I now feel like a real journalist. Yesterday I spent an entire day with a group of Hare Krishnas, photographing them and learning about their culture. I ate a meal with them, observed their daily prayer, chanting, and followed them around Prague on their "Harinam".
In my photography class that I am taking, we have to do a personality project. We have to find an interesting person who lives in Prague and follow them in their daily routine. I saw this group of Hare Krishnas several times around Prague on their "Harinam", which is where they walk around the town square chanting their mantra and dancing. I looked on their website and found out where they lived and away I went. When I arrived they welcomed me into their home and were very helpful to me in my project. The person I focused my project on is named Alalanatha Dasa. He is a preacher and cook for the group.
He let me photograph the group eating a meal, offering food and flowers to Krishna in their temple, and their daily life around the house. It was really fascinating getting to learn about these people and their religion. I then went with them to document their "Harinam" around the town square. This was quite a spectacle to see, considering that you wouldn't expect to see robed people with drums marching in the center of Prague. Later that night I attended one of their religious services and was allowed to take picture there as well.
This experience made me feel like a real journalist. Even though I don't share the same beliefs as these people, I enjoyed learning about their lives and culture. This was an amazing experience and a little taste of what being a journalist might be like.
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