Cinnamon Magic

The versatile vehicle

2011-09-24T22:47:00.001-07:00

Not just for farming but also for transportation - a tractor is a multipurpose vehicle for rural India.

Kolkata - 2011 or 1967

2011-09-17T22:48:00.001-07:00

The magic of the amazing city remains timeless.

Colors

2011-09-17T22:46:00.001-07:00

Nature is an amazing artist.

Drama in the sky

2010-09-06T22:50:00.000-07:00

As I have written earlier too, I love the Bangalore sky ..

Row row row your boat ..

2010-09-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

Boats tell stories ... of the many expeditions into the sea, the heroic battles against the elements, the beauty of the sunrise, the gloom of the sunset ... they are a symbol of mankinds earliest attempts at taming nature, to cross rivers and seas beyond the physical capabilities of human beings.

By the sea ..

2010-09-06T21:02:00.000-07:00

The sea is fascinating, dynamic and every changing. The sea shores sometimes hold the scene for a while ... for us to savor.

Differentiation ...

2010-09-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

A beautiful shell, probably a crab. But amazing differentiation .. any product designers listening?

Mr. & Mrs. Duck

2010-03-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Let's go shopping .. no no .. IPL is on ...

Lighthouse Light

2010-03-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

Old: A tiny kerosene lamp enhanced hundreds of times through glass prisms and lenses to focus the light and give hope to the sailors endure the vast seas ...

New: Acrylic lenses and electric bulbs have taken over - but many lights houses are still functional and useful - even in the days of satnav and GPS.

More and More Hanabi

2010-03-03T20:20:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: These are not computer generated images - but shot at location.

More Hanabi

2010-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

Amazing colors - what a wonderful show.

More Hanabi Photos

2010-03-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

Note: These photos have not been taken by any super-expensive SLR, the Camera is a Nikon E880 (3.34 MP).

Hanabi

2010-03-03T20:16:00.000-08:00

People on the river bank and on boats - watching the Kawasaki Hanabi show (Aug 2002).

Hanabi

2010-03-03T20:14:00.000-08:00

"Hanabi" in Japanese means Flowers of Fire. The shows happen during summers (August) in a huge community setting, over rivers, lakes or the sea. Each town/city arranges the show sponsored by the corporates/businesses around the area.
The spectacular shows are attending by thousands of people who enjoy the colorful extravaganza with family and friends. Of course, picnic baskets full of Sushi/Sashimi/Sake and Beer are always around.

Randomness in Nature

2010-03-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Flower petals are usually arranged symmetrically around the center, but Nature's true randomness creates uniqueness and beauty.

Mimosa Pudica

2009-06-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Also known as touch-me-not or 'Chui-Mui' (hindi)

I am late

2009-06-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

Rushing to work ... what happened to my alarm clock ..

Talk to me

2009-06-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

You busy soul ... when did you last take time to look at a flower

You me and ...

2009-06-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

Birds in the Backyard - 4

2009-06-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

You never take me shopping ...

2009-06-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

I won't talk to you anymore .. get lost ..

Birds in the Backyard - 3

2009-06-21T23:01:00.000-07:00

Someone please help me identify these birds ...

Birds in the Backyard - 2

2009-06-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

I am the lucky witness to this courtship dance ritual. Amazing.
(should have taken by HandyCam along...)

Brids in the Backyard - 1

2009-06-21T22:48:00.000-07:00

I found this wasteland behind our aparment complex with many kinds of birds.

The Old and the Young

2009-06-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Nature's miracles continue ...

Please don't bug me ...

2009-06-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Drama in the Sky

2009-06-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

Bangalore evening sky - it's a new act that unfolds everyday.

Longing to Escape

2009-02-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: The photos in this collage belong to me and are not borrowed from the internet.

Glass box to Green box

2009-02-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

This glass and concrete office building stand tall in Seoul, S. Korea.

Can we turn such ecological disasters (think of the reflected heat, cooling needs ...) into green buildings?

Red Tail

2009-02-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

This hairy red tail belongs to a plant and not an animal. I tried searching on the net to find the name, but Google wasn't forthcoming with the answer. Can anyone help?

Prehistoric Monster

2009-02-20T19:36:00.000-08:00

Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) are believed to be 200 million years old. They walked the earth by the side of the great dinosaurs and survived the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs (around 65 million years ago).
The crocodiles are great hunters and have virtually no threats in the wild. But now, this 200 million year old masterpiece of nature is facing extinction in the hands of man. Many species of Crocodylidae family, such as the Indian Gharial, are crtically extinct.
Photo: Crocodile in the Cauvery River, Mysore, India

Insect eating plant from Indonesia

2009-02-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

During my recent visit to Indonesia, I was fascinated by this plant. If you look closely (click on the photo to see full size), you will see that the fruit is covered by tentacles which have a poison tip. This gives out a fruity smell which attracts insects - the poor creatures die before reaching their destination, killed by the deadly poison, juices sucked dry by the carnivorous plant.
Oh my God!! Is this a dream? I haven't ever been to Indonesia and this photo is definitely in my Camera, so what the hell is going on?
Wake up! This weird looking fruit was hanging from a creeper in Indira Nagar, Bangalore at an unkempt park. This reinforced my belief that a photographer should carry a ready camera - all the time - maybe take it to dreams too :)

Science at Work

2009-01-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

Multiple reflections and refractions create a stunning visual effect with glass and water.

Reproducing this with CGI would stress out even the latest graphics processors! Anyone up for the challenge?

Self Assembly

2009-01-27T02:16:00.000-08:00

We use 'heat, beat and treat' to create the stuff we use, with more than 90% waste - high temperatures, noise, harmful chemicals etc.
Nature create wonders quitely, at ambient temperature, without any harmful fallouts - everthing in nature self assembles - programmed to perfection.

Onlookers

2009-01-27T01:36:00.000-08:00

Who are these creatures walking on 2 legs and infecting the whole planet with their concrete, steel, tar, poinonous gases etc. etc.?

It's funny that we look at nature as if it is something strange and wonderful, whereas we must be the strangest creatures of all ... who is the onlooker and who is in the zoo? Lets think about it.

Drama Continues

2009-01-23T05:17:00.001-08:00

The catterpillar eats, eats and eats some more and grows fat and huge. Then come the next act - it creates silk and makes the cocoon.
And one fine day, the cocoon breaks open and a beautiful butterfly emerges. Us humans are not so lucky - too many calories, junk food etc. etc. and one fine day, we are overweight and few sizes too big. Getting back in shape is a huge effort. No butterfly tricks, no magic wands - only real hard work.

Big Eyes

2009-01-23T05:11:00.000-08:00

Deceit, lies, drama, action - nature plays it out better than bollywood or hollywood!!

Nature's Paintings

2009-01-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

The sky in Bangalore is beautiful every evening - a drama unfolds as the sun goes down. One fine day, nature painted the map of northern India - the way it should be - not the cut out version seen on international websites. Is our government taking notice?

Camera is just a tool

2009-01-05T03:14:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken with my Motorola A1200 Mobile Phone Camera (2MP). So, is it worth the money and effort to get that wonderful expensive digital SLR?
The answer is yes - sorry, can't give all the credit to the photographer. With an average camera, you may get a good photo when the lighting and other conditions are wonderful, but to get good shots on a regular basis - you will need a powerful camera. Not to undermine the power of composition, understanding of the light/color/aperture/timing etc. which makes the person behind the lens a VIP, but a powerful tool gives you a better punch.

People these days are getting carried away with Mega Pixels and Zoom factors - these are required, but what is more important is the Camera's optics - the larger the lens, the better photographs you will get - and the more expensive the camera will be. But, before you decide to buy a camera - ask yourself - what will I use it for? If you want to click away your child's birthday parties - look for a camera which gives fast response and simple controls. On the other hand, if you want to drive to the wild and take WOW shots of the landscape, the flora and the fauna - then look for an SLR, or at least a camera with a large lens (large in Dia) and manual controls. And carry a tripod. Many shots require slower timings - anything less than 1/15 seconds will require a tripod for most people (I wouldn't argue on exceptions who can hold a camera steady at 1/4 seconds or less).

Thank you

2009-01-01T23:05:00.000-08:00

Many schools start the day with a morning prayer which goes like - "Thank you god ... ".
Lets take a moment and thank God/Universe/Nature/Higher Power, who provides all the resources for this world to go by and also pray that every human being on earth is provided for.
We should also take a vow that we will make a contribution - however small - to make a positive different to fellow human beings on Earth.

Cheer up and smile

2009-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

The new year party is over, and the holidays are getting over too - still on in some parts of the world, but soon everyone will have to get back to work, with Monday Blues and Tuesday Grays etc.

Let's forget all sorts of New Year resolutions and take up just one - we will be cheerful and smiling 24x7 (you can smile in your dreams too). The trick here is that you cannot be smiling and depressed at the same time ;) - so goodbyes to blues and grays.
(I am not talking about a plastic smile for others, but smiling to yourself).

And if you find it difficult to smile - put up some bright flowers on your desktop - they will sure cheer you up.

Fruits of Success

2009-01-01T21:01:00.000-08:00

So, 2009 is here. Lets give it a warm welcome with a big huge smile.

2008 started well, but crash landed with meltdowns, crackdowns and big bangs. But what hurts most is when efforts are thwarted due to external factors and we do not get expected rewards.

Lets hope 2009 turns our dreams into reality and brings our efforts to fruiton so that we can relish the ripe, red, rich sweetness of success.

Cut the concrete

2008-12-30T00:56:00.000-08:00

In the new year, lets cut across the concrete jungle and reach out to nature. Wanna join me for a camping expedition?

Cheers

2008-12-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

Cheers to the world!! I wish I had these flowers all around my house and I would wake up and stroll around imbibing the cheerful energy every morning - enough to keep me smiling all day.

Captivating

2008-12-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

Focus is the most important thing required to achieve goals, but we keep getting distracted.
But then - if the goal is as captivating as this flower, will the background be distracting?

So, why not set sky high and seemingly impossible goals? You will never lose focus.

The Noodle Maker

2008-12-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

Mesmerizing the audience, this chef in a Korean restaurant has a noodle snake flying above his head. His concentration is striking and his energy is visible even in a static shot. Ever wondered why the Koreans are taking the world by storm?

Wait... that's too old. It is the Chinese who are taking the world by storm.

Closing Scene

2008-12-29T05:16:00.000-08:00

A poignant climax to a day long drama featuring rocks, trees and the sky. This closing scene is sad and serene - but the sequel coming up next morning will be a cheerful extravaganza - I promise you.

In love?

2008-12-29T05:05:00.000-08:00

I am zapped by the amazing variety of visual spectacle offered by Nature.

These flowers have soaked up all the sun and glowing with the radiance of a young maiden in love.

Wake Up

2008-12-28T02:59:00.000-08:00

Every morning we pull ourselves up wih lot of difficulty after hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock many times. I wish I could wake up as fresh, bright and full of life as these flowers.

Wait for me

2008-12-27T12:09:00.000-08:00

We are living in an increasingly individualistic world. When was the last time you called out to your friend and said "Hey! Wait for me"?

Jingle Bells

2008-12-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

A beautiful Santa Claus at the Changi Airport. Shouldn't we start believing in Santa? A few minutes in a dream world each day will keep the stress away!!

Missed it

2008-12-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

I was experimenting with aperture/timing controls on my camera and trying to get the flower and the plane - both in good focus. Didn't realize that it was a A380 standing at the Changi Airport. Later, while going through the photos I took during my trip, I noticed the double row of windows and viola! it clicked - thats a A380 - I would have taken more shots if I had realized.
Moral of the story - you can miss an elephant if you are looking for a mice. So for 2009 - thoda aur wish karo (wish a little more).

Peaceful Existence

2008-12-27T09:29:00.000-08:00

Dreamy eyes of the Deer - always so peaceful. There are dangers lurking in every corner, but does this purturb the deer? They are careful and alert - but worried sick or stressed out? No!
And us humans in the corporate jungle - nobody is pouncing on us from behind the cubicle wall - but our stress levels are skyrocketing.

Forest on Fire

2008-12-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

Flaming red flowers adorn the Palash trees in the forest. The flowers are also known as Flame of the Forest (botanical name -
Butea Monosperma).
The red flames inspire an energetic warmth - lets get up and paint the town red!!

The Busy Ant

2008-12-27T04:14:00.000-08:00

The busy ant caught my attention - was it enjoying the sweet nectar or was it collecting it for its brethren? Concluding the latter, I wondered whether it ever gets tempted to just enjoy all the nectar instead of taking it to its nest. Why do we get tempted so easily to do the wrong thing?

Wright Brothers

2008-12-27T04:02:00.000-08:00

I was mesmerized by this drama of lights and colors in the sky. My stupor was broken by this man made creation - an old propellor plane. A quick chain of thoughts took me to the Wright Brothers - how did they innovate the airplane?

Innovation is distinct from creativity:
Innovation - Doing new things. (Theodore Levitt)
Creativity - Thinking up new things. (Theodore Levitt)

Do we have time for either? or we just wake up and go through the day following the proverbial carrot ...

Mastering Change

2008-12-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

Change is inevitable - and we are currently going through storms of change - globally. Can we change colors like a chameleon? Wasn't that a bad thing to do?

Sheer bliss

2008-12-25T23:09:00.000-08:00

After a 4 hour trek - the cool splash of water is sheer bliss - close your eyes and feel it.

Colors

2008-12-25T23:07:00.000-08:00

The interplay of colors in Nature is so perfect.

Focus

2008-12-25T23:06:00.000-08:00

Hours of focussed concentration ... will it lead to sweet success?

The Dragonfly

2008-12-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that the Dragonfly was a prime inspiration for the design of the Helicopter - lets go out in the forests and get inspired.

TFOs

2008-12-25T22:57:00.000-08:00

Nature is so beautiful and so creative. These Tiny Floating Objects (TFOs) carry the seeds to far off lands where they germinate to start the cycle all over again.

Forest Fires

2008-06-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

Forest fires are devastating, but also, they are natures way of recycling the nutrients back to earth. I am not talking about the fires started by gross negligence of humans, but the ones that occur naturally when dry twigs and leaves ignite.
The fire consumes vegetation and all that is left over is ash and burnt matter . The area looks deserted and animals run off to safer places.
The next phase is the most interesting - the rebirth. Fresh new sprouts of life show up and blossom. Slowly the greens, yellows and reds return and a new cycle of life begins.
I took this photograph while trekking in Bandipur (near Bangalore). This photograph gives me a lot of inspiration.
This tiny yellow flower is standing tall among the ashes. It symbolizes the triumph of life over death, opportunity over failure, ambition over depression, courage over fear ...
The fire gave an opportunity to this flower to blossom and see the sun, otherwise overshadowed by tall grass. Every now and then, we come to a point in life where we see everything falling around us and we lose hope and courage. But we forget that the structures falling around us - which we feel were our greatest support may actually have been hiding rays of sunlight - opportunities that we were unable to see. Instead of looking at the ashes around us, we should look up and see the bright new sun appearing over the horizon!!

Microsoft has evolved

2007-07-12T11:03:00.001-07:00

This is really great. I am writing this post in Office 2007 and I can directly publish it to my blog. Since when did Microsoft start encouraging a networked world? Microsoft has been focussing more on the 'personal' computer, but with Office 2007, I can see a great transformation. Collaboration and networked world seem to be the main philosophy behind the beautiful new Office 2007.