Life in the sub-Arctic North.

Some years ago a ferocious storm left me Stranded in Strandir. There is only one track into and out of the area, and in the winters it is cleared once a week unless there is an emergency. Photographers out shooting in snowstorms are not considered an emergency unless there is danger to life and limb.

Steini Finn and his snowplow helped us get to the nearby airstrip at Gjögur for my flight out.

Steini Finn on snow plow in Melavík, Strandir, Iceland

Cold winter’s morning in Melavík, Strandir coast of Iceland
5D Mark III, 24-105L

 

Steini Finn and his snow plow tractor, Strandir, Iceland

Steini Finn of Trékyllisvík, Strandir, Iceland

Steini Finn of Trékyllisvík
5D Mark III, 24-105L

 
Tractor with snow plow in Melavík, Strandir, Iceland

Up close with 11 mm
5D Mark III, 11-24L

 
 
Category: Iceland, Landscape, Life, PortraitTag: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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by Rajan Parrikar

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Rhythms of the Goan monsoon.

This photo essay depicts a salient aspect of Goan village life during the monsoon season: cultivation of the paddy fields.

Monsoon skies in Goa during July are typically featureless grey. Replacing them in Photoshop with ‘dramatic’ skies – a suggestion I have heard from people who have never experienced the Indian southwest monsoon – would be a travesty.

Paddy field in Cansaulim, Goa

Focussed
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Paddy fields of Cansaulim, Goa

Hard at work
5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II

 
Paddy field in Cansaulim, Goa

Teamwork
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Egret in a paddy field in Cansaulim, Goa

Egret, in search of food
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Working in heavy rain, in Cansaulim, Goa

Undeterred by the heavy downpour
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Jacqueline of Cansaulim, Goa

Jacqueline
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Paddy fields of Cansaulim, Goa

The paddy fields of Cansaulim, Goa
5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II

 
 
Category: Goa, Landscape, Life, Portrait, WildlifeTag: , , , , , , , , , ,
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by Rajan Parrikar

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  • Premanand - August 6, 2018 - 11:20 am

    I could literally smell the red mud in the puddles in the last photograph. Miss the Goan monsoon!ReplyCancel

  • Bob_B - August 6, 2018 - 8:20 am

    I love your “Jacqueline” photo! Beautifully crisp details on her face, lovely bokeh in the background, and very pleasing colors.ReplyCancel

Vespertine calm.

The popular, fetching – and clichéd – view of Vesturhorn is the one from the east. Here we see a less common view of the mountain, from the southwest direction across the waters of Skarðsfjörður.

Late evening on Skarðsfjörður near Vesturhorn, Iceland

Lone whooper swan
5DS, 24-70L f/2.8 II

 
Vestrahorn, last light, Iceland

Final kiss of light
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
 
Category: Iceland, LandscapeTag: , , , , , , , , , ,
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by Rajan Parrikar

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An orographic study.

Two iconic mountains: Vaðalfjöll in the West and Þóristindur in the south-central Highlands of Iceland. Like so many other mountains in Iceland, these present markedly different profiles depending on the viewing direction.

In the image below, can you descry the two human figures atop Vaðalfjöll?

Vaðalfjöll, Iceland

“The Nipple” – Vaðalfjöll
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
Þóristindur, Iceland

“The Thumb” – Þóristindur
5DS, 100-400L IS II

 
 
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by Rajan Parrikar

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Characters from an earlier time.

These portraits from 2007 have a common attribute: they depict a type of men and life in rural Goa that has now receded. These villagers typically lived their whole lives within the small radius of their settlements, living off the land, and for the most part oblivious to the larger world.

Filed under the Faces of Goa folder.

Kusta Gaonkar of Gaondongrim, Canacona, Goa

Kusta Gaonkar of Gaondongrim, Canacona
5D, 24-105L

 
Gopinath in Vagurme, Ponda, Goa

Gopinath of Vagurme
5D, 24-105L

 
Shaba Velip at Painguinim Vetal temple, Canacona, Goa

Shaba Velip of Painguinim, Canacona
5D, 24-105L

 
Pursho Gaonkar, at Gaondongrim, Canacona, Goa

Pursho Gaonkar of Gaondongrim, Canacona
5D, 24-105L

 
 
Category: Goa, Life, PortraitTag: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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by Rajan Parrikar

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  • Louise Fernandes - July 18, 2018 - 2:44 am

    Thank you! As a Goan born and brought up in Mumbai, all my school vacations were in Goa. Your pictures bring back fond memories. My family and I have migrated to Goa. We have our home there. It is not the same, but it gives me great pleasure to watch my daughter grow to love Goa as much as I do.ReplyCancel

  • Roland Francis - July 17, 2018 - 9:14 am

    You have a great talent for catching the heart and soul of Goa, its people, its monuments, the land. A hundred years from now, these depictions will be priceless.ReplyCancel

  • ROY Pacheco - July 16, 2018 - 5:15 pm

    Happy to meet!ReplyCancel

  • Bob_B - July 16, 2018 - 5:13 pm

    Hi Rajan: I very much like the first photo, but all are wonderful to behold. On a technical note, the last photo’s black and processing is nearly perfect; in fact, I think it is perfect. You captured all the zones in that one for sure.

    On the topic of photos of bygone eras: there is a certain tranquility in the faces of these men that I rarely see these days. Thank you for capturing and preserving their portraits.

    BobReplyCancel

    • Rajan Parrikar - July 16, 2018 - 10:28 pm

      Thank you, Bob. The black & white conversions were done via luminosity masks, following a technique developed by Tony Kuyper.ReplyCancel