Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
Ideal Cream Parlour, Mangalore
Everyone was talking extremely positively about Ideal Ice-Cream in Mangalore - both online and when we got to town. Ideal is supposed to be the no.1 ice-cream/dessert place in Mangalore, with multiple branches set up, and FP & I managed to find one on our last day there.
Well, I didn't try everything at Ideal, so I can't judge everything there, but I did try their most famous product - the Gadbad. And believe me, the hype didn't live up to expectations.
The Gadbad involves multiple layers of plain ice-cream scoops interspersed with pieces of fruit and cream. It wasn't bad, it was just average, forgettable, but perhaps that's just me. I'm a chocolate fan, and I feel I've had better ice-cream desserts. I'm sure Mangalore has better things to offer, and the next time I'm in town, and in Ideal, I'm going to try something else, preferably with chocolate.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Photography Lessons: Composition
The first step to taking good photos is composition. These are some of the things you should do to compose your photo well.
1. Get as close as possible to your subject. Zoom in. Fill your camera frame with your subject so that all people see is your subject and context.
2. Rule of thirds. Move the subject away from the centre, unless it's a reflection.
3. Look for shapes to frame your photo into - lines, diagonals, etc.
4. Create impact by photographing your subject from unexpected angles.
5. Use side lighting as much as possible.
Wednesday, 26 January 2011
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Loneliness
Everyone gets lonely sometimes. Especially around weekends. And holiday season. When you're at home without any plans. When all your friends have their own plans. When you wish you had something interesting to do, more friends to hang out with, more people to talk to, to party with. When you wish you didn't have to go to bed so early.
This is normal. It passes. Just concentrate on your hobbies, your likes, what excites you. Do what you like to do - read books; watch movies; go to plays, concerts, performances, screenings, seminars; travel; take a walk; take photos; play a sport, games, etc. You will meet people. Talk about common interests. Stay in touch. Over time, you'll gather like minded souls to you. Don't worry about the intermittent lonesome days/nights.
While I'm on the subject, I remember one of my psychology professors back in college telling our class about depression and that even though more men than women suffer from depression, men are better able to cope with it, as society allows men more freedom to do things that might counter depression. For example, a man who's feeling down can always go out for a late night movie by himself. Not so for women as much.
Thoughts?
Thursday, 9 December 2010
The Lady and the Stranger
July 5, 2008. Toto's Garage. We're just about to leave. The 3 people at the table beside us are also leaving. 2 of them get out of their seats. The 3rd person remains seated, his head down. He seems tired, drunk, asleep, I can't tell. He's nodded off. The lady from our group decides to have some fun. With a nod to the stranger's friends, she sits down next to him, her shawl around him and her head on his shoulder. I immediately see, as if on cue, at least 5 people around me fish out their cameras to click pics. I do the same. Lot's of laughs all around. The stranger is oblivious to all this attention. He's still in dreamland. As we go out, I see the stranger's friends wake him up and tell him what's just happened.
I haven't met the lady or seen the stranger since that day. I wonder what they're doing now.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Taking Good Photos With Any Camera
19 Sep, 2009 - During a train ride, a photographer friend borrows my Powershot A570 IS and shoots the stains on the window sill in macro mode. I'm impressed with the result. Proof that a good photographer can do wonders with relatively basic equipment.
It's been said before, but I'll say it again.
1. You can take good photos with any camera.
2. You do not need an SLR to be a good photographer.
These sound like cliches, but they're true. Why then, you might ask, do professional gotographers use SLRs? Because SLRs offer benefts that Point and Shoot cameras don't . They have larger sensor sizes, and more features, and are more versatile, offering their users more options, allowing them to take better photos in adverse conditions, and better quality photos overall. But these benefits won't make much of a difference unless you know how to utilise them. The single greatest camera feature is still the photographer.
Yes, an SLR is a better buy if you're looking for superior image quality and certain other features, but If you own an SLR but can't make use of what it has to offer, you've simply wasted your money. On the other hand, you might own a simple Point and Shoot, but if you're smart enough to know how to get the most out of it, you can take excellent pictures that match and even surpass those of SRLs. It's not just about what you have but how you use it.
The point I'm trying to make is, every camera can take spectacular shots, though some offer you more options than others. But what really counts are your skills as a photographer. So go ahead and buy an SLR if you want to, but take the trouble to learn what makes a good photo, and your camera's features. Don't just end up shooting JPEGs in Auto mode without an inkling of how your shot is composed.
Thoughts?
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Why We Travel
I've always wondered why people travel. And what the whole point of travelling is.
People didn't always travel for leisure, did they? In ye olden times, most people only travelled because it was a means to get things done, for civilian work or military purposes. Travel was never an escape, it was a necessity. If anything, it was just the rich who travelled, to experience something new, a change in scenery perhaps, or an activity to kill boredom.
Maybe that was it. The only people who did travel for enjoyment, did so because it wasn't a necessity for them. Maybe when something becomes a necessity, it's no longer enjoyable? So in order to enjoy travel, you had to have the luxury of not being forced to partake in it? Reasonable?
Over time, travel spread to other sections of society. As more and more people got the means to travel i.e money, and the time away from work, travel became a popular pastime.
Still, many people don’t travel today – they're happy doing what they always do – going about their normal everyday jobs. These people, you will observe, are mostly involved in traditional occupations - farming, fishing, etc. - that involve a lot of time. Also, the people in these occupations just don't seem to want to travel. They are happy as they are, with no urge to see the outside world. Contrast this with modern professionals who might be busy, but still dream of travel.
What separates the traditionalists from the modernists? The non-travelers from the travelers? Do some people get the travel itch? Or is it peer pressure? Or something else? It's difficult to say. Maybe all people get the travel itch, to some extent, and some just suppress it, while others act on it.
But what exactly is this travel itch. What makes people travel? What motivates them? Is it the desire to see or experience new things, peer pressure, an opportunity to give yourself bragging rights? Some people travel to experience new sights, sounds and smells. I guess that's O.K. Many people travel to just take photographs. I can identify with that. But what about going that extra step, finding out about the story behind the photo? I'm talking about new wholesome experiences rather than just sights, sounds and smells. It seems few people want to do that. Travel for most is travel for the sake of change.
I think I've identified at least 3 trains of thought above - the evolution of travel, why some of us don't travel, and what travel really is.
Your thoughts are welcome.
Monday, 8 November 2010
Why there are No White People in Khandala
Recently, I was speaking with an American gentlemen who happens to be a regular traveller to Mumbai. One of the questions I asked him was why most foreign tourists to Mumbai only hang out around Colaba, when there are beautiful places to see outside the city. I assumed this was because most guidebooks aimed at foreign tourists only publicise the town bit (see Dear Lonely Planet India), which of course brought up another question - why the guidebook focus on town?
His answer was, most foreign tourists who come to India don't have much time to see the whole country. Many of them have taken leave from work to be here, giving them maybe 2/3 weeks for their trip. And then they try to fit in as many places into that time period, leaving them with maybe just 2/3 days to see Mumbai. As such, the guidebooks try to reflect this reality, giving those people interested in spending only a few days in Mumbai the relevant information they need i.e. the must-sees like Colaba, Elephanta, Haji Ali, etc.
And here I was wondering why I don't see white people in Khandala.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2010
And so we finally come to this year's KGAF, which I liked so much I visited on two separate occasions. Below are a few pics.
One of the first things I did on getting to KGAF '10 on the afternoon of day 1 was get up to the stage viewing area. They seemed to be setting up for something.
Spotted some celebrity Mumbai tweeple.
The crowd seemed interested.
We parted and I took another pick of the crowd from the stands. It was getting to be late afternoon and pretty crowded now. It seems that KGAF gets more visitors every year.
These are a few pics of the pavement around Jehangir Art Gallery, used as a storage area.
Sometimes, it's hard to tell what's art and what's garbage.
The paintings and drawings on display had their usual audience.
These are raised drawings, for the blind. Visitors were encouraged to feel them. Very interactive, I thought. So different from the normal 'no-touching' art.
Not sure what these were. Something about the environment?
More environmental messages. The props seem similar to the ones used two years ago.
On war heroes. A soldier's face made out of soldier's names. Very well done.
Frames. Read the description below.
A photography exhibition.
The black horse had some company this year.
Didn't catch the description for this one either.
KGAF tends to be a great meeting place for friends.
This was a 3D image. Check out the photographers below taking pics.
And I had to sneak in a panorama shot.
You can also see my visits to KGAF '08 and '09. Let me know if you happen to spot yourself in any of the pics in these posts. Till next time...
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2009
And continuing with my series on Kala Ghoda Arts Festivals that I haven't documented on my one and only blog, here's KGAF '09.
We (intrepid explorers/lonely bachelors that my friends and I are) had paid a visit to the zoo that morning, followed by lunch at Mondegars. And then KGAF. Being a Sunday afternoon, there weren't that many people around, even on the last day of the festival.
One of the first things we saw was an exhibit representing the balance that is constantly living in Mumbai.
I'm calling this one "Don't play with your planet".
A phoenix made out of junk - something about life thriving in garbage.
Some kind of war and peace message.
Not sure about this one. A tribute to travel and chai?
Creative clocks and home decor.
Another junk sculpture. I saw similar ones at Mathuradas Mills.
A tribute to our cycle usage.
The pavements had their usual painting exhibitions/sales.
This art furniture was cool.
And so were these religious artworks.
On sound pollution in the city.
I couldn't tell what this one was. The card below explained it.
This was an interesting one - a message on sustainable living. Unlike the baby scorpions feeding off and killing their mother, we're shouldn't be destroying the city we live in by over exploiting it.
A few ones on reducing waste.
A portrayal of how we try to survive in the city, struggling constantly.
I left towards evening as the crowds swelled. It got a bit windy, and a gust blew over this festival map. No one cared. That said a lot about Mumbai, turning this into an unintentional social exhibit of it's own.
KGAF 2010 will be coming up shortly. Click here to see a summary of my visit to KGAF 2008.
