Monday, October 15, 2007

Madhushaala



Finally was able to upload my graduation project Online.

Madhushaala is a poem written in Hindi by the Late Harivansh Rai Bacchan, father of Superstar Amitabh Bacchan.

This poem has had a huge influence on my life. My perspective about life has changed immensely.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The style...

Over the years that I have been shooting... I strive to come close to getting that perfection in my frames...
One thing that I have constantly striven to achieve is a style of my own. Almost all photographers have a unique style of their own and they follow that throughout their life.
Thus Ansel Adams has his own, and so doesHenri Cartier Bresson and also does Steve McCurry . Why I mention these three photographers? Well they happen to be the photographers I admire the most and seek inspiration from. After analyzing many photographers I found that my style tries to follows these photographers. One excels in Nature , the other in street life and the third in Portraits and capturing life.

The irony is that most amateurs like us strive to get it and spend hours, days, months, and at times years and still don't end up having a style of our own.

Over a couple of years I shot mostly people and I was labeled the portrait photographer. This was the time when the works of Steve were the most aspiring to me. Unknowingly in the back of my mind I found myself following their works and trying to emulate their frames in my photographs. After a while I found that I was able to get similar frames even without actually looking at similar frames of Steve. This was specially true of a series on that I had done.
Tiffin Time

Time moved on, and now I am concentrating on understanding nature more closely... and hence my current focus has shifted from people to nature.
In the mean time, the strive towards attaining a style of own has somewhere fallen behind...
But the goal is not lost.. and I will get back to it ..
soon...
someday soon...

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Monday, September 17, 2007

Another year passes by...

Today was three of my friend's birthday. Actually four.
One was my junior at college.
Two are my classmates here and
The fourth was my classmate in 11-12 but we never spoke.

Its another year that has passed by for them .. and pretty soon it will be the same for me.
After every year that passes by I often wonder what all i achieved, what all i lost, what i could have achieved and what all I could have lost, what all I have, what all I could have.... I ts just a small introspection that is done once a year.

I dont say that i end up doing all things that I plan for the next year, but atleast I try. And thats what matters. In the end its all about whether I was "Happy" in the past year. Happiness comes only in bits and happiness will always be followed by sadness in some way. The sooner we get out of this, the better and the more beneficial for us.

There is just so much to explore that I often wished I had done more in the past year... but on the other hand its saying that what I did was perhaps the best for that particular situation!

There is this small poem I wrote for my friends whose birthday it was today and it goes like this with this photograph.
Go Paint


The entire earth is your canvas..
Paint it with the colors of bliss..
Let the shapes confuse you..
Let the shadows amuse you..

Go paint the world green..
Go paint like it has never been...

Go Paint the world with your colors!

Friday, September 07, 2007

Meditation...

In hope ..
Is it necessary to close eyes to meditate?

Do designers meditate? Do we have our ideas come in complete silence or in a crowded place. At a serene location or at a place buzzing with activities? Can someone meditate in a crowded place? Ok , so basic question.. What is meditation? I am no saint, neither do I evangelize anything on this, but this small piece from the book “The Tibetan book of Living and Dying” by Sogyal Rinpoche, did make lot of sense . As we all embark on our journey towards another projects and another after that, I found this will definitely help.

The purpose of meditation is to awaken us in the sky-like nature of the mind, and to introduce us to that which we really are, our unchanging pure awareness, which underlies the whole of life and death.
In the stillness and silence of meditation, we glimpse and return to that deep inner nature that we have so long ago lost sight of amid the busyness and distractions of our minds. Isn’t it extraordinary that our minds cannot stay long for longer than a few moments without grasping after distraction; they are so restless and preoccupied that sometimes I think that, living in a city in the modern world, we are already like the tormented beings in the intermediate state after death, where the consciousness is said to be agonizingly restless.
We are fragmented into so many different aspects. We don’t know who we really are, or what aspects of ourselves we should identify with or believe in. So many contradictory voices, dictates, and feelings fight for control over our inner lives that we find ourselves scattered everywhere, in all directions leaving nobody at home.

Meditation, then is the bringing the mind home.

If your mind is able to settle naturally of its own accord, and if you are inspired simply to rest in its pure awareness, then you do not need any method of meditation. In fact it might even be unskillful when you’re in such a state to tray and emply one. However, the vast majority of us find it difficult to arrive at that state straight away.

I feel that meditation has a lot to do with letting things go, being just able to relax, of being to be in a fresh state f mind before starting onto another project. Doing whatever please the soul is perhaps the best way to relax.
In his book Emotional Design, Don Norman mentions, “We have long known that when people are anxious they tend to narrow their thought processes, concentrating upon aspects directly relevant to a problem. This is a useful strategy in escaping from danger, but not in thinking of imaginative new approaches to a problem. Results from experiments show that when people are relaxed and happy, their thought processes expand, becoming more creative, more imaginative.”

Monday, September 03, 2007

Whom do I fear ?

I just read another blog post and I often ask myself this question. Why do i Fear? And do i fear? Its a natural instinct and everyone faces in in some form or the other at some point in Life. You love someone, there is the fear of loosing him/her. You put in a lot of hard work in something and there is the fear of failing. You aspire to reach a goal and there is the fear of loosing track and reaching somewhere else…You want to learn swimming, but there is the fear of drowning even in three feet of water.. You are out in the woods and fear the trees would eat you up or the cliffs engulf you… There is fear all around.

School Again

I remember this description about Fear in one of my favorite book “The life of Pi” by Yann Martel. It is definitely worth pondering over the words here.

I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind, always. One moment you are feeling calm, self-possessed, happy. Then fear, disguised in the garb of mild-mannered doubt, slips into your mind like a spy. Doubt meets disbelief and disbelief tries to push it out. But disbelief is a poorly armed foot soldier. Doubt does away with it with little trouble. You become anxious. Reason comes to do battle for you. You are reassured. Reason is fully equipped with the latest weapons technology. But, to your amazement, despite superior tactics and a number of undeniable victories, reason is laid low. You feel yourself weakening, wavering. Your anxiety becomes dread.

Fear next turns fully to your body, which is already aware that something terribly wrong is going on. Already your lungs have flown away like a bird and your guts have slithered away like a snake. Now your tongue drops dead like an opossum, while your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shiver as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as though they were dancing. Your heart strains too hard, while your sphincter relaxes too much. And so with the rest of your body. Every part of you, in the manner most suited to it, falls apart. Only your eyes work well. They always pay proper attention to fear.

Quickly you make rash decisions. You dismiss your last allies: hope and trust. There, you’ve defeated yourself. Fear, which is but an impression, has triumphed over you.

The matter is difficult to put into words. For fear, real fear, such as shakes you to your foundation, such as you feel when you are brought face to face with your mortal end, nestles in your memory like a gangrene: it seeks to rot everything, even the words with which to speak of it. So you must fight hard to express it. You must fight hard to shine the light of words upon it. Because if you don’t, if your fear becomes a wordless darkness that you avoid, perhaps even manage to forget, you open yourself to further attacks of fear because you never truly fought the opponent who defeated you.

Oh lord, help me remove all the fear and be a brave soul that I have always been.

The only I fear is you.

Missing you ...

from my window

... i saw the moon
...how beautifully it shown.

... i saw the stars and the sky..
...and wished for the wings to fly..

... i saw the trickling rains..
... i felt the receding pains..

...i saw the flowers blue...
... and just how much i missed you.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Equality...

August 27th , Home , BLM

Equality in Education

...in education ..
and beyond.

Food for thought:
According to the 2001 census, the literacy rate in Bihar was 47.53%. That is way below the national literacy rate of 65.38%.
In the district (Saharsa) that this photograph was taken, the male literacy % was 52.04 and the female was a mere 25.31.

Support Equality in Child education.

Friday, August 24, 2007

..the start of a new journey..

Its the feeling before the first class...
The day that you have been waiting for all these days...
Of wanting to share your ideas.. and wanting to do what you really want to do..
There would be difference in viewpoints.. and then there would be a difference in opinions..
But in the end its always one's own interest that matters and not what the others want you to believe.
The journey to this place has been exciting and I really want this to continue.
There are people all around who are willing to help... There are friends... old and new..
There are seniors.. and juniors.. and then there are the relatives.. the cousins and the uncles.. and not to forget the faculty and the staff .. who are more like friends and least to be scared of...

Ouch.. that wall is cold...

All he best in this new journey!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Is my love sleeping?

Its been a while since I went out and did some photography that is near to my heart. To be precise its almost 3 weeks.
The reason would be that I have come to this amazing place, where things are so nice that I dont really know what to shoot. In some time I am sure that I will be doing some fair amount of shooting though.
I often feel that it is important to detach oneself from what really liked doing, for some time. This way one is able to associate oneself more with that thing of liking and as a result gets better rewards. This is also essential to avoid getting bored with the thing you like doing the best. Its like saying that when you have a plate of dishes, you should eat the least preferred one first. This way you would finish whats on the plate. As no matter how full you get eating the least preferred stuf, you would always have the stuff that you like. This was also a technique that was applied by my teacher back in Delhi.
Its going to be hectic weeks after weeks starting monday. The teaching will start and then I will also be having my own classes to attend.

5 ~ Monsoon Magic

I hope that my camera is making the full use of this break and relaxing a lot. I miss her a lot, but its ok. Perhaps i should let her rest. That way I will be able to love her more when I am back using her.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Homesick

Homesick

This boy was at a residential school far from his home. The expression caught my attention. And I was reminded of my childhood. His parents are not so rich but they still managed to see that their child gets an education, even if that meant sending him to another place to study. It is heartening to see cases like these but at the same time disheartening to know that there are no good or for that matter schools in so many Villages across Bihar.
I was 5 when I moved out of home to study in a boarding school. perhaps about the same age as this boy who was from a neighbouring village. I remember being in a similar situation .. with there being no schools in my area..


I was 25 when i decided to move to US for further studies and the memories just come back. The similar feelings of leaving home.. the faces of hopeful and proud parents... the wishes of all.

Memories of Childhood..

Thursday, August 16, 2007

How Photography Can Make You a Better Designer

I have often come across this question by many ...
How does being a photographer help in becoming a designer or how does photography relate to the design activities that i do?
I have believed that both are related in some way or the other and that the theory of one does hold good for the other too. The principles of symmetry, balance, harmony and contrast are applicable fully to design as equally as in photography.
I believe in keeping things simple and like to see my photographs and design follow the principle of Simplicity. I feel that each element in my frame are equally responsible for the overall impact of the photograph/design and that they all are coherently involved in creating what one would call a better User Experience.

I recently came across this article where many designers across the world have their say on this very question.
Some excerpts:
"I like to think of design as my bread and butter while photography is the chocolate pudding." -Steph Goralnick, graphic designer.

"What you don't show is even more important than what you do. The mind is fertile territory and it must be left free to imagine and fill in the blanks." -Eric G, architect/interior designer.

Read on more in the link below.

http://jpgmag.com/blog/2007/08/how_photography_can_make_you_a.html

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Free Hugs...



Wow! This is just so superb! I am in love with this song!
**********************************************
I don't mind where you come from

As long as you come to me
I don't like illusions I can't see
Them clearly

I don't care no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually
What you'll do

I don't mind…
I don't care…
As long are you're here

Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same

Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
And in between it always seems too long
All of a sudden

And I have the skill, yeah I have the will
To breathe you in while I can
However long you stay
Is all that I am

I don't mind…
I don't care…
As long are you're here

Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's always the same

Wrong or right
Black or white
If I close my eyes
I's all the same

In my life
The compromise
I close my eyes
It's all the same

Go ahead say it you're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Back to School...

Back to School

Oh that feeling is back again...
How i longed to be here again...

The noisy classrooms...
The teachers..The good mornings..the tiffins...and the pranks...

Oh I wished to be a student again..

The memories come back fast and slow..
I wish to see the sun just glow...
never should there be darkness...

I see through the window of brightness..

I embark on a new chapter in my life..attending graduate school in US..
I hope to continue on my photography though...

Thanks all for your good wishes.

Friday, June 22, 2007

What a wonderful world...

This song is truly wonderful. I just love everything about it! One of my favorite songs...
Too good lyrics.. and the way that Louis Armstrong has sung it.. Just beautiful.
Hope you like it too!



Lyrics:
I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see em bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... clouds of white
Bright blessed days....dark sacred nights
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are also on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
Theyre really sayin......i love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
Theyll learn much more.....than Ill never know
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world

(instrumental break)

The colors of a rainbow.....so pretty ..in the sky
Are there on the faces.....of people ..going by
I see friends shaking hands.....sayin.. how do you do
Theyre really sayin...*spoken*(I ....love....you).

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
*spoken*(you know their gonna learn
A whole lot more than Ill never know)
And I think to myself .....what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself .......what a wonderful world.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Which Digital Camera Is Best?

I recently came across this article..

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,131098/article.html?tk=nl_dfxcol

Excerpts from the article:
Folks are always asking me, "Which is better, the Nikon or the Canon?" Sometimes it's "should I buy the new Sony or the Olympus?" Occasionally, someone will go all out and ask, "What's the best camera on the market?" or "What's the best camera for action photography?"


Where the author argues about which digital camera is the best.
This is often been a question posed to me also.
Many a times we are lured to believing that the higher the megapixel number of the camera, the better it is.
Which i am afraid is not true always. The megapixels factor comes into the picture only when one is looking at really taking big prints of the image or using it at a very high resolution. This factor is hardly been a concern for me since i use a 6.1 MP camera.
I have often believed that its the mind composes the photograph, its the eye that takes a photograph... the camera is just a medium to capture the photograph for future reference.

I have personally seen many photographs that have been taken by the simplest of cameras and still stand out amongst the rest. The reason being a clear thought behind the photograph and the perfectness in the composition and the lightings.

I do however do agree that the using a SLR camera gives you more features and more options at hand. But the only concern is that one has to be strong fundamentally in terms of composition, understanding the light around and the behavior of subjects before actually pressing the shutter release button. I do take photographs with a Digital SLR.

I moved from a Kodak Kb12 -->Yashica MF 10 --> Vivitar 3800N --> Nikon D70s. The journey has been exciting. Each day is a new learning experience and each day the knowledge is added.

I still have not known all the features of my D70s and will perhaps know it someday.
Hopefully then I will be able to take "good" photographs!

The flower Sellers

One Morning..

for a dear friend..  Get well soon.

Till then I am happy shooting these!

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Kolkata photostory



Was trying out a new software.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

2007 TED Prize Winner James Nachtway

This is one of the most inspiring videos that I have seen in a long time!
Very inspiring.. a must watch for every documentary photographer.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

To the master...

I dedicate this blog to the great director Satyajit Ray.. whose movies have inspired me each day.
I recently watched a movie titled "Aparajita". I had watched the "Pather Panchali" and "Charulata" way back in college but at that time I was not much into shooting. It was only when I had got a lot involve din photography and have been lately posting a lot of pictures in the B/W medium that my interest rose.


Every frame of his has had me thinking and has left me spell bound. The simplicity of his frames have been the most powerful element in it.


The worker

I could see where my inspiration had come from. I would be thrilled to come even 20% close to what he has achieved in terms of photographic excellence.

Ginger

I would suggest that to anyone who is really interested in black and white medium and pure unadulterated photography. The purity of the frames are identified by the usage of only human elements. The subtle eye movements the minimalistic frames, the soothing indian classical music in the background.. The entire movie is filled with moments that you would want to see again and again.

Trying to Smile

A sudden urge to know more about him.. to watch all his films.. and to learn about his thought process has filled me. I am glad its come at the right time. Just when I am togo for my further studies. Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise!