Goodbye Delhi. Hello Chennai!

February 02, 2016 in Travel

I'm lying in bed in my hostel in Chennai (aka Madras) -- a city on the east coast in Southern India...

Fairwell Address to Delhi

February 02, 2016 in Other

Delhi, You are hella whack but fun all the same. If you were a cheese you'd be jalapeno cheddar -- not something I'd put on my bagel every morning but a titillating late night snack. Delhi, you are...

An Aarti is a ritual of Hindu worship usually performed at the end of a Pūjā — a prayer ceremony honoring Hindu deities or celebrating an event. During the ceremony, participants release oblations — usually in the form ghee soaked wicks — into the fire and chant devotional hymns.

There are many different variations on the Aarti and the ceremony may be done public or privately and at any time of the day. The Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh’s largest ashram, hosts an Aarti every evening at sunset on the banks of the Ganges.

There is a rich tradition of Hindu hymns that accompany the Aarti. Harmoniums, flutes, tabla drums, and bells are traditional instruments that accompany the vocal melodies.

Participants releasing oblations into the ceremonial fire.

Young devotees at the the Parmarth Niketan AshramAarti. The Aarti is held daily at sunset and open to all. It is very popular among tourists.

Aarti literally means “remover of darkness” and the ceremony involves circulating an Aarti plate or Aarti lamp. This act serves as a symbol of devotion to and sublimation with the divine light. It is customary for Aarti participants to hold their hands to the fire or fire lamp and then rub their faces and bodies with the “light.” This practice represents purification of the self through sublimating the self, which may have dark aspects, into the illumining nature of the divine.

Participating in the Aarti is a honor for the young devotees.

It is customary to release an Aarti plate into the river at the culmination of the Aarti ceremony. The plates contain ghee or camphor for burning as well as flowers, rice, incense, or other offerings in honor of a God or a person. The Ganga is sacred to Indians and it is commonly believed the river has healing powers.

A young boy who wanted to sell me an Aarti plate giving me a demonstration of how to perform the oblatory ritual of releasing an Aarti plate into the Ganges. Children are often tasked with the job of selling Aarti plates to tourists. They can be terribly persistent and, frankly speaking, very annoying — God bless them.

Ganga Aarti

January 31, 2016 in Travel

Photo essay on the Ganga Aarti -- a Hindu fire ritual held at the bank of the Ganga (Ganges) River.

The Red Fort And The Last Poet

January 28, 2016 in Travel

Built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahān, in the mid-17th century (who also erected the Taj Mahal), the Red Fort, which came by its name from its 75 foot red sandstone walls, is one of Delhi’s most iconic monuments. The fort was designated an UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007...

My Bollywod Debut

January 26, 2016 in Travel, Other

I’m back in Delhi now and working hard on curating my images from the last month and a half in Rishikesh as well as my recent trip to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal).

I just have to take a break from that work and write a quick post to share the experience of my Bollywood debut. I will be starring as a Welsh wrestling coach in the film Dangal (Disney Studio India), which is slated for release in late 2016. The sports biopic is based on the story of a father who taught his two daughter wrestling. The daughters won the gold and silver medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games....

Status Update: Rishikesh

January 25, 2016 in Travel

I wrote the following a few days ago while I was in Rishikesh (I’m back in Delhi now). As you will read, internet connectivity was an issue in Rishikesh, which is the reason I’m posting this post “post-humously” (oh I'm horrible).

With adventure,

Shalev

It’s been a while since a posted anything; the reason being that I have not had access to an internet connection sufficient for uploading photos (I have many to share!). I have also undertaken an effort to eschew from any unnecessary use of my laptop and phone as I have been intensely focusing on cultivating my yogic practice. There is a yogic method of Bandha(literally to “bond” or “arrest”) in which the practitioner engages muscles contractions described as “energy locks” to seal in the practitioner’s energy. Traditionally there are there are three Banda corresponding with the perineum, abdomen, and throat. However, as a 21st century yogi, I have come to value the importance of a fourth Bandha — the cyber Bandha...

Gurudwara Bangla Saheb (Sikh Temple). Delhi, India.

December 06, 2015 in Travel

The Gurudwara Bangla Saheb temple (pictured below) is the largest Sihk temple in Dehli. The temple is open to visitors of all faiths and can be toured casually (but be sure to arrive dressed in modest attire; head coverings (required for both men and women) are available on-site). The temple features a large purification pond in which worshipers bath to cleanse themselves of their sins...

The Jinn of the Feroze Shah Kotla Fort. Old Delhi, India.

December 03, 2015 in Travel

On my first day in India, I explored the Feroze Shah Kotla Fort with a group from Stops Hostel...

Italy

December 01, 2015 in Travel

I've been traveling in the northern half of Italy for three weeks. These are my impressions are stories after sojourning from Venice to Rome via Padova, Siena, and Florence.

Fisheye Surgery

November 14, 2015 in Tutorial

I picked up Asahi Pentax SMC 17mm Fisheye (introduced 1975) before I left for my tour of the world. This lens is great for traveling because its extremely compact and built like a tank. It’s optics are superior and it captures a 180º impression of the world on a full sensor DSLR or 35mm film camera—not to mention that analog lenses just look and feel rad. I scored the lens on eBay for $200...

Martial Arts with Maldonado

November 11, 2015 in Other

Maldonado JKD teaches self-defense, contemporary Jeet Kune Do, and mixed martial arts, out of Burbank. I met up with him to do a professional exchange of photography for a crash course in martial arts based self-defense. Maldonado JKD is an intuitive teacher and, although we only trained for a mere two hours, he gave me some solid techniques to work on and seriously piqued my interested in getting deeper into martial arts. Check out his website.

Last Will and Testament

October 02, 2015 in Photography

On November 3rd I'm leaving California for a year-long traveling expedition across the world. (More on this to come in a later post). I quit my job at my law firm a few weeks ago to give myself time to prepare for my big adventure.

When I first started working at my firm, a co-worker was quite enamored by my causal Friday attire. She created a Last Will and Testament laying claim to a certain "grey Members Only Jacket" in addition to "that shirt affectionally referred to as 'the most hipster thing I [Shalev] own." Another co-worker opted for my "blue chucks." Well, I didn't want to give them my real kickass clothing. But I felt a symbolic transfer of property was in order given my symbolic "employee death." As it turns out, photographs are the perfect legal instrument for symbolic transfers of property.

Layla

September 16, 2015 in Photography

Layla is a beautiful and talented lifestyle blogger. We got together to get some banner shot for her new blog (the name of which I am keeping under wraps for now until the public launch date). Click "Read More" for additional images from the shoot.

Sneak peak at my new series: "Artifacts"

September 11, 2015 in Photography

Nazo Bravo Album Release Party

August 01, 2015

I shot rapper, actor, and filmmaker Nazo Bravo's album release party in Hollywood. The album is called put it in reverse and it features E-40.

Nazo is an interesting Armenian guy who has done documentary work and raps re the Armenian Genocide. He's been interviewed by SCPR. He's pictured here with DJ Carisma.

Check out Nazo's website
http://www.nazobravo.com

Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right Nationwide

June 27, 2015 in Politics

SCOTUS legalized gay marriage (in so many words). There’s the big news, for those of you who have been away on a silent retreat or lost in tinderdom.

I happen to be travelling in San Francisco this week with a few buddies. How serendipitous given the historicity of the city and its denizens in the fight for gay rights. The energy here is infectious.

My friends and I already had a day trip planned. Fortunately, we were able to make it back in time to check out what was going on in San Fransisco’s historical gay neighborhood known as the Castro, which remains a nexus for LGBT activism. Even at 11 P.M. on a weeknight, the Castro was still a huge party. People of all different ages, races, sexualities, genders, etc. flooded the main intersections. Chants of “equality” circumscribed by the exaltations of a saxophone could be heard outside the historic Castro Walgreens.

There was nothing overtly political about the display. People just seemed genuinely happy to celebrate love in all of its manifests. While this virtue has somehow been made a political badge, the Castro brouhaha didn’t feel like a reaction checkmark on a political agenda. Rather, it was a celebration of the profundity of marriage as an institution that is infra-political — not because some bible defines language in such a way — but because of what marriage intrinsically is. As Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority opinion: “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.”

Today, love wins, bringing the tally to: Love – 17; Hate – 7,689,493,048.

Goodbye Zen Master

March 09, 2015 in Other

This is my inaugural post and will be a simple dedication it to my dog Oreo (aka "Zen Master") who passed away recently. Thanks for the lessons on life and love Oreo.

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
—Roger Caras