In my many years as a photographer, there have been photographic situations that beg to be told and recounted. Unfortunately, until I stumble upon a particular photograph with a story to tell, I am not able to remember them all. Some that I remember with some interesting, if at times tragic, sorties are the following.
Lets us begin with the uncommon:
A LIVING BUDDHA OF COMPASSION
One day I was on my way from Sengor to Kurichu where I was headed to try and photograph a breeding couple of the rare Palla’s Fish Eagle. When I reached Thridangbi, I saw a large cornfield with ripe corns ready for harvest. I noticed that there were a number of macaques calmly feeding on the ripe corns. Close by an old man stood watching the whole scene with a Buddha like calm.
I asked him; “Whose cornfield is that?”
The old man said; “Mine”.
“So why aren’t you chasing away the monkeys?” He replied:
“Let them eat - I will be harvesting the corns in a few days time – until then how much can few monkeys eat? Like us humans, they have every right to gather their food from wherever they can. You must remember that they mean no harm. Theirs is not an act of destruction - as far as they are concerned, my cornfield is a source of easy food – so why shouldn’t they feed on the corns? There is no malice behind their act.”
Now here was a Bodhisattva at whose feet I would shamelessly prostrate in obeisance.
I was truly humbled by such an uncommon act of charity. I was tempted to spend few nights in his company – and try and unravel a mind that truly belonged to a Buddha. But I had to go and photograph a rare bird – which, alas, I did not succeed in doing.
MADAM HOITY-TOITY
During one of the many Paro Tsechus I have attended for photographic opportunities, I chanced upon a nicely turned out and well-packaged young girl. She caught me photographing her and gave me a glare, grumbling:
“You know, you have to ask my permission to take my photograph”!
She walked away with a haughty look on her face. Well, I am a licensed professional photographer and I am allowed taking pictures of any one as long as it is in a public place. However, no point arguing – so I let it pass.
Few years later, she saw her photograph appear on the cover page of Bhutan Airlines Inflight Magazine: KUZUZANGPO la. She went to great length to track me down – to ask for a print of her photograph. She loved it she said. I gave it to her – sans the haughty look.
THE TRAGIC ONE
One time I was coming down from Pele-La where I had gone to try and photograph the famed Satyr Tragopan - considered one of the 10 most beautiful birds of the world. When I reached Kelekhar, I saw this very beautiful, dignified silver-haired old lady sitting on the doorsteps of her home, which was bang close to the road. I stopped and told her that I would like to photograph her. She agreed. I asked her permission because she was not in a public place – but in her home.
Few weeks later, the KUENSEL reported that her relatives had bludgeoned her to death – to rob her of her cash.
A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY
I had an assignment that called for photographing HH Gyeltse Tenzin Rabgye and a statue of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. I went to Tango Monastery to acquire the images. The Truelku was a young boy then and loved being photographed. That was not a problem.
One of the senior most Lopoens of Tango went to great trouble to extricate a statue of the Zhabdrung from the alter room so that I may photograph it. I must say that it was a very nice statue. I did my work and delivered the images to the clients.
Nearly a year later, I got to know that the statue I photographed was NOT that of the Zhabdrung – but someone else. It nearly caused a disaster – because my image was the central image around which an exhibition relating to the Zhabdrung was planned in Thimphu. Fortunately the mistake was discovered just at the nick of time and the situation was saved.
That is why I say that even the most primary source – in this case a most learned source - needs to be verified.
REGULARLY STRIPPED NAKED
Aap Tham (Tham means weaver) Dawa was a bashful person – even when he was in his late 70’s. I had to go to Bumthang to photograph him for an article. I met him and got the photos I needed. But I was intrigued – why was a man in a woman’s profession. He said he loved weaving. So I asked him - Was it enjoyable? He said in the beginning it was torturous!
Apparently he was the only male weaver in the court of HRH Ashi Choki in Wangduechholing Palace – rest were all women much older to him. He said that the ladies would gang up on him and gag him and strip him naked every once in a while. While the women around him giggled and guffawed, he would quietly weep in a corner in frustration and shame. However, over time he got used to the pranks.
I met two of the naughty lady weavers who contributed to his misery – Aum Lemo and Aum Naley. When I got the three of them together for a conversation, they looked at him with eyes of longing and adoration - it was obvious that they cared for the man deeply.
He passed away a few years back.
24 YEARS APART
Feast your eyes on this truly organic Bhutanese woman – wholly grown and cultured without pesticides and weedicides. I photographed her in 2010 at the Paro Tsechu grounds. Passu of the famed Passu Diary tells me that some unknown photographer had photographed the same lady – 24 years back in 1986 when she was barely 16 years old – at the same Paro Tsechu grounds. You can see that she is still wearing the same set of “Jurus” as the Parops would call it. The image was featured on the cover of a publication titled “Arcarama” of 1986.
Passu is intrigued – how can it be that two photographers are attracted and drawn by the same person – nearly two and a half decades apart? He is convinced that all photographers see and think alike.
I do not know about that – but I still call the lady “Ngi gi Aum Jarim” every time I meet her at Kawajangtsa.
TWO DECADES APART
I photographed this young girl child in Punakha in the year 2001. Twenty years later, another photographer – Karma T Dorji of the DrukPro design house photographed the same girl in her village in Laya - last month.
My photograph of the girl child of 2001 was selected as one of the faces to represent Bhutan and featured on a poster produced by the Tourism Council of Bhutan. It intrigues me – would the TCB consider featuring this grown up girl on another one of their posters? I doubt it – at this ripe age, her unbridled innocence that had drawn my attention to her is no longer an element that went on to make the whole of her, in 2001.
