Photographic Tale of the Week - Kali Avatar - Mutharamman, Kulasekarapatnam , India

Kali Avatar - Mutharamman, Kulasekarapatnam, India

Welcome back.
The bad news is there has been at least a month of photographs and stories that have gone by without acknowledgement. And, no matter how much I love the cover photo on the Pictures with a Story group, a new one needs to go up.
The good news? I have a brand new daughter, and I have now gathered together enough minutes out of the day to post the newest Photographic Tale of the Week. 
I didn't pick Kartik Kumar S's photo of a Kali Avatar because it's Halloween. The "costume" is the only similarity. Read the description of the photo to learn more about the Dasara celebrations in India, and check out Kartik's other photographs from the festival for other avatars. I expect my selection is no surprise - the beautifully composed foreground with the contrast of the back makes for an especially striking work of art. Thank you to Kartik for allowing me to celebrate his photo this week.

Here is Kartik's description:
Sri Mutharmman temple is located at Kulasekhara pattinam village near Tiruchendur 55 km south of Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu, India) on the East coast Road en route to Kanya Kumari. The DASARA celebrations in September/October every year are second to that of Mysore (Kanataka,India). The uniqueness and oddity of the festival is that the devotees need not spend from their pocket. They are expected to beg alms from door to door and a token offerings only is expected to be offered at shrine after meeting out their expenses. On the climatic day the sea shores of this otherwise deserted coastal village turns into veritable carnival of folk music and folk dance of the devotees in their chosen fancy dresses to either solicit the grace of or to thank for the boon granted by presiding deity sri Muthramman considered to be the incarnation of SAKTHI the consort of LORD SHIVA in Hinduism. More than 1.5 million people gather here year after year on the tenth day after new moon day in the month purattasi (September/October) according to the Tamil calendar.

#52weeksofWE - 43 of 52, Make like a tree

Time certainly flies when you're having babies, and the past several weeks are no exception. Thank you for the congratulations, and the understanding as we ignore the gap between weeks 40 and 43. 
I debated what week would be best to inspire fellow challengers to go out and really capture the changing of the leaves and trees - autumn exemplified - throughout Windsor - Essex. I was going to push it a week so that here are more golds and reds and oranges, but having put the complete family in the mini van today and gone pumpkin picking, I do not believe that challengers would be at a loss for subject matter. Plus, if I left it too long we may be shooting nothing but bare branches. Before you have to go out and rake the pesky things up, take a couple of shots and share them with the group.
Thanks again, and I hope there will be not be any  more gaps this year. All the best.
Submit your photos on Flickr or Facebook, and send the picture files to me if you want them to be featured on my weekly reflections: essex.masqueATgmailDOTcom

Photo Contest Voting at the Tamarack Institute - Possible

This and two other of my photographs are up for a vote at a photo contest. Go to the link below to vote!

Being in community development - when I'm not doing photography - I am a follower of the important work being done by the Tamarack Institute, based in Waterloo, ON Canada. I was overjoyed when I saw that they were running a photo contest with the "Possible" theme. There is nothing better than combining my passions; I immediately entered. I have been waiting for a while for their judges to pick the winning shot, but just noticed that they decided to open the contest to a public vote. Follow the link below to see my shots (Patrick Firth) and the photographs of other contestants. Also, check out what else the Tamarack Institute does. 

Possible Photo Contest

#52weeksofWE - 40 of 52, Windows are the eyes to our houses

Let me be clear - I do not condone window peeping. But here in Windsor - Essex there are plenty of windows out there that are both incredibly beautiful and won't land you in trouble with the police. Whether the sun is flaring off of them in the golden hour, or whether there is brilliant red leaves poking out through their broken panes, it is time to frame them in our compositions and capture the essence of the eyes to our houses.
Submit your photos on Flickr or Facebook, and send the picture files to me if you want them to be featured on my weekly reflections: essex.masqueATgmailDOTcom