Theme—Sublime

DYUTIMAN MUKHOPADHYAY PHOTOGRAPHY

‘Your most cherished desire will come true here—

The desire that has made you suffer most.’

—‘Stalker’ (1979) film by Andrei Tarkovsky.

—I took this picture while trudging over a shallow river-bed which was reflecting the mid-day sun. The river-bed lit by the sun reminded me of my favourite scene in Tarkovsky’s ‘Stalker’—the film that influenced my creative vision the most.

Theme—Sublime.

October 2007; Joypur forest near Bishnupur, Bankura, West Bengal, India; Camera—Nikon FM-10—35 mm film SLR.

Theme—Sublime.

August 11, 2009; Tamia, Chhindwara district, Madhya Pradesh, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

Title inspired by one of my favourite Theo Angelopoulos film—Eternity and a Day (1998).

Theme—Sublime.

May 27, 2016; Gujarat, India; Camera—Samsung Galaxy Grand 2.

O, loner!

You and your sorrow—

Why are you here?

After the voyage of the last crow?

O, loner!

You and your sorrow—

Why are you here?

‘Tis early! too early—

For the morrow!

—dyutiman mukhopadhyay.

Theme—Sublime.

October 9, 2009; Mandarmani beach, East Midnapore district, West Bengal, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

‘When shall we three meet again

In thunder, lightning, or in rain?

When the hurlyburly's done,

When the battle's lost and won.

That will be ere the set of sun.

Where the place?

Upon the heath.’

—Macbeth, ACT 1, SCENE 1

—by William Shakespeare.

Theme—Sublime.

October 8, 2010; Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

I make those dusk clouds wander—

I wake that colt from slumber,

I tell the evening breeze—‘Blow’—

I tell the last light—‘Glow’,

I raise those mountains from dust—

I shield the twigs from gust,

I lull the night to dream—

I raise the night owl’s scream,

I drench the grass in dew—

I change the day to new,

I oblige the eyes to view—

I let the warm breath spew,

I make you sit with me—

I make me one with Thee,

It is I—It is I—It is I—

All along!

—dyutiman mukhopadhyay.

Theme—Sublime.

December 15, 2010; 17th century Sanga Choeling Monastery, Pelling, Sikkim, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

Theme—Sublime.

June 16, 2018; Brighton beach, UK; Camera—Canon EOS 60D DSLR.

‘You're waiting for a train.

A train that will take you far away.

You know where you hope the train will take you,

But you can't know for sure.

Yet it doesn't matter.

Now, tell me why?’

‘Because we'll be together!’

—’Inception (2010)’, Directed by Christopher Nolan, Produced by Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan.

Theme—Sublime.

December 2002; Banaras Hindu University Campus, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India; Camera—Canon FX 35 mm film SLR.

From one of the age-old, derelict palaces by the river Ganges at Varanasi, India. It was a sultry afternoon as I took my three year old son with me to scout around the desolate rooms. As he gazed at the horizon from one of the locked doors, I felt the urge to capture the inherent melancholia of the palace heightened by the pensive mood of my son. The image seemed to tell a story of a child in far-off times locked in his room with only the distant river to stare at.

Theme—Sublime.

August ‎15, ‎2017; Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India; Camera—Canon EOS 60D DSLR.

Theme—Sublime.

October 9, 2009; Mandarmani beach, East Midnapore district, West Bengal, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

‘A ship in harbour is safe, but that Is not what ships are built for.’

—John A. Shedd.

Theme—Sublime.

November 1, 2009; Talasari beach, Baleswar district, Odisha, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

‘At the end of our exploring we shall not cease from exploration . . . and the end of all of our exploring will be to arrive where we started. . . and know the place for the first time.’

—T.S. Eliot.

‘After the game is before the game.’

—Sepp Herberger.

—Opening quotes from the film ‘Run Lola Run (1998)’ directed by Tom Tykwer.

Theme—Sublime.

October 31, 2009; Talasari beach, Baleswar district, Odisha, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

‘Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death.

Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more.

It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.’

—Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5 (uttered by Macbeth after he hears of Lady Macbeth’s death).

—by William Shakespeare.

Theme—Sublime.

October 28, 2010; Himachal Pradesh, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

Theme—Sublime.

November 3, 2010; —The Golden Temple, Amritsar, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

NB. The picture was published by https://twitter.com/NatGeoPhotos for their 'Faith' assignment advertisement on September 26, 2015.

Mallard ducks at Loch Morlich, Glenmore Forest Park, Scotland. It was a cloudy afternoon with occasional sunlight and the serenity of the landscape with the ducks caught my eye. Although mallard ducks are scarcer in upland areas of the UK, there were plenty of them beside the lake—they too were enjoying the pristine environment.

Theme—Sublime.

Jun 14, 2018; Scotland, UK; Camera—Canon EOS 60D DSLR.

‘Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.’ — Lao Tzu.

Have Faith, and you shall hold on,

Remind me of our ancient story —

And I shall be listening like an old habit —

In this life and a thousand next.

—dyutiman mukhopadhyay.

Theme—Sublime.

August 11, 2009; Madhya Pradesh, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

I see you not from your face,

I see you from ‘Me’.

—dyutiman mukhopadhyay.

‘Liberation’—the single word that defines Indian Vedanta philosophy.

Theme—Sublime.

November 1, 2009; Talasari beach, Baleswar district, Odisha, India; Camera—Canon PowerShot A580.

Theme—Sublime.

Jun 13, 2018; Scotland, UK; Camera—Canon EOS 60D DSLR.

Edited and posted - June 19, 2021.

Title inspired by Louis Malle’s 1992 film and Josephine Hart’s 1991 novel: Damage

(The music for the film was composed by Zbigniew Preisner).

Theme—Sublime.

Picture taken on November 28, 2022; Bengaluru, India;

Artistic rendering done on December 2, 2022.

Camera—Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro.

‘The Sun is God!’

— Joseph Mallord William Turner’s (23 April 1775 – 19 December 1851) last words.

(Arguably the greatest among the English Romantic painters).

— A walk inspired by a love that freezes the summer.

— A walk from the east to embrace the newborn.

— A walk to the hands of fate.

Theme—Sublime.

Picture taken on February 10, 2023; Bangalore, India;

Artistic rendering done on February 19, 2023.

Camera—Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro.

Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow…

—Macbeth, William Shakespeare.

THEME—SUBLIME.

March 2023; Bangalore, India; Camera—Canon 60D.

‘Don't forget that one night

We experienced the only hour—

Where the gods gave us for a moment.

An oblique head.

A shuddering shoulder.

The pure joy of life,

As fleeting as time.

Remember that night—

Where we lay in our bed—

And touched each other's fingers,

Who trembled met.

We shared, word of mouth ...

The unforgettable gem,

Where the memory slumber.’

— from a letter written by Pierre Louÿs to Marie de Régniers.

(from the 2019 film ‘Curiosa’ directed by Lou Jeunet.)

THEME—SUBLIME.

June 17, 2018; Scotland, UK.

Camera: Canon 60 D.

THEME—SUBLIME.

Picture taken on August 06, 2023; Bangalore, India;

Camera—Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro.

She wears her hair in tousled curls—

Weary spasms savour her thirst, her curse—

She clings to the sweat of her bosom

In the sultry heat of the summer verse.

Oh Cloud, My messenger! Appease her now—

Consume her through dark, rain, and fire—

The consummate bliss, union—Let it be you!

While I remain alone and one—a prisoner.

— Adaptation of Verse 8, Part1 of the poem Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger) by classical Sanskrit author Kālidāsa (4th–5th century CE) .

THEME—SUBLIME.

— June 25, 2024.

— Photograph, June 23, 2024, India.

Camera—Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro.

THEME—SUBLIME.

Pictures taken on October 22, 2023; Kolkata, India; & October 5, 2024; Bangalore, India;

Photomontage created on October 8, 2024; Bangalore, India.

Camera—Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro.