tulli

meet tulli... my daughter nanda's favorite cartoon character on TV.
tulli is an adventurous snail, who tries to figure out where she has landed everytime. but because of her small size she doesn't get the "big picture" straight up and would see a small part of an object and takes it for something else.

and there is voice that keeps asking questions to tulli to help her discern the situation.

finally after attempting for 2 minutes (duration of her slot), tulli figures out what she has landed on.

good plot eh?

wish i had a similar voice...

or for that matter, wish i was as innocent as tulli or my daughter!

the lamp...

the "vilakku", the traditional lamp, of kerala is a key part of traditional life in kerala. hindu families (well most of them) light it every day. as dusk settles in, one can see young girls after their evening bath, sitting in front of vilakku in their evening prayer.

they come in all kind of sizes and fixing details. "nila-vilakku" - the one that is kept on the floor; "thookku-vilakku" the one that is hung' "kuthu-vilakku" - the one that can be carried etc.

the artforms of kerala like kathakali, mohiniyattam etc are traditionally performed at dusk in front of huge "nilavilakku"s called "aatta vilakku"

naming ceremonies, marriages, deaths... the vilakku is a part of all.

aperture

same frame. 2 settings
first one with a wide open aperture-f/4
second one with a small aperture-f/22
adjust shutter speeds to expose properly, and see how the first one is throwing the background out of focus. this is the approach for potrait photography.
for taking landscapes, where you want the entore picture to be sharp, take the second setting (depending on light of course).

good start would be to use "Av" aperture priority auto exposure mode to get going.

happy shooting.

this is written primarily for my friends who have done a bit of photography and are thinking on learning/improving specific things.
ramesh, vaishnav et.al.

independence

he is not dependent on anyone to commute.

part of the city traffic completely at ease with it and zipping faster than many...

the net

net: fibres woven in a grid like structure(wiki-says)
ptenisnet: as the egyptian in "asterix-the legionary" says...


technically speaking, this was an exercise on the effect of aperture/ depth of field and focus points.

but he picture came out well.

the net, the silent participant in a game-the one that defines boundaries-your court:my court-puts the thresholds in perspective-hit above the net to have a valid chance at a point-impersonal-impartial-just doing its job.

arguments also should have nets... especially in relationships!

freeze action

no description, just pictures

here is one person i admire! he sings exceptionally well of course!

but i admire him for having the courage and determination to follow his dream.











jagan george - mate from college, singer par excellence, ferocious friend and now part of a up and coming band called evergreen.










these are some snaps from their performance at the hard rock cafe @ bangalore.
pls support them @ http://evergreenrocks.com/

the eye

good photographs are the result of a good eye!
i smile when people ask me what camera i use. which is a EOS300D incidentally.

it is like asking a chef what pan he uses... it is the combination of the choice of dish, the ingredients, the masalas, herbs and the judicious use of all these including the fire that makes a great dish.

same with a great picture!

the death of a butterfly

this butterfly was in front of my door today. i saw him when i came out to collect my newspaper. i took omy camera and got some pictures.
but when i came out to go to office later, i found him dead! how long does a butterfly live?

from nagarhole

a winding jungle road on a rainy day







the giant malabar squireel... quite naughty chap









the spotted deer



a really exotic spider






Rains in the forest is a wonderful experience... you get these wonderful aroma of the soil.. the nature.. the vegetation. and if you can catch the first rains nothing like it...

gypsy

"the gypsy" is one of the best vehicles ever to run on indian roads!
or OFF it!!!

night@marina beach

marina beach is chennai's pride. folks throng decked out in their sunday best, all day long. (yes, in saree and jasmine he he)
evenings @ marina are full of activity and life!




vendors selling pakodas - really tasty chilly pakodas;














ice cream sellers;






horse ride;





and of course the couple at the"neck" of the woods!

this boy was selling light strobes and hanging balls of light... all LCD & recycled plastics. but to the question if he goes to school, the reply is no!

for an observer there is never a dull moment.
but somehow the sea has never been the same after the tsunami...

mom & baby

mothers and babies share a special world where the rest can't enter fully. especially the initial years during which the baby is completely dependant on it's mom. and i am told by most of my "mother" friends that they are reborn with the baby! true?

un adultrated joy

 

sheer joy of seeing a calf on a countryside. poor kid lives in a city apartment.

coconut tree

"coconut tree" - cocus nucifera, is the most pervading and unifying aspect of life in kerala. the name itself means "land of coconut palms".Marco Polo called it nux indica and Vasco-Da-Gama chirstianed it Coco, after its brown hairy surface reminded him of a witch called coco. Britons obliged by adding "nut" and there was coconut.
the economy of kerala is largely supported by cocunut and its derivatives - coconut oil, coir, kopra etc. the poor of the land use the palm leaves for thatching their huts.
many governments have had sleepless times owing to fluctuations in coconut prices and smelled pretty bad after coming out of 'palm-oil' imports...
any way no denying how much this simple member from the plant kingdom influences daily life of kerala...

courtesy indian railways

 
somewhere after alleppy railway station, early morning. the route from ernakulam-alleppy-kollam offers a glimpse into lagoons & backwaters of kerala

jesus

 
was travelling to kochi from bangalore one day. after about 1 hour from bangalore, there are these rocky hills. someone had painted a jesus on a rock. sun was setting, light was low and i had about 10 seconds after i spotted to click from the moving train. the experience was surreal and some of it translated to the picture too.