Hues of another kindred land

"We had taken lots of images of India, so we were inspired to organise a charity photo exhibition. We wanted to pay back India for all it gave us," says Ashtanga-yoga teacher Luke.

Far beyond being just a chaotic country with a huge population, Sherry Phungprasert and Luke Cassady-Dorion found India a colourful and lively place.

Both are yoga teachers for Absolute Yoga in Bangkok. To express gratitude for all they have gained from yoga, they set up the Art India Charity and organised the "Colours of India" exhibition at the Peninsula Plaza. The exhibition showcases 50 photographic works shot in India.

Last year, Sherry spent one month in the south-Indian city of Mysore while Luke was there for three months practising yoga. They found abundant free time after morning yoga session to wander the roads of the city snapping photographs.

Their routine started before dawn, Luke's at 3am and Sherry's at 5. After meditating and practising yoga, Luke also spent time studying Sanskrit. With the rest of the day free, the two inspired photography buffs set out to capture India on film.

"We both love taking photographs," says Sherry, who was introduced to the world of "lomography" by Luke last year. "He showed me the amazingly colourful photos taken by the Lomo [camera models] Holga and Horizon. I was hooked."

The actress-cum-yoga teacher says the idea for the exhibition came while having afternoon tea at a bakery house in India.

"We were just lingering, passing time. There were seven beggars who asked us for money. They came in all sizes - a crying baby, a toddler, some children and a teenager."

Sherry and Luke gave them some money but they thought it would be better if they could raise funds for them.

"We had taken lots of images of India, so we were inspired to organise a charity photo exhibition. We wanted to pay back India for all it gave us," says Ashtanga-yoga teacher Luke.

The "Colours of India" exhibition aims to raise money for the Camillian Social Centre which works with children living with HIV and Aids, and the Seva Foundation which works to prevent blindness and restore sight.

"Images of India are always about chaos, traffic jams and poverty. However, we want to present the lifestyle of the people and the beauty that is still alive in the country," says Luke.  

Sherry says that she likes taking portraits. "It's really a country of colour. I saw one house painted in at least 12 different shades. Women wear bright and beautiful saris. It's like a rainbow of emotion that alerts all your senses - from the colours of the houses and clothes, the smells of spices to the sounds of the street-vendors singing songs to sell their wares."

The budding photographers say that capturing such experiences on film can be rather challenging, because a single image rarely does justice to the experience of being there. That's why they opted for an old-fashioned Lomo camera.

 "The Lomo Holga and Horizon cameras are known for shooting saturated colours, especially when the film is cross-processed. Using both these tools, we were able to document India in a way that traditional, especially digital cameras, are unable to pull off," explains 31-year-old Luke.

"Indian people are familiar with cameras. They smiled when we took their photographs. Some even stopped their work to pose. They were eager to see how the images turned out, but disappointed to find that, unlike with a digital camera, they couldn't view the photos at once. They asked us why we were so outdated," Sherry says.

Though Sherry is new to photography, she recently won the Holga Show 2.0 competition. She says she never imagined she would be drawn to the art. Her first five rolls came out blank. But after trying a Lomo camera could do, she was hooked.

"I enjoy taking photos with the Lomo more than digital cameras," she says. "With a digital camera, we can take as many images as we want and delete them if they're not good. But with film-based cameras, we have to think about the composition before clicking the shutter. There is only one take. You can't delete it. It makes me think about each passing minute. Once it's gone, it never comes back."

The 50 photographs were chosen from hundreds of images. Beyond the eye-catching, colourful photos is a deeper reflection of the life and of the working class in India.

"We strolled along the road with our cameras," Luke says. "We saw people labouring hard, especially women. They wear beautiful saris but do back-breaking work."

India was the first Asian country Luke, an American, has experienced. This was his second visit.

"I first met India through my yoga master," Luke says. "I was having an unhappy time as a computer programmer in the United States, but yoga changed my life. I found happiness and peace by practising yoga."

Sherry, who has been teaching yoga for three years, says that India is symbolic of an attitude of satisfaction in life. "Most local people we met were working class, like the woman who earned just 40 rupees [Bt30] a day hammering rocks into small pebbles. Due to the hard work, her hands were always shaking. Tears welled up in her eyes when we bought her an eight-rupee coconut juice. No matter how poor they were, they helped me get in touch with a culture rich with feeling," she says.

"Colours of India" continues until May 20.