Night Vision

Experimenting at night was awesome- never really knew that photography at night could be so much fun.

And for the record, no flashes have been used for any of these pics.

We were loitering around on the streets of J.M road, and managed to get some real cool shots.

People waiting for a bus-patiently- Man- Pune really lacks in a good mode of public transport.

The white blob of light , right in the middle of the pic, is a moving car. I love the feel of this pic.

Again, the red streaks- a bike whizzing past leaving a trail of red- gives a surreal effect....

More vehicles, zooming off and providing me with some great photo ops.

Learning my alphabets once again-street lights,vehicular lights and Mirror images makes alphabets so much fun.

As we moved further, we saw a Mela/ Fun Fair below the 2 wheeler bridge, near the river bed. 

 Managed to get a few shots from an elevated position, giving me freedom to click without people getting conscious about it.

Check out these next series of photos. i managed to get them in different throes of motion.

I especially love the last pic.

The rest of the pics are me getting psychedelic- Going crazy with lights- the street lights, vehicle lights, the fair lights- I finally have a canvas where I can let loose :)

So, these are some of the pics I could manage that evening- I have tons more of them- will post them eventually in due time.

Empress Garden

Empress Garden, situated bang in the middle of Pune, is a treasure hove of exotic plants and flowers, hordes of trees, and a haven for the privacy deprived "love birds" of Pune.
In order to avoid crowds, I set off one early morning- I was there at 6.30 am, which is inhuman for me on a SUNDAY morning.
Amongst the regulars of Joggers, power walkers and gossiping ladies, I was busy trying to get some pics using the combination of early morning lighting, beautiful surroundings and  the prefect subjects.
Its awesome how I have been there earlier on numerous occassions, but have never been able to appreciate it as I could that morning.
What wonders a camera in hand can do- other than opening your eyes to a different picture for similar situations, it also adds to unwanted attention- like an oversized, trying to get in shape homosapien, with his mobile blaring music screwing up the serene surroundings and asking me : "photoing birds?" - hinglish at its best.
Other than that, it was a great few hours spent there- I should definitely visit Empress Garden again,because the rains will add a totally different hue to it.
And not to forget- they have a great play area for kids too.....

Ouch

I just love the look of thorns against the natural landscapes.  A stark reminder that everything's not as smooth as it seems.

In fact, I am always on the lookout for some good shots for thorns, cactus etc cause I personally feel that it enhances the composition of shots, especially in the right lighting conditions.

These are various shots taken at different places, at different times of the day. Enjoy 

Brick Kiln

While passing down the road, on the outskirts of Pune, we saw this Brick kiln, with people hard at work there.
In fact, it gave the impression that they were probably working way before the break of dawn.
Not the most interesting or intriguing subject at first glance.... but I wasn't dissapointed.
The innocence of the Children or the toiling of the labourers or even the designs formed by the bricks, they all made it worth it.
As a friend pointed out, we may stop seeing the usage of bricks in the next 20- 25 years in Construction, especially in Urban India, leading to non- existence of most of these small Kilns in the future.

The right lighting and the right backdrop can do wonders to this simple looking dagger. I had bought this from Yemen, where these daggers are a sign of masculinity, and you would seldom find a male without one. Violence,  Poverty , Lack of basic amenities can all be excused in Yemen- but a man without a dagger is Blasphemy  Am glad got a chance to present it in a more complimentary manner.

The start of a new journey

Well, its been 10 days since I got hold of the camera and started learning its nuances- And am amazed with all that I could do with it.
Still learning the ropes- still an amateur- still struggling with the Aperture, Shutter Speed, White balance, Depth etc etc etc ....but its been fun. And credit does go to Jay- who has helped me cope with all of that.
This was one of the shots of I shot on the 1st day. A barren hill with a lot of brown owing to the harsh summers- the colour red was a great respite to the eyes.