Stories in a snapshot

As some one who loves photography, I am often trying to capture more than an object or a person. The challenge is to capture a great shot technically and at the same time to present a thought, a vision, a story, a question, an ideology - something that makes the photograph more than the sum of all its parts. More than the sum of f stops, exposures, saturation and the composition. That in my mind is what makes great photography an art form - something that speaks to people at their different levels. Something lets the viewer bring his own experience and interpretation as he views your subject.  

One normally tries to do this by altering the composition, exposure, focus etc by engineering the photograph to show what you want. But sometimes, things happen and you just happen to be in the right place at the right time. 

This was one of those shots. 

Those rare ones where the moment you press the "Click", you know that you have a great shot. Where you hate to do any post-processing, where you want to actually just admire your luck. 

I managed to capture this moment at the Hemis monastery in Ladhakh and when I first saw this through my camera lens, I was actually speechless for a couple of minutes - ecstatic with joy. I knew I had a great shot. 

This photograph speaks to me at so many levels but I was always unsure of what it meant to people who were not there in that moment. And then a few days back, I was talking to a friend about my travelogue to Leh and then the subject of this photograph came up. 

She too instantly liked this photograph. And I knew that I was successful is capturing the essence of the place and of the moment, without being clouded by my perceptions. 

This monk standing at the edge of human civilization - stoic, reflective and modest as he faces the magnificence of nature. The power of the human race in inhabiting such harsh conditions. The slightly crooked mud-dwellings providing refuge against the elements of nature. The quiet admiration and contemplation in his visage after a morning prayer as he looks at the mountains in front. The drama in the clouds suggesting the tempestuousness of the elements and the persistence of mankind. 

I have loved this photograph since that moment just after the click to this very day, almost a year later. And I wish that the element of luck that helped me make this photograph stays with me as I stay on the look out for those "stories in a snapshot" moments.