Some of the most beautiful people I've seen

Their eyes were multi-coloured...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Idukki, Kerala!

This week, I met probably the most beautiful family I’ve ever seen. 

I was in Guruvayur, the world famous temple, doing some people photography, when this young boy caught my eye. He was sitting on a ladder, a few rungs off the ground. His pose immediately struck me.

But it was only when I got closer did I notice that he had the most interesting set of eyes I’d seen on any young kid. That made him even more interesting. I asked him to freeze as I took a few shots. Then I chatted with him, and then walked away. 

The kid who started it all

As I was exiting the compound, he tugged at my t-shirt, asking for my phone number. I’m pretty used to this; strangers who I photograph often ask for my contact details so that they can reach out to me later to get the photograph. Since they lent me their smiles, it’s a basic courtesy to send them the picture afterwards. 

This boy must have been in his single digits, so obviously, he didn’t have a phone (or maybe not so obviously; apparently, even toddlers have phones nowadays). Nevertheless, he took me to his mom, and she began taking down my number. 

That’s when I realised that this boy had an older sister, and she had a pair of eyes even more striking than his. They had many shades—green, ochre, gold. One look and I knew I had to take her portrait. She smiled (I’m sure she wanted to be photographed too) and promptly posed for my camera. 

Then she told me that she had another sister and brother, and they, too, had the same set of striking eyes. She introduced me to all of them, and one by one, I photographed them. It was like I struck gold, which is sort of true—some of their eyes were golden. 

At last, I met the father, the person from whom all these kids got their gorgeous eyes. His eyes were the most striking of all. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone with eyes like his. They were like some of those crazy formations in the cosmos, shot by a telescope far into space. His eyes were their own universe. 

After taking all these shots, they invited me to join them for a quick meal. We chatted, and I took their number, sending them the photographs afterwards. They were definitely some of the most striking people I’ve ever seen. 

The colour of our pupils is a genetic lottery, one only a few of us win. But there is no denying it; those who have won it sure are beautiful.

Postcard

Since I was in Guruvayur, I had to see what it is famous for—its temple elephants. I was lucky to see a mahout bathing his elephant. The mahout’s name is Subramanium, and the elephant is Devanarayan.

Let the size difference sink in…

Favourite Quote

"It’s the weird that’s truly normal. It’s how people actually are — what they really care about. In a sense, you’re getting them out of the weird. The weird is the stage presence we put on — all the ‘puffery’ and unwillingness to say what you really think." - Tyler Cowen

Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

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