All images on this page, homepage & thumbnail: details from photography by Charles Meacham.
Art
Ascent to Hemkund:
Through the Lens of
Charles Meacham
For the full lyricism and glory of Charles Meacham's images captured at Hemkund Sahib, Takht Hazur Sahib (Nanded, Hyderabad), and his other award-winning work on the Nihangs, please visit his photo-exhibit at www.charlesmeacham.com.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Born just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., Charles Meacham began traveling immediately after high school. He took up photography seriously at the age of 30, and has since become an international award-winning photographer.
His current projects include images of Sikhism, mountain porters, documenting the lives of ex-soldiers from the Chinese civil war (on both sides of the Taiwan Strait), and Taiwan's motorcycle subculture.
"For the last two years or so, I have focused my photography on the Sikh culture," explains Charles. "After September 11, 2001 and the hate crimes that followed against Sikhs, I was really disturbed. Several years earlier, I had visited Amritsar, and was so impressed by the people there, I just felt that people should know more about Sikhs. So I packed my bags and went to Punjab, and was immediately taken in by so many people. Well, here I am today.
"My goal for this project is to start by photographing Sikhs in India, Nihangs and non-Nihangs. I am hoping to return to India next spring. Then photograph Sikhs living abroad in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, well, let's just say anywhere ... I do not think that a global project has ever been done on Sikhs this way."
Talking about his latest trip to cover the recent celebrations in Nanded and to Hemkund in the upper Himalayas, Charles adds:
"My time with the Sikh community has been an incredible life experience. I owe Sikhs so much, it is hard to explain in words. If you are like me, you are frustrated by the level of coverage Sikhs get in the media. There seemed to be almost no coverage of the 300 Saal Guru De Naal, which maybe is the most important Sikh festival in our lifetime. But I was there, and I did what I could."
His mission: " ... to photograph Sikhs all over the world. To tell their story. To let people know what a wonderful people Sikhs are ... If the proper funding should ever come through, I believe that I could publish a book that would do Sikhs justice."
When not traveling, he can or cannot be found riding his motorcycle in the mountains of Taiwan.
Selected Awards:
- 2008 IPA - "Riders of Taiwan"/Nominated - "Being Sikh"/Nominated
- 2008 PX3 International Photography Awards - Honorable Mention
- 2008 PX3 Public Choice Awards: First Place Pro-Culture, Second Place Pro-Portrait, Third Place Pro-People.
- 2008 Smithsonian - Honorable Mention
- 2007 PDN World In Focus Competition - First Place Open Series
- 2007 Travel Photographer of the Year - Finalist
- 2007 National Geographic Traveler's 19th Annual Photography Contest - Merit Award
- 2007 Color Awards - Nomination
- 2005 IPA, International Photography Awards - 4 Nominations
- 2005 Color Awards - 5 Nominations
- 2005 Palm Springs Photography Festival - Finalist
- 2005 Travel Photographer of the Year Competition - Finalist
- 2005 National Geographic Traveler's 17th Annual Photography Contest - Merit Award
- 2003 National Geographic Traveler's 15th Annual Photography Contest - First Place
Conversation about this article
1: Baj Singh (Bangkok, Thailand), December 10, 2008, 11:41 AM.
You have brought my journey to Hemkund Sahib - which I did a couple of decades ago - alive, through your extraordinarily beautiful photography. It not only takes me back to those wonderful weeks I spent in the area, but makes me yearn to go back to those peaceful environs. Thank you.