Posts tagged ‘green’

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October 27, 2022

The not so silent Sathodi Falls

Amazing, how a thundering waterfall can be so violent, yet so calming – all at once.

Sathodi Falls – though just 15 meters high – is quite a picturesque waterfall located deep in the forests of the western ghats. The stream further flows down into the backwaters of the Kodasalli Dam.

Waking up at 5 AM and driving thru the unknown roads (and in few spots no roads at all) was quite an ordeal. The rustic, rugged drive and the bit of early morning trek made it only more adventurous. The thunderous waterfall, the jagged & craggy boulders, the solitude with nature, the magical mist – all this kissed by the morning twilight – made it an even more enriching experience :)

Sony A7III : Sony 24-105 mm : ISO 100: 25 mm : f16.0 : 1/3 sec

Sathodi falls
Balagar, Karnataka, India

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June 21, 2022

Untouched beauty – Punnayar Falls

There’s no better place than to be around a thundering waterfall and listening to its music. – Roland R Kemler

A trip to Idukki is not complete with out a visit to this beautiful waterfall – situated in a forest by Kanjikuzhy – vannapuram route. The drive itself is quiet scenic. The roads get steep and narrow as you get near the falls. When we went, there was some construction going near the Punnayar Bridge, hence we parked there and hiked the reminder of the way. Be aware that there are two waterfalls – Punnayar A and Punnayar B (wish they had better naming :)). Punnayar B is very close to the road and easy to reach. A short walk, a bit of wading thru the water or rock hoping will get you here. It is more safe and one can take a bath if they like.

Punnayar A on the other hand is away form road and involves a bit of hiking. Be cautious, the path is little deep, steep and slippery – especially in rainy season. If you have an off-roading vehicle especially bike, you can almost reach the waterfall (and reduce the hike distance). It is indeed a strenuous hike, but the view and the experience are far more grandeur and well worth it.

With the strenuous but tranquil trek in the forest, amidst the fragrance of the cashew trees, lovely & secluded waterfalls, paired with a breathtaking viewpoint of the valley down below – it is a spot not to be missed !

Sony A7III : Sony 24-105 mm : ISO 100 : 24 mm : f16 : 4 sec

Punnayar waterfalls
Kanjikuzhy, Kerala, India

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January 7, 2022

A pristine beauty – Hebbe Waterfalls

Alluring, exotic, immaculate … words don’t come close to describe this place. In the forests of deep interior Karnataka, by the district of Chikkamagaluru lies this pristine beauty. 13 kms of thrilling & bone rattling 4×4 ride, thru the secluded tiger reserve gets you here. They say – it’s not about the designation but about the journey. But in case of Hebbe – it is as much about the journey, as about the falls. The effort is totally worth it as you witness the waterfalls rumble thru the forest.

Sony A7III : Sony 16-35 mm : ISO 100 : 16 mm : f22.0 : 2.0 sec

Hebbe Waterfalls
Chikmagalur, Karnataka, India

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January 1, 2022

Hiatus, Looking back & Looking forward

What a year it had been – Covid, revival, promise of hope, again lock downs … Beginning of 2021 felt like a deja vu. Now it seems like the deja vu is repeating itself again. But still, a lots happened this past year as well. Let us drop the prejudice of 2021 (as we did for 2020 as well). Given the situation it indeed was a great year. Experienced some amazing night skies, made some wonderful connections, got to capture views that only a few witness and some lovely experiences along the way.

Took an intentional hiatus from social media for the past 8 months, as I felt it was influencing a lot on the kind of shots I make and the experiences that I attracted. But I do see that it is for me to be aware of the influences. Sharing opens up conversations and connections that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. I knew it was not you (social media), but me. Nevertheless, it was a lesson that I have to pick up as my own.

On a different note, I had never been a birder, I did occasionally capture a few flying beauties from my travel. But as the year wrapped up, tried to play around in this new genre as well. Trying to capture the birdies, especially the tiny ones, calls for a different level of patience and perseverance. Keen to see how this unfolds and eager for the new learning opportunities that it brings.

Here is to 2022 – to more learning, more travel, more connections & enriched experiences. Focus, enjoy and equip for the journey forward :)

Canon 7D : Tamron 150-600 mm : ISO 5000 : 600 mm : f5.6 : 1/400 sec

Loten’s Sunbird
Nandi Hills, Bangalore, India

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October 31, 2019

Separate yet same

The Oaks of Charleston – at the outset it looks like each one is standing in a line – individually. Look further, and you would realize each one of them is connected at a far deeper level – by the comprehensive root system. But not always the connections manifest at a physical level.

We are connected with each other & everything that surrounds us. Be aware, Breathe, when you get a chance to walk on the grass barefoot, hug that tree, sense the surrounding, feel the connection – with one another & the surroundings :)

Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 119 mm : f11 : 10 sec

Oaks of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina, USA

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August 25, 2019

The Hiker in Red Jacket

Dry Falls flows over an overhanging bluff that allows visitors to walk up under the falls and remain relatively dry, hence its name. Unfortunately no one told this is true, only when the flow is low. That particular day we got pretty wet – with the spotty rains and more so from the spray of the falls. Not that we were complaining, but it would have been good to know !

With the rain, I was not shooting much and this particular view felt cliche – but the hiker in the red jacket (yeah that tiny red fleck you can see, in the center of the frame, about to hike behind the falls) made all the difference and I couldn’t resit but go for the click :)

Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f22 : 10 sec

Dry Falls
Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, USA

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February 4, 2018

Soco Falls – Hidden by the road

Soco falls is a beautiful, double waterfall on the edge of the Cherokee Indian Reservation, located near Maggie Valley. Its one among the most lovely waterfalls, by the Blue Ridge parkway – just 1.5 miles south of Soco Gap @ Milepost 455.7. Look for the small roadside parking area on the left of the road. It is easy to miss, since there is just one tiny sign.

This view requires a short hike. It is not a cake walk, but not super hard either. You need to be careful as it is steep and a bit slippery, especially when wet. But the adventure is well worth the view, wouldn’t you agree :)

 

Canon 7D : Tamron 10-270 mm : ISO 160 : 18 mm : f11 : 8.0 sec

   Soco Falls
Maggie Valley, North Carolina, USA

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October 21, 2017

Orionids on a Chilly Night

A Sip of a hot chai
Gentle breeze of the cold night
Shimmering of the twinkling stars
A blazing streak of a meteor
– few experiences are worth skipping the cozy sleep :)

Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 2500 : 10 mm : f3.5 : 20 sec

   Orionid Meteor Shower (10.21.2017)
Whitmire, South Carolina, USA

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April 6, 2017

The Long White Bridge

Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy — Guillaume Apollinaire

Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f3.5 : 1/10 sec

Buy Print    Magnolia Plantation
Charleston, South Carolina, USA

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November 15, 2015

Enchanted Rainforest of Hoh

Hidden in the north west corner of Washington state is a treasure of a primeval, temperate & enchanted rainforest – Hoh. Walking thru these forests brings in an overwhelming sense of the timelessness. The huge amounts of rainfall and the storm dumps from the near by pacific ocean results in the lush, green canopy of both coniferous and deciduous species. Layers and layers of green, moist moss adorns the whole place, making even the once dead trees & logs of long time, come alive.

Hoh – The place is whimsical and magical, but is still as much real :)

 

Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 18 mm : f13 : 10 sec

   Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Forest 
Forks, Washington, USA

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August 31, 2015

Turtle by the cascade

Illinois’ Starved Rock State Park is just south of I-80 about 90 miles west of Chicago near the town of LaSalle. Over the years streams have carved a number of small and interesting canyons into the sandstone. Seasonal waterfalls can be found all around these canyons, if you hike up just at the right time.

This week’s shot is from from across a lovely little pool created by one of the cascades from LaSalle Canyon Falls. It was interesting to watch a turtle that had made this pool as home for the day. Not sure how he ended up here, but it would be one fun trip to down the river. What would life be without these challenges :)

 

Uncertainty is the essence of Life & it fuels opportunity – Tina Seelig

 

Canon 7D : Canon 10-22 mm : ISO 100 : 10 mm : f19 : 10, 1/60 sec

Buy Print    LaSalle Canyon, Starved Rock State Park 
Oglesby, Illinois, USA

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March 2, 2014

Reflecting on Reflection

Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you made. If you want a different result, make a different choice …

Shooting reflections is an experience unto itself. There is something mesmerizing about reflections. It is not just about getting the final shot … From the point of scouting a location to waiting for the for the wind to take a break and the light to be just right – it all kind of gets you into a meditative plane ! May be that is what drives me to look out for perfect reflections while I am out shooting ! When things do not line up or, if the location is not very conducive for mirror reflections, occasionally I do try to achieve the same in post processing – like this shot – but the experiences from shooting a original reflections are far more soothing and satisfying :)

This shot is from N Santiam Hwy. I was returning back from a failed attempt to capture some shooting stars. But luckily it was fall season and as the light broke, there was still lot of interesting things to shoot. I was glad that I pulled over the highway to capture this mesmerizing reflection.

Canon 7D : Tamron 18-270 mm : ISO 100 : 30 mm : f22 : 3 sec 

Buy Print Willamette National Forest, N Santiam Hwy
Detroit, Oregon, USA

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October 15, 2013

Capturing the Colors of Nature

Nature’s Canvas, bright & brilliant –
reflects
what you reflect !

Watercolor on Paper

Fall Colors @ Devils Lake State Park
Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA

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October 9, 2013

Capture the Color

I missed the last year Capture the Color Contest just by a day. Luckily this year I got to know abt the same just in time to make the submission. Capture the Color is a content by Travel Supermarket involving submission to 5 categories – Yellow, Blue, White, Green & Red. The theme is open to interpretation and is judged by folks whose work I follow and admire ! It definitely was not an easy task to go over the archives and identify shots for this challenge. Learning abt the contest in the last week did not help either :)

Will stop my rambling and let you enjoy the shots. Check this if you would like to preview the entries from others for the Contest.

Yellow

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. This is not predominantly yellow. I still wanted to go with this shot, as the yellow in the shot – the little explorers – is what that make this click. For me all elements from the terrain to the water to the rocks – all lead to those little guys :)

Blue

Twilight Colors at Sunset

It was one of the strongest & vivid sunset that I had witnessed.

Twilight – the time of day between light and darkness, whether that’s just after sunset or just before sunrise – is one of the best times to enjoy nature’s splashing of colors. The sun’s rays from below the horizon are scattered by atmosphere and clouds to create the colors of twilight. This twilight shot is from a sunset, just after the afternoon thunderstorms. These are rare – since they have the potential to burst into a million shades or just blend out flat into the horizon. This particular day I was lucky :)

White

Peace, Pride and Beauty

Peacock is known for its beauty ; The color of white is generally soothing, spiritual and has a special beauty of its own. A peacock in white – it was not easy to capture this shot as it was all pure white, but watching the angel dance was definitely a moment of joy !

Green

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.

This shot is from the Mirror lake trail at Mt Hood. As we were heading up the setting sun decided to accompany us. Any hike in pacific northwest is so peaceful, so serene and so close to nature. U can’t go wrong, just get out and enjoy nature.

Red

Just Around the Corner

Sweet Ride. Some of the trips are amazing, because of the destination. Some because of the company you have. Some because of the car you drive. But many a times we don’t realize that the enroute journey itself, is quiet fulfilling and sometime much more than the destination. This is from one more of my impulse drives, around the pacific northwest. And it did not disappoint ! What are you waiting for, get a break… take ur car, just drive :)

And now for the Nominations

As part of the Contest, I also get to nominate 5 of my friends who have amazing portfolio themselves ! Sorry folks, being the last day , not sure if you would make it to the submission. I still would go ahead and take the opportunity to share ur awesome work with my readers here :)

Josh Kulla : An amazing photographer from PNW. Lovely captures from waterfalls to lush greens to the Coast. Interacted with him a lot, a down to earth person, looking forward to shooting with him some time.

Gary Randall : If you had been following my work, you already know abt Gary or that I a big fan of his work. Mt Hood is his backyard. But don’t let that think he is confined to PNW. He has some amazing collection – be it the Utah deserts or the Eifel tower or the lava of Hawaii :)

Michael : Is from Florida focusing more on high dynamic range photography. Some of his favorite subjects to photograph are architectural objects, nature, and classic and antique cars.

Nandini :  Day to day shots from Himalayas to Hyderabad. She has a knack of writing, along with the shots – capturing and conveying the daily feelings in small nuggets !

Ram :  I presume he carries the camera to locations where he get to work, like me ! Check out his work for some lovely shots from Singapore. Am looking forward to his London shots as he recently moved out there :)

P.S : Cut off Date for Submission : Oct 9, 2013 ; Just so to be clear – you do not need to be nominated to participate in the competition. Check out this link for Contest details. Hope you enjoyed my collection for this year. Looking forward to travelling more, together :)

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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

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May 8, 2012

Covert Gem of Oregon – Abiqua Falls

A visit to Abiqua falls is quiet an encompassing experience. It starts with the leisurely silver falls scenic drive from Silverton. Before you could realize, you are navigating over and down the hilly terrain. Yes an ATV would be awesome, but don’t worry you can manage with any decent passenger car, provided you drive slowly. From the parking lot, the walking quickly changes to hike, then a bit of trek, some scramble across the rocks and logs, throw in a bit of sliding, scrambling, dodging the water as you navigate your way based on the falls that you hear at the distance. Falling just at over 100 feet – it is not the biggest of the Oregon falls, but getting the glimpse of this falls after the adventures trek gives a kind of peaceful and serene contentment. It is as if you just entered a different magical world. This weeks I share with you a slice of moment from my visit. The late afternoon sun just lit up the lichen creating the glowing contrast with the falls.

Buy Print Abiqua Falls @ Santiam State Forest
Marion, Oregon, USA

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March 28, 2012

The Wall of Falls

One of the best ways to enjoy the Columbia George, at least to begin with, is by car. It gives a feel of the scenic vistas, hikes and the various point of interests spread along the way. This route is historic but definitely never gets old. Depending on the time of the year, the experience is varied. If you are lucky to be around there, just after continuous rain and the start of the spring, when the snow melt adds to it – u can see unnamed falls in literally every corner. This particular afternoon I was presented with the epic scene of multiple falls from across the river. Fortunately I was on the Columbia George scenic route and not the parallel I-84 highway. I was able to pull over, hike up a bit thru the trees to get a better view. Though afternoon, it was still foggy. It appeared heavenly, as the mist was kind of culminating down to the falls.

Sometimes all you have to do is look, right :)

    Unnamed Falls
Columbia George Scenic Highway, Oregon, USA

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March 23, 2012

Latourell Falls – first and among best of Columbia George

Latourell Falls at the Columbia George is stunningly beautiful, it is also one special place for me. The profile photo that I use online was shot here, by my wife. It was not a planned shot at all, shot just at that moment … some sweet memories.

Recently, the seasons definitely are mixed up. We started off spring with snow shower out here in the pacific northwest. And after couple of days of rain & snow, it was supposed to be a clear for the weekend. It was kind of overcast, but the sun did peep out at times with a crack of blue sky. Given the snow melt and the rain, the falls were roaring, literally spraying water within ~50+ feet off its base. Generally I have shot this falls from the base – but today I was neither prepared, nor was I in any mood to get drenched. But I was glad I decided to shoot from the highway. The mix of the weather and the afternoon sun enhanced the yellow colored lichen cliff walls and the foliage. Including the bit blue sky helped capture the mood of the day – as I experienced – for you to enjoy ! Have a nice weekend.

    Latourell Falls
Columbia George Scenic Highway, Oregon, USA

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March 14, 2012

Cascades across the road

North Umpqua River basin is probably a photographers heaven with so much of varied terrain. Returning from Crater Lake, we drove via US-138 Umpqua Hwy based on a friend’s suggestion. Glad we did. This routes is home to handful of waterfalls and Watson falls is probably the best. If you had been there or seen Watson falls you will immediately realize that this shot is not that of Watson falls. Apart from the main waterfalls falling at ~290 feet, a small cascade just below the footbridge below the falls provides some great macro possibilities. I could probably spend a whole day out here. The falls can be accessed with the short hike (~0.6 miles round trip). Once you park the car, you need to cross the road to get to the trail start. As you return back branch out halfway thru at the junction so as to form a loop. Just before you join the main road, look out for this place – where the run out water forms a small beautiful cascade. It is easy to miss after having all the fun at the falls itself, but it is well worth the stop. This is why I love Oregon, there are surprises and secrets in every nook and corner :)

The varied light did pose a challenge, but after couple of tries was able to capture it to my satisfaction. It was such a serene place. If ur lucky you might end up having the place all for yourself, with no one around. I really liked the play of light thru the trees, what do you think ?!

Cascade @ Watson Falls Runoff
North Umpqua River basin, Oregon, USA

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July 10, 2011

The Lone House

Kodaikanal is one of the most popular and charming hill station of south India. This was shot enroute from Kodai to Bangalore. As we were leaving, just before the down hill drive started, pulled by a place to shop for the famed home made chocolates. Just behind the shop(s), was graced with the beautiful hilly terrain with this lone home. Definitely makes one wonder how it would feel to stay right amidst nature !!!

p.s : If you are on Google+ you can connect with me here. If you would like an invite, just drop me a note or leave a comment with the request. After a week’s usage, this definitely seems to be addressing some major concerns of Facebook !

 Flickr Page

Kodaikanal
TamilNadu, India

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