tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38384144004277849452024-03-13T21:32:32.822+05:30SumasutaAshwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.comBlogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-31962473683614518822022-02-06T15:44:00.005+05:302022-04-27T15:14:29.801+05:30Meyer-Optik Trioplan 50mm f/2.9 - Bokeh that you either Love or Hate. But can't ignore.<p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Meyer Optik </span>Görlitz <span style="font-family: inherit;">lenses have a very long legacy in the world of camera optics and there is a huge fan following for these lenses even today. </span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih5HOelUKboNhylDtzzewBbuK8pH6p0mhPtbyHnC-HhtqRXCzFEjzSvTo9GScC69-o95aXDjxIjHKEttzkGMFOxVn_fiqPS4hBTjq_EtjIqI9DLGkVZUR8KqQfM0CqW7lY-6fECT7_xoXj0C5pNEy4lW2f7tJ87WZx0h3MzWK3ybHzhSgSe7MbngFA=s1100" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1100" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih5HOelUKboNhylDtzzewBbuK8pH6p0mhPtbyHnC-HhtqRXCzFEjzSvTo9GScC69-o95aXDjxIjHKEttzkGMFOxVn_fiqPS4hBTjq_EtjIqI9DLGkVZUR8KqQfM0CqW7lY-6fECT7_xoXj0C5pNEy4lW2f7tJ87WZx0h3MzWK3ybHzhSgSe7MbngFA=w400-h293" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge-2vLn6cfqSwzdcUmWWYKazlv5TpsmX5BaZHGQtL-mTdnHouWsS0HFetf0FdUP36bLjSR3wCaNMnJ_oGsdTx1S83ypUtlisjhe0-dh_p9X9i8RefV3_vWiJUjNOsuH_oX7wip_cOqy772PxhRpi78ziFSObcG9PBLPCt7h_HPQo7Io_NXZ2ZV-WhQ=s967" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="712" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEge-2vLn6cfqSwzdcUmWWYKazlv5TpsmX5BaZHGQtL-mTdnHouWsS0HFetf0FdUP36bLjSR3wCaNMnJ_oGsdTx1S83ypUtlisjhe0-dh_p9X9i8RefV3_vWiJUjNOsuH_oX7wip_cOqy772PxhRpi78ziFSObcG9PBLPCt7h_HPQo7Io_NXZ2ZV-WhQ=w295-h400" width="295" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p>There are lots of literature available on the internet that explains the history of the company from various perspectives. Below are a few such links. </p><p><a href="https://www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com/en/history/" target="_blank">History of Meyer Optik from 1896 till today!</a><br /></p><p><a href="http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Meyer" target="_blank">Camera Wiki page of Meyer</a></p><p>In the list of Meyer lenses, there are a few families of lenses that have a special place in the hearts of vintage lens shooters. Those are <i>Primoplans</i> and <i>Trioplans</i>. Meyer Optik produced two lenses in the Primoplan series - Primoplan 58mm f/1.9 and Primoplan 75mm f/1.9. More about the Primoplans in another post. The Trioplan series consists of Trioplan 50mm f/2.9 and the more famous Trioplan 100mm f/2.8. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimJKU-GwlHAshKaqj5eZqY4_vbWh1acz3Gt0RiqaCsRfJ4gGZf6oicijEPD3CUwpIeq0cjdZXvvgI8nrRTNdxQlp6zSkiP_gcoRMt-EjgtqVD23tb38k8C9AhPppjGIHVWjbsbfcLxIC8D1dvsfKNt6pJ02qeRPnvrGjpt7UZZVZYNVWJwIQV9_LvS=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimJKU-GwlHAshKaqj5eZqY4_vbWh1acz3Gt0RiqaCsRfJ4gGZf6oicijEPD3CUwpIeq0cjdZXvvgI8nrRTNdxQlp6zSkiP_gcoRMt-EjgtqVD23tb38k8C9AhPppjGIHVWjbsbfcLxIC8D1dvsfKNt6pJ02qeRPnvrGjpt7UZZVZYNVWJwIQV9_LvS=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIkThpLHicL5PbHZmApK6qpwGCMpVV0UJiziJg4lYUlHamfEOA9NrnY2Q51Du9IKaC2HXrw9PSYfg4DlSxXM5oLUCT9ka0ofzozdV6tWghZ4FfeYeJ9TFI_6QirkShI6PdoYaesIHAUzwCWT6Qtk8feErZ7d3qPygsJyKig1C_RwOf8uydD8m_EDyk=s1100" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="754" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIkThpLHicL5PbHZmApK6qpwGCMpVV0UJiziJg4lYUlHamfEOA9NrnY2Q51Du9IKaC2HXrw9PSYfg4DlSxXM5oLUCT9ka0ofzozdV6tWghZ4FfeYeJ9TFI_6QirkShI6PdoYaesIHAUzwCWT6Qtk8feErZ7d3qPygsJyKig1C_RwOf8uydD8m_EDyk=w438-h640" width="438" /></a></div><p>While the Primoplans are known for their buttery-smooth rendition of the bokeh with some added punch, the Trioplans are very well known for their soap-bubble bokeh! While it is very understandable that the Primoplans gained a lot of success for their usage in portraits, thanks to the exceptional rendition by them, what I am still perplexed is the real and practical usage of Trioplans in those days of 1950s and 60s. This is due to the fact that Trioplan lenses render the bright spots in the out-of-focus area as soap bubbles, whose liking is very subjective according to me. To some, they look awesome and very unique (of course they are unique) and to some they are <i>distractions</i>! The fact that I am writing this post almost indicates that I belong to the former group! :-)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYAxboHaeqGV5rDRV4lw4Jda0wILZ918uceQOLLTBOqum1Zs8m-T_GOO7NBeNYjmKKYt9fIiBbeNQQii09a6vc6UlNueX3kA_cdN4HM8Jw0H36lZ-JmkGbYkIpL2YLgERCwQ1ykzvq6S4RJAPe2AQw5xM5yHF3ogmqEYn7V92wGfz2TAyk8c9km5uW=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="798" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYAxboHaeqGV5rDRV4lw4Jda0wILZ918uceQOLLTBOqum1Zs8m-T_GOO7NBeNYjmKKYt9fIiBbeNQQii09a6vc6UlNueX3kA_cdN4HM8Jw0H36lZ-JmkGbYkIpL2YLgERCwQ1ykzvq6S4RJAPe2AQw5xM5yHF3ogmqEYn7V92wGfz2TAyk8c9km5uW=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPIG53bzI-enI3sb4hvnPQiTUan4z2wViTQySm4Pmxk6iYmhULz-ISz80ZmHQ9Xf44yl8cYueERmz93ZidX9jX3ZgmqJqB0norFTomdRKPBQjCA-LIVuEi-cNTqIuk2YQxWRJpNRyAtGyJYagAHUaqcFtcwL8XL6B_3yiLE24MIa_BOpgS8M9Voqlo=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPIG53bzI-enI3sb4hvnPQiTUan4z2wViTQySm4Pmxk6iYmhULz-ISz80ZmHQ9Xf44yl8cYueERmz93ZidX9jX3ZgmqJqB0norFTomdRKPBQjCA-LIVuEi-cNTqIuk2YQxWRJpNRyAtGyJYagAHUaqcFtcwL8XL6B_3yiLE24MIa_BOpgS8M9Voqlo=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Trioplan 100mm f/2.8 is a more popular lens than the 50mm f/2.9. So much so that even today a lens in good condition would cost at least $700! As I am not so adventurous yet, I went for the cheaper sibling - 50mm f/2.9, and mine was adapted for the Nikon F mount by a gentleman in Ukraine! <p></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTuM3_V1DSLkws4-xyUoTsThnZXihW2rqu3n7wO0uWDcDj9U1bTDlGDyIo5y3a5Bm7UVn2f7LA3iJZpdlxqnWYZCVEsR-JhIsEUH3R5WmGXR7Aond-_mDHc-2vZLE3Bbpx2rIGA5Y7bC4j09JEx2jj7JqGEBPUS_vr2SQv35quKnaJJoEC1cN41Rmd=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTuM3_V1DSLkws4-xyUoTsThnZXihW2rqu3n7wO0uWDcDj9U1bTDlGDyIo5y3a5Bm7UVn2f7LA3iJZpdlxqnWYZCVEsR-JhIsEUH3R5WmGXR7Aond-_mDHc-2vZLE3Bbpx2rIGA5Y7bC4j09JEx2jj7JqGEBPUS_vr2SQv35quKnaJJoEC1cN41Rmd=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9skClZRo6j0zgUJeNZY9021GcDKd1hzlaETO2h2eJBorVNjdk4H1oq9-frwNe-l1j7B2uUQCvM8e7Xg4wPtJDmWCUSeOhu18LpQxVSVuil9IbzDHEMf0T2SXhJWvo1Oe0M8srx8gRQ0Zd82gMyUgp_p2sazz5st735vpkHNraEuNpBiP--ZNkBseN=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9skClZRo6j0zgUJeNZY9021GcDKd1hzlaETO2h2eJBorVNjdk4H1oq9-frwNe-l1j7B2uUQCvM8e7Xg4wPtJDmWCUSeOhu18LpQxVSVuil9IbzDHEMf0T2SXhJWvo1Oe0M8srx8gRQ0Zd82gMyUgp_p2sazz5st735vpkHNraEuNpBiP--ZNkBseN=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><b>What I like about Trioplan 50mm f/2.9:</b><p></p><p>- Of course the Bokeh...what else?!!</p><p>- Rich Color rendering</p><p>- Excellent contrast. Doesn't feel like a lens made in the early 1950s! </p><p>- Very decent sharpness wide open. Definitely not soft, not even close! </p><p>- Stop down the aperture a little and the sharpness becomes quite unbelievable! </p><p><br /></p><p><b>What I don't like</b>:</p><p>- Don't pixel peep on the edges of the photos. They would be soft. </p><p>- That's it! Rest everything I like! :-)</p><p><br /></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzjRyDBOuIkq1iO-HYfn9Wt5M6AcfYkuGmP2JZcpYdcDKTq_LhX0DmFsbKsXRxzLWvgziSwOh9pFxMTFPrzq2NycIIsjDXgnw9w3C6SPJfagOvEvXInUsUct9dNNvssTFSWVXctJzfX3flSAZWAmlrY7XXT6b9jvm9pC4A12XwNyTZywIGWVJ_thg3=s6048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="6048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzjRyDBOuIkq1iO-HYfn9Wt5M6AcfYkuGmP2JZcpYdcDKTq_LhX0DmFsbKsXRxzLWvgziSwOh9pFxMTFPrzq2NycIIsjDXgnw9w3C6SPJfagOvEvXInUsUct9dNNvssTFSWVXctJzfX3flSAZWAmlrY7XXT6b9jvm9pC4A12XwNyTZywIGWVJ_thg3=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhroXCNkatkvDeWZQilGGGJS6KIfD80GrhPgRwLBY5xFUSeJl4ytOsZqQ1AM1OtoaPrBvYTH3K8u4QqrQHQ04NKaMIur-AN-_jArd698jjF2xixhK-e1c40oRFL-eHRobHHrIbDd1-C2Ew9yrE8rKalcr0Mv5-1jQwUqCRgajmAC2aYujjH_w5w35yF=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhroXCNkatkvDeWZQilGGGJS6KIfD80GrhPgRwLBY5xFUSeJl4ytOsZqQ1AM1OtoaPrBvYTH3K8u4QqrQHQ04NKaMIur-AN-_jArd698jjF2xixhK-e1c40oRFL-eHRobHHrIbDd1-C2Ew9yrE8rKalcr0Mv5-1jQwUqCRgajmAC2aYujjH_w5w35yF=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>This lens wants you to shoot for its strength. For that matter, most of the vintage lenses are like that. </p><p>Under the right conditions, this lens can create some magical images, which no other lens can produce. </p><p><br /></p><p>Cheers,</p><p>Ash</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-12364401350272584222021-12-31T22:34:00.004+05:302022-01-02T19:38:46.922+05:30Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2 - The King of Character! <p> My <a href="http://sumasuta.blogspot.com/2015/10/enter-distagon.html" target="_blank">first stint with Zeiss lenses</a> was way back in 2015 when I bought Zeiss Distagon 28mm f/2. That is one of my favorite lenses in my bag (rather the dry cabinet!). I have written a few blogs where the images were made from that lens. You can find those blogs <a href="http://sumasuta.blogspot.com/search/label/Zeiss" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </p><p>Post the Distagon 28, although I wanted to buy a few more Zeiss lenses but couldn't. In 2019, when I started to study various vintage lenses there was one lens that many photographers and vintage/manual focus lens forums prominently talked about. It was <i>Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2</i>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMDjoSkPh2VQpxestd1horb68NMkN5OK1QGH5jLpr8x-elt9BZaujfXRnBVUcy6SkTo8_aouiK5EKanbE6YN08qgz0KxPWdn2Qii0tpvrKlGRxl8Dp2ds_gB601dPiFBGvd262UKBF8_eDYDNcsTZKE8KLNJgUBNYH-8AzpQqf7U8F9N2E7Eg88B5r=s1100" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="1100" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMDjoSkPh2VQpxestd1horb68NMkN5OK1QGH5jLpr8x-elt9BZaujfXRnBVUcy6SkTo8_aouiK5EKanbE6YN08qgz0KxPWdn2Qii0tpvrKlGRxl8Dp2ds_gB601dPiFBGvd262UKBF8_eDYDNcsTZKE8KLNJgUBNYH-8AzpQqf7U8F9N2E7Eg88B5r=w400-h303" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinpGN4pksWPjpDNLfOYCKlscNhuelSWW_8xTluRHjD32OtIdRyNMbwRZgVZByLK97KDzEx67tIE_krdXrfKLuBrdcuH5o_wQhvGP4CK_tjVEdrD04Mq2CyiD7tF52U6-0spzy9FFnqCTKjv0swKEz0GgPQ8hpP_7CT0gshUo7paBgmIXf1dtH3Gvcf=s1100" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1100" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinpGN4pksWPjpDNLfOYCKlscNhuelSWW_8xTluRHjD32OtIdRyNMbwRZgVZByLK97KDzEx67tIE_krdXrfKLuBrdcuH5o_wQhvGP4CK_tjVEdrD04Mq2CyiD7tF52U6-0spzy9FFnqCTKjv0swKEz0GgPQ8hpP_7CT0gshUo7paBgmIXf1dtH3Gvcf=w400-h301" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>This lens was in production between 1936 till 1960, although the design dates back all the way to the 1920s.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYWdKVS5DPOWbIjtiu64LFDnNFRM0DS17dDWIQ1aPGC8ueRxVsf-rNloGidsmV-YhQFXgca4B9SWq5HTeyjFJ9I3mSHXn7BbBPHaE1p-SzYiBzRhkvcGJTfWEtPGc-tKTDupooxMWgtw_viFKm9MMdCjnKDppkfitOiGmGcWqEQ3kcuyBqFAPrmD7B=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYWdKVS5DPOWbIjtiu64LFDnNFRM0DS17dDWIQ1aPGC8ueRxVsf-rNloGidsmV-YhQFXgca4B9SWq5HTeyjFJ9I3mSHXn7BbBPHaE1p-SzYiBzRhkvcGJTfWEtPGc-tKTDupooxMWgtw_viFKm9MMdCjnKDppkfitOiGmGcWqEQ3kcuyBqFAPrmD7B=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvPwVMy8Mo2JPsqo9RXojLtFdfZNjW8UEdBbfYErk8idGBa_gPCGOSyc4h8hO1aZqm4FGanwSy5Us5LbTKtnrj2pijoD4k_BjJkSVXjAR52s3Dv2kLQ7q3bw1Z4cjWAKOKgJnOH92iAP2gI-MaTEXbWnYYIyFNruSCegqZaCIDzEKi5UaiFbRq5iZL=s1600" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvPwVMy8Mo2JPsqo9RXojLtFdfZNjW8UEdBbfYErk8idGBa_gPCGOSyc4h8hO1aZqm4FGanwSy5Us5LbTKtnrj2pijoD4k_BjJkSVXjAR52s3Dv2kLQ7q3bw1Z4cjWAKOKgJnOH92iAP2gI-MaTEXbWnYYIyFNruSCegqZaCIDzEKi5UaiFbRq5iZL=w640-h440" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The lens that I am using was produced somewhere in 1950 or 1951! (<i>Uff!! Even my parents were not born then!). </i>How do I know when the lens was produced? The serial number! The age of most of the vintage lenses can be found using their serial numbers. For example, <a href="http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Carl_Zeiss_serial_numbers" target="_blank">THIS LINK</a> has all the data of the serial numbers of Carl Zeiss lenses and when they were produced. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFspl1FetulgZKegYboJyfL99rdR9uMZnkQGpvig_0HDL1EWLsr15c7hJb8BrIjg1RdK1iM09oW_V6juZpWliTwdSmOlwk3KH-OoRz-sThYBsfnXchAsEcBIvF5ss_GutBFf-YYNIdsgSfknrwsu9Ntx6R9FYmYsVjJV1Yoe2EZWv9j_kgKUXwAj2y=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="1600" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFspl1FetulgZKegYboJyfL99rdR9uMZnkQGpvig_0HDL1EWLsr15c7hJb8BrIjg1RdK1iM09oW_V6juZpWliTwdSmOlwk3KH-OoRz-sThYBsfnXchAsEcBIvF5ss_GutBFf-YYNIdsgSfknrwsu9Ntx6R9FYmYsVjJV1Yoe2EZWv9j_kgKUXwAj2y=w640-h446" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgesH-e7yV-R0SsmzxpkCt8saVpDEKYCDrd4Zzfo6pZWV173CZW2sYzDFEHu4JQ-5kI_gAGHWmQNjxIOsxMeeOPi7v3QzuDN3xYUGMzVD-MPt_GMOCJFQMv1p12l2VuGoso15xAf_t1L7v7NKT2PRnyQ3qWpge92YzBYvaVgWNrB7XYb7ZSkZKRS0im=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgesH-e7yV-R0SsmzxpkCt8saVpDEKYCDrd4Zzfo6pZWV173CZW2sYzDFEHu4JQ-5kI_gAGHWmQNjxIOsxMeeOPi7v3QzuDN3xYUGMzVD-MPt_GMOCJFQMv1p12l2VuGoso15xAf_t1L7v7NKT2PRnyQ3qWpge92YzBYvaVgWNrB7XYb7ZSkZKRS0im=w640-h432" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwF3UeZY1EgQ5yTPAUZHUVtsFJuQ0wTDdJE6v2xIPlqXPfbbIFF6HPPmB2NT98z0y1Bukm-v_3niZ1Ob42Y1nArRiOP8xRbI1Wgr_WO94D3Gh9IRhz1O6yUVezWEwLKbIhQ4klz3oF7mR7RSl7MHTSJCyZQ_Jr1A4n3QWDRn0TZoWS3G7z2jjkT8Bj=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwF3UeZY1EgQ5yTPAUZHUVtsFJuQ0wTDdJE6v2xIPlqXPfbbIFF6HPPmB2NT98z0y1Bukm-v_3niZ1Ob42Y1nArRiOP8xRbI1Wgr_WO94D3Gh9IRhz1O6yUVezWEwLKbIhQ4klz3oF7mR7RSl7MHTSJCyZQ_Jr1A4n3QWDRn0TZoWS3G7z2jjkT8Bj=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>Now coming to the performance of the lens - absolutely brilliant! For the lens of its age, it still performs marvelously! Below is the list of my observations in an easy-to-read form!</p><p>- Distinct character in the out of focus area! Very '<i>Biotar like</i>' :-)</p><p>- Unique Swirl in the outer edges of the frame. You would either love it or hate it. I am the former kind!</p><p>- Sharp rendering of the object in focus. </p><p>- Produces images with rich, vivid, and warm colors </p><p>- The 17 blades aperture makes sure that the out of focus is creamy and highlights are very circular even at low apertures</p><p>- Not a great performer when you shoot against strong light, a common trait in most of the vintage lenses, due to the poor quality (as compared to today) coating on the lens. But one can use this quality to get low-contrast images that produce some wonderful black-and-white results.</p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpZRsFsWBO54CmzV1zjCCvf3DYHjNZT-UDq_HCKraQKrvHXP9DeZVLW8Kf_sczzJapGA498qIbJM9t6qM6uUhOc52ubuRo9kvLHNGFZgap7Pcdm8RyUKA92MZIOQEjYk4dsyQQUBOgRfSmsgzTsA3W4WagyBffvtF_2RaLOPP5ITcgpxkH1nqmys9x=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpZRsFsWBO54CmzV1zjCCvf3DYHjNZT-UDq_HCKraQKrvHXP9DeZVLW8Kf_sczzJapGA498qIbJM9t6qM6uUhOc52ubuRo9kvLHNGFZgap7Pcdm8RyUKA92MZIOQEjYk4dsyQQUBOgRfSmsgzTsA3W4WagyBffvtF_2RaLOPP5ITcgpxkH1nqmys9x=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>(Notice the Swirl in the outer edge of the frame. As said, you will either love it or hate it!:-))</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj22k7ZbZyFDvwBPzQOZqnZPB8ul_nX21ue4fRqgufz4VRTL0-IzDTrZdmd5Ypos8H1x4iaMUidxcsNT6T34ZWD52Qd8oSOhO1MAR2XroHlzi4SwnyVTfDzlXfnVj32pDwg0GSO7Uxx6Thr8CO-RUUWDOPdWb8ksBIlqqBzClSIvZsM1dbxG4cxFmI1=s1553" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="1553" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj22k7ZbZyFDvwBPzQOZqnZPB8ul_nX21ue4fRqgufz4VRTL0-IzDTrZdmd5Ypos8H1x4iaMUidxcsNT6T34ZWD52Qd8oSOhO1MAR2XroHlzi4SwnyVTfDzlXfnVj32pDwg0GSO7Uxx6Thr8CO-RUUWDOPdWb8ksBIlqqBzClSIvZsM1dbxG4cxFmI1=w640-h424" width="640" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>(Notice the shapes of the highlights in the out-of-focus region. This was due to the high aperture blades retaining circular shape at all apertures)</i> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This lens inspired a new breed of lenses in some other part of the world - Russia! The Helios-44 series, which is fairly known in the photography community now is said to be the direct copy of the Biotar design but because that lens was in production a few decades more than the original Biotar, the later versions of the Helios-44, say Helios-44-4 and Helios-44-7 perform much better in optical characteristics like flare and sharpness, due to the advancement of technology. But they all attribute their existence to the original legend - Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2. </div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbok8QIKc1qn6xZi_EHKADXyhtus_5UHcZjM9PyIRuWpZWWSu0r9BjKQu2ufZDT4FyNn9clmSiXeky2px-90Ymy-dLPNOIy_WGwnmajbEmVUxldB7gI6h2-M_85m9QHE-vssQ_WwYW20j_cm0qALe0YuMQy07K2MT76SlupPs1RexrGIKz0H6IYHrR=s1557" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="1557" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbok8QIKc1qn6xZi_EHKADXyhtus_5UHcZjM9PyIRuWpZWWSu0r9BjKQu2ufZDT4FyNn9clmSiXeky2px-90Ymy-dLPNOIy_WGwnmajbEmVUxldB7gI6h2-M_85m9QHE-vssQ_WwYW20j_cm0qALe0YuMQy07K2MT76SlupPs1RexrGIKz0H6IYHrR=w640-h458" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>There is plenty of literature online about this lens and its history. I don't want to reinvent the wheel in this matter. Out of all those <a href="https://casualphotophile.com/2019/02/13/carl-zeiss-jena-biotar-58mm-f-2-lens-review/" target="_blank">THIS ARTICLE </a>gives the best idea about its history, its various versions, and different characteristics of those versions. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsL5dNnpWrZh31MkmyWb7pMzRSYdBxZYUOxGbO947YoEvE0fyyShNgjcYMj_7N2ejN5uC2YhzrUWEmNdWqS5EfGO43xdSv6Tcx6dMhsIeuMPmJ2HOnP9VknvYRfbqgciBtQP9p9sCkXBW_zhW9MkO2szDnjisE2OyFOaSfr8NeKXs8NrTEeTqRJiq8=s1509" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1509" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsL5dNnpWrZh31MkmyWb7pMzRSYdBxZYUOxGbO947YoEvE0fyyShNgjcYMj_7N2ejN5uC2YhzrUWEmNdWqS5EfGO43xdSv6Tcx6dMhsIeuMPmJ2HOnP9VknvYRfbqgciBtQP9p9sCkXBW_zhW9MkO2szDnjisE2OyFOaSfr8NeKXs8NrTEeTqRJiq8=w640-h438" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCXwTPeTPWBG3nAWZXEfELHOjUgtCm81ie-85ej_YQvfQcVo0-9ezIKrOvAnUJ8CQSh4DIz4uDWR_OvdFAWfNKuc7oTTAJPc6j5KT-aLmevereUYPUqP76vHeAL5pnOwLL-DL8-vmNUjyvUDbyn9ZNiOAHiptWJYTr-eRpb49Xw1dwjkCpzbPVbIjv=s1600" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCXwTPeTPWBG3nAWZXEfELHOjUgtCm81ie-85ej_YQvfQcVo0-9ezIKrOvAnUJ8CQSh4DIz4uDWR_OvdFAWfNKuc7oTTAJPc6j5KT-aLmevereUYPUqP76vHeAL5pnOwLL-DL8-vmNUjyvUDbyn9ZNiOAHiptWJYTr-eRpb49Xw1dwjkCpzbPVbIjv=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>All the images in this blog (except the image of the lens itself) are shot with Biotar-58. I just love its rendition! What is a <i>rendition? </i>That is something worth writing a whole different blog for itself! Perhaps sometime soon?! </p><p><br /></p><p>Cheers,</p><p>Ash</p><p><br /></p>Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-52301605745898102042021-10-03T20:32:00.005+05:302021-10-03T20:33:11.426+05:30Some Gold from the Old!<p>Since mid-2019 I have been spending time understanding some of the legendary lenses of the past era! By past, I mean from around 1950s. It is a fascinating journey in the world of the evolution of optics and from where we stand today if we take a look back, not many would know and appreciate this evolution to the fullest. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEYtCYFbVB1CsWgEGh48YPyh-DN6cQMr7tyKx6Av1f176aOh1zv-sYvA4-peym_lliDXVIUujE43qYKeDGZtqw1-lq1hC1IbD1Hoa2k8f8ZZb8DSLB-AijaEP7AhVHZHRUmwx7EEk6p8/s1411/_ASH9264_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1411" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEYtCYFbVB1CsWgEGh48YPyh-DN6cQMr7tyKx6Av1f176aOh1zv-sYvA4-peym_lliDXVIUujE43qYKeDGZtqw1-lq1hC1IbD1Hoa2k8f8ZZb8DSLB-AijaEP7AhVHZHRUmwx7EEk6p8/s320/_ASH9264_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I don't seem to remember how it all started for me. But what I certainly remember are those moments when I was just awestruck by some of the images I saw that were made from some of the legendary lenses of the past! </p><p>It is widely talked about and almost a cliche that the old lenses have a 'character' that the modern, razor-sharp lenses lack! But I always wondered what is this 'character' that everyone talks or writes about! As I went deeper into the realm of the post-world-war German and Soviet lenses I could see what the other people are talking about! It was certainly something that I had not seen or experienced before! </p><p>Since then I have started to collect some of those lenses from various parts of the world! How I collected them is a fascinating story in itself, which perhaps maybe for another day. I have <i>collected</i> is the right expression, at this moment since I have hardly used all of them extensively on the field. Beyond some test shots and some window/walking photography, I hardly went to any serious shoot in a while. So I think the time has come to put them to good use. I am planning to start a series of blogs where I try to write my experience with each of these lenses with some meaningful images to go along with. This way, I will be having self-inflicted pressure to use a particular lens for a few days or weeks to make some serious photography. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO77o1X-gK4rhAX8Mece4cQRrotQM0MWX3qLs28EIplmNvJQDnbB9jSRMjNga9Q9cK6EvbW2F6VXqm4BxfFV2MVDoCtmrSAuqXL-v5t19eedUo0kofaQ7D2wKAN-sEcj6SDSPHLOTB0E/s1024/Image_1b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="639" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO77o1X-gK4rhAX8Mece4cQRrotQM0MWX3qLs28EIplmNvJQDnbB9jSRMjNga9Q9cK6EvbW2F6VXqm4BxfFV2MVDoCtmrSAuqXL-v5t19eedUo0kofaQ7D2wKAN-sEcj6SDSPHLOTB0E/s320/Image_1b.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eepLG4FlM-QvfLJlj8iAgHO6uMJvfWL6lCp6E78jMrERcitAxC6tn8ZAuc8uH3FqgrCS7iOCB_qc1JV6jDMgrssPS6-uNSHrzbvUIfPIrCJ8-MFvOcHM4WNzyALvLK5uaDNrHO63zcY/s1024/Image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eepLG4FlM-QvfLJlj8iAgHO6uMJvfWL6lCp6E78jMrERcitAxC6tn8ZAuc8uH3FqgrCS7iOCB_qc1JV6jDMgrssPS6-uNSHrzbvUIfPIrCJ8-MFvOcHM4WNzyALvLK5uaDNrHO63zcY/s320/Image2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Thanks to my wife Sahana for making some beautiful images of the lenses :-)!</p><p><br /></p><p>Cheers,<br />Ash</p>Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-59571588397891331162020-08-02T12:31:00.045+05:302020-08-02T12:46:13.155+05:30My Unlock 1.0 !!<div class="separator"><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">The world is trying come back to normal (by accepting the reality and exercising caution) and here I am, trying to come back to my space where I had shared my thoughts, views and experiences over many years and had gone silent for close to four years! </div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2OD_dqCGYW6kWp11O-uqLoPlJeNsxvoSkCumIPgtYr-eGgGk4nchY1uKB8gBkbRdOoeidnKqCyEAnA6Lf4sLiEdmHksGYn3yWqust-sSARsjO5VY3TEYNnUOxLAkM2XTuQWwILaUwJc/s1700/_ASH5543_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2OD_dqCGYW6kWp11O-uqLoPlJeNsxvoSkCumIPgtYr-eGgGk4nchY1uKB8gBkbRdOoeidnKqCyEAnA6Lf4sLiEdmHksGYn3yWqust-sSARsjO5VY3TEYNnUOxLAkM2XTuQWwILaUwJc/s640/_ASH5543_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Lot has happened in that time. We completed our maiden feature length documentary on the untamed river in the Western Ghats - <a href="http://www.landscape-wizards.com/home/cultural-landscapes/aghanashini" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Aghanashini</a> in 2017 and the subsequent two years had gone in attending various film festivals and screening events at various places. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhn7ge_3EsK5p639phXt0cDjrKD2LdzlJIbUTQg23N_OVUW-5GMMDBw5RdaFUC4-Uq2wAnP4pqFaDvkUCqxDV8OO6R7KRjmQ1jHpT54DK_8XGPMMFuJ3aZ-4sgbqIzC9RjDZq-AZF62g/s1600/_ASH5196-B16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhn7ge_3EsK5p639phXt0cDjrKD2LdzlJIbUTQg23N_OVUW-5GMMDBw5RdaFUC4-Uq2wAnP4pqFaDvkUCqxDV8OO6R7KRjmQ1jHpT54DK_8XGPMMFuJ3aZ-4sgbqIzC9RjDZq-AZF62g/s640/_ASH5196-B16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>During the course of these four years there were few instances when I had thought of coming back to this space to share few thoughts but somehow the drive was not strong enough to make me sit and give words to those thoughts. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QiKMNWDIT_BjQSp56t-bKcaxy_cvn1r8T87TaYA0jyrUaA3cF_jtXymVOY_3KnTAbH9OkRSGuLkVsYKLnvGJNbiA0ckO-5lSg-lsdt8uoIyNoboebh1RKo-uFxP_AtkF5dp3XHPW4oc/s1700/_ASH5731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-QiKMNWDIT_BjQSp56t-bKcaxy_cvn1r8T87TaYA0jyrUaA3cF_jtXymVOY_3KnTAbH9OkRSGuLkVsYKLnvGJNbiA0ckO-5lSg-lsdt8uoIyNoboebh1RKo-uFxP_AtkF5dp3XHPW4oc/s640/_ASH5731.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In 2020, when I was thinking to coming back to normalcy, by normalcy I mean continue shooting and expressing through images, the world was struck with an event of the century and everything has come to a literal standstill. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLvGFJRvbAVMR9d1pqXbIq10B6VnCETnu0yIPl3MV5NtCmw_e5ZPFF5LRouB86Ips_2BshgTyCZRYJfDbkceQa9m9wyRFp6fQu9g4odBL4_IRhhsrHG7S8RsYPfv-Flvcf1yv8OnELa4/s1600/_ASH5163.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLvGFJRvbAVMR9d1pqXbIq10B6VnCETnu0yIPl3MV5NtCmw_e5ZPFF5LRouB86Ips_2BshgTyCZRYJfDbkceQa9m9wyRFp6fQu9g4odBL4_IRhhsrHG7S8RsYPfv-Flvcf1yv8OnELa4/w640-h427/_ASH5163.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1efXwS9QpXM1ayy5TqFWTtU4jMOBPRVnuc6kRdKyHIUSEt6d1itBzRW8pocqhXHCqPX0MiRaCQyIcLnCtFrEkR8Hujg7_vc0GI9YodE29eDLFmUQ3p3S-zP8TbTf9qTzZK52Ue30HE0/s1700/_ASH5697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1efXwS9QpXM1ayy5TqFWTtU4jMOBPRVnuc6kRdKyHIUSEt6d1itBzRW8pocqhXHCqPX0MiRaCQyIcLnCtFrEkR8Hujg7_vc0GI9YodE29eDLFmUQ3p3S-zP8TbTf9qTzZK52Ue30HE0/s640/_ASH5697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It has been about five months since I had gone out for shooting. The windows of my home and some vegetation around my apartment have become my canvas and occasionally I try to find some frames in them.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIxgLaWHmOH74jlTkrP5Imqlt11OihcqlSIqVCztD7vRv5TxntpwuW5mufa0knJf2GzuKSzQWNDTH5czYWVMG5gQ1UpuMoZCyaMIi3iRT6uO_WTDDXbx_Fak2ID2OfUcv_wISiyqcwRo/s1918/_ASH5075-BW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1918" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIxgLaWHmOH74jlTkrP5Imqlt11OihcqlSIqVCztD7vRv5TxntpwuW5mufa0knJf2GzuKSzQWNDTH5czYWVMG5gQ1UpuMoZCyaMIi3iRT6uO_WTDDXbx_Fak2ID2OfUcv_wISiyqcwRo/s640/_ASH5075-BW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe059PPK9smD7GKPsTzmpOY0m9ZEDyZ7g-N5uYxj1j0dcC4VZ-ls4l_XlJvTj4dkcF1rJH-CwxozMFrFMnLvKLmfANxPUuuDWNTy-dloEU1iaos0ICF4_ZNschxDhJb1S_SJlc0bUG7dc/s1700/_ASH5488_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe059PPK9smD7GKPsTzmpOY0m9ZEDyZ7g-N5uYxj1j0dcC4VZ-ls4l_XlJvTj4dkcF1rJH-CwxozMFrFMnLvKLmfANxPUuuDWNTy-dloEU1iaos0ICF4_ZNschxDhJb1S_SJlc0bUG7dc/s640/_ASH5488_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVRyIP_Rf_zwFeGoIPYf_ealUywKlJP6lIbjNDNaJN0w2nDaki55Fp5Ih9SpMhclOimuDNYs6OJUcAHNykYTd7XCmIagCD8wHx5jNyO4PZCRjNmiBF1-3LiN3kvHU8jSLGIDu4USiHH4/s1700/_ASH5540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVRyIP_Rf_zwFeGoIPYf_ealUywKlJP6lIbjNDNaJN0w2nDaki55Fp5Ih9SpMhclOimuDNYs6OJUcAHNykYTd7XCmIagCD8wHx5jNyO4PZCRjNmiBF1-3LiN3kvHU8jSLGIDu4USiHH4/s640/_ASH5540.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd1DJFY64va5PxtvC7lg9AQZk_aO3kIW-wV-KARLbVkvpK4kFNg07ozgRTJLCTEhiT1ApWPM3aJ_FpLO4ijKqiTUyRQGoRQemsTveFoYw-C_LCbcxMkHgFv4WOw6XI4Ve6EaC4NsxL5g/s1700/_ASH5335_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhd1DJFY64va5PxtvC7lg9AQZk_aO3kIW-wV-KARLbVkvpK4kFNg07ozgRTJLCTEhiT1ApWPM3aJ_FpLO4ijKqiTUyRQGoRQemsTveFoYw-C_LCbcxMkHgFv4WOw6XI4Ve6EaC4NsxL5g/s640/_ASH5335_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXJz1HtVyXK_JbXRUMbHNyM8k9p9icUM8Yel6SsKw7P4fsULCsmdMqey5JLCThYv_OF7QgvN7M7TjrotOnw7MSrVeXSbn7o3P2pWwBP5l6UXAt9mOKufNz09KLj69MlwGtftvg0Ugg2E/s1700/_ASH5421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXJz1HtVyXK_JbXRUMbHNyM8k9p9icUM8Yel6SsKw7P4fsULCsmdMqey5JLCThYv_OF7QgvN7M7TjrotOnw7MSrVeXSbn7o3P2pWwBP5l6UXAt9mOKufNz09KLj69MlwGtftvg0Ugg2E/s640/_ASH5421.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last year I had spent some time in reading and understanding about vintage lenses. Believe me, it is a fascinating world! More about it on some other day perhaps. In that quest of learning about them, I bought a few very old lenses and started using them in my photography. Their subtle rendering is very different compared to the clinically sharp modern lenses and I was awestruck by their usefulness even in these modern times and by some of their performances on the modern day high resolution cameras. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6xeTqX2hwTDszPEmts9ki5SAA0fV06zBDvvpxyaRnkQPoYHvUPZudM9HA1obme9kyC3IOLeqSbZlzkERPoFE6cSuBzvJBphSw_-4iUujeNYgiOBglVQHI8Q8qbjSuv4K-waCUmQz_P8/s1000/_ASH5703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="692" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6xeTqX2hwTDszPEmts9ki5SAA0fV06zBDvvpxyaRnkQPoYHvUPZudM9HA1obme9kyC3IOLeqSbZlzkERPoFE6cSuBzvJBphSw_-4iUujeNYgiOBglVQHI8Q8qbjSuv4K-waCUmQz_P8/s640/_ASH5703.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I am just waiting desperately for my next shoot in the wild, which as per the current scenario, is nowhere in sight for next several months.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>No cheers,</div><div>Ash</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-4148161925094722942016-11-01T22:52:00.002+05:302016-11-02T12:59:33.762+05:30Chitradurga ~ Part -2 : The Essence <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In my <a href="http://sumasuta.blogspot.in/2016/10/chitradurga-part-1-through-moments_15.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> I had mentioned about some experiments I did on my visit to Chitradurga fort. The first experiment was explained in that post. Second one is here.<br />
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While the first experiment was about feeling and making images of the moments that are frozen in time and space, the second one was about trying to capture the essence of the place through a finite set of images. When I say 'essence' that means the definitive quality that defines the place / structure.<br />
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Chitradurga fort is popularly known as "Elu Suttina Kote" in Kannada. This means a fort with seven circular walls. This fort is built in such a way that to completely enter inside one has to come through these massive circular (well, not exactly circular but a kind of maze shaped) entrances. The aim was to hold the enemy in this area as much as possible and prevent them entering inside the fort.<br />
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So when you are walking inside you constantly come across these huge walls all along. Once you cross the seventh entrance and walk few steps then the whole area opens up like a huge stadium. You will find tons of photographs on internet about how the whole area looks. I dont have any intentions to share the '<i>me too'</i> kind of images here.<br />
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What I was trying to create was a set of images that could explain or make the viewer feel why the fort was called so.<br />
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Since the subject and the focus was minimal (just walls, entrances and nothing else), I tried to portray them in the minimal way wherever possible and some may be little complex. Nothing much to be said. Have a look.<br />
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Do you feel the same way I felt?<br />
Or<br />
Why do you really need to?<br />
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Do I care about it?<br />
Or<br />
Why do I care about it?<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-9202002448540319272016-10-22T23:34:00.002+05:302016-10-23T22:18:47.099+05:30Chitradurga ~ Part -1 : Through the moments<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Chitradurga fort is a treasure trove for anyone who wants to do some serious photography. The amount of opportunity that it provides in terms of making several types of images is simply mind boggling. This place was in my wish list to visit since long. Finally it happened few months back. It was a short visit. We were there for about an hour or two. For the scale of that place two hours is nothing. What you see in those two hours is just like a trailer! To see the movie in its entirety one has to spend at least couple of days. A week is even better!<br />
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During that quick visit I tried to make few images. I was not interested in making conventional images of that place. I had seen them in plenty. I was in a mood to do couple of experiments. First - I was thinking if I can show that place through a set of moments, perhaps a set of fleeting moments, moments frozen into frames in space and time. Second - in my next post! :)<br />
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During many discussions with various eminent and contemporary photographers there was always this question as to - <i>What is it that defines photography in its uniqueness? What is it which is unique to photography but not to other form of visual art? </i><br />
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It is the ability to arrest a fleeting moment that has no past and future but still exists in space and time. Making a pre-visualised photographs is a different story and that in the distant horizon comes close to the process of painting but still maintaining a thin boundary between the two. But in my view this is not the uniqueness of the medium of photography.. Uniqueness is defined by the former argument. Latter is just another way of expression.<br />
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Here is a small write-up by Nirlep Singh written in <a href="http://www.creativenaturephotography.net/" target="_blank">CNP</a> forum where he has beautifully explained this process in detail. To this day I keep visiting this article over and over again.<br />
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"<a href="http://www.creativenaturephotography.net/forum/phpBB3_0_1/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=308&p=886#p886" target="_blank">An absurdity called a photograph</a>"<br />
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Off late I have been trying to push myself into this realm. Throwing myself into the situation where I forcefully forget that I have a camera in my hand and try to flow through the experience of the place and in the flow make some images whenever I '<i>feel</i>' like making one, not deliberately, with no urgency, with no pre-visualisation. I am just being in the moment and let my instinct do the photography. I am enjoying it. I am enjoying the way mind gets opened up with no constraints of any sorts. Earlier I was hesitant to take out my camera in public and point the lens towards strangers around me. It was probably because of the thought that <i>'What would they think about me? - Will it cause discomfort to them? - Am I breaching their privacy? - Do they think that I am showing off? - and all other absurd questions'. </i>I was rarely shooting street or urban photographs when there is crowd around and I attribute these questions to the lack of such experience. But off late I am not surrendering myself to that feeling and trying to break away from it. Hence you can see some of my urban and street photography posts in the recent past and that will continue.<br />
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Second experiment in the next post!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span><br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-36235873183690697222016-08-31T07:39:00.000+05:302016-08-31T07:39:27.716+05:30The Gujri<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been more than 10 years since I had visited that place and that was the first time. Vaguely I was remembering the gullies and the arrangements of the items that were placed then. Some weeks back suddenly decided to pay my second visit. This time with my camera!<br />
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***<br />
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I was making an image of a teenage boy from the window of his shop. His back was facing the window and he was oblivious to my presence. As I clicked few images a person passes by in front of the shop and tells to the boy -<br />
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" Abe, peeche mudke pose to de... tera photu aane wala hai!"<br />
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Boy: "Abe! Kaun hai tu? Photu kyon kheech raha hai?"<br />
me: " Mein koi reporter nahin hun. Showk ke liye photo kheechta hun. Dont worry!"<br />
Boy: " Deekha sare photo"<br />
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I showed.<br />
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Boy: " Delete kar usey"<br />
me: "Saare? Kuch to rakhun?"<br />
Boy: "Han. Saare."<br />
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and he went off, not even bothering to see if I have deleted all or only few!<br />
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***<br />
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"Bhai sahab. Aapka ek photo le sakta hun? Ussi pose mein"<br />
"han han. Le lo"<br />
"!!"<br />
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I made some images.<br />
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"Reporter ho?"<br />
"Nahin. Sirf photographer hun. Showk ka. Yaane ki Hobby photographer."<br />
"Achcha achcha. Mera naam hain Hazi Jamsheed aur mein pehelwaan hun"<br />
"Wah! kya bath hai!"<br />
"Han. Pehelwaan jamsheed kehke bhi bulate hain. Aur mein National level ha kushti player raha tha. Mere videos YouTube mein hai. Dekh lena."<br />
"Zaroor. Aap kitne saal se yahan pe hein?"<br />
"Hum to 1958 mein paida hue the aur tab se yahin pe hai!"<br />
"Tab se yahi karte aa rahe hai?"<br />
"Han. Yahan pe ye business to 1940 se bhi pehle se hai! Bahut purana dhanda hai. Aap ka naam kya hai?"<br />
"Ashwini Kumar"<br />
"Achcha Ashwani aap kahin pe ye photo bhej rahe ho?"<br />
"Mera ek blog hai. Wahan pe mein kuch likh ke photos daalta hun. Jo bhi cheez interesting lagey, woh blog karta hun"<br />
<br />
"Achcha. Dekho Ashwani bahar ke log aur kuch media ke log iss jagah ko chor bazar wagaira wagaira kehke paper, TV mein daaley the. Lekin hakikat waisey nahin hai. Hum yeh cheezon ko neelami se leke aate hain. Auction karke. Yey insurance companies jo hoti hein aur ye banks aur police ye sabhi jo unke paas purane gaadi ya phir poori useless tareeke se tooti hui gaadi ko auction karte hain. Hum log uss auction mein jaake, bidding ke zariye unhe khareedke, un gaadiyon mein jo bhi usable parts hote hein unhe yahan pe bechte hain. Yahan ka koi bhi maal chori karke nahin aya hai. Mein sirf apne dukaan ki baat nahin kar raha. Iss poori area mein kahin bhi chori kia hua maal bechte nahin hai. Agar koi chori ka maal ata hai to hum turant police ko inform karte hain and jo banda ussey bech raha hai uski dukaan 3 mahine tak bandh kar diya jaata hai aur 5000 fine barvaya jaata hai, yahan ke association ke paas. Humara association bahut strong hai iss mamle mein."<br />
<br />
"Achcha! Yeh jaanke khushi hui"<br />
"Han Ashwani. Phir bhi log kabhi kabaar bahar jaake iss area ko badnaam kar dete hein. Hume bahut dard hota hai sunke."<br />
"I can understand"<br />
"Tum chai peeyoge? Oi munna do chai de. Mehmaan hai humaare!"<br />
"Arrey arrey. iski kya jaroorat hai?"<br />
"Arrey yar. Chai hi to pila raha hun. Ek din mere ghar ayitega, shaandaar khana khilaunga"<br />
"hahaha. zaroor kisi din"<br />
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I drank tea. Made some more images.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZksWx-kojNkuSO-Qmb5Z60MK3KTLuIEwe0u1kzy5V4kuClx7qZYAxEfKx89IizkKWA8Zxdg7Qh4KB3I10sYViM5CMM8SyDbPtsWeXcYsvEGBmfErBYuVBWmO32Cqu10zemqOvTd-228s/s1600/_DSC9851_web_CopyRight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZksWx-kojNkuSO-Qmb5Z60MK3KTLuIEwe0u1kzy5V4kuClx7qZYAxEfKx89IizkKWA8Zxdg7Qh4KB3I10sYViM5CMM8SyDbPtsWeXcYsvEGBmfErBYuVBWmO32Cqu10zemqOvTd-228s/s640/_DSC9851_web_CopyRight.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"Achcha pehelwaanji. Mein thoda aage bhi jaata hun. Logon se milta hun. Aapse milke khushi hui."<br />
"Achcha Ashwani. Chalo phir. Mera YouTube mein video dekhna mat bhoolna. Chalo. Phir se milte hain. Mere liye uss Eshwar se dua karna."<br />
"Zaroor. Phir milenge."<br />
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***<br />
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I was making some wide angle images by standing along the main road.<br />
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Sound from some where. Not sure from where.<br />
"Ooi...Kya photu nikaal raha hai?"<br />
"Kuch nahin bhaai saab. Sirf eisey hi kheech raha tha"<br />
<br />
I walked for few steps.<br />
A man was sitting on his bullet, which was not having its rear wheel.<br />
"What are you doing?"<br />
"Just making some images of the place"<br />
"Why?"<br />
"Simply. I am a hobby photographer. I kind of liked the place. Become curious and hence made few images."<br />
"Show them to me."<br />
<br />
I showed.<br />
<br />
"What would you do with these pictures?"<br />
"I have a blog. I post them there."<br />
"Are people here OK with you taking pictures?"<br />
"That is the problem which I am facing now!"<br />
<br />
Someone ushered from the background -<br />
"Bhaai saab. Ye photographers humaari photu leke bahar foreign mein lakhon rupiyon ke liye beechte hein. Aur humein yahan kuch bhi nahin milta."<br />
<br />
I smiled.<br />
<br />
The man was standing for his rear tyre to arrive. It arrived and I was sure that he was a client at that place. His tone was very dominating and intimidating in the beginning. Later he was better.<br />
<br />
"Why do you think these guys dont allow you to take the pictures?"<br />
"I am trying to figure that out. Not very sure."<br />
"Because all these are chori ka maal"<br />
"Hmm!. I heard some other story few minutes back."<br />
"Everyone has a story to tell!"<br />
I smiled.<br />
"Need to see whom to believe."<br />
"Carry on."<br />
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***<br />
<br />
At a shop of shock absorbers. There was a young man selling.<br />
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"Bhai sahab. Aapka ek photo ley sakta hun?"<br />
"Photo? Kitna rupay dega?"<br />
"Hahaha. Chaliye ek dosa khilake ek chai pila doonga. Mujhe bhi bhook lag raha hai."<br />
Smiles and says -<br />
"Aajkal chai kaun peeta hai. Beer peete hein beer."<br />
I smiled.<br />
<br />
Two men from the shop in front -<br />
"Kiske liye photu le rahe ho bhai saab?"<br />
"Showk ka photographer hun ji. Hobby hai mera."<br />
<br />
"Poor Indians kehke to nahin dalo ge na?"<br />
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I smiled.<br />
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*** </div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-47534058752206645652016-05-08T22:29:00.002+05:302016-05-09T11:01:20.845+05:30Bhadra - a memoir<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was early April when Sahana and myself decided to do a trip to Bhadra. Rajesh from Dandeli.com had invited me to enjoy a holiday via his their new venture.<br />
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<a href="http://sumasuta.blogspot.in/2014/03/birds-boats-and-bagheera-experience-in.html" target="_blank"><b>My Dandeli trip</b></a> in the past was on their invitation to the place and we had enjoyed that trip a lot. This time though his invitation had come last year itself, I was postponing the plan due to other engagements. Finally we decided to enroll this invitation and asked the guys at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/&source=gmail&ust=1462770101852000&usg=AFQjCNFAHQgCvQFE1KHhYRssJcZ8DqJnLg" href="http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>thekarnatakatourism.com/</a> to do the booking at River Tern Resort at Bhadra. The hassle-free and easy booking got us a cottage at the River Tern Resort.<br />
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I had heard a lot of stories of River Tern Resort at Bhadra. Everyone who went there were fully happy with the location of the property. Our high expectation from all those accounts were completely fulfilled when we arrived at the place. The location of the property is really amazing, with the backwater from the dam visible right from the balcony of every cottage. The cottages are also maintained neat and very clean, as per the standards of other top JLR properties.<br />
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As it was noon when we reached the place we decided to take some rest before we start the evening activity - a boat safari to the river tern island and its surroundings.<br />
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This place is famous for one event that happens annually - the breeding colony of huge number of river terns on an island inside the back water. I had seen the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO4qHg2xwe4" target="_blank">documentary</a> of the same by Amoghavarsha where this phenomena was explained with some amazing visuals.<br />
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The boat safari started at around 3:45pm. With a moderate crowd in the boat we headed straight towards the river tern island. The wind was heavy and the captain had some tough time in controlling the boat. After the initial turbulence the boat got stabilized and as we approached the island the scale of their breeding colony started becoming visible. Their number was huge and they had completely occupied the island, almost every inch of it.<br />
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It was an amazing site to be able to watch their courtship behavior where the male bird brings a fish to the female and many times female rejects it (only God knows why! :) ). Undisturbed by the rejection the male tries again with some other female until his luck turns towards him! All of these were happening in front of our eyes, though one has to watch carefully among the cacophony of thousands of other birds. It was a wonderful time we spent near the island.<br />
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Beyond the river tern island the boat safari takes you along the edges of the forest. Sightings of chittals and wild boars are pretty common and if one is lucky then a tiger may appear out of the woods near the water. We were not that lucky :).<br />
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Nevertheless we were lucky in another form. We sighted an Osprey that allowed us to approach very close. Being a sensitive bird, Osprey normally flies off when approached towards it. But for a change this fella was daring! We enjoyed his company until the sun went down behind him.<br />
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The safari ended at around 6:30pm and it was almost dark by the time we reached the shore. By the time we reached the room, the sun set was over but the sky was showing all the signs of a dramatic after-glow. We rushed to the bank of the backwater area and the whole scene was turning orange and pink towards the West and bluish dark towards the South. The sky had two prominent tones and I made some images before the orange turned into magenta glow. The drama in the sky was there for about 15 min and we both enjoyed each and every minute of it.<br />
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Night was spent watching the documentary 'Sahyadri' on a projected screen at Gol Ghar (the dining area of JLR). After a nice dinner it was time to head back to room. Next day morning was planned for forest safari inside Bhadra Tiger Reserve.<br />
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Bhadra region has some of the best protected forests in the state. Almost everyone who have had the jungle safari experience had expressed their joy of seeing a wonderful forest.<br />
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Though the wildlife sighting is not as high as that of Kabini and Bandipur, the bird life is more rich compared to other parts. Throughout the safari we saw some interesting birds - White Bellied Woodpecker (largest woodpecker of South India), Malabar Pied Hornbill, Hill Myna, Malabar Parakeet, Turtle Dove, Racket Tailed Drongo Malabar Whistling Thrush, Orange Headed GroundThrush, Chestnut Shouldered Petronia, White Rumped Shama are mainly noted. We did see few groups of Chittals, a lone Sambar deer and few Wild Boars during the safari.<br />
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By the time we were back to the resort it was almost time to leave! After a nice breakfast we packed our bags and decided to spend some time for water sports. At JLR Bhadra they do have facilities for water sports such as Kayaking, swimming, water Trampoline etc. During the hot day time it is a welcome relief any day to be in water. We did the same and spent some good time being in water. <br />
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After coming back from the water sports area we went out to have a look of the entire resort. The cottages are distributed across two hills, both facing the backwater. It takes around 20-30 minutes to see the entire property by foot. It was a good walk around the area and we did see some active and interesting bird life right inside the property. There were very active Golden Orioles right beside the Gol Ghar and few cottages. They were interested in a fruiting tree that was bearing the fruits just then. Some Jungle Babblers too had joined the party. We spent few minutes there watching these birds feeding on the fruits before we went ahead to explore other parts of the resort.<br />
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It was around 12:00 noon when we decided to start back to Bangalore. Overall it was a refreshing trip to a wonderful part of Karnataka that we had never been before. the hospitality was great and so was the place. It was with a firm thought of coming back to this place again in the future, we started our return journey towards the concrete jungle of Bangalore.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span><br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<i>I would encourage all to visit - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/&source=gmail&ust=1462770101852000&usg=AFQjCNFAHQgCvQFE1KHhYRssJcZ8DqJnLg" href="http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>thekarnatakatourism.com/</a> for any bookings and reservations. They have theme based tour plans too.</i><br />
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<i>Here is the link to the JLR Bhadra that I enjoyed: <a href="http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/eco-resorts/river-tern-lodge.php">http://www.thekarnatakatourism.com/eco-resorts/river-tern-lodge.php</a></i><br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-54242206083032221162016-01-31T23:47:00.000+05:302016-01-31T23:48:00.121+05:30Kabini - Another face of the leopard land!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The term Kabini, among the wildlife photography community in India is so much synonymous with the enigmatic cat found in its forest that it is called as the leopard land. There are so many leopard images from this forest - some iconic and many stereotypic. Finding a leopard sitting on the fallen tree or walking along the jeep track or crossing the road or occasionally on the branches of some high trees or some sublime moments like getting down from the tree in a truly cat fashion and many more images are made to death in these forests of Nagarahole National Park.<br />
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Leopards and tigers are main attractions for thousands of tourists who visit this National Park all through the year. I was there too, for the first time! Though sighting a leopard or a tiger was a small wish in the heart but that was not the only thing I had wished to see. Sahana and myself were there to enjoy the forest. Hence not sighting a single leopard or a tiger in the evening safari didn't make much difference to our enthusiasm.<br />
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But what we enjoyed the most was something that not many people would like to opt for when they are at Kabini and especially when they are there for photography. We took the boat safari the next morning and we both later convinced that it was the best decision that we made on last night.<br />
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Things slow down a lot when you are on a boat and that helps a lot to look for compositions in nature. Absolute lack of crowd in the boat was another boon for us and later we realised that it is the case most of the time. But I really feel sad for the people who go back without enjoying the boat safari.<br />
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The dead trees, the reflections in still water, the mild blue sky and sparse clouds of the winter, the occasional ripples and the way it distorts the reality of the reflection, the lone Osprey and the lone Fish eagle, calm and cold breeze of the morning and as a bonus for us - huge congregation of Bar Headed Geese! I just loved the setting throughout.<br />
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A lovely morning very well spent on the waters of the river Kabini. <br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-24636016822666026742015-11-21T17:29:00.000+05:302015-11-21T17:29:25.794+05:30A dawn in the outskirts of Bangalore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
"SRS Betta" (!!) a new place for me, was selected by <a href="http://www.dineshmaneer.com/" target="_blank">Dinesh</a> for the next day morning shoot. The name first sounded weird and a the possibility of any distant linkage of this name with the popular SRS Travels (a transportation company) flashed through my mind! It was only the next day morning I got to know the name of the place when Dinesh told me - Shri Revanna Siddeshwara Betta.<br />
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It was about 5:40 am when we arrived at the place and the sky was still deep blue with some bright stars shining. The East was giving an indication of changing the sky colour soon by bringing in the Sun. Horizon was slowly turning pink.<br />
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The place offers very good opportunity for landscape photographers. The two rocky hills stand prominently in the otherwise plane landscape. The nearby lake provides a nice opportunity to get some reflections of those hills, on a ripple-less morning.<br />
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As we were making images around the lake the Sun broke out of the horizon. The light was soft and of the kind of typical winter Sunrise.<br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-81101939384023591042015-11-14T23:28:00.000+05:302015-11-14T23:28:07.697+05:30~ M A H A B A L I P U R A M ~ Under the silent storm!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Tamil Nadu is getting completely soaked by the recent series of deep depressions in the Bay of Bengal. The satellite images showing the swirl of cloud are painting a really horrifying picture of very heavy rains in the east coast of India. As I am writing this blog there is another warning standing in the parts of southern coast of Tamil Nadu for tomorrow and day after!<br />
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Me and my family has seen the beginning of these pouring times in Chennai and we missed the fury of the cyclone by a whisker! All hell started to break loose the day after we left Chennai. On the last day of our stay (Nov 8th, 2015) it had given us a hint about the days to come! Oct - Nov being a regular rainy season in Tamil Nadu (due to reverse monsoon) we thought that it would be a regular rain with a bit more duration and slightly heavy clouds! But the story was different! A dangerous storm was silently brewing in the sky above us and we were happily enjoying our city sight-seeing and visits to popular tourist destinations thinking that they are regular cloud movements!<br />
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Mahabalipuram was one of the places where we spent our Saturday (Nov 7th, 2015) morning. The sky was cloudy and it was drizzling intermittently at times. The low moving, rain bearing clouds are always a treat for the photographer, which fills the sky nicely with shades while shooting the temple architecture! I was happy because the clouds were hiding the harsh sun behind them and the light was pretty even. It drizzled a bit while we were watching the main shore temple complex and then again a bit of drizzle while we were at the place of "Pancha Ratha" (complex of five chariots). Though the intensity was a bit high we thought that it is just a momentarily shower and did not take it seriously. But when we head back to the car to proceed to Arjuna's Penance then the fury started! It went on to about 20 odd minutes and at the end we had to abandon the idea of going inside the complex of Arjuna's Penance and started to head back to Chennai. What we saw there was a pre-cursor for the days to come!<br />
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Here are some of the images which I made that morning at Mahabalipuram.<br />
(Click on the images to see them bigger - <i>recommended</i>!)<br />
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While I pray for the safety of all in Tamil Nadu during these tough times you enjoy these images.</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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<span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></div>
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-20379995087575485022015-10-26T00:01:00.000+05:302015-10-26T00:01:09.025+05:30Enter the Distagon!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is a new companion for me in the field along with my wife and my new D810 and I am happy about it - Carl Zeiss 2/28 ZF.2!</div>
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Immaculately built all metal body feels like a piece of heavy rock in the hands. The unique Field Curvature that it exhibits when shot wide open and from close distance from the subject gives a different character to the image, which I have not seen in any other lenses. All this is of course with lovely rich color rendition and a fine micro contrast. The aspect that I personally like the most about this lens is the natural vignetting that this lens produces when shot at f/2. I have used the lens extensively in my recent Gujrat trip and I will be sharing the images soon in this space. Till then I have shared few other images made using this lens. </div>
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Excited to hit the field again!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span></div>
</div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-6547863086607430662015-08-29T00:00:00.002+05:302015-08-29T00:02:17.824+05:30One that safeguards<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am not an ardent street photographer, but I like that genre which captures the subtle impressions of day-to-day life.<br />
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I happened to be in one of the popular streets of Bengaluru that still maintains the old Bangalore charm in the way it appears and operates - Avenue Road. A paradise for book lovers where one can find all sorts of new and used books. It is a pretty long road and on the other half it transforms into a silver and ornamental jewellery market. The busy and bustling street during the day begins its morning with a relatively calm tone. I was there in those hours this time. I had been to that street many times earlier but not for photography but for the books. But this time I went to see how the day begins there.<br />
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After the initial few shots one thing caught my attention. A lock. Nice and old it was. Sitting on a contrastingly bright grill. I made an image of that. Then suddenly I started seeing so many of them all around! One by one, they were all different! They all had different features and characters. They were in various shades and shapes. Some looked like they had attitude and some were looking somber! Some were completely rusted and some were fantastically shiny! There were so many of them with so much different from each other. But they were all there for one common reason. That was the reason of their very existence - Safeguarding. They were all united by this one common reason. Thoughts were running into my mind and I decided to make some images before the day no longer needs them!<br />
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It was an interesting time for me. Let me see when I can be there again!<br />
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Cheers,<br /><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-58121704952252264512015-08-16T23:48:00.003+05:302015-08-16T23:50:31.130+05:30Nature In Focus 2015 award and other buzz<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1">It was on the evening of July 4th at Chancery Pavilion, Bangalore.</span></div>
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<span class="s2"><a href="http://www.natureinfocus.in/">Nature In Focus</a></span><span class="s1"> team was announcing the winners of their photography contest. <a href="http://kalyanvarma.net/"><span class="s2">Kalyan Varma</span></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6IH-0TlgW4"><span class="s2">Rohit Varma</span></a> were on the stage. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There were around 25 large prints were put up outside the main hall. We were told that those were the prints of the images that had made to the finals and beyond! I was thrilled to see three of my images there!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">The ceremony started and the winning images were displayed on the huge screen on stage. The winning images were indeed amazing! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There was an anxiousness in the atmosphere when the award ceremony started! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Several crossed fingers and numerous eager eyes to see who would get what. None of the invited knew for which award they were called for! That was the secret organisers had guarded so much.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When the category of Animal portraits came, I was called for the '<b>Special Mention</b>' award for my image of Indian Rhino that I made in Kaziranga few years back. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Next was the turn of Wildscapes. I was called on stage as '<b>Winner</b>' in the category of '<b>Wildscapes</b> <b>& Animal in its Habitat</b>', for the image of Alpine Swifts in the backdrop of Unchalli Falls! I was excited!</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Then the final moment came - to announce the '<b>Photographer of the Year</b>'. All fingers crossed again. And then the name was announced - "Ashwini Kumar Bhat, for the image of Wire-tailed Swallow with the reflection of the ripples, titled - '<b>The Ripple Effect</b>' ".</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><i>"Ripple Effect</i>"</b> - <b>Photographer of the Year</b> award</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>"<i>The Dare Devil</i>" - Winner, Wildscapes</b> <b>& Animal in its Habitat</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>"<i>Golden Rhino</i>" - Special Mention, Animal Portraits</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">You can find the rest of the winners in the below page of NatGeo Traveller India.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.natgeotraveller.in/web-exclusive/web-exclusive-month/13-brilliant-wildlife-photography-moments/" target="_blank">http://www.natgeotraveller.in/web-exclusive/web-exclusive-month/13-brilliant-wildlife-photography-moments/</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Another update is that our images of Glowing Fungi from the forests of Western Ghats have found a place in BBC Travel! </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Below is the link:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150709-indias-mysterious-glowing-forests" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20150709-indias-mysterious-glowing-forests</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Our original story about these glowing forest floors can be found here:</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><a href="http://www.landscape-wizards.com/home/unseen-landscapes/luminous-landscapes" target="_blank">http://www.landscape-wizards.com/home/unseen-landscapes/luminous-landscapes</a></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Hope you enjoy these.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Cheers,</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></b></span></div>
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-41014551701240956792015-04-08T00:00:00.000+05:302015-04-08T07:12:39.506+05:30Yosemite - My impressions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If I were to rate a place that I visited during my short stay in the West Coast US then Yosemite would be second on my list, after Death Valley. The sheer diversity of the landscape is so enriching that I bet even the most conservative photographer would come back with a high number of excellent images.<br />
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Yosemite was the next one in our plan, after Death Valley, during our stay in Sunnyvale. Having been driven to Death Valley and having been spoiled by the tremendous photo opportunity that Death Valley presented, the expectation from Yosemite was no less. Apart from its grand vistas and beautiful waterfalls it had another unique attraction to us - the Giant Sequoia, largest tree specie on earth. Since Sahana and me are big time tree lovers, seeing this huge mammoth was high on our wish-list. Areas around Mariposa Grove inside the Yosemite National Park have many of these giant trees. <br />
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The time that we planned to visit Yosemite was in the third weekend of December 2014. By that time it has already snowed in some parts of the region. The route to Glacier Point, one of the most famous and iconic spots in the Park, was closed. Same was the case with Mariposa Grove. At least that's what their website was telling the previous day of our visit. This made our hopes of seeing Giant Sequoia bleak and needless to say that we were little disappointed.<br />
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Our plan was to reach Yosemite Valley by noon and spending some time in the valley and exploring the photographic opportunity at various points. The next day morning was planned at <i>Tunnel View, </i>another famous spot, and then based on the previous day's experience deciding what to do next.<br />
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As per the plan we reached Yosemite Valley by noon. We filled petrol (Gas, as it is called in US) to our vehicle in the last point at El Portal, before entering the National Park. The drive along the Merced River was pleasant and enjoyable. As we entered Yosemite Valley we were stunned by the sheer beauty of the place. One side you have huge mammoth-like mountain - El Capitan, and the other side you have series of rocky peaks and to add to the whole view you have huge water falls on either side of the valley. The beauty and the joy was much more than what we had expected!<br />
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After spending some time in the first meadow in the valley we went straight to Visitor Center. Visitor Centers are the best places to get accurate information in all the US National Parks. The staff there are normally very well informed and they help you to make your experience better and pleasant. The staff at the Visitor Center told us that due to no snowfall in past few days Mariposa Grove was opened for visitors on the very same day morning. That was a welcome surprise for us and we decided to head straight to Mariposa Grove and then coming back to Tunnel View by sunset.<br />
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Mariposa Grove didn't disappoint us at all. We both were bowled over by the sheer size of the Giant Sequoia trees. We walked along one of the smaller trails to see the largest Giant Sequoia in Yosemite - Giant Grizzly! We also saw various other types of pines like Sugar Pine, which has the longest cones of any coniferous trees. The information boards all across the pathways are excellent sources of information about the tree and the region.<br />
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Satisfied with the experience of seeing the largest tree specie on earth, we head back to Tunnel View. By the time we reached Tunnel View the sun had already set. We were not disappointed as we planned for visiting the same place again the next day morning. Hence we headed straight to the place where we had booked our stay - Curry Village. It is an excellent place if you are looking for a budget accommodation, where you are given a nice tent with an optional heater facility. Completely tired by the activities during the day we just wanted to rest our heads against the pillow. The next day morning was waiting.<br />
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Tunnel View is another iconic point in Yosemite National Park. That is a point where every tourist has a photograph and almost the same photograph :) ! That morning was no less beautiful. The cloud was still hovering in the valley beneath and the distant sky was turning light pink. After some time, the high clouds spoiled the morning glow but the clouds in the valley were still providing plenty of opportunities for every photographer to explore possibilities. We spent about two hours by enjoying image making process and soaking in the atmosphere of the place.<br />
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The rest of the day was spent in exploring various other spots and some trails in the Park. The prominent one which we enjoyed was our visit to Mirror Lake. The name was accurate and meaningful to the place. The lake indeed was a mirror, reflecting the high glaciers and the peaks in its water. The ripples were not often and hence the beauty of looking at the neat reflection was a sheer joy for quite some time. We enjoyed making some images at that place.<br />
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Post lunch we headed to few other spots to view Yosemite Falls from bottom and stopped at few places to make some images enroute. Our plan was to witness another sunset before we start heading back to Sunnyvale, which was about four hours of drive from the Park. We decided on a place that is beside a river from where you have a clear view of the El Capitan on one side and the other peaks on the opposite side. The river in the foreground was adding nicely to the whole scene. Our decision of spending another sunset paid off as the sky was turing very vibrant. The red glow of setting sun was falling directly on the imposing structure of El Capitan and its vertical side was reflecting the radiant glow. A set of small cloud was giving a nice scale to the whole scene.<br />
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After making few images at the spot we suddenly decided to go to Tunnel View once again before the twilight fades away. By the time we started to head towards Tunnel View, which was about 3 - 4kms from the place where we were shooting, the glow was quite at its peak. But we knew that the scene would be much more appealing from the place where we were going now and we were not disappointed! When we reached the place the sky was having post sunset glow and the whole valley in front and the sky above were bathed in pink afterglow of sunset. That light was there for few minutes before it started to fade away by giving place to the evening blues!<br />
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By the time we started back from Yosemite it was about 5:30PM and it was already dark! But what we had witnessed that evening was something truly special.<br />
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The majestic El-Capitan, beautiful Yosemite Falls, serene Yosemite Valley and those HUGE Giant Sequoias have etched memories of <i>Yosemite experience</i> forever in our lives.<br />
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Asking me if I want to go there again?<br />
- Why not? :)<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span><br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-71475983780339902102015-03-18T16:42:00.001+05:302015-03-18T16:42:31.728+05:30Death Valley - a barren wonderland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During my official trip to Sunnyvale, CA, one of the must visit plans that Sahana and myself had was to visit Death Valley! Both had this place in mind without even being discussed among us! So during our planning it became easier to arrive at the decision of visiting Death Valley!<br />
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As the planned dates come closer we got company for the visit. This time it was my good old friend Vijet and his wife Anisha, who agreed to join hands with us for the long journey of about 500 miles!<br />
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After some rounds of search for a good place to stay we finalised on Panamint Springs Resort. The place was within the Death Valley boundaries and we thought it would be nice to stay within the park premises. Our plan was of two days. We knew that just two days are not enough to explore such a big National Park (with more than 13000 sq kms, this is the biggest of the lower 48 states of US).<br />
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500 miles drive, that too just for a weekend visit necessitates very early start and that is exactly what we did. Starting at 4AM helped us to cover more ground before the dawn broke out. Couple of fuel stops enroute and we were almost near the badlands (another term for the area of Death Valley)! The route we took from Sunnyvale was - I-5 => Bakerfield => I-58 => I-14 (via Red Rock Canyon State Park) => I-395 => I-190. The route was very scenic all along, which made the journey very pleasant.<br />
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The journey along I-190 feels quite haunting. This is mainly because many times you may be the only one driving on a road that looks as if it is endless and merging completely in the horizon! With almost nothing around you hardly notice the speed at which you are driving! It was almost 2 PM by the time we reached the place where we had booked our stay - Panamint Springs Resort! Unlike what the name suggests, it was no where near to a 'resort' but in a barren and remote place like this getting something is more than anything.<br />
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Since we were spending two days, the plan was to visit the areas beyond <i>Furnace Creek</i> on Saturday evening and spend the sunset at <i>Badwaters</i> area. Since <i>Artists Palette</i> was on the way to <i>Badwaters</i> the plan to cover that also looked feasible.<br />
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We all had read that Death Valley is a huge area. Reading is one thing and feeling that is altogether a different experience! <i>Furnace Creek</i> was at about 55 miles away from <i>Panamint Springs, </i>where we had booked our stay. <i>Stovepipe Wells </i>lies in between, which has some nice sand dunes around. But our plan was to get to these sand dunes the next morning. So we just went past that area to go to <i>Furnace Creek</i>. After a short visit to the visitor center there we headed straight to <i>Artists Palette. </i>A drive through a narrow space would bring you to a place which is hidden from the main road. It is then when you realise why the place is named so! The mountains in front were full of different colors! At one point in time it became hard to believe that what we are seeing in front is completely natural!<br />
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The drive through <i>Artists Palette </i>was about 45 min, including our stops to make some images. By the time we came out of that drive to the main road the Sun was already getting ready to pack up for the day! It was winter and Sun was setting quite early! Day time was short. So we rushed to <i>Badwaters </i>to catch the evening light in the hope of making some good images there. I had seen some wonderful images made at that place by leading landscape photographers from US. So needless to say I had huge hopes on the place for various compositional opportunities. The salt cracks of the region had provided wonderful foreground for those amazing images from the region. Combine that with evening twilight or few stars in the sky and your recipe for a beautiful image was ready! With all these things in mind and more we reached the place. By that time Sun had gone below the mountain range on the west. But the evening glow was still there. People who had come there were also leaving slowly due to low light. Low light is not always a problem for a Landscape Photographer! Sometimes it is a boon - to make long exposure images. By consoling like these to myself, we set out to see how the place is. To our bad luck the salt cracks were all wiped off due to heavy rains few days back and the whole place had become a pile of brownish white salt clusters with no shape and form. I was utterly disappointed. I had high hopes on this place and what we were seeing in front was in no way giving any good images. It was just useless. Our plan of spending time there to make quality images tanked. Mood was grim on our way back to the hotel. Now I became anxious to see what would happen for rest of the plans!<br />
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Sahana had planned Death Valley to coincide with Geminids Meteor shower. Since Vijet was an avid astro-photography enthusiast our next plan was to shoot the meteor shower at night. Though the place around the hotel had few street lamps, the sky was pretty much clear from light pollution. When we looked up to see whether we are able to see the stars, we all shocked completely by looking at the amount of stars visible in the sky. Vijet got super excited as it was his dream to shoot milky way! By the time we finished our dinner and came back with our camera gears, the milky way was emerging from behind the distant mountains. It was an awesome sight! Last time I had seen milky way was when we were doing <a href="http://sumasuta.blogspot.in/2009/11/starry-disaster.html">Leonids project</a> and I was placed on top of Kodachadri. That was around 5 years back! That was also a meteor shower night and it was a clear deja-vu moment for me! As we were enjoying the sight of milky way, we saw couple of meteor streaks! With that sighting we just accelerated our search for a good foreground to make a decent image and set up our equipment. With few initial images we got the idea of the exposure and once that is set we just prayed for some good show in the sky! It was not like <i>Badwaters!</i> This time we were not disappointed! We all got few good images of Milky-way with meteor streaks! Finally we tasted the first fruit of our planning! That was an amazing night!<br />
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Next day morning was planned to be spent near the <i>Mesquite sand dunes </i>in<i> Stovepipe wells </i>area<i>. </i>we started off quite early in the morning. The idea was to be there near the sand dunes by sun rise. We managed to do that. The early morning light was making those huge mountains look so beautiful all along the drive. We were spellbound by the vastness and the silence of the place. It was an elegant silence! Since there is no vegetation, there is very less lifeforms in the whole region. The bird population is limited to either human settlement areas or in the areas where there is some water and vegetation, like <i>Dante's Falls</i> area. In rest of the area there is hardly any bigger life forms. Hence if you get out of the car and listen to the sound, you will just hear silence!! An absolute SILENCE! The vastness of the area confuses your senses totally because one would not expect that much of silence in that vast land. One would atleast expect some fluttering of leaves or chirps of birds or any other sound to make him feel his existence! But here in Death Valley, if you are not near the human habitation areas (which are tiny by themselves) you will definitely feel that either you have gone deaf or you are non-existent! It would be like a muted movie with spectacular scenes in front! With all these thoughts running in the mind when I got down from the vehicle I was in front of the mesmerising sand dunes! The Sun was just coming up from behind the mountains in the east. The early morning golden glow was just touching the golden sand which was a bit moist due to the dew last night. The sand curves were playing a nice light drama. It was my first encounter with sand dunes. I was excited. Especially after witnessing the meteor shower last night and getting some decent pictures I was in a mood to enjoy. The place had not disappointed. It offered excellent opportunity to make some good images and enjoy the process. We walked through the sand dunes for some distance and that helped to get good perspectives in terms of composition, lighting and interesting foregrounds.<br />
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Once light started to loose its softness we decided to pack up and head to our next point - <i>Mosaic Canyon</i>. Death Valley has several beautiful canyons such as this, which offer a wonderful close look at the colorful nature of the landscape. In <i>Mosaic Canyon</i> it was colorful layered rocks that offer spectacular views and insights. It was a small walk from the parking area and the whole stretch was simply amazing. The array of colors on the rocks was simply fabulous. After about an hour we started from that place to head back to <i>Panamint Springs. </i><br />
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We had about an hour and a half left before we start our 500 miles journey back. We decided to explore <i>Dante's Falls</i> area. Having seen completely barren land from past two days, it was a welcome change to see patches of green vegetation along the route to Dante's Falls. We walked for about half an hour with photo stops in between and reached a small stream, which is made from the water of the falls. After spending some time there we decided to head back as the road further looked a bit narrow and needed careful manoeuvre, which we were not keen on. So we just decided to head back and spend some time enroute shooting some interesting stuffs.<br />
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It was around 12:30 PM or so when we finally started our return journey via the same route as we had come. It was almost midnight by the time we reached our place in Sunnyvale with loads of memory and tonnes of images!<br />
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What remains in my mind for a long time is the experience of silence that I felt in Death Valley. I had never listened to silence so clearly till then! In my mind the images of the place come and go, but the silence remains like an eternal truth!<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span></div>
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-12813972759658105302014-09-28T21:19:00.000+05:302014-09-28T21:19:29.340+05:30'Rock'ing!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Abstracts are beautiful! Some may disagree!<br />
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Often the formations and patterns that are found in various elements of nature evoke different emotions in us. The extent to which they touch depends on ones array of emotions and their life experiences! Its hard to ignore such instances when something around us has struck a chord of our emotion and made us think beyond just what is there in front. Such patterns and formations take our thoughts away from the scene quite instantly and within no time we would be immersed in the thoughts caused by the chain of emotions that has been triggered by the scene in front!<br />
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Different elements exhibit different patterns. The patterns that we see on the bark of a tree are completely different from the patterns that we see on a granite rock surface! The patterns of waves on a beach is different from the patterns of waves formed on the surface of a river by the breeze! The patterns of lichens on a tree bark are different from the patterns of moss on a rock surface beside a stream. They all are different from each other! Yet sometimes we feel they all are connected! Sometimes we feel they all are hinting something! Evoking certain feelings inside us and incepting certain thoughts in our mind!<br />
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The world of abstract is amazing!<br />
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Hope some of you are able to connect with at least few of these!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-12883868096285535192014-08-24T22:57:00.000+05:302014-08-27T23:10:44.133+05:30H O M E<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of the sad things (one of many? :-)) about city life is that we miss the enjoyment of watching sunset everyday. That is especially true in Bangalore since neither we have West facing beach nor we have many high rise apartments (compared to other metros in India).<br />
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Until I moved to my apartment last year, the only time I was enjoying sunset was while coming back from office of my previous company, when I was sitting in the bus and the driver used to take a route that is on the very outskirts of Bangalore and hence the vast expanse of empty land was giving way to the spectacular view of the sunset. But again, not everyday I had that pleasure, thanks to the work at office which often made me to stare at the monitor while the Sun was preparing to pack his things for the day with the vibrant sky and sometimes thin line of beautiful clouds. I was missing that badly.<br />
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But fortunately, at my home now I can witness the Sunset every evening from my balcony as long as I am there at home! Since I spend most of my weekend evenings at home I am thoroughly enjoying the Sunset these days.<br />
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Here I have made a compilation of some of the images that I made from my balcony over the last one year.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<b><span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></b></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-60947176744956971442014-07-13T19:51:00.000+05:302014-07-13T19:51:41.918+05:30An encounter with the Fan Throated Lizard!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It was a nice sunny day on a winter morning and myself and my wife were heading to<br />
Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Though we knew that we were little early with respect to the arrival of the winter migrants there, we had decided to take a chance<br />
and see if we can find any interesting species.<br />
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When we reached the place, as expected the lake was dry and there is no sign of an<br />
migrants anywhere around, except for a couple of Blue Tailed BeeEaters. As I was<br />
scouting the place via my binocular, my wife called me in a hurry to show me something<br />
which she had seen for the first time! It was a Fan Throated Lizard and it was a first<br />
sighting for me too! It was a male and the guy was in full display mode.<br />
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It was going to the edge of a small rock and displaying its colorful gular flap in full vigor! I<br />
had seen colorful rock agamas in and around Banglore but this colorful display was first<br />
time for me! As I went onto my knees to shoot this fella I noticed that it was going back<br />
and forth to a place nearby and coming back to the rock.<br />
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It was doing it often and when I looked at the place where it was going, from a distance, I could see anything much there. But on the second look and carefully observing I saw another lizard that was almost completely camouflaged in the vicinity of the tiny rocks and dust around. The pattern on<br />
its dorsal side was so much deceiving that it was almost impossible to distinguish the<br />
female from its surroundings.<br />
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The male was going near to the female and coming back. It was desperately attempting<br />
to divert our attention away from the place where female was lying, by exhibiting the<br />
threatening display from another point.<br />
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We observed the whole drama from a safe distance so that the duo is not disturbed. After some time, when they both felt that we are no more threats, the female started to move and it is then we saw what she was up to until we came there. She was digging small hole underneath a small rock, may be to lye<br />
eggs! The male was fiercely protecting the female.<br />
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Once they became comfortable with our presence, the female started to dig further. The male was constantly vigilant about the activities happening around was always very attentive.<br />
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I searched for the presence of any more males around but couldn't find one anywhere<br />
around. The process of digging continued for another 15 min or so with lot of intermittent<br />
breaks in between. We decided to make some images of male and head back as we<br />
didn't want to disturb them. We hope that the female might have laid eggs and the<br />
hatchlings might have come to the world safely.<br />
It was an amazing encounter over all!<br />
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Cheers,<br /><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></b><br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-31400091005346290632014-06-25T07:04:00.001+05:302014-06-30T07:30:27.086+05:30Eager to see the glow again!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The phenomena of <span class="st"><i>Bioluminescence</i></span> is relatively common in insects where it is exhibited by glow worms and fireflies. But the same <span class="st"><i>Bioluminescence </i>is exhibited by another form of living beings on the land - Fungi! </span><span class="st"><span class="st">Bioluminescent fungi are present in Indian jungles. But to see them is a challenge. </span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st">It requires coming out of our comfort zone where we are used to have bright light in night and venture into the dark forest with minimal light and look for the glow by switching off the light source completely. </span></span><br />
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Notice the twig in the center in the above image. That contains glowing fungi on its surface which glows at night. Below image of the same twig made at night would give you an idea.<br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st">The way these </span></span><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"></span><span class="st"><span class="st">Bioluminescent fungi lit up the forest floor is really amazing! </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st">These twigs and stems look perfectly normal in the day light and by looking at them during the day one cannot make out which ones glow at night and which ones are not. So the only way to figure that out is to actually go out at night :). </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st">The forest of the region where I went last year was teeming with various life forms. The color of the jungle was vibrant and so are the creatures! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.landscape-wizards.com/home/unseen-landscapes/luminous-landscapes">CLICK HERE</a> for a detailed experience along with a video log of our experience last year.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st">And, we are planning for this year too! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"> <a href="http://www.landscape-wizards.com/home/luminous-landscapes-expedition-2014">CLICK HERE</a> for the link to know more about how you can also be a part of it!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st">Cheers,</span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><span class="st"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></b> </span></span></span> </span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-26443331356178447122014-05-23T00:29:00.000+05:302014-05-23T00:29:07.240+05:30Melukote - A timeless beauty!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If I need to pick a handful of places around Bangalore that I feel worth visiting then this place - Melukote would be among the top three!<br />
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It was indeed sheer pleasure that I experienced when I visited this place few months back for the first time! But I dont know why I felt very much connected to the place as I entered and walked into its old small path ways of the small town. The whole place - its temples, kalyani (pond), houses, shops and almost everything is old structured and at one point or the other you feel that you are walking around the place which is still in 1960s or before! I was really amazed by the way the city was still having the traditional charm to it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Click on the image to view bigger</span>)</div>
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I thoroughly enjoyed my time and here are few images that made from my short visit.<br />
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Hope you enjoy.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<b><span style="color: yellow;">Ash</span></b></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-2602317809570545202014-04-07T23:00:00.001+05:302014-04-07T23:00:33.757+05:30As the Spring makes way to the Summer...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Days are getting hotter and the scorching heat of the Sun is making the afternoon walks a tough call.<br />
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After a lovely and <i>bloomy </i>spring its time now to face the heat!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Leaves of</span> <span class="st"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kusum Tree</i></span></span></div>
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But I thoroughly enjoyed the blooming season this time. I enjoyed my everyday drive through the avenues of Jayanagar while I was on the way to my office. I have witnessed blooming of <a href="http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Pink%20Trumpet%20Tree.html">Pink Poui </a>(<i><span class="st">Tabebuia rosea</span></i>) around Jayanagar Shopping Complex and the transition of a complete avenue containing <a href="http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/African%20Tulip%20Tree.html">African Tulip Trees</a> from complete brown to wonderful soft green and then to dense dark green. Now it is the time of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda_mimosifolia">Jacaranda</a>! As I am writing this blog there is still a blooming Jacaranda tree right in front of <span class="st"><i>Maiyas</i> <i>Restaurant </i>in Jayanagar. </span><br />
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<span class="st">Last month we had been to Dharma Reservoir when we visited Yellapur. We took a shorter road which goes via few villages and through jungle. To our pleasure, we saw an entire tree with red bloom. It was a <a href="http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Kusum%20Tree.html">Kusum tree </a> (</span><span class="st"><i><span class="st">Schleichera oleosa</span></i>). Seeing the shiny red new leaves was a treat to our eyes.</span><br />
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<span class="st"> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Kusum Tree</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Flowers of <i>Coral Tree</i></span><i> </i></span></div>
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<span class="st">The forest was teeming with flowing trees and as the production was high so were the consumers! Tall and dry trees were having huge number of bee hives! In the time when the global population of wild bees is reducing at an alarming rate seeing such colonies of bees was a real treat! </span><br />
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<span class="st">I am seeing bee hives not just in the rural jungles but in the urban concrete jungles as well! At my office on Brunton Road, every year when the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_saman">Rain Tree</a> (</span><span class="st"><i>Albizia saman</i>), which is in front of our office blooms we are having Bee hives to the structural blocks of the building. This is the third year now! </span><br />
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<span class="st">After enjoying the bloom all across the city and outside, now it is time to face the Sun! </span><span class="st">Dry deciduous forest region in <i><a href="http://www.dandeli.com/">Dandeli</a></i> gave us the glimpse already few weeks back! </span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st">Now when I visit Sirsi in the end of April, I know what can expect!</span></span><br />
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<span class="st"> </span><br />
<span class="st">Cheers,</span><br />
<span class="st"><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span> </span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-65542843590699677942014-03-27T23:42:00.000+05:302014-04-07T21:42:58.166+05:30Birds, Boats and Bagheera! - An experience in Dandeli<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Any nature lover would be thrilled to hear the news of sighting a Black Panther!<br />
Any avid birder would be thrilled to hear the sighting of Great Hornbills!<br />
Any adventure lover would be thrilled to hear about amazing experience of white water rafting in river Kali!<br />
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Last weekend we experienced all the three!<br />
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That was in <a href="http://www.dandeli.com/">Dandeli!</a><br />
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I never thought that accepting an offer to experience Dandeli for two days would turn out to be so exciting and fruitful! It is not that I was going there for the first time. I had a nice time in 2006 when I attended the first meet if India Nature Watch at Kulgi Nature Camp, very near to Dandeli.<br />
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Dandeli is arguably one of the most bird rich areas of Karnataka. It is a paradise for birders and it doesn't take much to fall in love with birds after seeing the big birds like Malabar Pied Hornbill and its bigger brother Great Hornbill! If you want to see Malabar Pied Hornbills then Dandeli is THE place to be! You will find them almost everywhere!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4eWAid69C-BByQa-Hf7eD8RsGKGgDXxGrMvqtEUsAmiUtc_HikQXhmvDfaABQf0Rgb09GypISoZHmTeWZ87ZX2tBnNqUBX-FGnL4ZWNRKWBKvpeHxrfgMP2UScV77sBemZOWEReLbbw/s1600/_DSC5752_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4eWAid69C-BByQa-Hf7eD8RsGKGgDXxGrMvqtEUsAmiUtc_HikQXhmvDfaABQf0Rgb09GypISoZHmTeWZ87ZX2tBnNqUBX-FGnL4ZWNRKWBKvpeHxrfgMP2UScV77sBemZOWEReLbbw/s1600/_DSC5752_sm.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Great Hornbill on a fruiting tree</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Plum Headed Parakeet on a flowering tree</span></div>
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Summer has set in and the dry deciduous forest region of Dandeli-Anashi Tiger Reserve is embracing the pale brown color all over its canopy! Our visit to the Sunset point inside the National Park in the morning gave us a nice glimpse of the summer attire of this portion of the Western Ghats! The occasional flight of Malabar Pied Hornbills and the sightings of Malabar Giant Squirrels dwelling the canopies are treat to watch standing on the Sunset point.<br />
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The view of the vista combined with the flight of the
hornbills over the canopy will offset the disappointment of relatively
scarce wildlife in the park. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Barking Deer, inside the National Park</span></div>
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White water rafting in river Kali is another experience that is a must if you visit Dandeli. The rafting is conducted by the folks of Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR). The total distance of rafting is about 10kms and it takes a good 60-90 min to complete all the eight rapids. We had a wonderful time watching hornbills fly across the river on many occasions and at one point in time one bird came and sat on a low hanging branch while our raft was just under it! That was thrilling. It was my closest encounter with the bird. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Malabar Pied Hornbill over the forest canopy</span></div>
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Sighting of Black Panther in the dawn was an experience of my lifetime! As we were all talking in the jeep about possibility of sighting wild cats in the wee hours of the morning and our jeep was hardly 100 meters from the resort this fella was walking on the road gracefully! It took us quite sometime to realize what we were seeing is true! Our driver had initially thought that it was a sloth bear and I was so excited that I couldn't utter a single word! I slowly went near his ears and ushered that 'My boy, it is a Black Panther!'. By that time he had also realised that and was equally shocked! It was the first encounter with the most elusive cat for him as well!<br />
Murphy ruled again! It was very early morning...no light at all...our jeep's head light was quite dim....and...the panther was Black! My camera started hunting to focus and my 300mm lens was of little use given the distance between us and the cat. By the time my camera caught something to focus the fella had happily left the scene by leaving all the thrill behind! So in the end it was just the memories of the encounter and the thrill of its sightings which remained.<br />
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There are many places around Dandeli for tourists. We visited Syntheri Rocks, a small falls beside a very huge rock! A very nice place to spend the evening. But it is not advisable to get into the water here as there are lots of casualties reported from past several years of people getting drowned in the water.<br />
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Overall, Dandeli is a fantastic place to be if you are a nature lover and the place will not disappoint you be it any season!<br />
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<i>My stay in <a href="http://www.dandeli.com/resorts/dandeli-jungle-camp.php"> Dandeli Jungle Camp </a> was arranged by <a href="http://www.dandeli.com/">www.dandeli.com</a></i><br />
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-80709044801541957372014-02-10T23:49:00.000+05:302014-02-10T23:56:40.556+05:30"N E R A L U" - The tree fest<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last Saturday I was at Cubbon Park, attending the first of its kind festival - <i>Festival of trees of Bengaluru</i> - <i>NERALU. </i><br />
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The event was entirely crowd-funded and various enthusiasts from all over the city had contributed for the success of the event.<br />
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More about this initiative can be found at: <a href="http://neralu.in/">http://neralu.in/ </a><br />
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There were talks by eminent people about various aspects of trees of the city and the ecosystem around it. There were also activities for kids, '<i>Hug-a-Tree</i>' campaign, an exhibition of photographs of trees by various photographers, various cultural events and many more.<br />
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Here is a small collection of images that I made during the time I was there on the first day.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">There were many such beautiful hanging posters that were hand made with utmost artistry.</span> </i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The informative display boards were truly eye-catching!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">There was one or the other activity for everyone irrespective of the age!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>"Hug-a-Tree"</i></b></span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyceRyi5EWJwKUpq5t28xm0b4uuUnhkubQ7NMrYsS5-sZzCZJ0DTcuIaFGlWsR4-Tndq6zyFxu-bZ7wvzTSqogSvN5Jqcyo-RYgVZQjBZkGN4um7LbGZ1oKkSQJ-FIyiGJK_2sQS4lL4U/s1600/_DSC8408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyceRyi5EWJwKUpq5t28xm0b4uuUnhkubQ7NMrYsS5-sZzCZJ0DTcuIaFGlWsR4-Tndq6zyFxu-bZ7wvzTSqogSvN5Jqcyo-RYgVZQjBZkGN4um7LbGZ1oKkSQJ-FIyiGJK_2sQS4lL4U/s1600/_DSC8408.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><i>"Hug-a-Tree"</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A scene from the short play - <i><b>Of Lata And Ashoka</b></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Amphitheater where the short play was performed</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Hats-off to the people behind making this thought come true! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Cheers,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b></span> </span><b><i> </i></b></span></div>
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Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838414400427784945.post-20067359863958146522014-02-02T22:40:00.000+05:302014-02-03T11:03:38.464+05:30A brief account of an eventful month!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
January has been very hectic. Not a single weekend was free and the whole month was quite an eventful one.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bay Backed Shrike in the thorny scrub forest around Tirunalveli</span></div>
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The first weekend was much awaited 'Chitra Santhe 2014', that was preponed this year by couple of weeks! The exhibition went very well this time, where our stall was visited by quite a large crowd. <br /><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A fancy Fantail Flycatcher spotted during Bangalore Bird Race</span></div>
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Then Sahana and me had been to Kaiga, to participate in the 'Kaiga Bird Marathon - 2014'. We had a nice time birding around the place, where I got to see four lifers!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Bay Backed Shrike in its flying aerobatics! </span></div>
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Third Sunday was Bangalore Bird Race! A full day of nice birding and followed by a get together of loads of birders from the city in the evening.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">A Pied Crested Cuckoo, also called as harbinger of rain, spotted in the outskirts of Tirunalveli. </span></div>
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And the most exhilarating experience was the last weekend of Jan!! We trekked to Kumara Parvatha! Arguably the toughest trek of South India that pushes ones endurance to the limit!<br />
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The whole month was quite eventful!<br />
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Started processing pending images. Shared images here are from my visit to Tirunalveli and during Bangalore Bird Race.<br />
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Cheers,<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Ash</b> </span></span></div>
Ashwini Kumar Bhathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17885804572154720546noreply@blogger.com4