My admiration for every bit of her is tremendous. From her music, to her fashion, to her strong and lovely personality - I love it all. So many people struggle (and mostly fail) to reach even somewhere close to her greatness. She is the icon of the 21st century. The 50s belonged to Elvis, 60s to the Beatles, 70s to ABBA and 80s to Michael Jackson, but the present belongs to her. (This is all according to my estimation of course.)
This last self-shoot was inspired by not only Mother Monster, but by traditional Japanese artwork and Rock-ers. You might see the influence, or will just find it ordinarily mental. Either way, hope you enjoy it.
Don't over analyze it please. :)
A big shout out to Alison Lau for her help!! (Please click her name to check out her website.) Its great when you live with a professional photographer. I took all the pictures, but got a lot of help with the editing.
My skin ain't that great people. I just wanted to make pretty pictures is all. I can't paint, so thank God for photography! :D
Wow! So looks like many of you enjoyed the last post. I'm glad. Here's another throwback shoot.
After finishing my bachelor's degree in 2012 I decided to take a year off in Delhi. I had started gigging in Delhi's music circuit in 2011 so I just wanted to give music, my first love, a go. I had got through Berklee in Boston, but didn't manage a scholarship, so I thought that this would be the next best thing. A very memorable year later, for both good and bad reasons, I decided to move on.
However, not before utilising the very urban, typical third-world city view that I got from my roof top for another, more stylized, photoshoot. This was sometime in the middle of March. Spring in Delhi doesn't last very long. The winter quickly transitions into the sweltering summer. With the help of my flatmate I was able to capture some great snaps.
Later, I sat down and used my iphoto software to edit it. I still haven't learnt how to use photoshop, but thats the next stop I guess. I find it so puzzling, but its probably the most useful tool for stylized photographs.
Anyway, hope you like what I was able to do with my limited resources. :)
For some reason, every time I see this picture I think - "Pocahontas". I don't know why.
I left Delhi in June, but not without making some very special friends. That city will always be a part of my life, but it was time to move on to the next stage. I don't only mean the next stage for my education, but also in life, and all the wonderful experiences it has to offer. Its once you step outside that you actually see how small the world is, and how possible to explore.
The word IMPOSSIBLE itself breaks down to I'M-POSSIBLE, so take the step folks. Pull yourself, push yourself to the next stage. Exploration isn't always about travelling. Its also about being able to explore your own being. I hope these words will mean something to you some day.
Isn't it just fun playing around with the camera, with costumes, and oh! the make-up. So ever since I discovered make-up...and paint, I've loved playing around with looks, styling myself after being inspired by some painting, or movie, or photograph.
I've always been an amazing "procrastinator" (kinda sounds like the Terminator of every study group/ teacher's nightmare :P). Anyway, so around finals, when the stress of studies would start mounting up, I'd do something creative. I started writing songs when I was 13 and in college I began to combine the magic of crazy make-up and a camera. (Probably coz of the contemporary dance society I had joined that year. We always loved our crazies.)
I've also had the love of collecting interesting pieces of clothing and accessories, so my wardrobe did not lack the weird stuff. (This reached a point where one day my younger cousin brother "sweetly" told me that I'm the only girl he knows who never wears just a simple Tee and jeans. It just wouldn't suit me... *sigh* His innocent backhanded compliments never cease to amuse me.) Anyway so I though I'd put up some of the pictures I've collected over the past few years.
This set is from the first time I discovered how much I like doing this weirdness. It was 2010 winters and I had my mid-term papers coming up. So of course I'll do this. My fantastic roomies joined in the fun and obliged to become my photographers and editors.
Don't take it too seriously. Just have fun with it. :)
Its magical what a nice scarf, and a simple background can do...oh and lots of colour editing (obviously).
So I just watched the new movie depicting the epic myth of Noah and his ark that saved the lives of the innocent. This allowed "the Creator", aka God, to press the refresh button on the Earth and wipe out and drown all the evil and corruption that had overrun the world. Most people, even non-Christians would be aware of this tale. Hindu mythology has a very similar tale with a man named Manu, from where the hindi word "manushya" or "of Manu", meaning "human being", originates.
My thoughts, however, revolve more on the creation myth. Let me just clear out first of all that I myself am not Christian, but having grown up with an English education, and having done my bachelors in English, I am very aware of what the bible says. One can find many biblical references in the works of poets and writers, especially those during the Age of Enlightenment when people began to rethink what they had been believing so far based on blind faith. The famous work by John Milton comes to mind, Paradise Lost.
So this myth says that the world was created in 6 days and on the 7th God basically just relaxed. Thus resulting in the ever popular and much needed Sunday of today. So these 6 days was when all the evolutionary changes, including the big-bang, took place. This was when the universe became what we know it as today ...well maybe not exactly as we know it since many suns/stars/planets must have died since then.
Anyway, so every time an atheist/non-believer/rationalist has argued against faith, religion or superstition, they have questioned this myth. How could anything have been created in just 6 days? Scientific study proved that it would take millions of years for such development. There is data. There is proof.
To that I say, can't both parties be right?
After all the bible was a document created by man. Every word in a holy scripture has to be interpreted by the preacher for us simple minded masses. The key word being "interpret".
The words can be read from different angles.
For example, why is it that as soon as we read, or are told the word "day", we presume that it means the same for God? After all he does happen to live much longer than us. In fact human beings are just a blip on the universal spectrum. So can't we instead presume that one day for God equals to a few thousand or million human years? Therefore, 6 God-days would equal to many million human-days. This theory would make sense of the scientific study and explanation for the universe's creation as well. So science and religion are just interpreting the same event in different ways, and again, the key word being "interpret". Thus their centuries old rivalry is deemed as nothing more than one big misunderstanding.
I'm sure someone must have spoken about this already, since its so tough to find new topics to write on these days. I mean this can't be new...right? However, if I am one of the first people to point this out then "Yay!" *pats her own shoulder*
Anyway, I just want to point out the power of interpretation. I believe that every religion in the world preaches the same basic teachings, and that they are just the different languages that God uses to get through to us. So next time you read your holy scripture or listen to it, question it in your mind and try to understand it for yourself. There is a lot to be learnt from them. Don't let someone else tell you what you should look for or look at.
Don't get me wrong. Listen to your elders' interpretation of it, but then try to figure it out yourself as well. Its the only way one can be truly religious and faithful to a God greater than the one presented to us. Key word being "presented". Don't let God be just an ideology sold to you by social conditioning, and if you're a parent, then be understanding and allow your children to make their own decisions. Try not to be disappointed if they choose a path different from your own. Acceptance is an important human trait after all.
I believe that this will really help clear the (mis)understanding of the "Adam&Eve not Adam&Steve" anti-gay movement. Much of the discrimination appears to be senseless. If God didn't want homosexuality, he wouldn't have allowed two male/female members to get attracted to one another. Homosexuality is present among animals as well, and if all living beings are equal then...well one can't really deny this natural phenomenon among humans as well right? Love is love. Anyway, so I'll end on that.
Lets spread happiness, positivity and understanding.
"You know you'd be really good at {fill in the blank}."
"Hmmm I think you'll be better at {fill in the blank}."
"Why don't you look at more options?"
"I don't think that will suit you."
"Oh don't get {fill in the blank}, its not really worth it."
"Don't get a {fill in the blank} you won't be able to take care of it."
These are just some of the things that you've probably had someone or the other say to you. Discouraging statements, which may have been rooted in good intentions, but which still some how find a way of making you doubt yourself and slowly, unconsciously, cloud your self-image in negativity.
For a very long time, probably around the last years of school, it felt like most of the world was only out to question me. I slowly began to question everything about myself. From trying to understand myself I found myself completely over-thinking situations.
I remember a time when I could confidently jump into unknown situations and emerge more knowledgeable. When I didn't fear making a fool of myself, because most of the time I didn't even think of failure as an option. It never occurred to me. I never had all the answers, but I wasn't afraid to try it out anyway, and figure things out for myself.
I still don't have all the answers, but recently I've stopped trying to find them. Life seems to have become a road map of obvious and very unappealing options. A step by step process which ultimately results in Death X _ X. An ordeal that one has to get through.
However, it doesn't have to be that way.
Take a step towards change.
I don't know who you are, where you are or what you're going through, but I know one thing -
the Power is Yours!
This saying could not be more true. Turning things around is all in your hands.
Believe in yourself!!
Stop listening to advice from every single person you talk to.
Stop changing your mind over and over again.
Stick to what you want to do and try to make it productive, rather than following the herd and running after anything and everything that others say will be "a good opportunity".
Make your own (informed) decisions. Look into it for yourself, research and then decide. Your decisions will, first and foremost, affect you. You can't spend the rest of your life blaming others for making a wrong decision for you.
Be strong.
Perseverance is key.
I know a lot of what I've said is very cliched and may not strike a chord with everyone, so in conclusion what I have to say is that most of the problems we face is life is due to our own short comings. So just pause for a bit, take a deep breath and try to spend a few minutes everyday making yourself happy.
Be active.
Do what you love, even if its just for a few minutes.
Meditate.
Taking time out for yourself - doing things you like doing makes all the difference.
Love yourself.
The only person who's approval and love you need is your own. Once you understand this, things will get easier. Believe me.
