Art Ichol Journal

Chasing the Sunset
Seated in the SUV we drove back across the bridge and then through a vast, uneven and
open field, when we suddenly noticed entrancing cloud formations in the sky. The rays of
the setting sun arching over cumulous, desperate to show us those colourful refractions
- the last of its fading light. It is rare for us city dwellers to see such an unhindered view
of land and sky in a single glance. From a photography professional’s point of view,
especially as a teacher of photography, I am all too familiar with the thumb rule that
cites shooting photos of sunrises and sunsets as passé, unless spectacularly unusual.
And there it was for my eyes to behold – a truly spectacular and unusual sunset. Its epic
magic unfolding before our lenses! We were stopping more than were driving. We just
had to take pictures and which frame could be missed – none! The magic in the sky
was unbelievable. At one point I did wonder if this was there today just for us - divine
intervention for our picnic by the riverside that day. I saw simply amazing colours in
changing hues of orange, yellow, rust, red, pink, magenta and blue that kept unfolding
like magical backdrops falling from the sky – constantly transforming in shape, size,
texture and hue. Shalini, Bandeep and I were like love-struck teenagers, our necks craned
towards the sky, eyes pasted on the camera viewfinder, running around, experimenting
with different compositions. As dusk gradually descended on the horizon, I don’t know
if we were relieved or disappointed because it was as enthralling as it was exhausting
to keep pace with nature’s ever-creative paint-brush in the sky. I hope the pictures I
have taken speak for the exceptional beauty I witnessed that evening in ‘Amariya –The
Writers’ Retreat’ – where I wrote with the lens more eloquently than I ever imagined I
could, capturing for posterity those spectacular moments - vistas and emotions, I felt
incredibly blessed to have witnessed that day.
Winding up the family business of manufacturing Ayurvedic
medicines after 18 years, Amitabha became a full-time
professional photographer, specializing in interiors, industrial
and product photography. Social documentation, wildlife,
dance, people and places are subjects of special interest to him.
He has been teaching photography in various institutions for
over twenty years.