Photographing Faces

 Faces of Africa

Our faces are the most expressive parts of our bodies, and for me a favorite photography subject. There are a few technical options to consider when shooting faces:

(i) Using a telephoto lens (so you don't have to go close to your subject) or

(ii) Using a macro or portrait lens (24-70mm) where you are much closer to the subject.

Naturally the lens of choice will depend on your situation. For instance, when I shoot faces when traveling, I will not always have time to sit, chat and make someone comfortable for them to let me shoot them using a portrait or macro lens, where I would be standing close up to them. In this case, I would use a telephoto lens, allowing me to take close up faces without intruding. In a different scenario, such as shooting friends and family, using a portrait or macro lens works wonders as there is much more facial detail and expression caught in the final picture.

*Tips 

- Try to focus on the eyes

- Have the face cover as much of the frame as possible

- Using a shallow depth of field (i.e. a low f stop number) will allow you to blur background so the focus lies on the face. 

Here are some faces I enjoyed shooting using a 24-70mm lens...

Baby Coconut

Yumm!

If you pass by Oysterbay Beach in Dar Es Salaam on a Saturday or Sunday evening, you'll be amazed not only by the number people that flock here, but also the variety of street food that is available. I assure you, you'll never find similar street food with such a cultural mix sold any where in the world. One of my favorites is the Kitale. I don't know who though of this perfect combo, but i'm simply hooked!

How It's Made -

• Kitale (Baby coconut) - The shell is very soft so you can bite into it

• Boiled Potatoes - spiced with a bit of red chilly power and salt

• Chutney - Made from coconut, fresh chillies (pili pili mbuzi), its an extremely hot chilly, salt and red chilly power.

You start with drinking the coconut water (if you want to). When the shell is empty, layers of the potatoes and chutney are poured in and voila - you have your delish kitale!

Freshly Cut Kitale | The Final Layered Kitale

The Mumbai Local

School girls having a laugh

Mumbai's local trains are part of the state-run Indian Railways. The system transports around 7 million commuters each day and consists of half of the Railways capacity itself. If you've experienced these trains, or simply visited the stations, you'll know that the system has one of the highest passenger densities in the world. 

Mumbai's Suburban Railways were partly built by the British in India in 1853. They are apparently the oldest railways system in Asia (quite evidently). Due to Mumbai's size and spread of population, the local train is the mass mode of transportation in this mega city. As more and more people migrant to the city, the railways have become seriously overcrowded, unhygienic and quite dangerous for those who are not used to squeezing themselves in and out of the crowds.

It is quite unfortunate that despite being one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and hosting some of the worlds wealthiest people, the Indian government fails to not only improve but maintain a system that millions of its people are forced to use everyday.

As much as I enjoy traveling, I must admit I've been quite a wimp when it comes to train travel in India. Whenever I've mentioned it, someone always pushes the idea away or tells me I'm crazy. This time I was in Mumbai, I decided to make a trip to VT station and see what the big fuss was about?!

Mumbai, VT Station - On the Move

Mumbaittes on the go

 

Lost in the crowds

Callibrating Your Monitor Screen

There is no better tool for photographers and non photographers alike (who like to print their photos) than a Screen Calibrator. A lot of effort is put into photographing and editing photos, but if the prints are not what you are seeing on your monitor, then you seriously need to consider this tool.

Your monitor will display images that are smaller and less detailed, but when you print these images you realize the contrast and brightness issues that were not seen before on the image. Most people have never adjusted their screen and even less have calibrated their screens using a screen calibrator.  If you're serious about photography or graphic art, there is simply no better tool. Of course a screen calibrator does not come cheap ($70 upwards), but you'll only appreciate the difference once you have a try. 

Below are screen shots of Before & After calibrating my screen - 

As you can see, my monitor was displaying images slightly brighter than they should be.

Msasani Beach - Sunset

Most of Dar Es Salaam's well to do resident head to the Slipway or Yatch Club to experience the sunset. However as I discovered quite randomly, Msasani Beach (which isn't very safe), lying opposite the slipway offers a more local and raw backdrop. If you're brave enough to take your camera, lock your car and take a few shots - I'd say it's well worth it!

Dar Es Salaam - Sunset at Msasani Beach

Dar Es Salaam City - Loosing It's Heritage

Unlike many African cities, the city of Dar Es Salaam has a unique architectural heritage. The East African coast, stretching from Mombassa in the north, to Northern Mozambique in the south was visited by traders since the 8th century. The Omani Arabs who had made Zanzibar the capital during the 16th century also built a presence on the mainland, influencing the architectural style of the region. Once the British had colonized East Africa, there was a huge influx on traders from Persia and India, but also migrant labor that came with the British empire to build the railway. The majority of these migrants were South Asian (when India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were one country) from Maharashtra and the Punjab. This pull of people from the Sub-Continent brought wealthier Indian merchants and traders from Gujarat who were to change the regions landscape forever. 

Building of Dar Es Salaam City

From small towns like Shinyanga to the city of Dar Es Salaam, Gujarati's built en-masse from the 1920's upto the early 1960's. From shops to buildings, their architectural style can be seen throughout the country. As Tanzania gained independence, unfortunate events took place in the country, where every single property owned by the South Asian community was nationalized (i.e. ownership taken by the government). There were families that owned beautiful properties worth millions at that time, and in a single day they lost everything! This lead to the creation of Tanzania's wealthiest state owned corporation - the National Housing Corporation (NHC) which now rents these unmaintained properties throughout the country.

With the recent boom in the Tanzanian economy, there are hundreds of joint ventures between the NHC and businessmen to break down older buildings and create high rises within the city centre of Dar Es Salaam. More than 30+ beautiful buildings have already been destroyed and replaced by ugly glass structures that reflect nothing but bad planning. Instead of protecting the heritage and history of the city, it is apparent that the Tanzanian government would rather get rid of it!

My First Post

This is my first attempt at blogging and before I begin, I'd like to clarify why chai&qahwa?! Its quite simple, my husband is addicted to tea (chai) and I to qahwa (black unsweetened coffee)! Since most of my photographic and travel experiences are with him, I decided to name the blog on the two beverages that we both love. 

Chai

Chai, Cha or Tea is a simple mix of leaves and water found in all parts of the world. However, in our home, chai specifically means 'masala chai'. There's many variations of masala chai, but I like to keep mine simple with some strong loose tea leaves (Safari Tea, a Kenyan tea) some crushed cardamon and milk (Rainbow Evaporated). I bring the tea leaves to boil with some water and sugar and add the milk gradually until the color seems right (not too milky, not too light). I let the tea boil again and its ready to serve. 

To be honest, although the English claim to know how to enjoy their 'High Tea', I find the combination of hot water, a fancy branded tea bag, cold milk, and sugar seriously unappetizing. In fact, most people I know who go for 'High Tea' prefer the yummy bites, rather than the watery tea itself. 

Turkey - A Tea Vendor in Cappadocia

Qahwa

The name Coffee derives from the Arabic word Qahwa. Evidence indicates that the origins of coffee began in Ethiopia and were gradually bought to Yemen and spread to the Middle East. Soon coffee houses mushroomed in Cairo and Mecca, until the beverage because a passion rather than a stimulant.

It is clear, that the most addicted people in the world to Coffee are surely the Arabs. Its simply not possible to go to any Arab home whether in the Middle East, in East Africa or in the middle or Europe, and not experience the taste of Qahwa. In Turkey Kahwe is served EXTREMELY strong with or without sugar (my preference is without sugar, so you can make the most of the baklava served with it). In the Gulf, Qahwa is a blend of freshly ground coffee beans, rose water and cardamon, making a light coffee which is served in little cups with dates. 

In Tanzania, due to the early colonization of the Omani Arabs and their influence on the Swahili Coast, we find Qahawa readily sold in and around the streets of Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar; usually accompanied by delicious diagonally cut sweets called Kashata (made from sugar and crushed peanuts). The experience is always worrying since the cups are simply washed repeatedly in the same water over and over again, but the end result never seems to disappoint me!

Zanzibar - Qahawa being served in Stone Town