BLACK & WHITE

Tiny droplets of newness…

2011-10-26T02:34:00.000-07:00

Framed in: A blooming flower at any point of time is a sight to savor. The freshness associated with it is unexplainable. With those tiny droplets of water sticking on to it… the whole world will look new. I don’t know whether it is the blooming flower or those droplets of water in those petals that add freshness to the flower, but it is true that those tiny droplets of water can make almost everything look fresh and anew. Newness is an ineluctable part of our life. Anything new is interesting and it makes us curious. A new book, a new pair of dress, a new pen and even a new word that we have learnt is exciting. But as nobody can stop the ticking of clock, everything grows old and makes us lose interest. Once we fail to find newness in things we do, it makes life a scum bag of routines and make us think that the life is boring to the core. We should be able to safeguard freshness in life. Like those tiny droplets of water add freshness to almost everything, we should be able to discover that tiny newness in everything we do and everything we see. If there is something new to do everyday, life never goes dull. And this world is so vast that you will never run out of newness. You just have to put in a little extra effort to discover that newness in everything you do. Everything that will have some thing new in it which would have been missed by us. The music of the rain, the missed sentences in a poem, the new tastes in those mom’s same old menu and so on… Once we are able do discover them , life will turn out to be a deep meditation where you will re-discover yourself and you will be reborn every second. What is fresher than a birth? It’s always a new start! always be a new born! Let’s start this life anew every second by discovering those little droplets of newness and live life to its fullest extent!

Framed out: This photograph was clicked during one of those dull days in Munnar, during my estate days. It was a period when I was considering myself dead creatively as there was nothing to do that made me exciting and my thoughts were full of logistics and mathematics. But there was this fire to be different and lighten up those creative and romantic parts of the brain. Whenever I could, I used to wander around in my 1962 model royal Enfield with my Yashica to do what I liked the most, clicking pictures. But the time was a scarcity there as I was caught in the web of all those nuisances associated with a planter’s life and I confess, I failed to find newness in everything I do. But still I did safeguard some of the freshness as far as I could. This picture is a result of that. I was returning to the field on that day morning after the breakfast and as always was deep in despair due to the usual routine affairs. When I was about to start my bullet this flower caught my attention. Together with the diffused rays of the early morning sun and the dew drops settled in it, it aroused me. I grabbed my yashica FX3 loaded with Fuji 200 and clicked this pic. This frame still evokes the smell of dry days I spent there in that estate!

Grey Frames: Do not say, 'It is morning,' and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name. Rabindranath Tagore

Lucky enough to be there….

2010-11-18T23:53:00.000-08:00

Framed in: “The Royal Branch”, is lucky enough to be there, right in front of a great palace. By the virtue of being in a palace garden, the branch also becomes royal! An absurdity! There has to be an end to this idiotic practice. This inequality has been happening all around the globe from the day history can be traced out. King’s son becoming the next king, how much ever incapable he is.. The only quality he might have had was that he was the son of the king! This happens in this era also… Politician’s son is a politician.. Actor’s son is an Actor…Democracy becomes a mockery.. If born to a middle class struggling family.. it becomes an Herculean task to climb up to your dreams. But if you are born in a well to do family with a lot of political and financial background, you don’t even have to dream.. Dreams will appear in front of you and you just have to choose! Which ‘ism’ can eradicate this inequality! Until then equality in this world will remain a dream!

Framed Out: This picture is very memorable to be. This can be the first click by me which had an artistic angle! That was during a family trip around Karnataka.. with all my relatives when I was in std IX! Exposed at the Mysore palace with my (then it was my dad’s!) Yashica FX3 with FX7 Lens.. the odd angle of this frame gives a strange balance to the picture. The branch peeping out from the right edge with the golden light of the setting sun falling on it… makes the composition more interesting. I still remember my father scolding me a lot for tilting the camera! But I still believe the Dutch angle and that branch adds a tinge of magic to the frame!
Grey Frames: "The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal." Aristotle
Beyond Frames: For my dad.. Who else… who guided me with his eyes to this wonderful world of photography! Thank you Acha!

When the Tree Loves the Sky…!

2010-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Love stories happen around the world. The sharing of hearts, Warmth of the hugs, Dampness of the kisses.. they make us still believe that living in this earth is not that a boring affair! When a tree loves the sky.. anything can happen! The static stubborn tree with its branches spread out… The cool blue sky with the romantic clouds floating on them… they are ways apart and not meant to be together! The difference is obvious. Nobody considers them as a good match and naturally disagreement arises when talked about they getting united! But no force in this earth can seperate them except themselves.For two hearts in love.. they knows no boundaries nor anything else for that matter. The only thing that matters to them is their hearts. Two hearts in love… Nothing can separate them. That’s why the old cliché, “Love is blind!”. But when there is a difference of opinion between those two hearts in love..? There is nothing like a kiss as a remedy. A sweet warm kiss filled with those fragrances of affection. That can ebb out any differences between those two hearts. Let the tree kiss the sky and let them unite together leaving behind all those difference of opinions. Kissing the blues will definitely bring back the magic of affection between them! Let this inspire every one out there to kiss their loved ones to bring back those charm of romanticism which we lost due to the monotonous ways of living. Let us try to make this earth a beautiful paradise. Because only love can transform any hell into an heaven!

Framed out: This photo is from my series titled “Nostalgic Mornings”. Mornings are the best part of any given day. Watching the darkness slowly dissolving away with the birds chirping at the background… Enjoying the cool breezy morning sipping a cup of hot tea with the news paper, sitting in the balcony… mornings are truly romantic! I wont sacrifice my mornings for anything else. Those coziness offered by the mornings are to be enjoyed to the fullest extend! And the opportunities that a morning offers to a photographer is immense! The slanting golden rays make each and everything in this earth so beautiful. I love to pack my kit and go on photographic expeditions on the early hours of dawn. This pic was a result of one such adventure. The silhouetted tree against a clean blue sky.. That was a treat to my lens. Clicked with my Yaschica FX3, those sprinkled clouds adds an unmatchable beauty to this frame. The odd diagonal angle of the tree renders a dynamism to the frame. One of my all time favourites in my collection.. this pic is too romantic!

Grey Frames: “Kissing is a means of getting two people so close together that they can't see anything wrong with each other.” Rene Yasenek

Beyond Frames: This dedication is special. This is for some one who made me dream the same dream many a times in a day! For the angel who made me believe a tree can love the sky and kisses are the magical remedy for any drifts between two hearts! Its for you.. on this special day.. to make it more special… kisses and love…

Rain Drops.. Kissing My Heart..

2010-07-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Say the word ‘Rain’, an incomparable joy pours in. Every rain comes with a lot of commitments and attachments packed into it. The first rain drop make us believe that it is here to stay forever. But no rain has ever stayed till the end. At some point of time it has to stop leaving behind a lot of tears and perspiration. After the rains, the world take a sudden turn. The birds, romancing on the top of trees which still rains; walls, with a lot of strange designs left behind by the dampness of the rain; Paths, waiting with puddles of water for the children to kick; Earth, inviting us with a fresh fragrance! But the most exquisite of them all are the dripping drops of rain from the leaves, barbed wires, grass etc. Its their tears for losing the rain! They don’t understand the fact that every rain has to stop at one point of time. After the rains.. tears remain! But I am experiencing a drizzle now. A drizzle of love and warmth, drenching my soul. I wish this rain stays forever here, kissing my heart!

Framed out: This was clicked during the last days of my stay in Munnar. It was a Sunday and we had nothing to do. So, me and my colleague, Arun.K.Nair went to Rajamalai a world renowned wild life sanctuary famous for ‘Nilgiri Thar’. For visitors, entry is restricted up to a point. But since KDHP ( Kannan Devan Hill Plantation) had an estate beyond that point and the asst: Manager of that estate was our friend, we were allowed to cross that point. You can call it a heaven. I was fascinated by the picturesque landscapes. To top it, rain accompanied us! My camera couldn’t resist itself from clicking! I clicked almost two rolls! This dripping barbed wire was one of my favorites among them. Did a take a lot of effort to get the frame right. Arun always used to make fun of me on my eccentricities like these! But he was so supportive for all my crimes. Thanks comrade! This picture was clicked with my Yashica FX3.

Grey Frames: Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain. An Argentinean Proverb.

The smell of innocence…

2010-04-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Babies are God sent. They reflect the divinity of the nature. I remember once one of my teachers asked us what could be the reason for this divinity attached with the kids? We were in our class IX or something and we were blank. I have never thought of a reason behind that but knew that babies are just cute to be hugged and kissed! And then he told us, the reason for that divinity is just because of the innocence and the helplessness of the babies! That make them so special. Somewhere during the course of our growing up, we lose this innocence and get prepared to face the world. After all what is maturity? Nothing but losing your innocence and true self and learning to live according to other’s wish and act in front of the society. ! And I always believe that man is in his true self only in bathrooms when he is shut in the four walls and when nobody is watching him. The entire education system is designed to make us more matured, ie, lose innocence and become more and more sly! The more educated you are, the more foxy you are! I am presenting here for you, The ‘Expressions of innocence’, which we have lost somewhere. Trying to grab back a piece of that! Let us start a journey backwards.. Let the innocence prevail…

Framed out: An assignment for a magazine on a feature about the tribes of Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu took me to the dwellings of the tribes in that area. I have always loved feature photography and love clicking the human expressions. That’s were the satisfaction of photography lies in me, to make immortal a piece of expression. And I guess I am well appreciated for that too! The innocence of this sweet little kid attracted me. But when I approached to a take a portrait of her she refused. And I guess she was frightened and got in to the hip of her grand mother and started crying. That presented a more interesting frame for me and I clicked it with my Yashica FX3 with FX7 lens and loaded with Fuji 200. I still adore the innocence her eyes.

Grey Frames: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” Pablo Picasso

Sparkling Romantic Red….

2010-01-23T03:44:00.000-08:00

Framed in: In Love, what a red rose can do, nothing else can. There cannot be a substitute for Red roses and kisses in love. Dampness of some sweet kisses and dryness of a few red roses given by HER are still there in my fading memories! Romance is such an amazing feeling that springs up in any individual. That’s a basic necessity which makes this world more beautiful to live in. looking on to her eyes, one forgets the fact that the earth rotates, day and night appears, time tickles on, autumn and spring passes by… Once you fall in love, you find yourself upside down… the entire world will look more colourful and beautiful! Once I was in love.. but not any more. But whenever I see those passion flowers… I wish to be back to my romantic days. To walk with her in the rains… to be kissed by her in the darkness of the night… to be hugged by her in the shades of trees… to feel her smell which resembled baby creams… to write love letters.. to fight over those silly things… In Love, what a red rose can do, nothing else can!!!!

Framed Out: Those college days… they were romantic and fun. The day was auspicious and was during my second year of UG.. It was after some function. Think it was the inauguration of the literary club and I was elected as the Gen. Secretary or something. After the function I came down from the auditorium and was just kidding around. one of my juniors came to me with a bunch of red roses.(I swear noting fishy in that!). She just wanted to congratulate me on the occasion. That’s it! Her hands were looking cute and I had this idea. The camera was Nikon FM10 loaded with Kodak200 I guess. I asked her to hold them against the white walls of the class room which resulted in this picture. A small manipulation digitally presented a wonderful frame! Something like a post card… this picture, though a cliché, still evokes the feel of a romantic moment spent with some one special!

Grey Frames: “If I had a rose for every time I thought of you, I'd be picking roses for a lifetime.” Swedish Proverb

Toddling Back in to life with colours….

2009-11-23T23:33:00.000-08:00

Framed in: The colours were worn off the day she was born. The hopes and joys never shed its pearls on her. The darkness was visible at a distance. And there were no lights of hope anywhere around. But she decided to fight. She was determined to colour her life with the brightest colours despite of all the odds against her. The darkness around her were ebbed out with the colours of hopes and dreams from nature. With those limited colours known to her she has started to toddle back in to the life! A lesson to be learned by us indeed. Because we fail to recognize the colours around us since its abundant!

Framed out: This picture was taken at KEREMEHAS (Kendra for the Rehabilitation of Multiple Handicapped Adult Sisters) at Coimbatore undertaken by the Church of South India, Coimbatore Diocese. I was assigned to make a photo essay for them. The inmates of the Kendra where Mentally retarded and were adult sisters. The problems faced by them are quite different from those faced by the special children. But the determination of the inmates to defeat their fate was amazing. This Sister was one among them. She was an excellent artist and creates greeting cards on her own. With colours surrounded her, and the painting brushes in the fore ground, it presented an interesting frame. Clicked with Nikon FM10, this picture will stay in my mind always. It speaks volumes.

GreyFrames: "Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow.” Helen Keller

Walks of Life...

2009-09-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

Framed in: The picture looks so serene. Every one walk towards a final destination, a destination that is so mysterious but an inevitable one! The life is short and we must enjoy it. But people tend to forget this. In an attempt to live, we forget to live! We are just rotating the arms of clocks and see the time pass by! Seeing people hanging in trains, buses and rushing towards their work places early in the morning and back home late in the night, I feel so pathetic! When will we have time to live? Thinking seriously of going back to some serene landscapes and live a life where time waits for us, where we enjoy the morning rays of sun, where we feel content with the magenta coloured twilight of dusk, where stars and moon can be adored! ( I am having a weird thought of settling in some interior villages of kerala and set up a small tea shop and read a lot about cinema and watch at least 2 films a day and also I can exhibit films to the villagers there!:) ! How would that be?) Whenever I see this pic, there is an incomparable peace and relaxation running through my nerves! Life has to be enjoyed like this, walking so relaxed, not bothered about the time that tickles by and other chains that become a hindrance! Not during the last walks of life but every time. Some one has to teach the entire human race how to live the life in its fullest extend and utmost satisfaction! The walk has to be slow, a word hated by this fast paced world!!!

Framed out: Even though the pic looks so serene and peaceful, the story behind this pic is not that peaceful! This was taken at kaleghoot beach in Goa with Nikon FM10 camera loaded with Fuji 200 and Sigma 75-200 lens. There were lot of foreign ladies bathing in the beach and I was going around clicking pictures with my long lens. The guy in this pic noticed this and had a doubt on me! (I swear, my intentions were pure) But he thought it in the wrong way! He came running towards me furiously and started shouting. (I could only hear the letter “F”!) And he asked for the roll to be handed over to him! Oh! That was an experience. Some how I managed to escape from there, with God’s graze! I did think that I will be trashed by that fat lunatic British guy! Luckily, the people gathered there, mostly where foreigners, asked him to cool down and asked me to leave the place at once! I ran from there in a jiffy! Really an amazing experience!

Grey Frames: “To be able to look back upon ones life in satisfaction, is to live twice” Kahlil Gibran

Mysterious...

2009-08-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Framed in: We are in a maze! A maze controlled by time. More we try to come out from it more we are trapped in it, trapped in the spider web of time. We enjoy good times; we curse bad times and in this fast paced world controlled by internet and other communication gadgets we race against the entire time only to find out that we will never win against time! Imagine a life without time! The pace of the life will definitely come down! How calm it will be. I am dreaming of such a life where I am not depended of time and want to break all the clocks and watches around me! Just want to break away from the mysterious ways and speeds of time! Let’s go back to those times when there were no clocks or watches, where the speed of life could have been compared to the speed of a snail, so calm and meditative… So let’s try avoiding leaning on to time at least for a day and bring back the soul in to this life!

Framed out: oops! How can I forget the day! This pic was taken at kallar, near mettupalayam. That was our Degree batch’s first outing. A perfect start, I still remember. We had a drawing workshop with Arjun sir, an artist. The last day we went on an outing to draw the sceneries. I painted using my camera. The first expedition as a photographer I would say. The amount of effort taken to expose this frame was enormous. Literally lying on a fallen tree to get the texture of the tree I borrowed a watch from Vivin (we call him “Maapi”) and captured the time using the 1960 model Zenith camera! (Thanks for Anilettan, my guru for lending me his camera!)

Grey Frames: “Who forces time is pushed back by time; who yields to time finds time on his side.

~The Talmud

Dark & Curved… To Blurred Destination!

2009-08-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Destiny is decided by the way we face life. For cowards, who feel safe to follow others and travel through the roads traveled by others most often, only a monotonous, non-challenging, boring destination awaits! But for those who take the road less traveled, they find a new path and leave the trail for others to follow! They remain the leaders. The road to Destiny may be curved, dark with only a narrow ray of hope shining in distance, with a lot of obstacles in the way and perhaps long too! But those has to be overcome by the energy of optimism and dreams. Let the roads taken by you take you to enchanting landscapes!

Framed Out: This Snap cannot be forgotten. After a tiresome bike ride of more than 400 km over a day, I was on my way back to estate and was supposed to report for the job by 6.45AM. It was already 6.30 and there was half an hour ride more to estate. But how can I miss such an extravaganza. Decided to stop my “Mayavi” (my enfield) and make this frame immortal! Took out my Yashica FX3 and exposed the “Road to Destiny!” Rightly exposed, the pic brings in a coolness and totality of the dawn!

Grey Frames: The end is decided when you decide the path. Fidel Castro

Following… without making a noise…

2009-07-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Shadows tell us a great deal about ourselves. Your true self is reflected in your shadow. It cannot be manipulated. The only image of you which can never be manipulated. It’s your true self. Whenever we deviate from our path, it tries to bring back us on track reminding us of what we actually are! Shadows make a steady stroll in to our inner soul and finds a path to our heart too! As Buddha says its the only companion which follows you wherever you go till you are dead; A follower who makes no noise! In short, it’s the better half of you! And a shadow is a promise too.. A promise that confirms there is a large source of light around you and you are not in darkness any more! Truly a stalker who leads a silent revolution in us!

Framed Out: A gloomy day can be changed by the click of a fantastic picture. It was a dull afternoon. Think it was one of those holidays which passes by without anything much to do! I was wandering in the compound of my mom’s house with nothing to click. Suddenly this thought of clicking my own shadow struck me. Just a curiosity. With my Yashica FX3 shot my own shadow and a dried leaf in the frame added more elegance to it. It made the composition more strong and visually captivating. The mysterious quality of the picture makes it really interesting!

Grey Frames: Shadow owes its birth to light. John Gay

Trapped in Between...

2009-07-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Framed in: What ever we do to bring in clarity, Chaos remains… A curse of this generation, lost in the maze of Internet and Digital revolution. With the communication and technologies treading through new paths, the life should have been much at ease and relaxed. But on the contrary all these bring in more and more pressures and unhappiness. None is content with life. Especially, today’s youth are off-track. Not knowing where to go, they are lost in the middle of the sea. Without specific destinations, they wander without directions. This brings in a weird expression in their faces not letting them to enjoy the life in its fullest essence! A serene landscape filled with green lush tea bushes, a cool refreshing river flowing through its middle, a pleasant breeze kissing the lips, musical notes being played by the cuckoos and add on to it gentle drizzles through mild sunlight…. What more do you need to enjoy life? But he is still in Chaos and Solitude… a curse which has been following him through out!

Framed out: This picture was taken at Panniar dam in Kerala during my short stint with HML as an Asst.Manager in one of their tea estates at Surianelli! That was a Sunday and my best pal, sound MIXER Vishnu had come to visit me in the estate. So we had arranged a trip to Panniar dam. A rocking trip with my colleagues Arun.K.Nair, Milton Durom and Sijin. It was amazing in every sense. Boating through the dam for all day with occasional rains and rum accompanying, it was definitely one of those days to cherish. Before getting into boat, when clouds let the sun free for some time, I spotted Vishnu sitting in the banks of the river, smoking and thinking something deeply. He posed an attitude and that raised my interest. Captured with my Yashica, this picture remains one of my favorites.

Grey Frames: we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh. Friedrich Nietzsche

Gliding between Life and Death!

2009-07-16T21:09:00.000-07:00

Framed in: How should we be welcoming death? A question which is a paradox. But according to Osho, while we know that death is in front of us, we must just let off the life fly away from us! Otherwise if we try to cling towards the life, we will never feel content and will die with a feel that we still have lot more to be done in this world. The hope in this case is a villain! What ever the hope may be death is inevitable. You can’t keep it postponed for even a second. Then why this hesitation to accept it?! “The Last Leaf” by O.Henry was an inspiration once.. But later it brought in lot of weird thoughts. It is giving a false promise… There is nothing eternal in this world. The same is the case with a few relations too. Certain relations may be intense but unstable. Every second we will be reminded that this relation is not going to last long for some or other reasons. But still we try to cling on to it. The best way to come out of it is to let it go off.. Let it fly away and never try to call it back. The emptiness may be painful for a few days. But believe me, as the cliché goes… Time is the best healer! Let the leaf hanging on the edge of the finger fall off.. Let it fly down and perish… New leafs will definitely sprout!

Framed out: This picture was taken during one of our practical classes during my second year of UG. There was a huge structure made of iron and a white translucent material attached to it which we never knew for what purpose it was at that time. (Now I guess it was meant for Table Top photography) It was used for everything else except for what it was intended to! Those were the days when creativity was the buzz word and we were like trying a lot of weird stuffs to prove we were thinking out of the box! This was a result of that search. There was this thing of white translucent board attached to the large iron structure. I got a banyan tree leaf from somewhere and asked my friend Gayu (Gayathri Devi) to hold it with one finger on the board and kept a light directly behind it. The result was this picture. It has a mysterious look attached to it. Another pic in my collection of abnormal photos! It was clicked with my Yashica FX3 camera attached with FX7 lens

Grey Frames: The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. ~Mark Twain

Beyond Frames : “Creativity is defeating habit by originality:” (Courtesy: One of the tables in the Transit in Forum Mall in Bangalore and Nitha who showed it to me!).

Through out… Till the end….

2009-07-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Framed in : The entire life is a wait… Through out the life we wait for something at every point of time… From the day we are born, the wait is an indispensable part of us. We wait for our mom’s caring hugs during the child hood, we wait for those sweet pecks from dad…We wait for bus, we wait for exam results and what not?!… and when the hormones creates a tickle in us, when we find out the right person…we wait for him/her to be a part of us!!! And every wait carries hope. But there are these waiting which has no definite hopes.. but still… As my friend once wrote to me “Ella kaathirippinu pinnilum oru pratheekshayundavum. Pratheekshayillaatha kaathirippinu pakshe oru sukhamund!” (Every wait will have a hope.. But this wait, without any hopes also has a pleasure!) yes, that was true. Certain relationships are like that. Even though the hopes and expectations of being together are feeble, the mind tends to wait, of course without any hope! But the love still exists! Can it exist as eternal even when we have to separate at some point of time? Let us wait! In short.. What is life? It is nothing but a wait for death from the day we are born! She is also waiting for him… with a hope he will come at some point of time to hug her.

Framed out : I don’t have a definite idea when was this photo was clicked. But this is my second year class room.. so it might have been taken somewhere during 2004. And I remember that particular day. It was a tire some day after a trip or something and we were just cooling out in our class room. Suddenly spot her (she was my class mate) standing in the class room door as though waiting for some one! That created an interest in me. The melancholy in her expression caught my attention. I clicked it with my Yashica FX3 without her knowledge! Think she liked the picture!

Grey Frames : “Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering.” Paulo Coelho.

Beyond Frames : For all those who are waiting for something endlessly.. (I know a quite a few people now!). Keep faith… The hopes will be delivered.. So wait with happiness!!!

Rough Terrains…

2009-07-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Barren Terrains… Dried up bushes… Gloomy sky… What else do you require to make your day the worst! The sight of the barren land filled with dried and thorny bushes always brings weird dreams... Dreams of getting lost... Dreams of getting hurt… dreams of being in hot frying pan... and what not! These weird dried up bushes creates cracks in the still to be explored sky. The unpainted canvas is full of dark patches and gloomy ashes! But somewhere the hope lies in the sky. The hope for a rain to have new sprouts and buds…. Hopes for a brighter sunshine to bring back happiness… Every Dark Patch in life will have a better tomorrow waiting. Wait till the right time arrives to cross the rough terrains!

Framed Out: A casual morning walk with my elder uncle G.K. never seemed satisfying for my camera. It was a gloomy morning and the light was too less. My Zenith Camera (A 1960 Russian make) had a lens with a slower speed (its maximum aperture was 4.) So I knew it was not the right time. We discussed a lot of things during the walk. Poetry, cinema, Osho, R.K’s Cartoons… Suddenly this happened. There were these dried up bushes hanging on in a rough patch against a grey sky. The stage was set for my camera as I always loved silhouettes. I just took out my camera, Set the shutter speed in 1/30 and supported my camera by holding it tight towards my body and clicked it expecting a silhouette. The exposure was just right and the colour, just perfect. I have not hampered the colour. It’s not a B&W image. It’s taken in colour. But as the atmosphere was so gloomy it looks like a B&W image.

Grey Frames: “Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.” Rabinthranath Tagore

Searching for existence..

2009-06-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

Framed in: When an individual loses a sense of personal sameness and historical continuity, he falls into this state known as “identity crisis.” We feel dejected and out of the world. The reasons for we being here in this world is unknown to us. But definitely there is a purpose for our presence here, because nothing happens without a cause. This holds true in every case as in “Chaos Theory”. As the time goes by, importance of certain things diminishes certain other things increases. That’s natural. This particular statue brings us the memories of the once glorious past it had. Now left untouched, it might have had a fabulous past with even people worshipping it. But now ignored by everyone, broken down into pieces, it still stays in its place with an identity crisis, without knowing its purpose of being there! This can happen to me, to you, to everyone! So beware!

Framed out: This picture was taken at Dauna pola beach in Goa. One of those rarest beaches in Goa which doesn’t have much sand. This particular statue, raised my interest. The way it stood facing the sea, the mysterious look.. everything added to the interest it created. I dint wait long to click it. With the Nikon FM10 camera loaded with Fuji 200 film, it brought out the colour I intended for. This pic has effectively used the awesome qualities of a tele lens. With vivtar 75-300 lens obviously set at 300 mm, the depth of field was controlled and a slight out of focus added the mysterious touch to it. Taken from slightly above the horizon, this gives the pic a look like that has been taken from an air craft or something which added to its mysterious look! Truly an identity crisis!

Grey Frames: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. "
Friedrich Nietzsche

Romantic Mornings....

2009-05-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Dreams are unlimited. They come and go. For me… most of my dreams are romantic! In fact romantic to the core… These romantic paths… I love these lonely ways and walks through them. These paths are seductive. Seductive to the extend that they make you dream! A walk with her, through this mystic greenery, with fingers crossed, to the horizons, by sharing the dreams and breaths…. What a dream that is! If rain accompanies… what more can I ask!!! But sadly, most of the time, the ways are lonely for me. I cross them alone! Never ever there was some one to cross the fingers over and share the heart beats through these paths. These ways are my dreams… dreams to a walk to the land of dreams unlimited.. With those fingers crossed and shoulders rubbed!

Framed out: This photo is a part of my series titled “Nostalgic Mornings” made as a part of an academic assignment. Clicking pictures in the early hours of the mornings was my passion always. So when I was given an option to choose my topic for the assignment, I dint even hesitate… Mornings.. The romantic, pleasant, cool, blue mornings! At once packed my kit and went to the mountain ranges of Nilgiris to the get the ultimatum! The series was an awesome one with the richness of Morning and coolness of early rays. This pic was one such exposed with my Yashica FX3 with FX7 lens. These are definitely my ways to the Dreams!

Grey Frames: "The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." - Rumi

Beyond Frames: This post is dedicated to some one who has led me to the discovery of the best Music I can ever hear! Who has taught me the meaning of the smileys! Some one who dreams to make my dreams a reality; to walk in rain with the fingers crossed… rains with pearls and crystals… who has taught me “if there is a reason to love, there is a reason for life and beyond!”.. Who always keeps on telling me “certain relationships come without a tag!” For her magic ragas of love and affection! Yes it is for you… just for you…

For Tomorrow….

2009-05-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

Framed in : These photos were a part of a photo Series titled “India 2020”! “Today’s children are tomorrow’s citizens.” Courtesy… Jawahar Lal Nehru! To achieve the vision of our former president Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, children have to be prepared from today itself. India, with its vast and rich resources, can definitely become the world’s major power. It’s just that the energy and hard works has to be directed in to the right direction! So, today’s children who are tomorrow’s citizen has to be given a proper vision and guidance to lead India to new horizons. Let us prepare for that!

Framed out: When the topic was given as India 2020, I was in a dilemma... what to shoot? I could think of nothing else other than Dr.Abdul Kalam's Dream and vision. So, I came out with this concept of preparing the children for 2020. And I must thank my class mates Rajma and Varna who helped me to find a place to shoot those little sweet pies! But, to be honest, this was the toughest assignment I have ever attempted! It was not that easy as you see in the picture! To make them sit in one place and make them hear me was too tough. I wonder how they direct kids in movies. And this might be the reason why films with children gain more popularity internationally! But they were adorable and sweet! This was an awesome experience for me as a photographer! And more over this concept has gained recognition widely.

Grey Frames: "A developed India by 2020, or even earlier, is not a dream. It need not be a mere vision in the minds of many Indians. It is a mission we can all take up - and succeed." - A P J Abdul Kalam.

The First Rays….

2009-05-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Dawn… The first appearance of light in the sky before the sunrise. It brings in lot of hopes along with a pleasant breeze. After a relaxed sleep the eyes open to the coolness of the morning with a lot of hopes and happiness. The expectations are plenty and the atmosphere is pleasant.. The windows are about to open to the new rays of hope! What more do you need? Go on… Let it be always dawn in your life! And let the symmetry of your life be balanced and let the birds chirp every now and then.

Framed out: It was Panjim, Goa. The coolest place for any photographer. The visual variety and richness it offers is quite amazing! A walk with your camera can make you a stunning photographer. I was there in 2004 for the first time to photograph a painting exhibition conducted by Indian Christian Art Association. I was sent by the college to cover the event. The mornings are always tempting. I loaded the Nikon FM10 camera and a 70-200 Vivitar lens and went for a morning walk. It gave me some awesome pictures. This one is particularly close to me since it offers a wide variety of perspectives. The symmetry, The colour, The lighting, The grandeur of the Portuguese architecture etc. Presenting that Dawn… for you!

Grey Frames: "However long the night, the dawn will break" : African proverb

The Elixir….

2009-05-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

Framed in: Dreams are the very essence of life. Without which the life would have been a monotonous chains of realities. They add in more spices and hopes and smiles… when you dream… you are re-born! So, in a way dreams are the elixir of life! Dreams are one’s own… you cannot expect some one else to dream for you. So you have to dream your dream and you have to Hold on to your dreams tightly! And as the former president of India, Dr.Abdul Kalam stated, “Dreams are not those you see during your sleep, but those are the ones that should make you sleepless! So, I am sleepless and still clinging on to my dreams. Joining me?

Framed out: It was one of those boring vacation days. After lunch I usually feel a very depressing laziness which will tempt me to go to bed. But I hate sleeping during daylight! So I took out my Camera and was wandering through the compound of my house with a macro lens mounted on it. I was searching for something strange and peculiar. But nothing captivated my interest. Suddenly I had a close look into my fist and held it above my head against the sun. That captured my mind. Took out the lens cap, set the shutters and apertures at the higher end and clicked with one hand. The result was stunning! This photo has drawn a lot of appreciation for me as a photographer. There was a mention about this photograph in one of the issues of ‘The Hindu’ when it was exhibited in “Artographies”, an exhibition of photographs and Paintings.

Grey Frames : “Nothing happens unless first we dream” : CARL SANDBURG

A Blooming Sun....

2009-05-07T04:32:00.000-07:00

This is my third Blog! I know it is an extravaganza! But my previous 2 blogs, (Crossroads & Thaniye) even though were not that disasters, it dint give me a complete satisfaction. Somewhere I have the feeling that I am not able to capture the hearts and minds of people! Which made me realize I am not that amazing in writing!! a confession, truly!

Then this idea crept into my mind why not a blog with pictures... Yes that was an idea! so here I am with my GREYFRAMES! This will have the Black & White images captured by me... but coloured by my heart, soul and dreams!

Every picture will have 2 stories to share... one inside the frame and the other outside the frame, ie, the story lead to the birth of that picture. And my attempt is to share both the stories with you! This blog will have the pictures clicked by me over the years and rarely a few pics clicked by others if the story is really interesting.

Hope this will get going!!!! Expecting a whole hearted co-operation and comments

Lal Salaam!