Dance, by me, is one of the best and ultimate forms of self expression and it keeps you active and healthy too, besides keeping you happy. I dont dance, and with the kind of figure I have, in the interest of the public, I should stay away from the dance floor too. But, what I can do, is capture wonderful dancers mid pose and pay a tribute to them.
This post, this photo goes out to some of the best dancers I have met till date. Guys, you are amazing.
Cheers to Shaggy, Karan, Fayaadh and all the wonderful dancers 🙂 You guys rock!!
Often, in the portrait shots, I have come across amazing ladies. Some know what makes them look good, which side of face suits them, what pose suits them and so on, while, some need to be directed.
From the experience I have had so far, I can formulate the below mentioned points, which, by me, if known by either the photographer, or the model, would help make amazing portraits.
Turn to a side: Turn to a side while you are being shot. Pose in front of the mirror at your leisure. Find out which side you like, so the next time the photog asks you to pose, turn a bit, show off that amazing side profile, and voila, you have a nice photo. Also, apart from looking awesome, people generally appear slimmer on the side profile shots 😉
Look Back: Turn and look back. Imagine that you have been called from behind as you are walking away, turn back, and give that thousand watt smile. Trust me, that makes an amazing shot.
Let the shoulders play: Uneven shoulders, they work. They let the eyes follow the shoulder line and reach the most happy part of you, your face. Try it out. Droop to a side, tilt your head a bit, and look at the photos turn from fine to amazing.
Hands off: Please let your arms be away from your torso. Stretch them, rest them on your hip, play with them, or anything of your fancy. Why, you may ask, the arms look thinner when away from the torso 🙂
Use a prop: Use a prop, whatever you may find handy. Get distracted a bit and let the photog shoot you. The shots come out natural, and the curiosity shows in the photos, which in turn make you look very beautiful.
With this, my list of things I wish my models know while I shoot them comes to an end. And since you have shown the patience of reaching till here, I ll leave with a parting tip.
What’s common in the following photos?
Am sure, you have guessed it, they are all smiling, happily and not faking it. So, think of a happy thought, and flash that charming smile of yours and let the photog capture it. You are beautiful, remember that.
So, the next time we meet, you, my dear reader, know just what to do, when I say, lets shoot 🙂
This is a continuation of my trip to Darjeeling. How I reached here, and what I saw, check them here
Now, I was refreshed, and off I went walking back to the station. Now, there are two types of locos here, the Diesel one, and the heritage steam one.
The diesel trip from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back will cost you Rs 650 while the steam one, for the same distance will cost you Rs 1050. Be advised, there is pretty immense rush there, so book in advance.
Enough talk, now the photos!
In the service of the nation, since 1940
The Diesel! I wasnt too impressed by it!
Ahaa!!
Now we are talking!!
Some steam!
And…some more!!
One thing is for sure..you can never get enough of steam engines! They are simply wow!
Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, as she is fondly mentioned around. It was a summer retreat of the British, much like Shimla, Ooty, etc. and has a lot of British heritage strewn around. Two things, make Darjeeling very famous, all around the world, its Tea, fine and flavoured and the Darjeeling Hill Railway, a narrow gauge line from Siliguri to Darjeeling.
For anyone, who hasnt been here yet, and is planning a visit to this side of the country, do make Darjeeling a part of your itinerary for sure.
I ll break the complete journey into parts, and let in a bits of information as and when I see necessary, so that, for those who have been here, feel refreshed, and those who havent, should feel tempted and inspired to visit again. Hope you enjoy the journey, lets begin.
I started from Venus More at Siliguri. Shared taxis are plenty, and they charge about Rs 150 for the trip to Darjeeling. The traditional route, of Hill Cart Road, with the train line snaking along the mountain has been washed out at Tindharia, hence, the Mirik/Rohini – Pankhabari road is being taken.
The Hill Cart Road, the train line on the right here!
The train line snaking into the hills
The road via Pankhabari is one of the steepest and is filled with twisty turns and scenic views. If you are motion sick, please take the medicines before you go by this route, you ll need them.
Just one of the many hairpin turns on the road
En route Darjeeling, we come across, the major Kurseong, Sonada and Ghoom.
TV tower of Kurseong, at times visible from Siliguri too!
The road continues to snake through, and just past the Ghoom station, you ll find the famous Batasia Loop. In this loop, the train does a full round of a hill and executes an ascent or descent of a steep gradient. There is an Army memorial there. More on Ghoom on the return trip.
Another, Top-Down view!
It took almost 3 hours to reach Darjeeling, and I was famished. If you are a vegetarian, I cant give any recommendations, but if you dig meat, head straight to Keventers. Ask the traffic police, and they ll be happy to show you the way. Once there, DIG in to the English breakfast. I had sausages, ham, bacon, eggs, a couple of butter toast and a mug of hot chocolate.
Try sitting on the Open Air part!
The view from there is pretty mesmerizing. One side is the street, photos below, and the other side is the valley. The valley is generally covered in clouds, as was this day, and hence I actually didnt bother to shoot.
The Clock Tower atop the Government Building
For the ones who cant live without Pizza or Fried Chicken, theres some hope too!
Post the breakfast, I went in search of my hotel to stay. I would always recommend that you book one previously, and not be stuck with the hassles there.
Part II will be up very shortly, as soon as the photos get uploaded that is. With a struggling internet, it might mean tomorrow evening. Stay tuned. I go to the station, and shoot some locos and then I explore bit of local flora and meet up with a fluffy local fauna too.
The TPTC Blog!! 