Searching for Indian Woodcarver Photos

Searching for Indian Woodcarver Photos

Attn: Any traveler who has traveled in India with the good senses to take photographs.

Need: I am currently looking for a few photographs of Indian wood (sandalwood preferably) carvers and/ or the wares that they produce to accompany an article that I wrote to be published in Abroad View Magazine. You will receive photographer credit. Thank you.

I was digging through some of my old articles that I wrote while a university student and I came upon an unpublished piece about Indian woodcarvers in Jaipur. I think I ticked off the first draft of this piece in the autumn of 2006, and I did not really look at it again until this spring.

My old university adviser notified me of a writing contest that Abroad View Magazine was holding. I dug up this Indian Woodcarver article, cleaned it up, and sent it in.

I won the contest.

$100 to the good.

The problem: I do not have any photos to include with the piece. In the world of magazine publishing, the image makes the article. I have nothing with words alone — no matter how nifty their assembly may be — I know this.

I need photos.

I went through the entire research phase of this investigation — which consisted of visiting the workplace and home — of a master sandalwood caver without really taking any photos . . . well, I may have snapped off a few 35mm shots, but these have been long lost to the black hole of travel.

It is difficult for me to believe this now, but I did not really start taking photos until I began this website project two years ago. I traveled for 7 years with cheap-o point and shoot 35mm cameras that I very seldom put to any use.

In the days of travel before good and cheap digital cameras became readily available, taking photos meant carting roll upon roll of film around the world with me. At that time, photography was seldom worth its weight.

But even given this, I still cannot believe that I would go through an entire journalism project without really taking any photos. What could I have been thinking? I suppose I was young and did not yet know that, in the world of publishing, photos are really worth a thousand words.

Or, better put, a thousand words are worthless without a photo.

So I have a big request for readers:

If any of you have been to India and have any photos of woodcarvers or of sandalwood carvings (the little motifs that are usually sold to tourists) I would be very appreciative if you would lend them to me for the purpose of accompanying my article in Abroad View Magazine.

You will, of course, receive full photographer credit.

The editor wolves are snapping their snarling jaws at my doorstep. I am a week over deadline with nothing to “show.”

Thank you very much.

Walk Slow,

Wade

If you can help, please email photos to Vagabondsong@gmail.com

Searching for Indian Woodcarver Photos