The old shoe box

A Pretty Pair

2011-08-29T21:48:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/3.5, 1/320s, ISO 200

Flower shots are too popular, common to the point of being mocked in the photography community. But, every once in a while one gives in to the temptation. Here is me indulging in a photographic sin :)

School Kids on Republic Day

2011-02-06T12:28:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/1600s, ISO 200

Portraits are not my forte, but I like this one. I wish I had framed this one a little to the left. The little girl was too shy and her friend was holding her face up so that I could take a photo. I love the expression on her face.

The Great Himalayan Barrier

2011-01-15T15:36:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/5.6, 1/40s, ISO 400

This was the first snow of the season. It was quite a sight - the mighty Himalayas holding the clouds back.

Sheep Grazing at Khajjiar

2010-10-12T11:26:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@34mm, f/8, 1/160s, ISO 400

Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh, India - What is supposed to be a 'Little Switzerland' looks depressingly filthier every time I visit that place. It is hard to blame the local population for trying to make a living off the popular tourist spot, but the place has been reduced to a dust bin full of horse-shit, broken beer bottles, and trash of all sorts.

Imminent Rain

2010-05-17T20:58:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/500s, ISO 200

The weather just went mad for an hour here in Bangalore yesterday evening. I stepped out on to the terrace to get some fresh air and the clouds looked as if they were literally boiling. I had never seen such rapid activity in rain clouds before. And then it started pouring like crazy; it was almost like a rainstorm. The power went out and we had to have dinner in the dark lit only by our cellphones.

Today morning's news-paper reports that about sixty trees were uprooted by the storm in Bangalore. Well, it seems the trees are not very strong out here.

Brick Wall & Windows

2010-04-26T19:44:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/8, 1/15s, ISO 200

Taken somewhere near Broadway/Vassar St. in Cambridge.

Looking out the Car Window

2010-04-18T17:16:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@55mm, f/8, 1/640s, ISO 200

While in Provo, we went to Park City three times the same week. Someone or the other from among us had to shop. Park City has a nice Nike factory outlet, we got some good discounts there. This one is from one of those trips.

Salt Lake City from The Gateway Mall

2010-04-17T09:27:00.002+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/8, 1/500s, ISO 400

Salt Lake city, Utah. That where I spent my first week in the US. Its a beautiful little city. Wide roads, little traffic, few people, clean air ... it was all good; loved the place.

Cars

2010-04-15T20:07:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/13s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/400s, ISO 200

Saw these cars on the way to Park City. Park City, by the way, is a really nice little place. I had the opportunity to visit Thomas D. Mangelsen's photo-gallery there. What an amazing artist he is! Each one of the photos on display there was amazing. When I first entered the gallery I thought the photos must have been taken by multiple photographers as each one of them was one in a million. Later a lady at the gallery told us that all of it was the work of one artist. I was amazed, it was unbelievable. The quality of the photographs and the huge prints were out of this world. It was a truly inspiring experience.

Walking City, Boston

2010-04-13T19:48:00.002+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@34mm, f/4.5, 1/10s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/9, 1/200s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/9, 1/125s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@26mm, f/4, 1/400s, ISO 200

The best part about Boston is that its a great place to walk around. With nothing to do that evening I just went out for a long walk and and took a lot of pictures. Here are a few shots from that walk.

Boston

2010-04-12T18:29:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/13s, ISO 400

This was a tough photograph to take without a tripod. It took quite a few attempts before I got an acceptably sharp and well composed image. I have been delaying purchasing a tripod for a long time now, but its a big expenditure. I could either buy a new lens or a Gitzo tripod with a RRS ball head. Its a tough decision to make :(

Novell Brainshare 2010, Biker Bash

2010-04-11T19:10:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/15s, ISO 800

Brainshare 2010 was fun. There was a party almost every evening. This one is from the Biker Bash.

How Many?

2010-04-10T19:59:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/40s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/50s, ISO 400

Well, there are 21000 of these at the New Latter-Day Saints Conference Center in Salt Lake City. The sheer size of the hall is awe-inspiring. It might as well be the largest indoor seating capacity in the world, but I'm not sure about that.

SLC Sunset

2010-04-09T21:32:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/10, 1/125s, ISO 400

I love watching the colours at sunset.

Sounds of Silence

2010-04-06T19:03:00.002+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/10, 1/320s, ISO 200

The clear waters, the chilled wind, the deep blue skies ... ahh ... thats what I love about the mountains.

Provo Canyon

2010-04-05T21:31:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/8, 1/500s, ISO 200

What a trip it was! I loved the clean air, extreme visibility, and the natural beauty of the wide open spaces in Utah. I wish I had enough time to visit the Grand Canyon National Park, but this place was no less impressive.

Constructing The Bangalore Metro

2010-03-07T20:39:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/10, 1/200s, ISO 200

The M G Road in Bangalore has been abuzz with construction activity for quite sometime. The traffic situation is quite bad around that area because of all the construction work. I hope that we are putting up with this for the better. The "Namma Metro" project is supposed to alleviate the worsening traffic volumes on the Bangalore roads by providing a fast and easily accessible public transport service.

Coffee, Chocolate & Cream

2010-02-22T22:04:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/13s, ISO 400

This is an old one. I have been very busy for the last two months and will be so till April. I am really dying to go someplace new and shoot.

Bangalore at night

2010-01-24T19:47:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/3s, ISO 400

Taken at the Bagmane Tech. Park in Bangalore.

Minolta Hi Matic - G2

2010-01-18T19:14:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/2s, ISO 200

This is where it all started, with my father's old Minolta :) I remember that once we were on vacation and our house got burgled. The first thing my father said upon hearing the news was, "I hope they didn't steal my camera". Now that I think over it, thats exactly what I would say if it were ever to happen to me (I hope it never does) :D

Choices Galore

2010-01-05T22:12:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/640s, ISO 200

I shot this one in one of the shops on the Commercial Street in Bangalore.

The Solitary Lamp

2010-01-03T00:11:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/1000s, ISO 200

Here it is, my first shot for 2010, Hurray! Excitement aside, my wife asked me, "Why do you like this photo? There are lines running all over this photo...". I don't know why, but, I do like it for some reason ... maybe its the chaos of random lines, or the orange glow of the Argon lamp ... something makes it work for me :)

Tippassandra Market

2009-12-12T18:54:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/80s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/40s, ISO 400

Another set of photos from the "ever-busy" and colourful Tippassandra market :)

Well, this post is a special one ... its the 50th post in my "100 shots/365 days" project, Yippee! I am on the right track it seems, I have about 6 months left till June and I am half-way through already. So, its time for some reflection. What have I learnt in the last six months?

As for learning, I think I have learnt quite a lot. When I started out I found it very hard to pick up my camera and shoot in crowded places. It took me quite a while before I could get comfortable holding a camera with people staring at me. Yeah, people stare, especially if you are holding a DSLR, and it used to freak me out like anything. But, the more I went out there, the more comfortable I got with the whole thing.

The most I learnt was with my 50mm. I had read a lot about people having re-discovered photography after using this gem of a lens. I totally agree. This lens forces you to move around your subject, it forces you to try new perspectives, it makes you think about framing, basically it helps you improve your technique.

So, heres hoping for a great six months of photography ahead. Happy shooting everyone :)

Vegetable Market in The Evening

2009-12-06T19:51:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/80s, ISO 400

I just pulled my camera bag out of the closet today, to my horror there was fungus all over it!! I hadn't used my camera in weeks. It never struck me that the weather here in Bangalore has been quite humid lately. Luckily no damage was done to the camera or my beloved 50mm. I always keep a small packet of silica gel in my camera bag to keep it dry, I think thats what saved my camera and lens.

Well, on the bright side the incident did prompt me to take my camera out. So out I went to the ever-busy Tippassandra market for a little stroll. I always wanted to shoot the vegetable market in the evening - it is so colorful and abuzz with activity. I took a few shots. I think this one turned out nice.

Chamba Township

2009-11-27T19:04:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/8, 1/640s, ISO 200

Many a folk song has been written about the beauty of Chamba and its famous "chaugaan" (meadow). Well, the little town is beautiful. The "chaugaan" is partially visible at the left edge of this photo. Its a place worth visiting.

Little Leaves

2009-11-17T19:44:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/100s, ISO 200

This is the last photograph from my Himachal Collection '09. Though it wasn't a photography trip as such, I still managed to get a few good photos. Family outings and photography don't really gel, as any experienced photographer would confirm, either you get on their nerves or they keep getting on yours :D What really upsets family members travelling with you is that you seem to be shooting everything other than their faces and that you keep pausing every half an hour or so to take pictures along the way.

Sunset under the banyan tree

2009-11-16T21:09:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/4000s, ISO 200

I am about to run out of images from my trip back home to Himachal Pradesh, which means I'll have to start shooting soon. I haven't touched my camera in two weeks, it might take some doing to go out there this time. I have been quite busy lately, playing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves :P, what an awesome game it is. The multi-player alone is worth buying the game and I have no words to describe how insanely awesome the single player is.

Suspension Bridge

2009-11-14T13:32:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/80s, ISO 400

There were quite a few suspension bridges like this one on the way from Chamba to Bharmour. This one was about 50 mt below the edge of the cliff where I was standing; the bridge itself was another 30-40 mt above the river. What was really amazing was that people were driving in cars over such bridges!!

Wood Carvings at Chaurasi Temples, Bharmour

2009-11-13T19:52:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/80s, ISO 200

Chaurasi Temples are group of shrines, built around 9th century, at heart of the beautiful town of Bharmour. The wood carvings were really amazing in some of the shrines. Read more about it here.

Hanging by a Thread

2009-11-12T20:19:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/1600s, ISO 200

Found this in my mom's garden :)

Terrace Farms

2009-11-07T12:44:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/10, 1/125s, ISO 200

I just love the patterns in this one.

Colourful Bharmour

2009-11-05T21:34:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/8, 1/400s, ISO 200

Bharmour, what a beautiful place. I believe its second only to Manali in Himachal Pradesh as far as natural beauty is concerned. Its the bad connectivity and lack of infrastructure that prevent it from being a popular tourist spot. I have heard the place looks its best in May-June. I hope I get a chance to visit Bharmour around that time.

Windows to the Soul

2009-11-04T20:11:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/250s, ISO 200

This is Shivang, a distant cousin of mine. He loves to play, get dirty and have his photographs taken :-). He was standing behind a barbed wire fence when I took this photo, which is why there's a blurry line running across the shot.

Go Bananas

2009-11-02T19:28:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/160s, ISO 200

Well, that's how bananas grow :)

Come Look!

2009-11-01T22:12:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/2500s, ISO 200

I went to Naddi (Dharamsala, India) after a long, long time. There were two guys with their telescopes set up there. They showed us some interesting caves and waterfalls, not visible to the naked eye normally, in the Himalayas right ahead - all for ten rupees per person.

The Beach

2009-10-07T18:50:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/8, 1/200s, ISO 200

This one was taken at the beach close to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in Puducherry.

Over the Fence

2009-10-04T19:02:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/800s, ISO 400

I took my camera out after almost a week. I had been relying on the photos I took during my trip to Puducherry to keep my blog updated. Well, this photo was taken close to my house. Right across this fence is a railway track, which I believe could be an interesting subject early in the morning. The only problem is the track runs along north-south and not east-west, which would have been a more interesting setting for sunrise/sunset photos.

Lakshmi, The Temple Elephant

2009-09-29T21:20:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/500s, ISO 200

This photo was shot at a temple near the Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry. People offered money to the elephant, it took the money and then gently tapped the person offering the money on the head with its trunk. I wanted to get closer but maybe watching too many videos of animals suddenly going crazy in a crowd made me just keep my distance.

Sun on the Roof

2009-09-28T09:20:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/8, 1/800s, ISO 200

Taken near the Auroville beach.

Leaves, what else?

2009-09-27T17:38:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200

This was taken on the way to the Auroville beach. It was a dirty smelly beach with strange black sands and we went there at noon, it was horrible, just horrible. Paradise beach and the rocky beach are much better even more so in the evening.

Talk to the Claw

2009-09-25T20:04:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/200s, ISO 200

This little guy was sitting pretty on a chair at the Paradise Beach in Puducherry. It kept moving around but seemed to stop and pose whenever I pointed the camera at it. It was quite funny watching it move and then suddenly pose following my every move with its tentacle eyes, here it seems to be giving me the claw :D

All in a Row

2009-09-24T19:06:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/3200s, ISO 200

Taken near the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.

Grass, well not 'that' grass

2009-09-23T19:29:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2, 1/4000s, ISO 200

Shot at Auroville, Pondicherry. It is a very peaceful place.

Puducherry Police Band

2009-09-22T19:50:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/125s, ISO 400

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/100s, ISO 400

We were just strolling near Mahatma Gandhi memorial when suddenly a bus full of policemen stopped there. They got down with chairs, trumpets, drums and all their other stuff. People started to gather and I could sense some nervousness among the younger policemen who were smiling shyly before their performance. Then the serious looking band master got everyone to order and started swinging his wand. They played few old Bollywood tunes. It was so much fun, spectators cheered, clapped and took photographs.

I believe that location and moment have a LOT to do with what photos you get. These photographs are an example of that. I was lucky to be there at the right moment.

Crow on an Anchor

2009-09-21T13:14:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/4000s, ISO 200

Helloooo...everyone! I am Back...from Puducherry that is. What a lovely place, just beautiful. The weather was a bit humid and hot, but since I have been spoilt by the wonderful weather back here in Bangalore, I found it a bit uneasy to travel there during the day. The biggest mistake I made...I went to paradise beach at noon. The heat just took the fun away from visiting that place. Another miss was not packing any shorts, hat or a pair of crocs; jeans and running shoes are just not meant for the beach.

Despite all of the above, I loved the place. I got quite a few good photos there and overall I am glad I took the trip. The most amazing part was that I shot all my photos with the 50mm, the 18-55mm never came out of the bag! I kept feeling the need to go longer, not wider. Another interesting observation I made is that I tend to compose vertically more than horizontally, which I believe is a sign of the evolution of my style.

Stay tuned for more photos from Puducherry :)

Good Times

2009-09-13T23:17:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

I am back, though temporarily, from my photographers' rut. I couldn't shoot much last week and whatever I shot wasn't satisfactory. This weekend was photographically dry too. Well, here is a collage from today's meet up with my old friends Arpan and Tushant. We later got together at my place and Tushant had fun showing off his skills at "Rag-doll Kung-Fu", he beat us all :D It was fun, and basically a day well spent :)

I have been shooting all around my place here in Tippassandra. Though I am not even close to exhausting all the possibilities here, I seem to be shooting the same stuff and my photos have started to look repetitive. I think a trip out of town might help me break this repetitive chain. Hopefully I'll photograph something different or try something new out, the coming weekend, so stay tuned. Till then, so long and happy shooting everyone!

Wood, Nuts & Bolts

2009-09-06T18:31:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/2.8, 1/100s, ISO 200

Did not go out anywhere this weekend and didn't shoot much either. Here's photo from today's evening walk. I don't know if you can make out from this perspective but it is a large spool of telephonic cable.

Flowers

2009-09-01T19:51:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/800s, ISO 200

Good old flower shots!

Creamy Green

2009-08-31T20:06:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/60s, ISO 200

I love to shoot wide open, even-though my 50mm is not as sharp at 1.4 and focussing gets messed up at f/1.4 sometimes. I just love this lens. The only regret I have is why did I not buy it any sooner. Stay tuned for the next flower shot of the week. Till then, happy shooting everyone!

Colorful Leaves

2009-08-30T19:31:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/80s, ISO 400

This is the first entry in the obligatory-garden-flora-shots series, which, incidentally, shall be the theme for the photos this week. This one was shot in small park right next to my place.

Chocolates

2009-08-29T19:35:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/80s, ISO 400

This was my first assignment as a photographer. It was for Diya Foundation, an NGO in Bangalore, which trains physically challenged people to prepare and pack chocolates, candles and make paper bags for gifts. It was great to be there, a day well spent :)

I just took my 50mm f/1.4 along. It turned out to be good decision, as I don't have a tripod and speedlights yet, getting sharp photos without this lens would have been impossible. The rooms where I shot were generally dark and I had to crank up the ISO. The on camera flash gives very unflattering results, therefore I just avoided using it. An off camera flash would have been wonderful though. I think its time to finally add a good tripod to my kit ... I really felt the need for one today. Another thing I noticed was that 50mm feels a bit too long on my DX cropped sensor D40 for indoor shots; a fast 35mm would have been just right. Well here's another excuse to move to the D700 for its FF goodness :P 50mm would give the same FOV on the D700 as 35mm gives on a DX body.

Street Food: Samosa/Tikki

2009-08-25T19:44:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/50s, ISO 200

Taken at "Kanti's" on the Tipassandra road ... Boy, I'm feeling so hungry!

Pick 'n' Choose

2009-08-24T18:48:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/60s, ISO 200

Taken last weekend from outside a shop in Tipassandra. The choices at the shop were just mind boggling and this is just a small sample what the whole collection was :).

I have been having some trouble leveling my hand-held shots lately. Getting the orientation right is even more important for photos like this where there are horizontal/vertical lines. I think grid-lines in the viewfinder would have helped a lot here, all the more reason for upgrading to a spanking new D700 with its configurable in-viewfinder grid-lines and the electronic level indicator :P Gosh, if only I had the money :D

Is there a tomorrow?

2009-08-23T19:31:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/60s, ISO 200

Is there a future, really, when all you can think about is how to fix the next scraps of food?
Found this little guy in the "ever busy" Tipassandra Market. He was with his brother, who was selling balloons. This photograph is kind of a milestone for me. It was the first time I could muster up enough courage to ask someone if I could take his picture, this guy didn't seem to mind.

Clinging to the Fence

2009-08-22T20:28:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/640s, ISO 200

What a day! After shooting some fifty-odd photos, not even one turned out the way I wanted. But that's how photography is. Some days are good some bad and some even worse. This was the only one which looked a bit ok to post. I will try again tomorrow. I hope it turns out to be one of the good days.

Pots, and pots

2009-08-18T20:49:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/250s, ISO 200

This is the third and last photograph for this week. Took this one last Sunday on 80ft road in Indiranagar.

The 50mm has got me shooting a bit differently than before, most of the times for the better. I am still getting used to not having the convenience of a zoom lens. But I somehow like moving around the subject taking shots from different perspectives. I seem to be experimenting more than before and that is great. I am now eagerly waiting for the next opportunity to go out and take pictures.

Trampled

2009-08-17T19:12:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/1250s, ISO 200

This is my version of the isolate-the-subject-using-thin-DOF shot. It might seem like a simple photograph, but, actually it is a little tricky. I really felt limited by just one focus point in the centre that my D40 has. I would have loved to try an off-centre, towards the bottom left, composition for the flower in focus. The thing is that f/1.4 is very unforgiving for slight focal plane changes during a focus-and-recompose, as explained here, therefore I couldn't use it and had to settle for the centred composition.

Another point to note is that I had to place the camera quite low. The smaller the angle camera makes with the ground the more isolated the subject seems to get. That's because the focal plane is close to perpendicular to the ground providing maximum isolation.

Along the streets of Bangalore

2009-08-16T19:03:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/4, 1/100s, ISO 200

This torn-up place was right opposite to a very posh building. I think such a scene could exist in few other places than India.

Capsicum cart

2009-08-15T10:45:00.003+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.8, 1/3200s, ISO 200

I am back to shooting things around the house...something that I hate. However, I think this shot came out not so bad.

Roadside footware

2009-08-13T19:38:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/100s, ISO 400

They sell for Rs. 100 a pair on the roadsides in Bangalore :)

Brigade Road in the evening

2009-08-11T20:14:00.008+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/800s, ISO 400

Took this one at Brigade Road on Sunday. Nothing out of the ordinary, it was just a test for bokeh, which I believe turned out quite good in this picture.

I have realised I need a lot of practice with this lens (50mm f/1.4). Even though it auto-focuses, I find focusing really tough with the razor-thin DOF of this lens at f/1.4.

My D40 has just three auto-focus points, which mandates the use of focus-and-recompose technique. Now that's where things go wrong. I rarely get a well focused shot after I recompose because the distance between the subject and the camera changes by a bit, which is enough to throw the subject out of focus.

Another issue is that each auto-focus point covers a fair amount of area and its very hard to predict where the camera would focus within that area. I, now, have to keep things in mind which I never even though of before while shooting. I think it is all good learning and will help me consider things in greater detail as a photographer. I am slowly getting the hang of it, but for now it'll be practice, practice, practice.

Kid again!

2009-08-10T23:17:00.008+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/80s, ISO 800

I know I know the face is out of focus in this photo. I just had a moment to click this photo before an attendant at the arcade came rushing and asked Chirag to get off that merry-go-round - it was only for kids under 4 years, unfortunately ;)

My D40 somehow focused on the pole just in front, but I still love this shot.

Monsoon in Bangalore

2009-08-09T21:08:00.004+05:30

Nikon D40, AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G@ f/1.4, 1/40s, ISO 400

Bought my first prime lens today ... yippee! Its the AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G ... I Love it so far. I know I have broken my 'Daily shot' rhythm, I hope this new lens gives me a reason to go out there and shoot some new stuff :)

This photograph was taken on my way back home after I bought my new toy.

Roasted Corn

2009-07-27T20:45:00.008+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/4.5, 1/30s, ISO 1600

I took this shot yesterday evening while walking through the ever-busy Tippasandra market with my wife. This guy kept fanning the burning coal while I kept shooting. I really wish I had a faster lens, it would have isolated the subject at a wide aperture and I would not have had to shoot at ISO 1600 (which is why there's all that noise in this shot)

P.S. - Its only after I looked at this photo for sometime that I realised that YELLOW might just be Bangalore's favourite colour...lol... no matter where you look you'll find some yellow :D

Up, up and awaaaaaay....

2009-07-26T16:09:00.008+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@55mm, f/11, 1/800s, ISO 400

Well, this was Tweety's maiden flight... After about fifty attempts and numerous crash landings I could get a shot which was well focused :-)

At first I tried shooting in the AF-C (continuous focus) mode, but my D40 just couldn't keep up with Tweety. Finally I had to use a manual pre-set approximate focus and rest was hit and trial.

Goooooo....kart

2009-07-25T19:18:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@55mm, f/16, 1/40s, ISO 200

I went out for go-karting for the first time today. An old college friend was visiting Bangalore this weekend. We had a good time, even though I was the slowest one on the track...

I find it really hard to take photographs during the daytime between 10 AM and 4 PM. Sunlight is harsh and just kills the contrast. Photos just look like plain crap. Has anybody had any experience shooting good photos around the time I mentioned?...if so please leave some tips about how and what to shoot during the "photographically-boring" hours, it'll be a great help :-)

Bangalore overcast

2009-07-22T19:04:00.007+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 200

This is an old photograph. Finally the skies have opened up in Bangalore. Today we got some sunlight after about three weeks of cloudy gloom. I hope it stays that way for a while. Even with all the dark clouds around it wasn't raining anyway.

Death

2009-07-21T21:34:00.007+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/3.5, 1/400s, ISO 200

Forgot to water it for a few days. It died :-(

Money for distance

2009-07-20T20:00:00.008+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@55mm, f/5.6, 1/60s, ISO 800

I had hoped that it would not come so soon (it has only been three days for goodness sake!), but the realisation has dawned upon me that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to shoot everyday. Shooting on a weekday would require me to carry my camera to work, though possible but not a bright idea and if I am to walk alone on my way back home in the evening quiet unsafe at that. The Nikon neck strap doesn't help at all there...the bright yellow lettering shouting "NIKON" might impress a few ladies but it sure will impress some random thief waiting to mug someone. So that leaves me the option to only shoot inside and around the house on weekdays which gets quite frustrating after a few self-portraits and shooting a few random things in the house food, movie & game disc collection, dustbins, and the toilet seat included.

I have decided to go a bit easy on myself and shoot on weekends. I'll be posting the photos shot all through the week. With that I shall close and ... Happy shooting everyone! :-)

P.S. - I Just figured a way to fix that nikon neck strap. Out comes the black permanent marker and off go the yellow letters. I might even go further and put black insulation tape on all the labels on my camera.

Railway tracks

2009-07-19T14:38:00.006+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/4.5, 1/25s, ISO 200

Didn't go out to shoot today. This one is from yesterday's shoot. Tried to get the symmetry right in this one. The colour version of this shot just wasn't working for me, I think the monochrome treatment looks good.

Lakeside

2009-07-18T21:34:00.009+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@18mm, f/11, 1/50s, ISO 200

This one is from the building complex where I work. My office slightly visible right between the two buildings in the front.
It has been overcast with dark clouds here in Bangalore for over two weeks. Pleasant weather, but really boring for photography. This one is the best I could manage today.

Tried shooting RAW today. Its not as easy working with RAW files as I thought it would be. Jpegs right out of the camera look much better and getting the same look with a RAW file is quite tough...

Footprints

2009-07-17T21:53:00.009+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@35mm, f/4.8, 1/100s, ISO 200

I have decided to shoot more often. I'll try to post one photo everyday...not sure if I'll be able to pull it off...but I'm going to give it a try anyway :)

Please do leave your 'critical comments', it'll help me improve.

So here's the first shot in the series. And by-the-way those are my foot prints :)

Bleach bypass in GIMP

2009-07-04T15:56:00.033+05:30

Bleach bypass, or the "movie look" as I call it, is a method of treating film negatives which results in photos with reduced saturation and increased contrast. This technique has been used extensively in movies like "Saving Private Rayn", "Black Hawk Down", "Behind Enemy Lines", and others. It has grown quite popular in digital photography too, especially for portraits and photos for advertising. Infact it works quite well on portraits and urban scenes. A few examples here.

Photoshop has some excellent plug-ins that produce this effect. But, for those of us who cannot afford photo-shop, here is a way to mimic the bleach bypass effect in GIMP. The basic idea is to reduce the saturation and increase the contrast. Now on with the procedure:

1. Open up your image in GIMP. Create a duplicate layer by selecting Layer > Duplicate Layer from the tool-bar menu. Select the duplicate layer and set its Mode to Overlay.

2. Select the duplicate layer and select Layer > Merge Down to merge it with the original layer. Select Colors > Hue-Saturation to bring up the Hue-Saturation dialog. Now move the Saturation slider back to somewhere between -60 and -70.

3. You should have a single merged layer by now. Select Colors > Curves from the tool bar menu to bring up the Curves dialog. Manipulate the curve to look like the 'S' shaped curve shown below. This will darken the shadows and brighten the highlights, effectively, increasing the contrast. You could tweak it to your liking.

Thats it! Here are the results...

Before:

After:

A true "Bleach bypass" photo would have some "film grain" too, but I will stop at this. The grainy look should be easy to achieve with a semi-transparent layer with some noise on top of the final result or a filter setting.

I have to say that this tutorial is not an original one but adapted for GIMP from this tutorial for photoshop.

Colourful Bangalore Clouds

2009-07-03T16:08:00.005+05:30

Nikon D40, Nikkor 18-55mm@35mm, f/9, 1/125s, ISO 200

It is really amazing that sometimes we get so busy with our "important" stuff that we forget to look at the beautiful world around us. It has been over two years since I last saw a sunrise!! ... and quite a few weeks since I really looked at the stars at night.

I feel lucky that I could capture this beautiful sunset and share it.