Life, Photography, & Other Mistakes
Part 2, The Vintage Years
I want you to try and imagine relaxing in a comfortable seat as we slowly drift along in our boat as the light fades.
Listen to the sounds of the gently lapping water.
The call of a bird carries across the water and in the distance, a long way off, there’s a radio playing music.
The voices of our friends descends to just a murmur as we savour the moment…..
That’s India….
Languid water and luminous sky come together one late afternoon on a fated boat trip on the backwaters of Kerala.
Fated for the two misadventures that befell our boatmen. Firstly when a boat pulled out into our path as we negotiated a narrow channel and we ran headlong into them. Then later when we ran over the nets of two fishermen. They were in tears but thankfully, due in no small part to the negotiating skills of our travelling companion Shyju, recompense was agreed for both mishaps and we concluded our much delayed boat trip by being able to capture this sunset scene.
A sunset on the backwaters of Kerala.
There were several incidents on our Kerala Backwaters boat trip that caused lengthy delays which was fortuitous as we caught the most wonderful sunset and returned to port after dark.
It was a sunset where the sky changed dramatically by the minute and this is one of the many pictures taken that day that still lurk unseen in my files.
We had been out on a boat trip from Ernakulam which is the city on the mainland just opposite the island on which stands Fort Kochi, All afternoon these clouds had gradually built up and I commented to Shyju that it was going to be raining soon. ‘No chance’, he said. A couple of hours later it rained heavens high! Fortunately we were back at the hotel by then.
This is a small part of the waterfront at Fort Kochi, Kerala, India.
Visitors and locals alike had gathered here to watch as the sun gradual sank towards the horizon. The lengthening shadows of the Chinese fishing nets were caught for a moment on the small concrete jetty.
The sun has set and the island is bathed in the afterglow as night time advances in the eastern sky. Already starting to glimmer; the lights of Kirkcudbright can be seen to the North. The time is approaching when we must return to the boat and head for home.
Little Ross Island lies at the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay in Dumfries & Galloway.
