Thaipusam 2020 on film

Another long post, but I don’t fill like splitting this story up, hey that’s my third post about Thaipusam this year.

The first Kavadi bearer

On arriving at Farrer park MRT, we met our first Kavadi bearer.

Pots bearers

And then more devotees waiting for the traffic light.

The little devotees

And the older ones

Then when moving inside the temple the devotees are assembling the Kavadis

or prepare their offerings

While others use their phones to snap their friends.

Looking proud

Family and friends accompany the devotees.

The drummer

A member of a Chinese groups of devotees (and a friend of a friend)

This one goes into a trance.

Pictures above are taken Ilford HP5 shot at box speed, I used not to be a big fan of this film, but actually I am very satisfied with these results. The pictures after are done with the Kodak TMY 400, not exactly my usual Tri-X, but i generally quite like it.

Actually I don’t see any difference, so I may shoot more of the cheaper HP5 going forward.

Still osculating but looking more steady.

Holly smoke

One of the priests of the temple

Preparation is everything

All shots with Leica M6 Classic and most of them with the Summicron 35mm F2 AsphvII (the last version), processed at the usual lab (well dropped at Ruby and they get the usual guy do the work) and scanned at home with the Epson v800.

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Panguni Celebration – Singapore

So what happened since the March Photowalk? No pictures ? Well a bit of the contrary, I have been in a film frenzy and I now average 2 rolls a week, but then this takes  a lot of time to process and there is little time left to put this us in a post. Also of course has there’s been a bit of travelling, but that will be for other posts…

So at the week after the March photowalk, on a Wednesday morning, was the celebration of Panguni.

Panguni is a Hindu celebration similar to Thaipusam (you can see my post for this year here). In Singapore it is held two lunar months after Thaipusam, in the Yishun area, at the Holy Tree Sri Balasubramaniar Temple.

Like Thaipusam it involves body piercing, carrying Kavadis, music, friends and family support.

It is always amazing from the outside to see people going through this ritual. But you can also find some laughter there.

Panguni is a lot smmaller celebration that Thaipusam and it is less crowded. A lot less photographers and onlokers as well. Some of the people I spoke to pput the emphasis on the local dimension of the ceremony.

Pictures are done with Leica M4 and M6, with Summaron 35F2.8 and Summilux 50F1.4v2, using Kodak Tri-X. I also shot some colours pics but they did not make it through the selection.

Thaipusam 2011

Thaipussam 2011

Here we are, January again and it’s Thaipusam again, the big Indian festival in Singapore. Devotees walking 4km wearing offerings, some with piercings in their bodies, some wearing structures called Kavadi.
Thaipusam is a great opportunity for photography and there are loads of photogs at the departure of the festival; amazing deployment of hardware. I love Thaipusam, for its atmosphere, sense of togetherness or the people participating. Can’t wait until next year. Thaipusam date if fixed by Hindu authorities and may not not on the most easy day for me to go though, this year I just went 2 hours from 7am after a sleepless night at work.
My recommendation: go at tank road in the middle of the night, to see the first devotees arriving at the temple, get some sleep. Be at Serangoon road about 8am for sunrise and stay a few hours in the temple to follow the devotees preparations. Go back in the evening to follow the procession at night, there are amazing Kavadis with lights!

Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: Nikkor 50mm F1.8 ISO2200 1/160 F5
Retouches: Lightroom 3 + PSP elements 4.0