Human Pyramids

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope the holidays are treating everyone well. I am finally getting time to catch up on images I took, well, in September!

I woke up this past September 2, and a friend told me to take my camera and go outside. Someone had strung wires between the apartment buildings and hung clay pots from the wires. The previously deserted streets would suddenly be swarming with hundreds of young men wearing colorful uniforms. As I stepped out of my apartment holding my camera, a woman on a scooter stops and says, "Are you looking for the pyramids? Get on! I'll take you!"

The street is blocked by the massive crowd of young men. Everyone's attention is on the center where men are climbing on top of each other and standing on shoulders. Faces grimace and everyone yells. They are trying to make a human pyramid tall enough to reach the clay pots. This is Dahi Handi!

The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.

The pyramid collapses and everyone rushes to leave; it's on to the next competition. In the rush, a man grabs a hold of me and tells me to get on his motorcycle. "Wait, I'll go get my bike and follow you," I tell him. When I return with my motorcycle a man jumps on behind me, "Go!! Follow them!" he yells into my ear.

I spend the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon photographing one pyramid competition after another, all over the northern suburbs of Mumbai.

Just another day living in India.

More Photos After the Break!

The Look

Two Posts in two days?!? I know, I'm on a roll. I just got back from New York on Monday after shooting an event for Jansport. On Friday I spent almost 4 hours in the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). I like going to art museums, but I find that, especially when by myself, my mind starts to gloss over. I can't concentrate on the art. Frankly, I get bored. To entertain myself I like to watch everyone else enjoying the art. This series came from this boredom.

More photos after the break.

Last Red River Gorge Trip of the Year

Andrew Osnach climbing "Synchronicity" at the Roadside Crag. 5.11a trad.

I didn't go straight home to Indiana after landing in the US from my time in India. I stayed three weeks here, a week there, and so on till I met several friends in Red River Gorge, Kentucky for a weekend of climbing. I've always struggled balance my time between actually climbing and photographing climbing and decided that I have to say, "Today I am climbing" and "today I am shooting." Otherwise I end up carrying 100lbs of gear with me all over the cliffs and valleys and taking only one or two photos.

Two of my buddies left on Sunday, but Leigh and I stayed on Monday specifically to take photos. Having not made prior plans I decide on Roadside Crag because of its popularity and varied route difficulties. Approaching the cliff I find two guys preparing to climb a trad route (traditional climbing using your own protection gear instead of bolts in the rock) to the left of a beautifully pocketed climb. I don't have a guidebook, but I think it looks about like a 5.9, which I should be able to climb with no problem. I scamper to the top just as the first climber finishes the trad route. I end up hanging out with them the whole day.


George Makaronis cleans the trad route Five Finger Discount, 5.8.


Andrew Osnach climbs "Andromeda Strain", a beautiful 5.9+ trad route.



Andrew Osnach and Eric Thomson work on Fadda, a nicely pocketed 5.10a.


George Makaronis contemplates Fadda as Andrew practices placing trad gear on Motha.


Andrew Osnach climbing "Synchronicity" at the Roadside Crag. 5.11a trad.
Take note of the no-hands knee-bar taking place on the image on the right!



Climbing in the Red in mid-October is the best time. Not only do you have perfect temperatures (highs in the 60'sºF), but you get to enjoy the amazing fall foliage. It's good climbing here most of the year, but the scenery is not the area's strongpoint. But watching the trees change from above is, well, the only way to see it.

Rebecca

I swore off doing weddings. I had had a few bad experiences, and I was making enough money in other fields of photography that I didn't need that extra income (and sometimes frustration that comes with it). But now that I am effectively starting over from scratch, weddings are a great way to survive while getting settled in a new place.

When I first arrived in New York from Mumbai at the end of September, my good friend, fashion photographer (www.jeremiahwilsonphoto.com) Jeremiah Wilson asked me to be his second shooter for a wedding near Queens on Long Island. I am so glad he did.

Jeremiah working his magic with a 4x5 large format camera while Max assists.

Not only was the couple and family a blast to work with, everything about the wedding was exceptionally beautiful, including Rebecca.















Perfect location. Perfect light. It was an amazing day.
Can't wait to do more like this.