Happy Friendship day :)

“There is nothing better than a friend”

Happy Friendship day

“Friends” ~ from the streets of Varanasi

 

Master. Prasanna

Kids, they are gifted to earth. Its always intresting to watch their expressions and activities, sometimes it even gets difficult to handle them

Recently did a shot for a family friend of mine, sharing few of them here.
Master. Prasanna, 2.8 years old from Nicobar island.
His creativity is from north pole to south pole and ofcourse a big chatterbox.

TN state Election Polling

Supermoons and elections doesnt come every fortnight.

Supermoons and elections doesnt come every fortnight.

Its the orbital mechanics that brings the moon closer to Earth than that it has been in more than 18 years, the biggest full moon occured on March 19th 2011, Saturday. It was as much as 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons.

Its wasnt visbile completely everywhere due to bad weather, But we Indians we lucky enough to enjoy the Super moon.

I tried to shot, but ended up in nothing with my 18-55 mm lens, after a couple of days got a chance to use canon 70-300 mm lens of my friend. This time I didn’t want to miss the chance but it had already melted half way.

Tamil Nadu State Election:

On April 13 2011, people of tamil nadu has the “right to vote” for a canditate of their choice. Each one has their own reason to chose a party/canditate.

What may…what go…
Do not miss the chance to exercise your franchise

Life around us!

The world is so big with diffrent characters and each character is very much unique. You may feel pity for someone, you may want to help them at time its out of our hands. Each character I came across this week end, had their own worries inside still they showed a smiling face with a warm welcome.

Its sort of happiness even when you think of an upcoming week end. wake up late, no need to work, have a good time with friends and family and regain all energy to run the coming week. I didn’t expect mush for this week end, but it turned out to be a great week end for me.

Joined a CWC photo walk after a very long time. It’s always happy moments being with Chennai Weekend Clickers right from idli vadai to clicking and the mocka jokes.. pulling each other. Though it was very hard to wake up by 4:30 am and thinking I need to ride about 30-40 km, I really wanted to go to bed again, But today i really wanted to shot with CWC cheered me up.

Our work begins for the day

Riding all alone along the GST road, pammal - kundrathur road reached poonamalle around 5:45. Was damn hungry by this time, though a tea would make me better. Spotted a tea shop and there was Ashok, MRK and Irfan {going for a walk, If you can spot a tea shop with vadai and Bonda, you can always find CWCians there }

Thanks for that OC tea Ashokji

Soon joined by Guru, Nirmal, Arun, 1more Ashok, and a new CWCian (sorry dont remember his name) and the team was eagerly awaiting the arrival of out “THALAIVAR”. Once Barani joined us and upon his order to “FIRE” we are all set with our machines. Our first spot was at a waste landed, which I later discovered there is big business going on. every where you turn, you can pick a subject of your own. A brick making place.. (athanbaa sengal sula). While talking with a worker, he said their daily work starts at 1 am in the morning, OMG.

Value your own work

Employe(r)

Dirty legs.. but clean heart

81st CWC Walk

Then next was a green spot, in middle of a cultivation farm, where we also took a group pic. then happen to me my first walk with Ashok, I asked him for a portfolio pic. he “DID”. Thanks for that too ji

Filling our stomach with hot idlis and vadi from a small shop where hardly 4-5 and sit. We were about 8-9 and the owner was really happy to server us.  The old granny at the shop was a greta model and patiently posed for me – to be uploaded soon…..Now its time for the next chapter “THE STREET”, WOW…

This place had more of houses in the old style with a cycle infront and kids playing around. one gentle man man forward and took me inside his friends house, where they do hand weaving. It was an very old house and so dark, a man was busy work under a light of big bright bulb. Tried few shot but most of them didnt come out well as it was so dark.

Busy man at work

Unfortunately my display read “Change Battery Pack”, Shame on me… had to return back home half hearted.

ARUN: stay with us till the end man.
ME: yethuku nenga click pandratha pathu na vaithu yeruchal padaaa… poyaaa poyaa…

Trust me… this walk really made my “DAY”. Though I had to retuen back half way, I was really happy with my shots and to be with my own home team Small weekend shopping with a collegue of mine and play with him new camera on the pallavaram bye-pass bridge late night. shiva took to me to a place for panipuri, never knew we do get pani puri so late night.

I was completely exhausted, and the India Vs SA worldcup cricket match

Wished to go to fishing harbour sunday morning, its a place where you find the real “Indian Street”, but had to go out with a friend. But I will be there again sometime very soon.

Few works from this week end walk:

These kids were playing near to the brick factory, they were great models for us

Joy of childhood

Unloved flower

Chennai to Chidambaram

This happened to be my first photo trip with Photologic after joining Logica.  Wow this happened to be an unforgettable trip I have been so far. This write-up is for people who thought of joining us but couldn’t make it up.

Our stylish Chevy beat starting from Guindy, early morning on Saturday, escaping city traffic and before the sun could shed its love on us.  It was a pleasant and smooth drive through the East Coast Road. Stopped in Pondy for breakfast @ Royal Restaurant, OMG one masala dosa was costlier than a large vodka J. We started again and reached the City of Dance – Chidambaram.

Though it was difficult to get a room, we managed to get a pretty decent  one at last. After refreshing and lunch, the actually adventure begins

Pichavaram is home to the second largest Mangrove forest in the world, I never knew this before J it was more than what I expected. We hired a boat, Sampath, the rower, who accompanied us was very much familiar with the botanical name of different species there, which was all greek and Latin for us. Hiring a motor boat is on not great excitement, as it doesn’t go deep inside the forest. So it’s always better to take a normal hand rowing one.  We came to know lot many movies were shot in this palce including the opening song of “Dasavatharam”. For us it was like a crocodile hunting mission which we usually see in animal planet J.  Fully covered with trees on either sides, hardly sunlight peeps inside and a small way through which only one small ferry could make it.

(Sampath, man who accompanied us and Prasanna)Friend Umanath in Action

We were back to the shore around 5 PM. We also shot few people weeding and villagers passing by. Hot bajies  and tea at a road side shop.  Very much yummy indeed

 Now back to Chidambaram, Nataraja (Shiva) temple. The uniqueness of this one is  it depicts the Lord Shiva as the Lord of the dance Bharatanatyam and is one of the few temples where Shiva is represented by an anthropomorphic murthi rather than the classic, anionic lingam. After darshan, though we were tired we took few night shot at the temple. Back to room after a simple veggie dinner near the temple.

As per plan we are leave pondy next day morning, a sudden change in  plan, thanks a tonne to google maps and Prasanna, he found there is a place nearby called “PORTO NOVO” port of Portuguese once.  We departed to Porto Novo, where a big surprise awaiting for us.

all set for the water ride

 We clicked few shots of sun rise and people around the fishing harbor. Umanath checked if we could take a ferry and go to the nearby island. Though I stopped him initially I did node my head and didn’t want to miss the adventure of riding in a boat into the sea J. Millions of thanks, Uma. U rock J. Couple of fisher man took us in their ferry, it was awesome and bit scary too. They took us bit away from the shore where few bigger fishing boats were anchored, then to a small island nearby. It was awesome. The feel was like a desert surrounded by water everywhere around.

At the island, Porto Novo

Prasanna in Action

Back to the shore after almost one and half hours, the place which was totally deserted was fully crowded by the time we came back to the shore, it was a local wholesale fish market, similar to the one at kasimedu @ Chennai. Everyone was very much hungry and all we need was only food. Stopped for an heavy breakfast in a dhaba along Chidambaram-Pondicherry highway.  We all ate so much probably our’s might have been the highest bill for him the whole day

Selvam & his friend, who drove us to the island

We still had some more energy left over for the saraku city (Pondy). Drove straight to Auroville a silent peaceful place with citizens of the world all around. Spending few hours there started our trip back to Chennai. We were much more excited on seeing a petrol pump reading petrol @ 56rs/ lit. We didn’t wana miss this bumper offer.

 Again an awesome lunch in ECR dabha, with yummy yummy fish. Stopped at muttukadu for a water scooter ride, the saddest part was we aren’t allowed to ride the scooter. Played with Umanath’s 70-300 lens while they were enjoying the scooter ride. The light was too harsh so could manage only to get a average picture of them.

@ Muttukadu

Finally our wk end came to an end at tiruvanmiyur. Overall it was an amazing extraordinary trip with team PhotoLogic.  Thank you so much team.

Only 2 in action, spot it!!

 Few of my works from the trip:

What does the world got for you!



You can't row a boat in two directions at the same time

From the pirates deck

A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season ~ Author Unknown

 

மிட்டாய் மிட்டாய் பஞ்சுமிட்டாய்

Seems like you choose your own path, but its already fixed by someone up there - Own Composition

Gangaikondan

கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம்

Shiva temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

Unlike others I never had chance to travel to home town or any villages during summer holidays. Most of my relative stayed within the city, I have hardly been out of Chennai. I wish to travel across latitude and longitudes. Recently had a chance to visit Gangaikondacholapuram, which was half an hour drive from my friend’s town, where we went for a wedding.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram,  a temple for lord Shiva built by the cholas marking marking their victory over Pala Dynasty. Rajendra Chola-I son of the Great Rajaraja-I, established this temple after his great victorious march to river Ganges on Northern India. This temple looks exactly similar to the shiva temple at Tanjore. there are many stories which revolve for the origin of this temple. We guys spoke with one of the person in charge there, he told us the entire temple is one foot less in all aspects when compared to the Tanjore temple.

To my surprise this temple was maintained so green and clean. Later we found that this is under the maintenance of UNESCO as a part of world heritage. Probably that’s the reason for it.

Nandhi* @ Gangaikondan, Nandhi is the bull which Shiva rides and the gate keeper of Shiva and Parvati in Hindu mythology.

Another version of Gangaikondan

Each face has an autobiography

  

Each face has an autobiography

I started off with street photography, there are so many who does this but for me works of these two photostreams were impressive.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/from-a2b/
http://www.dannyst.com/

My interest is more towards portrait and streets rather than landscaping. You get so many expression, “flawless expression” on along your way. 98% of people whom you come across won’t object from shooting them, they will be very much happy to see them on our display. So make it a point to share their pictures with them.

   

Tathaa, Shot @ Railway Ground Tambaram

 

In search of my lost happiness! – Shot @ Mylai Festival

 

I shall refuse to go if smoking prohibited in heaven! – Shot at Royapuram fishing harbor.

 

 

Kido, Shot @ Vaiyavur, near vedanthangal

 

Antique Little girl – Shot @ thalanguppam market

 

Poor man’s davidoff* – Shot @ Tiruneermalai

 

பேசும் கண்கள் – Her eyes gives the answer

 

Friends – (left) அழகுசாமி (right) கருபுசாமி (true names of these kids)

Every action is a thought – Shot @ East. Tambaram Depot

 

Nothing is evil according to nature – Shot @ East. Tambaram Depot

 

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional ~ Chili Davis – Shot @ East. Tambaram Depot

 

Shy – Shot @ East. Tambaram Depot

 

People – Shot @ Mylai

 

Age – Shot @ Kotturpuram

 

Smile – Shot @ Marina Beach

 

Attitude – Shot @ Vandalur Zoo