I usually think that the New York Times multimedia features are quite good, however this week's Sights & Sounds of Old Delhi is disappointing. The feature documents some of Old Delhi's chaotic neighborhoods, bazaars and narrow lanes.
The accompanying article by Jonathan Allen is informative and well-written. I like this particular paragraph:
"Much of Old Delhi life goes on unabashedly out in the open. Young men get facials in open-fronted male beauty parlors, or you might spot a gaggle of children getting bucket-washed in the courtyard of a haveli, a once-grand mansion sunk into decay. Some kind of encounter with goats is virtually guaranteed, many of them dressed attractively in ladies' sweaters during the winter. None of them seem even remotely alarmed at the sight of stalls piled high with severed goats' heads."
But back to the slideshow...the photographs are less than inspiring and the audio is terribly amateurish. Although I liked a couple of the pictures (the one of the car spare parts is hilarious....how on earth can they find anything in this mess is beyond comprehension), most of them are nothing to write about. I'm sure that the NY Times photographer, Tomas Munita, is an extremely competent photojournalist, but this feature is a dud.
Judge for yourself (you'll have to resize the opening window):
Sights & Sounds of Delhi
