Photography – Page 7 – TRAVELOGUES AND TREASURES

We went shooting…

I don’t recall what suddenly came on to us, and four of us clambered on two bikes and made our way to a nearby coffee shop. I had my camera on me, and the other three were quite happy to be my lab rats, I mean, my wonderful models.

The day was glum, wanted to have a shot of someone brooding, retrospecting….thinking… quite like this..

We managed some though…

But what we got mostly, was pure fun.

Did I get good shots? Absolutely. Was it a fun time, hell yes! This is the advantage of shooting with friends, you can talk, laugh and fool around to your heart’s content and still get lovely photos!

This time, next year, we all would in places which are worlds apart. Each pursuing our career, chasing life goals, being happy. So, I ll take this opportunity, in my last post for 2016, to thank each one of you. You, my friends, my followers here and all my readers who have visited my site, Thank You, you are amazing!

Take care all, see you in the new year.

Cheers!!

December 31, 2016December 31, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: beanie cap, Black and white, brooding, cigarette, Coffee, Friends, girl, guys, Happy, laughter, Photo Shoot, smile Leave a comment

The ones that didn’t win – II

The minute you put a face in a photograph, you put a story to the photo. One must, maybe for just that one instance of the shutter click, relate to the face on the other side, know that person, know the story; this is my opinion while making portraits.

This old lady said shes been in business for the past 30 years and is quite happy with the income. She isn’t camera shy, just dedicated to her work. We managed to have a conversation in two different languages, she cant speak Hindi, and I, Gujarati, so the conversation was quite animated. Just out of frame is, who appeared to be her grand daughter, helping her with the rest of the vegetables. Oh yes, before I left, she gifted me a carrot 🙂
-Ahmedabad, 12/2016

This is a part of an ongoing series, posts of which can be viewed here.

Till the next story..
Cheers!!

December 10, 2016 by SenK Categories: OCOL, PhotographyTags: 50mm f1.8, ahmedabad, Carrots, Gujarat, India, Lady, Nikon D5200, OCOL, Old, theonesthatdidntwin, Vegetable Seller 2 Comments

The ones that didn’t win – I

I have, till date, taken part in quite a few photography competition. Some I have won, some I haven’t. The ones in which I won, or at least got the photos exhibited, those photos got some of the limelight that I would have wanted them to get. But what about the ones that didn’t win? When I made those photos, I made them as dearly as the ones who won, so why should they not be shared ? They ought to be.
With this thought in mind, here begins another series of photos. One photo per post. Let me know dear readers about your take on the photos.

This photo here is of a man working on the kite strings. He has been in the profession since he was 16 years old and now he’s close to 50. What do his kids do? The daughter goes to school, and the son helps him with the business – Ahmedabad, 12/2016.

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: 50mm f1.8, ahmedabad, Bokeh, kite, kite strings, maanja, man, Nikon D5200, pink, theonesthatdidntwin 2 Comments

Moments from IAPAR International Theatre Festival 2016

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women are merely players”

When Shakespeare wrote these lines as the beginning of As you like it , there is no doubt that he had a theatre stage on his mind, not the blue screen of the movies, not the elaborate sets; just the actors, their voices, their emotions and their connect to the audience.
Ask anyone who has some knowledge of acting, how do you judge a good actor…one of the points that ll invariably come up is, how they perform in front of a live audience. Every single person who has been there on the stage shall agree that between facing the camera and facing the audience, the later is incomparably difficult. There are no retakes, and there are no prompts. When you go on that stage, its all you. Sure, there ll be some lights to set the tone, some music to give a cue, but there are no visuals to distract the audience, no scope for you to get away with a mistake for the audience shall spot you for sure and the finally, the most important, you shall receive your appraisal immediately, whether its a lacklusture clap to signify that the crowd is thankful that the act has come to an end, or a standing ovation to urge you go about it once more, it is completely up to you.

So, when I got an opportunity to work with Monks in Happiness to cover the IAPAR International Theatre Festival 2016, I didnt miss a beat in accepting the offer. My job was simple. Sit right in front of the crowd, blend in and shoot.
Following, are some of the shots:

On the first day I attended, the play that I loved more than any other, Leaving Ziller Valley. A play about the struggle one faces to identify what home is. Julia Rosa Stoeckl being an exceptional artist made sure the play went right straight to the heart.

On my second day, Aditi Venkateshwaran, the head of admin, my point of contact there and an amazing danseuse, and three other wonderful ladies, performed a contemporary dance about rediscovering our own bodies.

The play that followed was an experience that shall stay with me for a long time. Confessions of a Mask by Theatre Russian Stage (Germany), was a Russian play, casting Andre Moschoi and directed by Inna Sokolova-Gordon. The play was visually stunning and for once I felt, language was no barrier at all to the understanding.

On the night of the finale, they had Tom Alter and Zia Nath performing to The Old Man At The Sea: A Whispered Fable by No License Yet (Mumbai). The retelling of the novella by Hemingway was so amazingly done that for once it didnt feel that I wasnt there on the boat with the old fisherman, watching him as he battles to turn his fortunes.

With these, the IAPAR fest 2016 came to an end and all I can say is, it was amazing. So, dear reader, the next time there is a theatre or a theatre festival in your town, please take some time out, and go watch it. Often, you shall not regret spending those 90 minutes in the play.

I ll be off on a trip to Ahmedabad shortly. Hopefully I ll be back with some shots worth sharing. Till then…

Cheers!!

December 1, 2016December 1, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Dance, IAPAR 2016, International Theatre Festival, Play, Pune, Theater, Theatre 7 Comments

The Supermoon Post

This is a late post about the most recent supermoon that the world saw. I was determined to shoot it.

So, I made my way to a nearby temple, which rests on a hill top to try shoot the moon, and the city underneath, and this is what I got.

Not exactly the way I wanted it to be. The temple, being on elevated ground, was a perfect vantage point for some nice cityscapes though 🙂

So, when a bunch of friends suggested we go the nearby Singhagadh Fort to capture the moon before it sets, I was ready in a snap.

Now, these were more like it. We were there till sunrise, and then made our way back to our daily routines.

Recently, I joined a group of amazing photogs and have covered an event of international fame. Shots from them, shall be up shortly. Stay tuned.

Cheers!!

November 26, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Baner, Cityscape, Hill, Lighttrails, Long Exposure, moon, Night, Nikon D3100, Nikon D5200, Pune, Singhagadh Fort, Supermoon, Temple 12 Comments

Light Chaos

In a train, you dont have a lot to shoot, until, you stick the camera out of the window…chaos!!

November 10, 2016 by SenK Categories: Photo Effeccts, PhotographyTags: Chaos, D5200, Green, Long Exposure, Nikon, Red, Signals, train, weekly challenge 3 Comments

LUXE – The Luxury (Mainly Auto) Expo – The Westin, Pune

Another weekend, another expo, again at Westin. This time, it was different though.
This time, I had guest invitation from one of the participating teams, OhSoGood Tech for the event. And, the event was basically an auto expo. Pune Fashion Week was also going on next door too, and I ll be honest, I found the 911 way sexier!

So, OhSoGoodTech, better known as OSGTech is a startup who have managed to make a name for themselves in the niche market of nano crystal coatings on cars and bikes and everything shiny to make sure that the shiny surface, stays shiny. They market hydrophobic and oleo-phobic surface coating which is scratch resistant too. So, if you own something that you want to be protected from the elements of nature, and want it done good, you know where to find them. I ll show you how a hydro oleo phobic surface looks like when you spray it with water.

Moving on, to the other attractions of the place. I ll let the photos do the talking….Ogle on, dear readers!!

I was thoroughly satisfied with the show. The peace of the exhibition would be disrupted by the grunts of the Mustang and the whine of the 911 GTS quite often. Once a while the Multistrada would join the fray.

I consider it a quest to expand my horizons, and this is me, taking the steps towards fulfilling the quest.

And yes, this time, if you would like to use any of the photos here, as a wallpaper, go ahead, use it. If you would want to use it commercially, or repost it, kindly let me know before you use it, the photos are copyrighted, and the copyright belongs to me \m/

Cheers!!

September 25, 2016September 25, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Aprilla, Auto Exhibition, BMW, BMW i8, Ducati, Ford Mustang, Lamborghini, LUXE Expo, Mercedes, Moto Guzzi, Nano Coatings, OhSoGoodTech, Porsche, Pune, S Class, Triumph, Vespa 1 Comment

Hi Life Exhibition – The Westin, Pune

I received a notification that some of my friends would be going to this exhibition, Hi Life, at The Westin at Koregaon Park, Pune. I was curious. Procured myself an invite, and off I went to have a look at what it was all about.

The minute you reach the exhibition floor, you realize that as far as are art and exquisite designs are concerned, this is the right place to be if you love them.

All around there were merchandises of various genres and origins, dresses from everyday wear to full bridal dresses.

Since these were pieces of art out there, some were reluctant to let me shoot, while some were extremely happy too. So, here are what I found the most fascinating.

Ishir Flameless Candles:
Amazing concept of having candles made of wax, while the flame being uniquely crafted. Have a look for yourself, trust me, this one was good 🙂

If you are interested, contact them here.

BRB Art Fusion:
They specialize in pots, brass idols, Buddhas. Quite an exquisite collection for home decor.

Either visit them at the exhibition, or reach out to Bina @ 9822033670 or check out their website.

All Things Sundar:
This was, in my opinion, the most colourful shop out there. Amazing collection of bags and awesome designs. If you go to the exhibition, make it a point to visit this shop, you ll definitely like what they have to offer.

For further correspondence of repeat orders, feel free to reach out to Miral @ 9987119394

D’oro Fashions Inc.
In the fashion world, its all about carving a niche for yourself, and they have made it, in making interesting non leather goods and fashion accessories.

You can find them readily available right here.

Glow n Glitter:
The exhibits here, were true to the name, glowing and glittering and pulling the crowd. Do have a look here.

Reach out to Aparajita Ray on her website.

While walking around, I overheard some wise soul say “Business runs on ladies’ attention” and he was right, also this place manages to grab all attention that one can spare.

To the guys out there, please take your better half to this place, she ll be happy for sure. To the girls out there, please go visit the exhibition, you ll love it, for sure.

As a parting note, the exhibition is open till 13th of September, 2016.
Happy Shopping!!

September 12, 2016September 12, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Bags, Brass, Fashion Accessories, Flameless Candles, Hi Life Exhibition, Home Decor, Idols, The Westin 2 Comments

Ganpati Bappa….Morya!!

If you were in Maharashtra, am sure you would have heard this chant in the praise of the Lord Ganesha loud and clear quite often. Add heavy bass drums and cymbals in rhythms. Colourful processions, music and dance.
This is what Ganesh Chhaturthi or Ganesh Utsav looks like in Pune

Until the next festival….

Ganpati Bappa….morya; Mangal Murti….morya!!

Cheers!!

September 9, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Celebration, Colourful, Cymbals, Drums, Ganesh Chhaturthi, Ganesh Utsav, Ganpati Bappa Morya, Maharasthra, Pune Leave a comment

TTL: Tamhini Ghat

It had been planned by the group that we must go on a trip. So, a group of about 40 photographers, varying from novices to professionals, we made our way towards Tamhini Ghat. About 60 kms out of Pune, this place is known for the lush greenery and the numerous waterfalls.

It is here, thanks to one of the members, that I got to use the Tamron 90mm macro lens for the first time, and I simply loved it. The lens is not a speedster at acquiring focus, true, but once you manage to focus it right, you are in for a treat. The following images ought to convince anyone who would be doubting whether or not to get a macro lens towards the lens.

Now, this lens can also be used for shooting the perfect frame too. Its all about how you choose to use it.

A huge thanks to the Pune Photography Lovers group for the trip. Special thanks to Medha for lending me the macro lens and to Rutuja for being my model 🙂

Till the next trip, cheers!

August 29, 2016 by SenK Categories: Photography, TravellingTags: 18-55mm, Close Up, Colourfull, Eyelashes, Frame, Nikon D3100, Pune Photography Lovers, Scenery, Slow Shutter, Tamhini Ghat, Tamron 90mm macro, Travelling, Tyre Treads, Umbrella, Waterfall, weekly challenge 5 Comments

Rare Elements of the Fauna

Albinism, is considered to be a rare phenomena, be it in human beings, or animals. Here we have, one albino tiger, and a white cat. Rare, because you don’t see a lot of them naturally occurring 🙂

Cheers!!

August 20, 2016 by SenK Categories: PhotographyTags: Albino, Banerghatta National Park, Bangalore, Cat, Pune, Rare, Shaniwarwada, Tiger, weekly challenge, White 2 Comments

A Dash of Blue

What is your idea of fun on a Sunday? Lazying around, relaxing?? I went to a trek/outing to a nearby hill, Vetal Tekdi, and look what I found there 🙂

The hill gives a nice view of the Pune city but thats not the main attraction of the location. This is….

The place is filled with peacocks. One ought to have a minimum of 400mm reach on the lens to be able to capture these beauties. I had a 55-200 on me. I must admit, the shots were difficult. Not enough light, some camera shake, and yes, a lot of cropping.
We shifted locations, and we got some more shots.