Naomi Stolow photography, nature, wildlife and travel

30 December 2011

28 December 2011

My photographs from 2011

2011 has been a very hectic year. Here is my attempt at gathering up images that have had the most impact on me.

Between the drudgery involved in keeping the wheels of ecommerce turning, I got to go to some very glam conferences - which were great settings for practicing my portrait skills.

The summer took me to Devon - where my mum and I hiked (to a degree) over North Dartmoor and to her delight found the Duke of York pub, where War Horse was written in a back room. We looked for the portrait of THE horse in the village hall, but apparently Stephen Spielberg 'borrowed' it while he made the film. 

In the autumn I went to New Orleans (for work, plus a few free days) and really loved mooching around the city, drinking rum cocktails and tapping my feet 'till the early hours in the incredible jazz clubs.  The swamps were swampy, smelly and alligator-full and quite beautifully eerie.  After that I hopped up to New York (for my birthday), staying with a good friend and chilling out in the Lower East Side.

Then at last I got back to India.

Here I spent a lot of time with many rescued child labourers - who are all now a year taller!  Personal highlights were working with the boys with the art materials I'd taken over - inspiring them with art and design lessons (or rather just showing them a few tricks which they flew with themselves, producing some amazing work!) Other great moments were their confused, happy faces as we blew up the Space Hopper, followed out by working out how to 'travel' on it!  I even took a lesson on the history of the internet and www.

I was invited to a Hindi wedding - 2 sisters married 2 brothers - an extraordinary, chaotic, loud and gastronomic experience and I still don't know the names of the brides or grooms!

The only vaguely touristy thing I did was spend a few days camping in Ranthambhore National Park at the end of my trip and on my 11th attempt I finally saw 2 wild Bengal Tigers!

































24 December 2011

12 December 2011

Ladies Centre Dastkar, Ranthambhore

Dastkar is  a grass roots social enterprise dedicated to providing an alternative source of income to women living around the Ranthambhore National Park. It is a lively place, employing about 200 women. These women were busy sewing, printing and making things to sell in their large craft shop. I bought a bedspread, some scarves and other bits and pieces. The ladies found it hilarious that I was "singling" and presented me with their various babies to sit on my lap while they fascinated over my curly hair.