Tales From The North: A Reunion Of Two Poles [IV] Photograph

Four is a most enticing number for my senses because its Indian translation is pronounced as ‘char’ and that sound is enough in itself to froth up my taste buds into a carnival of sensory ecstasy as ‘char’ also means tea! I think of myself as a recipient of an astounding boon for being blessed with the opportunity to present to you my fourth – char – chapter from the enigmatic and windswept lands of the north and whose contents you will soon come to appreciate to be indeed as enlightening as a cup of freshly brewed tea! There is also an unprecedented technical leap in this particular compilation wherein I braved the tricky business of night-time photography for the very first time! I hardly ever bring my tripod along for any expedition but, when I saw the fanfare of twinkling lights and shimmering waterside reflections under a jet black sky I knew I would regret it forever if I did not find a way round to capturing the otherworldly magic of this city’s nocturnal universe. Time for overgenerous preludes over, read on and discover how the progressive spirit of ‘char’ permeates through this fourth illuminative part of my tales from a place lit by the glow of a million lamps and stroked by the hands of fleeting sea-spray… We kick off with the dynamic duo, Alina and Mahin, wandering in the woods on a trail to seek out wildlife and to indulge my insatiable and gobbling addiction for learning about ancient history of places. We circumnavigated, relying on our trusty sneakers and boots, round the ruins of an old castle, following the winding grassed path that was obviously the moat to the stony fort that once perched on the hill and overlooked the town. Before you even begin to twitter away at my ears I shall say it myself: yes, the composition of the two girls framed by the wooden beams does hardly any favours to my reputation, once more I have afflicted the misfortune on myself to create an image that adds further compelling evidence onto the prosecutor’s table! The girls could have at least had the heart to bring me a bowl of fruit and a cushion! Giggle, giggle! If there is one chap missing from my kooky pictorial concoctions it is Obi, the oldest brother of all the girls. Working and studying down my end of the British Isles, his absence did not rule out that we could not take liberties in his name! To this end, I asked the girls in Waterstones which character they would liken their brother to. Alina and Mahin’s rocket-powered cerebral cog wheels immediately set to task and in a blink of a koala’s eye – wait that might take days – in a blink of a bat’s eye the girls came up with their answer. Mr Lazy! Being a lazy potato is not exactly what I aspire to and if I see it in my students I tend to give them a little cattle prod to help them get back on their toes however, I would be lying if I said that I was not enamoured by Mr Lazy’s smile on the front cover of the book. He seems to be snoring away ever so peacefully… WHACK! Oops, my cattle prod seems to have a life of its own sometimes… ahem, ahem…!!! Oh, and since we are so intently focused on the bookshop, let us swiftly move our eyes southwards to yet another lilliputian edition of the series, Little Miss Busy! Aunty, if you happen to be still awake and reading this then please do show me some clemency and leniency the next time we meet because you would be justified not to! Why? Erm, it was I who elected you for this book! Gulp! I know, Aunty, I know, you are not made of some unspecified bright yellow substance but at least I was not that far out with the spectacles…!!! What? You will dob me in to my mumsy? SOS! In urgent need of an air raid shelter right NOW!!!!!!!! Mahin is an exceptional daughter to her mother, look how here she collects culinary bark strips from the local trees using only her bare teeth! Oh for heaven’s sake, put a stop to those dizzying roll of the eyes before I put a sock in it! I am only pulling your leg! I will never shake off the fond observation of how much our Mahin loves the great outdoors and of the excitement in allowing your feet to lead you anywhere – muddy ditches and steep ravines excluded unless you want to get into some serious trouble with the matriarch of the family! Yikes! My last modest offering for tonight encompasses a new creative milestone for me – my first piece of nocturnal photography! Myself and my entire northern family enjoyed a night out in one of the largest cities in England, Newcastle Upon Tyne. The air chilly and crisp and the sky awash in starless black, there was an electrical sizzle of excitement between us all because everyone wanted to know how I would react to the modernised quayside buildings and to River Tyne’s waterfront that was arced by a multitude of bridges including The Millennium Bridge and the iconic Tyne Bridge. What can I say, I was blown away in more ways than one! Fantastical, magical, jaw-droppingly phenomenal, I was convinced that the theatre of light plays in the dark must have surely been the work of an unknown but virtuoso painter that the world had yet to meet. I spent quite a bit of time simply absorbing the celebration of colours before returning my gaze to my family who had already gone ahead of me but, realising that I was still glued some way back, had paused and smiled at my gawping face! As a synesthetic, I experienced so much more than simple colours – I swear I heard notes played on a harp and plangent violin melodies shimmied on the water. No tripod, so how did I manage? Luckily, lined along the quayside were tall bollards so, with a bit of initiative, I placed Lumiere on top of one and let the self-timer do the rest. It was worth the hassle! The pictures depict the Tyne Bridge on the right-hand side with the Rugby 2015 Host City title lit up across it – I might have to race up here in the autumn in that case! – and the architecturally stunning building you see on the left is a world-class music centre. Not only did I take my first baby steps in learning a new skill out there in the dark but, I found myself passionately falling in love with the night all over again… Photography & Words: © Masufa Khatun | Mazzy Khatun Photo Stories | Winter Reunion Series | Northumberland | UK 2015

Photography:Color on Other

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:39.4 W x 31.5 H x 0.4 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.