Monday, May 31, 2010

IMG_1434_hdr_gimp_1_filtered_flr

This was today's sky just after sunset and just after the rain.. from my house... breathtaking.. isn't it?

Exposure triangle (1/45s, f/11.3, ISO 200)

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Hanging by Hair


Hanging by Hair, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

nature's tiny beauty at its best...

Taken at Kausani Nainital.. but can be found ANYWHERE, even in your office garden if we are ready to LOOK

Exposure Triangle (1/350s, f/8, ISO 250)

just for fun..
here is what happens when you move your feet by few inches during macro photo... below was the first shot.. i wanted green b/g so moved my feet just a little to get the leaves instead of soil in the bg.. and you see the effect

picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MnbhNs94lPF70Mru9Vebdg?feat...

BTW.. i forgot to re-focus on the hair, so in the green photo the seed center is in focus and i lost the details on the hair.. not bad though!
companion shot

From Flickr Companion

Monarch Butterfly @ Pashan Lake

My fav butterfly and it was eluding me of a decent shot during my entire vacation... and guess what.. i went to Pashan Lake today morning and there were 4-5 wanting to pose for me as much as i please..
Taken at 300mm with my sigma on Macro mode (exposure triangle 1/500s, f/5.7, ISO 200)

Eye Contact in Flight


Eye Contact in Flight, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Went back to Pashan Lake this morning with Andy (Anand J).. not too many birds but these ones were specially favoring us by making long rounds of the place where we were standing.. as if calling to shoot them.. this is one of the "better" ones that turned out today!

Friday, May 28, 2010

Smile.. its precious


Smile.. its precious, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

this was a boy on sat-tal lake near nainial.. His job was to get customers for the food-joint he was working for.. he was so cheerful that i could not resist taking my camera out and taking a portrait!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Cute Pose


Cute Pose, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

That's my son, Soham. I had this crazy idea looking at the interesting bench by the lake side.. and he happily obliged!!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Leading Lines


Leading Lines, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

i love this shot particularly for the composition.. leaf edges providing the "leading lines effect"... and further going on to get divided and merged again towards the end... one of the photos i consider as "achievement"

For those looking for interesting things.. look at the natural color shades in be bottom left bokeh (just above the leaf... )almost looks like rainbow!

Exposure: f/5.6: 1/125s : ISO 800

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Spotted Dove


Spotted Dove, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

uncropped photo (rare for me for birding with 300mm!) Lucky shot as the dove came and comfortably sat on the tree below which i was trying to catch the butterflies.. it was a very small tree.. so got the best view. Was difficult to shoot in the dense shade.. but i guess got decent exposure @ ISO 800 with 1/90 sec. I wish there was little more light to go upto f/8 which would have got the tail in focus as well.. i was concentrating on the EYE.. and fortunately that got quite well.

Painted Pine Fruit.. my art


Painted Pine Fruit.. my art, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Not that i do this often, but we brought a pine fruit from our recent vacation with a project in mind to paint it beautifully along with my son! I think we did well.

I certainly scored good points with my son.. hahaha

About the photo..

Light: completely natural light from the glass door...
background.. my textured wall
bottom... glass on black cloth on my TV

Friday, May 21, 2010

White-rumped Shama


White-rumped Shama, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Name thanks to www.indiabirds.com/

Spotted in Jim Corbett!! Very interesting bird!!

Anyone knows marathi name for this guy?

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Packet of Power (motion blur)

Its incredible how FAST the butterflies are.. Shot at 1/750s and still the motion blur...this is not camera shake (evident with the bottom left flower sharpness!)

WOW.. getting motion blur at such speed just shows how the butterflies take off and why its so hard to photograph them IN-FLIGHT!

I tried to catch the butterflies in flight literally dozens of times during this vacation... but this is the only one i have with me to showcase!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Heavenly Himalayas


Heavenly Himalayas, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

This is the view from Ranikhet on the way to Kausani.. This was our view view of Himalaya.

Eye Contact in Transit


Eye Contact in Transit, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Taken when the train was standing on signal to let the engine pass by (seen as two bright spots!)

Couple of guys were peeping out of door in another compartment... this breaks many rules (like rule of third, don't make the photo divide into two etc).. but it still liked it myself...

on one side there is action (the moving engine) and on other side its plain (out of focus stationary train!).

Monday, May 17, 2010

Eye Catcher?


Eye Catcher?, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

One of my FAVs from the nainital-kausani vacation.

This one was captured about 20km before Kausani where we had taken rest near a tample and side-by river. The butterfly was not huge.. but i could get REAL close to the flower (as close as my lens focusing could allow...) and waited for a few mins.. and got this perfect catch...

Look for the EYE and the hair around its face View Large On Black

Sunday, May 16, 2010

War in the sky


War in the sky, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

here is the second one i had captured @ nainital lake.. this one without the light reflection in the lake and capturing only the sky and the hill.

This time more dramatic shapes in the sky.. and what's better i could catch two big ones in 30 sec exposure.. can't ask for more.

I could not carry by big-gun tripod on the family vacation but the 6-inch pocket tripod (wire type with flexible legs) did a commendable job!
Very Lucky!...

Gandhilmashi...Yellow Jacket Wasp

don't go by its looks... this one is dangerous.. Spotted feasting on the wild berries in uttaranchal called 'Kafal'.

One of these bit my son at the start of the trip.. 10 days after that.. even today my son gets rashes on the body.. so if you spot one of these.. be careful.

Coming to the photo.. i am quite amazed how hairy it is and the black spots within its eye..

Ray of Light in the Heaven (HDR)

how often i find myself in the "HDR Hole"??

Taken near Bhimtal lake in Nainital.. was pretty cloudy and sun was playing hide-and-seek!

This photo was taken in RAW with pure and simple intention to convert to HDR, simply because of the V shape two hills behind it, the sky and the light rays!! Isn't it enough reason for this to deserve the HDR?

I have tried not to go overboard.. i would let my friends judge if i have succeeded!! Some Photomatrix and my own style in GIMP.

Will wait for friendly Bricks / Roses!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Streaked Laughingthrush


Streaked Laughingthrush, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

This was quite a lucky catch near my hotel in Kausani (Uttarakhand... bear the foothills of himalaya!) This guy was not scared of people and i could get real close (very slowly ofcourse).. early morning 6:22 am.. angular light falling straight on the bird's eye!

look at the sharpness around the eye... (i haven't used any sharpening on this.. rather its SOOC with some crop)..
who says Sigma APO-DG-MACRO 70-300 is SOFT? (i know it is sometimes.. but certainly not this one ;) )

Name.. thanks to www.indiabirds.com/newframe.asp and a bit of searching around!
View On Black

Lightning over Lake


Lightning over Lake, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

I was fortunate enough to capture lighting over the Nainital lake in the visit last week!

This was whopping 30 seconds exposure with widest 18mm available.. from first floor balcony or my hotel room .. with a 6 inch pocket tripod kept between the balcony bars.

The reflection of lights in the lake balance the lightning nicely (i think!) what say you guys?.

I was told by few friends that catching a "horizontal" lightning is pretty rare... not sure about that!

Exposure: 30s @ f/6.7, ISO:100

View On Black

Friday, May 14, 2010

Circular


Circular, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Quite simple shot of a tiny flower on cactus like plant in my hotel @ Kausani! Turned out to be a very good macro!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Oriental Magpie Robin


Oriental Magpie Robin, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

Taken on: Canon 1000D (Rebel XS) + Sigma APO-DG-MACRO 70-300mm
Focal Length: 300mm, Exposure: f/8.0 @ 1/250s, ISO 200

First upload from my Jim Corbett visit. Lovely place for birding, even though this was not he best season for birding!! This guy was sitting on the long grass strand on our safari visit early morning!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Emersed


Emersed, originally uploaded by Yogendra174.

This is Shruti Koparkar.. buddying hindustani classical vocal artist (and daughter of renouned Pt. Vijay Koparkar).. Attended a private "mehfil" on saturday organized by my brother in law @ katraj... her "Mi Radhika.." was amazing.. you guys should listen!