“If you love a flower, don’t pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies, it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.” – Osho
Canon XSi : Canon 18-55 mm : ISO 100 : 28 mm : f4.5 : 1/20 sec
| Exotic Flower Utah, USA |
An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning one against the other, make a strength – Leonardo Da Vinci
St. Louis hosts one of the grandest Jul 4th celebrations. With the fair, food carts, live band, fireworks all under the majestic arch – it cannot get any better. To top it off, the show continues for 3 days around Jul 4th.
Shooting fireworks is fun. But including a sense of surrounding and the mood really makes it even more interesting. This shot of the Seattle space needle with fireworks is one of my favorites. So when I learnt about the Arch and fireworks, started digging around with Google earth and TPE for potential spots. After some planning decided on the location – some accessible spot from the other side of the the river, across the railway tracks and as close to the water as possible.
Later learnt that due to the security it would be impossible to get to this location during the Jul 4th weekend. Oh well, may be some other time. As a plan B decided to check out the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and the view of the Arch from the observation platform. The views were good, except for the power line. Hopefully it does not become synonymous with the city skyline ! As the show progressed , the direction of the wind was not in favor and the smoke started hindering. Was not very satisfied with the shots from this spot. There was not enough lighting on the Arch itself. May be I was still stuck up on the river side spot. My friend did get a lovely shot from here, so may be, it was just me ;-)
The next day we decided to head right under the arch. Built at 630 feet and with 900 tons of stainless steel – Gateway Arch – is the tallest national monument within the United States. Standing beneath it gives a sense of awe and humility. None of the pictures does justice to its grandeur. One really need to be there to experience its size.
About the shot – The original plan was to check out the reflecting pools and see if the fireworks would compliment the composition. Unfortunately both the pools were filled with algae, not ideal for reflections. After scouting the location settled for this view. Being much closer to the arch, the surrounding lights beautifully reflected on the metallic surface. The colors of blue & red along with symbolic stripes makes this shot iconic for me, especially being shot on ID4 celebrations ! It was cool to get the burst of the heart too. I love it when a plan comes together, even if it was not a primary plan :)
P.S: Check this out for more cool information and history of the Gateway Arch.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f5.6 : 2 sec [fireworks] / f9.5 : 30 sec
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Gateway Arch St Louis, Missouri, USA |
The Rim Drive – a 33 miles gorgeous and scenic highway circumventing the crater lake – make it an ideal place for enjoying both sun rise or sun set (moon rise and moon set too !). There are tons of pull-outs to get off the road and see the lake. Be it the view points right on the road or the hikes out or the off road trails the views are equally amazing.
This particular view is one of my favorite – so open and expansive. You can see the Phantom Island on the left , Wizard island towards center. The foreground with minimal vegetation and brittle soil, highlights the volcanic past. To add to all this, the sun decided to stage a grand drama that evening :)
‘Bowl of Fire’ – an attempt at capturing that moment, that grandeur – to share with you !!!
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 11 mm : f11 : 30 sec
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Cloud Cap Point Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA |
Super moon, Blue moon, Pink moon, Harvest moon – are all nothing but whimsy media terms. Believe me, there is nothing super about the super moon.
I am definitely not an expert at shooting the moon. I have captured the moon in the past, but am still learning. One thing that helps in getting a captivating shot is to capture the moon when it is low – real low – on the horizon. The other is to include a foreground subject to get a scale of reference. Just make sure you far away from the foreground subject and shoot with a really really long long lens [ beg borrow or steal, just get the longest lens you can :) ]. Shooting with the long lens helps actuate the size of the farther object (in this case the moon) by playing with your mind. As with the below shot or this example of the sunset. It becomes much more obvious in this shot by Photographer Alessandro Della Bella.
This evening the weather was playing hide and seek. It was supposed to be clear. Then it was all overcast. After lot of deliberation, decided to drive out to the planned spot. It was still an hour or so more for the moon to come up. It was still drizzling. Decided it would be a nice evening walk, if not anything else. Just around the time of the moon rise, the clouds had cleared a bit, but the the horizon was still overcast and hazy. What is the fun if everything goes as planning right :) After suspenseful wait the moon decided to show up – just at the right spot. At the end it was all worth it. Yes – there is nothing super about the super moon. Actually – every full moon is indeed super. What do you say ?!!!
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Super Moon on 6.23.2013 @ Chicago Lighthouse Chicago, Illinois, USA |
I went to shoot the Deliphids and all I got was this :)
Coming in from office stumbled upon the article – that talked the the elusive Delphinids Meteors. When NASA said it was elusive, I should have agreed. Instead I decide to drive up 2 hours, to sleep under the stars. I just awaited a bit too long for the peak of the meteor (forecasted around 3:30 – 4:30 AM) and missed to realize that the sun would start to lit up the horizon quiet early during summer… The meteors were indeed quiet elusive. Given this was mid of work week, it was a good straight 36 hours without sleep, but was well worth the experience !
Just in case you were wondering, this was just a regular star trail shot processed with Comet effect. Am working on an article explaining the same. For now do check out – Getting Started with Starscapes here.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 1000 : 10 mm : f22 : 30 sec
| Green River State Wildlife Area Harmon, Illinois, USA |
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in tune once more – John Burroughs
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 39 mm : f22 : 30 sec
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Mirror Lake Mt Hood, Oregon, USA |
The moment you stop running , you start seeing …
A drizzling afternoon is definitely a best time to shoot flowers. The overcast weather diffuses the light, but there is still enough light to shoot @ f5.6. The rain saturates and pops out the color. Below shot from The Chicago Botanical Garden is from one such afternoon. This is right out of the camera except for the copping. The background was from the distant cherry blossoms :)
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 320 : 155 mm : f5.6 : 1/250 sec
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Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, Illinois, USA |
Living close to Chicago has its perks, but star-gazing is definitely not one of them. With so much of ambient light pollution, it is difficult to see any stars. Tools of trade – Dark Sky Finder – came to the rescue, in locating some decent dark skies @ Green River State Wildlife Area. The 2 hour drive made me realize how much impact light pollution has on the night skies. Anyways, couple nights back – everything fell in place – new moon, weekend, forecast for clear skies and not so cold nights – all came together. Clear Sky Chart is one other site that is quiet handy to plan trips like these …
Out at this location, the side roads, provide for some interesting composition – without being bothered by light trails of the vehicles. There are not many crazy folks who drive around at that hour ;-) It was an happy accident to have captured a meteor on this particular night. This probably was from Eta Meteor shower that peaked couple of days back.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 2500 : 12 mm : f4 : 30 sec
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Eta Meteor (05.11.2013) @ Green River State Wildlife Area Harmon, Illinois, USA |
Trillium lake is one of my favorite places from Pacific North West. For folks that are not from around here – this is one lovely spot located at the higher elevations of the Mt Hood. Its unique location makes it a great spot – be it an ideal summer fun afternoon, or a leisurely walk in the evening or some boating / kayaking. Being away from city lights it is also a great place for some amazing night photography. This shot of Perseids Meteors shower and milky way was from from this same spot !!!
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f10 : 1/50 sec
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Trillium Lake Mt Hood, Oregon, USA |
I was not able to shoot as much during this spring. Hence sharing some tulips from the last season. Wooden Shoe Tulip Farms is a lovely place to experience spring. This beautiful Tulip fields is just an hour drive from Portland, but has quiet a view. You could just take a stroll, smell some tulips, run around or just sit and enjoy a sunset. Wanna know more about this lovely place and read more – Click here.
| Read More | Wooden Shoe Tulip Fields Woodburn, Oregon, USA |
The lovely Lower Lewis waterfall looks more graceful during lower water levels, as it cascades down. Add to it – a dense fog settling down and a bit of fall colors sprinkled here and there … What more can I ask !!!
fall leaves fall
caught by a blanket of
fog or fall
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 25 mm : f22 : 1.5 sec
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Lower Lewis River Falls Skamania, Washington, USA |
Indiana dunes State Park being located on the eastern side of Lake Michigan, makes it an ideal spot for enjoying a sunset. It is just a little more than an hour drive from Chicago, but does take you far away from the urban madness. This spot definitely has potential for some star photography and I was scouting the location for a new moon night shoot. Incidentally – as were wrapping up, the crescent moon started to dot the horizon, unfolding this tranquil scene – the setting sun added the colors, the haze over the moon made it dreamy and the silhouette was just right to complete the scene. How do u like it !!!
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : 3 stop ND Filter : ISO 100 : 13 mm : f16 : 30 sec
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Indiana Dunes State Park Chesterton, Indiana, USA |
Abiqua Falls – There is something magical about this place. Grandeur is not a feeling you get at less than 100 feet high. The overpowering and humbling feeling is probably from the enclosed canyon like walls covered with lichen and the serene aqua pool that it falls into. Abiqua is all about the journey of getting there – starting from the rugged roads, hike up, some sliding, scrambling under and over the logs , wading thru the water etc. Having such a gem at the end of it is an added bonus :) Check this out for the view from the other side. This had been one of my favorite fun adventure hikes from the pacific north west !!!
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : 3 stop ND Filter : ISO 100 : 14 mm : f22 : 3 sec
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Abiqua Falls Marion, Oregon, USA |
I can still remember that particular evening at Hampi. The air was crisp, the breeze was so pleasant and the distant sunset was quiet dramatic. Mahanavami Dibba – located within the fortified area was probably the seat of power of the fallen empire. The views from here were grandeur and King Krishnadevaraya would have enjoyed similar views of sunset during his days :)
This is a pseudo digital oil painting based on the sunset from that particular evening. I am still refining on my workflow and painting process. How do you like the same ?!!!
| Sunset @ Mahanavami Dibba Hampi, Karnataka, India |
It was lot of fun at the Holi Celebrations. I did not expect such a crowd, it took more than an hour just to get the parking and get to the premises.
Apart from the music, dance, Holika Dahan (burning of Holika), food & fun – the colors and the celebration definitely make this a photographer heaven. This was one of my first try, shooting an event. The experience was very different from shooting landscapes. Interacting with people, getting to know about them was not as intimidating as I had thought :)
Lot of folks were so open to being photographed and even asked where they can get the shots. If you were one of them feel free to get yours here.
These shots are from 2013 Holi Celebrations at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. These were taken at a public gathering with a good will and understanding. All Photos are copyrighted. NOT FOR COMMERCIAL USE. Drop me an email if you would like the original shots for personal use.
There are lot of different reasons behind this festival of colors. Though this started off in India, am seeing this cultural celebrations catching up in the major western cities too.
Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap. The legend says there once lived a devil and powerful king, Hiranyakshyap who considered himself a god and wanted everybody to worship him. To his great ire, his son, Prahlad began to worship, Lord Vishnu. To get rid of his son, Hiranyakshyap asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap, as she had a boon to enter fire unscathed. Legend has it that Prahlad was saved for his extreme devotion for the lord while Holika paid a price for her sinister desire. The tradition of burning Holika or the ‘Holika dahan’ comes mainly from this legend.
Holi also celebrates the legend of Radha and Krishna which describes the extreme delight, Krishna took in applying color on Radha and other gopis. This prank of Krishna later, became a trend and a part of the Holi festivities.
As with any of the religious traditions, there is always a deep meaning behind these. Holi comes when the season moves from cold (winter) to warm (Spring) . The entire event involves movements that are brisk and music as loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the human body and makes the transition smooth. People also clean-up their houses on Holi, burning up the old, which helps in clearing up the dust and mess in the house. This is kind of equivalent to the spring cleaning that is prevalent in western culture. A cleaner environment generate more positive energy.
Below are some of my favorite shots from the event. For more check out the gallery.
Wayanad is a prominent district in Gods Own Country – Kerala. Places of interest around here are abundant ranging from water falls, Caves, Dam, Viewpoints, reserved forests and many more. But among all Meenmutty falls definitely tops the list.
Meenmutty falls at 300 meters is majestic (if you are keen, you can see people down at the foot of the waterfall for scale). The three tiers of the waterfall requires separate hike through the forest. After a perilous and tiring 2 kms hike, one is rewarded with this amazing panoramic view. At a few points the trek is treacherous and steep – but once you get out there, you just forget everything. The milky water tearing apart the dense greenery of Wayanad forests is a sight to behold.
Canon XSi : Canon 10-22 mm : No Filter : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f22 : 1.0 sec
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Meenmutty Falls Wayanad, Kerala, India |
I am so close, I may look distant.
So completely mixed with you, I may look separate.
So out in the open, I appear hidden.
So silent, because I am constantly talking with you.
- Rumi
The below shot is a moon set, yes you read that right, it is the moon set and not sun set. It was one of those rare early morning twilight moments during the beginning of the harvest months, when the moon is fiery, large & bright – due to its low position in the horizon. The colors were as is and not modified. You can read more about the harvest moon in this older post from last Aug.
Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : No Filter : ISO 800 : 270 mm : f5.6 : 0.5 sec
| Harvest Moon Crater Lake, Oregon, USA |
Sometimes,
It is not wondering about big things
But understanding small things
that helps you grow …
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : 3 stop ND Filter : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f22 : 1/6 sec
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Copper Mountain Nature Trail Beaverton, Oregon, USA |
With a heavy heart, contemplation, reflection and open mind – I bid good bye to the beautiful Oregon, that pretty much had become my second home. I will continue to share the beauty of Pacific NW (Still have gigs of shots to process from the previous years :)) and looking forward to that. Open to next opportunities, heading out to urban city of Chicago – exited to explore what life has in store !!!
This particular shot is from Fern hill wetlands, which easily became my favorite spot for sunset and bird watching. Though just 20 odd miles from Portland, it gives a typical countryside feel far away from the frenzy city life !!!
Camera : Canon 7D
Lens : Tamron 18-270 mm
Filter : 3 stop ND Filter
ISO 100 : 27 mm : f19 : 30 sec
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FernHill Wetlands Forest Grove, Oregon, USA |
I love fall. I love the cool, crisp air and the way all the trees change color. I love the smell of the fallen leaves, their the crunching noise when dry and the beauty they add to any autumn scene dancing in water.
For a season that is preparing to get into hibernation, Autumn is just truly magical. Sure, everything is dying, but even that happens with so much grace and beauty. Is the magic of Autumn due to the colors or is it the art of letting go …
Camera : Canon 7D
Lens : Canon 10-22 mm
Filter : 3 stop ND Filter
ISO 100 : 18 mm : f8 : 30 sec
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Wahkeena falls runoff Columbia Gorge Scenic Area, Oregon, USA |
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Like the Ocean 