar, in many aspects.
Hi Priyank,
Thank you. I do not know about whether it was her state of mind. I myself am quite surprised at these — I can never imagine how my mom in those days, hailing from a conservative family, could agree to such a session and deliver such results!
Yes, and black and white is just too good.
Hi Poonam, thanks for visiting and appreciating! Dunno about another sketch…nothing happening on that front so far…
Thanks Doc! Yes, I will not miss out on your twists again!
Rolling, you said it…there is that something that I can never put my finger on…thanks for the tag!
Thanks Nita…I know you’ve been thinking of your parents these days (from comments at Shefaly’s blog), so this must have brought back memories…
Hmm…looks like this has brought up many memories for many people…:-)