When I lead photography workshops, I talk about the importance of taking photos that convey not just the "stark image," but also the emotion behind the image. The f64 school of landscape photography, with all elements of the image in sharp focus as exemplified by Ansel Adams, conveys the beauty of the natural setting.
A different type of landscape, that of the spirit of Varanasi, India, might not be well served by the f64 school. Rather, fleeting images taken by Peter Bialobrzeski are used to illustrate the splendid and moving story by Pico Iyer entitled "Maximum India" in the January 2011 edition of Conde Nast Traveler. Varanasi is where devote Hindus come to die and deal with their mortality. And the photos do an outstanding job of supporting the article, showing respect to the devote, and encouraging me to make my own pilgrimage to this most holy of cities. The following link will take you to the on-line story - BUT NOTE THAT THE PHOTOS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE PRINT EDITION. Check it out at your local newsstand, bookstore or library.
By the way, Pico Iyer's article is also one of the more evocative I've read in a while and probably provides a better insight into the experiece of visiting Varanasi that you would ever find in a travel guide. Whenever I wonder aloud whether I should eventually travel to India, I'll come back to this article and go for it.
http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503351
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