A post that I missed! - Fall/Autumn

Fall/Autumn is one of the most colorful seasons. The whole trees and plants around would change to a beautiful palette of colors in a variety of shades of red, yellow & green. The leaves would start shedding after a few weeks to prepare for the harsh winter days to come.

The photo above was taken from the Washington memorial park in Morristown, NJ during the fall of 2007. Taken during an early November evening using my Nikon D50

Exposure: 1/8th of a Second

Aperture: f/5.6

First snow in the year(2007) at Morristown

We woke up today morning to see the whole area covered with 2-3 inches of snow! This is the first snow in Morristown this year. Time to take out the shovels to clean the car everyday - and also to get some warm-up exercise. Though not intentional, I had taken the window view from our apartment a few days before it snowed & after it snowed (I noticed this when Vishal pointed out this last day). I tried to create a collage & failed - so posting them as separate ones.

The view at the final days of Fall/Autumn

And after it snowed!

Note: All photos taken using a Nikon D50 during the mid 2 weeks of November

I inspired a blogger!

Today is a good day!

A friend of mine pinged me on google talk to send me a link; the link to his new blog - HappyMeOne

He had just started as a blogger and his first post was on "why he decided to be a blogger and what inspired him to start one" - And it was me & my photo blog - This very blog!!!

I am happy that I am able to inspire people, Thanks Sudipta for that candid 'first post' - I will cherish that for long!

Welcome to the blogger's world & happy blogging!

Our Jack-o'-lantern for Halloween!

A jack-o'-lantern, sometimes also spelled Jack O'Lantern, is a carved pumpkin or turnip. Typically the top is cut off, and the inside flesh then scooped out. An image (usually a monstrous face) is carved onto the outside surface, and the lid replaced. During the night, a candle is placed inside to illuminate the effect. Jack-o'-lanterns are associated with the holiday Halloween.

Halloween originated from the Pagan festival Samhain, celebrated among the Celts of Ireland and Great Britain. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century. Halloween is now celebrated in several parts of the western world, most commonly in Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom.

As a part of Amiya's school activities, she had pumpkin picking and bought home this pumpkin & wanted halloween! Initially I did not know what she meant & then later realized what she is asking for. Equipped with a kitchen knife, we attempted making this jack-o-lantern & this is what it turnedout to be.

Taken on 30th October 2007 using my Nikon D50

Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed: 6 seconds with no tripod

Tropical Rain forest

Rainforests are home to two-thirds of all the living animal and plant species on the planet. It has been estimated that many hundreds of millions of new species of plants, insects and microorganisms are still undiscovered. Tropical rain forests are also called the "jewels of the earth", and the "world's largest pharmacy" because of the large amount of natural medicines discovered there. They are characterized by heavy rainfall, thick lower cover and they are pretty humid which makes them the ideal scenario for flora & fauna to thrive.

The picture above is a man-made rainforest inside the Bronx Zoo in up-town Manhattan... LOL
Taken on 20th October 2007 using my Nikon D50
exposure: (1/125) th of a second
F Stop : f/5.6

The Madison Town Fair - Fire works

We had been to the fireworks that concluded the Madison town fair at the Madison Highschool grounds. Madison is the neighbouring city to Morristown (The fact is that there should be atleast a 50 Madisons in the United States - of varying sizes). We chanced upon this when we had been to Kushal's 3rd birthday party at the Vijays' and one of the guest - Paul - made a mention of the fireworks.

At the end of the fireworks, I realized that I am still a novice in photographing fireworks - Only a few decent ones came out out of the 50 odd photos I clicked. The very less response time available for focussing and the timing of the click are the things that I found that I should be working on. There were a couple of very good photos - if not for the bright spot of the blast in some and the smoke after the blast in some other... Way to go forward for the photographer in mine...

Meanwhile look at the few of them that came out decently well...

The American Rapids

We finally made our trip to visit "Niagaraeswaran" during the weekend of 15th and 16th September. We took a conducted tour by a chinese operator and really experienced the "Jackie Chan" trip :) The view of falls was good (could have been better from Canada, but for Visa & other documentation hassles), and I was really amazed by the sheer volume of water that goes down the 3 falls (Horse shoe falls, American falls & Bridal veil falls) that constitute the Niagara.

This is the photo of the American Rapids which is just before where the water plunges down the American falls. The sunday was cold; though bright with the sun out and the yellow flowers with the American rapids in the background made this a nice view.

Taken on sunday, the 16th of September 2007, 8:30 AM using a Nikon D50
F Stop - f/8, Shutter speed 1/250th of a sec, no flash

Note: Since most of the Indians who visit the east coast of the United States make sure that they visit the Niagara falls, it is commonly known as "Niagaraeswara Devasthaana" - The temple of the god Niagaraeswara - in the (South) Indian community in the United states

Deep blue sea

This photo was taken from the Adventure aquarium in Camden, NJ. This was a visual effect that they have created that resembles a ship wreckage with the sharks foating around. It was a dark alley over there and I was not sure whether this would come up as a good snap. And after a couple of trials with the shutter speed, it did.

Taken on 2nd September 2007 from Camden, NJ using a Nikon D50, shutter speed 0.62 sec, manual focus, no flash.

Stephenson's Rocket

This is a replica of the modern Steam Locomotive - Widely known as Stephenson's Rocket. This photo was taken from the Benjamin Franklin museum of Science in Philadelphia. I personally felt that it was too early to take my 2 year old daughter to this place, but if there is an opportunity, I would definitely like to bring her here after 7-8 years. It kind of took me back to my highschool and graduation days - Steam engine, Berneoulli's theorm (hope I spelled it right :) ), The four compartments of our heart, what is an air-lift, piezzo & pyro electricity et all...

This replica was placed with a special kind of lighting and also to allow the white light to flow in through the window. I found the lighting pretty interesting and tried to capture this photo in real colors.

Taken on 2n Sept 2007 using a Nikon D50, exposure 1/8th of a second, manual focus, no flash

Sailing up the Hudson river

This photo was taken from a cruise ship on Hudson river on a hot, humid and foggy afternoon in downtown Manhattan. I was on a sight seeing visit to New York and we boarded a downtown cruise ship to see the popular attractions without much of physical strain :) The color of the water, sky, and this yacht made this perfect blend of blueish tint and a super snap.

Taken on 25th August 2007 afternoon 3PM using my Nikon D50

Another copycat!

We went out to see the Bushkill falls on the weekend of august 18th 2007 and decided to take the trekking route. It is a small stream of water, definitely not as big as a river that eventually joins the Delaware river. This place is located in the Delaware Watergap in the state of Pennisylvania, Unites States. We took the trekking trail along side the stream. I was trying to get a longer exposure of the waterstream but the lighting was too bright for that. Though I was not really successful in getting there, this came out as a decent snap.

Taken on 19th August 2007, morning 10:30 AM - Nikon D50

English House

This photo was taken one evening while on a walk in the park near our house in Morristown. This Bungalow stood in the middle of the park with an eerie silence and no inmates. The lighting was perfect with the golden glow of the evening sun and I did not miss the opportunity.

Taken on 31st July 2007 evening 7:30 PM using my Nikon D50

The rain tree - Abode of Knowledge & Maturity

This is not really a "rain tree" - but in principle, the way this tree stood caught my attention because it really signifies the meaning of the raintree: Short and elegant, small yet providing shade to a large area and truly signifies that what really matters is not size or looks.

The rain tree (grown in tropical India, especially Bengal) gets its name from the moisture it collects on the ground under the tree, largely the discharge of cicadas feeding on the leaves

Taken with my D50 on 20th of July 2007 while out for an evening walk in the park near to our home in Morristown.

Many more miles to go...

This photo was taken by my friend Jobin when I was visiting Jobin & Susha last weekend at the Long Island NY. Me & Jobin went for a walk down the park and there was this huge pond where you find lots of geese. I sat near the pond and was lost in thoughts and he dint miss the opportunity :) Though this photo was initially intended to make fun of me, it has come out as an amazing piece of art. Isn't it? There is so much of meaning in this photograph. We work hard, grow old, wear off only to find that there is much more and many more to go... Thatz simple paradox of life

Rain drops; Nostalgia

Taken on June 17th, 2007. While driving back from New York to Morristown, NJ

Roosting at 1250 feet

During my second weekend in New Jersey, me, Gautham, Ben & his wife went exploring New York city. As any new arrivals in the city, the first target was the empire state building. The Empire state building was the tallest building in the world from 1931 to 1972 with 102 floors reaching upto1250 feet and the spire extending the height to 1472 feet. While we were looking at the New York city from the topmost terrace floor, these doves caught my attention. It has been known well that (like Mumbai) there are lot of doves in New York, attributed to the Victorian style of the buildings (Though Americans hate that comparison). This pair caught my attention; roosting at this height. Sounds like a perfect love story? Yes; and I clicked through...

Green is the color

This photo was taken during a weekend trip to my home town, Nellaya. We decided to drive down this time from Bangalore through Mysore, Mudumalai, Vazhikadavu, Nilambur & Perinthalmanna. The weather was amazing, surprisingly roads were very good & neat; recently tarred; and an enjoyable experience overall.

We stopped in the Nilambur forest for some stretching and this bamboo grove caught my attention. The greenery was very soothing for the eyes and my camera captured the green as it is...

Wonderful shot - Taken at 11AM on 25th May 2007

Rhythm divine - Sequel to Little toes

Though a sequel to Little toes, there is a story behind this...

We bought this drum from a road side vendor for Rs. 100/- (Obviously after a hard bargain...) and the idea was to gift it to my daughter so that she can have some fun time with it. Music & musical instruments are very close to my heart and I play a few of them. I personally feel that it enables people to live very close to their heart and more importantly be very human and compassionate to others. Recently I was fiddling with this drum to try the different tension levels (some habits die hard!) and figured out that it is a genuine one made out of jackfruit tree cylinder and buffalo skin and when properly tuned, it reverberates very close to Chenda (An instrument -Asuravaadyam - played in the temples in Kerala during festivals).

I feel sorry for having done so much of the hard bargain and was thinking about his situation that would have driven him to sell it to us for a meagre 100/-, if not anything I should have valued the art piece and given him a fair deal.

Little toes

I have started wondering whether I am running out of ideas; having a small baby at home and an age old car prevents me from going on long drives and I am sick of clicking in and around my house, though it is on the outskirts! We returned home yesterday to find that the power lines have snapped and it is going to be a dark night, that too on amavasi (new moon day). The backup light was on, my kiddo had thrown down her shoes and this is the outcome of an experiment with light. Taken on 16 May 2007, an evening without electricity!

Poor souls for some display

I was on this weekend trip to Bannnerghatta National park with my daughter so that I could show her some of our brothers in the wild. We opted for a Lion & Tiger Safari to have a look at them in their natural surroundings. And I was in for a rude shock when the safari started. All they have was poor caged souls with a provision of driving through the cages. The only saving grace was that the cages were huge to the size of a few acres. And what kind of "Safari" is that? I felt so sorry and sad for these poor souls who are caged in their so called "Natural Environment". Extent to which people go to make a quick buck.

The Hosur Highway

This is the photo of the much talked about Bangalore Hosur Highway. It already is a 8 lane highway and another 4 lane to be erected as an elevated one! And did we still hear that infrastructure is crumbling in Bangalore? (The truth is yes, and this is an exception)

Summer Hue

Beautiful! Isn't it? I just don't have words to describe this beauty. Taken at 6:30 PM on 7th April 2007 using my Nikon D50

The Haunted

This isn't really a haunted house :) but our neighbour's house who has a penchant for lighting up his house in most innovative ways... One of my experiments that made this house look like a haunted one.

A hot summer evening in Bangalore

This photo was taken during late February 2007. It was very hot; very unlikely of Bangalore, and me & family was spending some time outside close to sunset. I saw this beautiful art work by the nature and I couldn't help clicking. Taking in the natural lighting using a Nikon D5o, this was a nice photo without much effort being put in

Luxury and Tradition - Hand in Hand

Luxury & Tradition - Hand in hand. This had been the motto of tourism in Kerala. Kerala is a small state on the south-west tip of the Indian Sub-continent, laid with lush greenery, lagoons and backwaters which earned the title of "God's own Country" to this state. And it happens to me my home town too...

This photo is an ancestral kerala house converted into a resort awaiting tourists near the backwaters. Taken by my nephew using a Nikon D50 during August 2006, this is one of my favourite photographs

Copy cat

This is copy cat of a much sought after picture, a candle burning in the dark. On a bored evening, when I wanted to take some new photos & was out of ideas, my cousin suggested me to try this... and bingo!!! What you see above was the result. Pretty neat one, with least effort

The Mysore Palace

The photo of Mysore palace has been taken umpteen number of times by various photographers (professional & others) and this was my turn :) I took this photo during August 2006 when our dear friends Jobin & Susha had come down to meet us and we made a trip to Mysore. Taken during a humid afternoon, the color composition & the clouds in the background made this snap a pretty good one to remember.

The current Mysore Palace – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the British architect Henry Irwin after its predecessor was destroyed in a fire in 1897 induced by lightning. The imposing building that stands today was completed in 1912, but it is believed that a Mysore Palace was established as part of a wooden fortress, by the royal family of Mysore, the Wodeyars, as early as the fourteenth century

A boat ride to the backwaters

This photo was taken during November 2006 when my family drove down to Kumarakom during the Deewali vacations. My nephew captured this beautiful photograph and it was a perfect mix of lighting & composure coupled with a perfect scenery.

The Bangalore chill wave

This is a photo of the recent chill wave (Jan 2007) which even prompted early morning flights to be redirected from here. This was taken on a Saturday morning when my daughter woke me up pretty early and we stepped out to see this amazing sight. The lamp on the gate pillars with the background of the fog was an irresistable sight.

The Mattupetti Dam (Munnar)

This photo was taken using a Samsung Fino 800 camera (Autofocus) during one of our vacations to Munnar in August 2003. It was drizzling slightly and this foggy environment caught my attention. The view of the catchment area between the trees was a gorgeous sight; I couldn't help clicking away.

The Snow Blanket

On a January morning in 2006, I woke up in the morning to see this amazing sight! The whole apartment complex was covered with snow. Though it was the sub-zero temparatures around -10 deg celcius in Minneapolis, I felt like stepping out to have a gala time. This was again taken with my Nikon D50 in the autofocus mode.

Sunset at Baga Beach

This photograph was taken during a summer evening in 2003 at the Baga beach, North Goa. We were out for a holiday and I had this Samsung Fino 800 camera with me. I was experimenting with the lighting and I discovered the fact that photos taken in natural light, sans flash were the best. This is one among the best photographs that I had taken using an auto focus camera

On a Misty Morning

This photo was taken during one of my vacations to my hometown, Nellaya. My brother took away the camera and wanted to experiment with it. Taken at around 8 AM during mid October, 2006 using the Nikon D50, I consider this as one of the best photographs ever taken with that camera.

Navy Pier, Chicago

This photo was taken during Feb 2006 using a Nikon D50 camera when I visited Chicago. The chilly evening with the empty strollers area made this a very rare sight, added to the perfect geometry by the lamp posts & the trees

Navy Pier is a large pier on Lake michigan near Streeterville, close to Chicago's downtown. Originally known as the Municipal Pier nr 2, it is one of two piers called for in Daniel Burnham's 1909 Chicago plan. The other pier was never built