These days most of us don't get the chance to meet a King. I had the pleasure of meeting the King of Sirohi. He is the 38th descendent of the Deora Dynasty. He was gracious and allowed me to make his portrait. I hope to visit Sirohi and him later in 2012. The King is the end of a story but he is also the beginning of me creating a larger story about the Turban of Rajasthan.
The journey to document turbans and the men that wear them, continues. This year I had the opportunity to photograph a different group of men and their portraits bring dimension to the story. The goal of a published book remains alive…
Rajasthan, the land of kings, is the story of warriors. Their chivalry, romance, glory and tragedy play out in fairy tale proportions. The turbans of Rajasthan have become a symbol of this by-gone era. They are the most colorful and impressive in all of the India. The Rajput community started the use of turbans centuries ago. Today, a confederation of princely states, Rajasthan hangs tightly on to its traditions. Each caste has their own distinguishing colors, by which they are recognized. Shepherds wear red turbans. .
The 21st century is running a marathon against many cultures. The turban story is just one of many such stories.

Winner, Folio 2011, Silvershotz Magazine, England and Australia, 2011
Honorable Mention, 2nd Edition Portraits, WPGA, 2011
Finalist, World Travel, Planet Magazine, NYC, July 2011
3rd Prize, Early Morning After Dark, MPLS Photo Center, Minneapolis, MN 2011
Two Finalists, I’ll Be Your Mirror: The Portrait, 1650 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2011
Finalist, 26th Annual Salon of Photography, Bristol UK 2010
Finalist, Portraits of World Travel, Planet Magazine, NYC, January 2011
Honorable Mention, Spherical, A Smith Gallery, Johnson City, Texas, 2010
Second Prize, Regional Juried Show, FCCA, F’burg, VA, October 2010
Emerging Artist, Texas Photography Society, August 2010
2 Honorable Mentions, FACES, Women in Photography Int’l, 2010
Finalist, 30th Spring Contest, Photography Forum Magazine, 2010
Winner & 3 Runners-up, Creative Quarterly, Issue 20, September 2010
Finalist, 28th Annual Juried Membership Exhibition, Houston Center for Photography, 2010
Merit Award, 2010 Nat’l Photo Competition (Portfolio), Camera Club of New York, 2010
Merit Award, ‘Anything Goes!’ Roho Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio 2010
First Prize, People Category, Int’l Photo Competition, Fort Dearborn-Chicago Forum, 2010
Finalist, 24th Members Only Show, Texas Photographic Society, Summer 2010
Second Prize, Women’s Intl Juried Exhibition, 12 12 Gallery, Richmond, VA,
Juror Margaret Salisbury, FRPS, 2010
Winner & Runner-up, Creative Quarterly, Issue 19, June 2010
Excellence Award, Exposure Int’l Competition, Open Shutter Gallery, Durango, CO, 2010
Finalist, 2nd Annual Int’l Travel Contest, Planet Magazine, 2010
Second Prize, Really Big & Tiny Show, League of Reston Artists, Reston, VA 2010
Abstract Award, Autumn Juried Show, Hampshire County Arts Council, Romney, WV 2009
Honorable Mention, 2009 Regional Exhibit, FCCA, Fredericksburg, VA 2009
Honorable Mention, Summer 2009 - Children, Women in Photography Int’l 2009
Finalist, 29th Spring Contest, Photography Forum Magazine, 2009
First Prize, Potomac River Regional Art Show, Colonial Beach, VA 2009
Certificate of Merit, Art of Photography, Camera Obscura Gallery, Denver, Colorado 2009
Honorable Mention, Virginia Artists 2009, Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA 2009
Contributor Award, Northern National Art Competition, Nicolet College, Rhinelander, WI 2009
First Prize, artReston: 16th Annual Exhibition, Reston, VA 2009
Finalist, N.Y. Photo Festival 09, 2009
First Prize, Celebration of Life, Panel Juried Exhibit, Louisville, KY 2009
Honorable Mention, A Fine Line, Fredericksburg Art Center, Fredericksburg, VA 2009
First Prize, Joy, Washington Photography School, Juried Exhibition, 2008
First & Second Prizes, PhotoArt, LRA, Fine Art Exhibit, Reston, VA 2008

Life is a journey, a continuum of everyday events and ordinary people, all of which make for an extraordinary lifetime of experiences.
The commonplaceness of the people, the situations and the objects found along my journey, become the elements that evoke calm, bring comfort, and furnish a sense of connectedness.
As we enter the 21st century, the commonplaceness of the people, the situations and the objects in countries like India, are rapidly being eroded. We all lose when an ancient culture disappears and centuries of tradition are abandoned and then forgotten.
For me, photography is an instrument to speak out against these changes. It is a means of recording a culture with all its subtleties. Western culture is insidious; jeans, t-shirts and baseball caps are dominating the world. As the ancient traditions leave us, we are all diminished.
I am an adventurer, a lover of color, culture and the bewitching. I am drawn to the surface beauty but the beauty within ultimately captivates and transports me. To capture and celebrate what it is that makes a people unique, not just in appearance, but also in spirit is a joy and gift beyond explanation.

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