There is a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them. – Jo Walton
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f22 : 0.5 sec
 Buy Print |
Busse Woods Lake Elk Grove, Illinois, USA |
September 8, 2013
Glorious Sunset at Busse Woods Lake
September 2, 2013
Little Explorers at Latourell Falls
Latourell Falls in the Columbia Gorge is one of my favorite falls. It has a beauty of its own – be it rain or shine. This particular day – along with the rain, the spray from the falls was so much that I could not even get my camera out. Having the falls to myself, I decided to let the camera rest and enjoy the serenity of the scene. Just then these two little guys came in – well equipped – to explore the falls. There was no stopping them be it the rain or the spray from the falls.
Many times, adding a human element to landscapes adds beauty and scale. And there are no second thoughts when they happen to be cute kids like these :) I just couldn’t resist … and the rain, as if agreeing with me, stopped for a brief time – letting me capture this lovely moment. How do u like it ?!!!
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 12 mm : f6.7 : 0.5 sec
| Buy Print |
Latourell Falls Columbia Gorge, Oregon, USA |
August 25, 2013
The magic of water
Water flows, glistens, nourishes, mirrors in simple and subtle ways. There is always something magical and meditative in watching water – be it a tranquil pond, running stream or cascading fall.
tranquil waters glistens
the sun shines –
reflecting silence of life
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 14 mm : f6.7 : 30 sec
| Buy Print |
Waterfall Garden @ Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, Illinois, USA |
August 18, 2013
Celestial Contemplation
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. And it is ironical that at times, you need to turn off the lights & thoughts – rather than turn them on – to see beauty like this.
I am just a tiny spec on this earth at the given slice of time. The earth in turn is such a tiny speck in the Milky way. To top it off the Milky Way is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe. When u get to witness the celestial grandeur like these – it brings in an amazing feeling of being extraordinarily special and at the same time wonderfully insignificant.
The journey of outside are not very different from that of the inside. At the end all that matters is the search itself :)
Let the waters settle and you will see the stars mirrored in your Being. ~Rumi
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 3200 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 30 sec
| Buy Print |
Ottawa National Forest Trout Creek, Michigan, USA |
August 12, 2013
Chasing the Perseids
Sleeping under the stars is an experience unto itself. Add a streak of shooting star and it becomes magical.
Perseids meteor shower is one of the consistent ones. Capturing it west coast last year was fun and exhilarating. Equipped with the past experience and learning had been scouting locations and planning for it this year. Unfortunately the weather was not playing along over this particular weekend. Almost all of Illinois was forecasted for gloomy weather and thunderstorms.
As I was debating, there was a forecast for Aurora sighting over this past (same) weekend with a level of 5. Both these together made it too tempting to drop the plan. I decided to take my chances with the weather. After lot of deliberation decided to drive up north to for 8 hours. The plan was to get out during the daylight and scout the location as much as possible. Thought it would make it easier to maneuver again during the night, but boy oh boy, could I be any more wrong !!! The pitch black unknown trails were kind of eerie. But once the stars came out it was a totally different world – so serene and tranquil.
I am beginning to love the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night :)
45 hours on the road with just few hours of sleep, in search of that one spot to capture the Perseids. The lashing rain, the forecasted aurora that never turned up and the hide and seek with the clouds – it was all fun. Was it all worth it, you bet ! The road trip took me to one of the darkest skies of Mid Western US – Bond Falls. Would like to share with you a moment in time from that night. This was one of the two meteor I was able to capture on frame, but loved how everything came together in this shot. I do love when a plan comes together :)
The deafening sound of 500 gallons of water / second from 50 feet
The tranquil silence of the dark night
Milky way adorning the skies
A (Perseids) meteor fireball streaking across the horizon
Definitely a moment of serenity and one I would cherish !
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 3200 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 30 sec [Foreground lit by Coast HP7]
| Buy Print |
Perseids & Milky Way Over Bond Falls Trout Creek, Michigan, USA |
July 29, 2013
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star …
Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are …
Up above the world so high , like a diamond in the sky.When the blazing sun is gone, when he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light, twinkle, twinkle all the night.Then the traveller in the dark, thanks you for your tiny spark,
He could not see which way to go, if you did not twinkle so.In the dark blue sky you keep, and often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye, ’till the sun is in the sky.As your bright and tiny spark lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are – twinkle, twinkle little star.
It has been so many years that I totally forgot the lyrics of this lovely rhyme. On second thoughts – never mind – I wouldn’t have remembered past the second line, even if you had asked me then :P In the days of yore, one can only imagine how close people would have been with nature to be inspired to create such simple yet acclaimed art.
But these days, it is really unfortunate, that we are spoiling our night sky with all the light pollution. Did you know that nearly $2.2 billion dollars is spent every year in the U.S. alone on light that is wasted because it is spilled up into the night sky where it’s not needed. I drove 2 hours for this shot to get to a decent dark sky area, but still there were jarring lights on the horizon. It is high time we spread the word and raise some awareness to protect our night sky for our kids. And don’t forget to turn off the lights on Aug 12, 2013, if possible make it a habit :)
This weeks shot is from Green River State Wildlife area. And if you would like to create shots like these, check out the article – Stacking up the Stars – for the technique, Photoshop script (free download of course) and sample files to try hands on. The below is just one of the many ways you can process using the script (Creative Style Option 1 + Star Spike Pro). If your are getting started with night photography, check this write up – Sleeping with the Stars :)
You weren’t just a star in the sky, You were the whole damn sky …
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 2500 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 30 sec [86 shots]
| Its raining Diamonds, Green River Harmon, Illinois, USA |
July 24, 2013
Beautiful Basilica from St. Louis
Gorgeous and inspiring Cathedral, Magnificent and beautiful Basilica, Amazing church, incredible craftsmanship – a work of art and at most beauty – at some point you just realize words don’t make sense and decide to enjoy in silence, awe and wonder. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is one such place. I am so glad we visited the Cathedral as part of the Jul 4th trip. This place just transports you to Europe. (no I haven’t visited Europe, but that definitely is in the bucket list :)).
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis – a great place to mediate, pray, contemplate and wonder for hours together.
I had always wanted to photograph the interior of a cathedral or church. Being a place of worship, many a times there is a restriction on the usage of tripod. From time to time I have heard from friends that it does involve sneaking in with ur tripod and asking for forgiveness later ;-) But this place was different. It was open to all, there was no restrictions on the usage of tripod or no one to bother as you take your time to enjoy each and every piece of the cathedral. The Cathedral is definitely one of the city’s most stunning building both inside and out. The detail and beauty of the mosaics are brilliant. How do u like it !!???
P.S: Be advised that photography is not allowed when mass is in progress. Use common sense, respect people’s space – for many this is a place of worship. Act accordingly.
Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f8 : 30 sec
| Buy Print |
Cathedral Basilica St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
July 19, 2013
If you Love, let it be …
“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 |
July 9, 2013
From St. Louis with Love
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
| Buy Print |
Gateway Arch St Louis, Missouri, USA |
July 3, 2013
Bowl of Fire – Twilight @ Crater Lake
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
| Buy Print |
Cloud Cap Point Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA |
June 27, 2013
Super Moon Lighthouse
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 ?!!!
| Buy Print |
Super Moon on 6.23.2013 @ Chicago Lighthouse Chicago, Illinois, USA |
June 12, 2013
Delphinids – That elusive Meteor Shower
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 |
June 6, 2013
Meanwhile at a Trail in Oregon
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
| Buy Print |
Mirror Lake Mt Hood, Oregon, USA |
May 29, 2013
Stop Running, Start Seeing …
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
| Buy Print |
Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, Illinois, USA |
May 13, 2013
The Road to Milky Way
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
| Buy Print |
Eta Meteor (05.11.2013) @ Green River State Wildlife Area Harmon, Illinois, USA |
May 8, 2013
Lazing at Trillium Lake
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
| Buy Print |
Trillium Lake Mt Hood, Oregon, USA |
April 29, 2013
Some Tulips, just for you …
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 |
April 22, 2013
Fog & Fall at Lower Lewis River Falls
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
| Buy Print |
Lower Lewis River Falls Skamania, Washington, USA |
April 15, 2013
Moon Star & Sunset @ Indiana Dunes
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
| Buy Print |
Indiana Dunes State Park Chesterton, Indiana, USA |
April 10, 2013
Aqua Pool @ Abiqua
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
| Buy Print |
Abiqua Falls Marion, Oregon, USA |
Like the Ocean 