Portraits of Sannyasins

I am planning a project to create a portfolio of portraits of sannyasins. The plan is to make these close up shots in black and white or sepia with a lot of facial detail and very little or no background – no makeovers or glamour, just faces as they are. I am offering to provide one print and a fairly low resolution digital file of the image for each participant at no cost. The project will initially involve sannyasins in, or near, the Devon area – either living or visiting. Appointments for sessions will need to be planned in advance, at least 10 days beforehand. I will then be able to visit people at their place or arrange, sometimes, for someone to come to me in Okehampton. At the moment I am not be planning to visit other places – later. If you are interested please contact me at surendraphoto@btinternet.com surendraphoto@btinternet.com

New Photographs

A year ago I and Amrapali moved from Exeter to Okehampton as it is just a walk away from Dartmoor. The wilderness and open space is such a delight and it is tempting to walk every day. The winter is more appealing as the weather, light and colours can be more dramatic and the sense of adventure can feel more profound. Last year I walked into heavy snow with rapidly shortening visibility of about 10 feet – there was a silence of the world disappearing and me along with it!

In contrast, I spend a lot of time in the darkroom following the love, agony and celebration of my photography. Life feels rich and challenging: one day I am wondering about my list of things to do before I die, another open to the joys of the moment.

For some time I have been building series of pictures around themes. Increasingly, my images shift away from the reported world towards abstaction, towards the simplicity of pattern and texture. Here are a few images from three of these series which I hope you will enjoy.

Love, Surendra

Lotus pond in winter No. 2, from the series of ‘Organic Forms’, lith prints; Go hakyu rakan No. 5, from the series ‘500 Buddhas’, lith prints – photography by Surendra – reproduced by permission – copyright © Surendra R A Jones – click on pictures to see bigger version

Text by Surendra - January 2010

 

Photographs by Surendra

Surendra got into photography when he was teaching at Ko Hsuan in the early nineties. He completed a City and Guilds Certificate in Photography at night school and went on to become an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society by submitting a portfolio in 1994. He has had exhibitions in various countries but it was at his first main exhibition in Tokyo in 2001 that, relaxing after the stress of hanging the photos and meeting the deadline, that he realised, gratefully, that none of this would have happened without Osho.

Dartmoor – Storm Clouds – Eroded Rocks – Bark Exloration No. 7 and No. 3 – photography by Surendra – reproduced by permission – copyright © Surendra R A Jones – click on pictures to see bigger version

Text by Veena - December 2006