Erm...

Tea Shop

2011-03-14T21:28:00.003+05:30

Playing

2011-02-08T19:05:00.001+05:30

Back from work

2011-01-31T01:27:00.002+05:30

Going to work

2011-01-28T17:50:00.001+05:30

Garia Crossing

2011-01-22T16:25:00.002+05:30

Tea Shop

2011-01-19T16:31:00.000+05:30

Shop

2011-01-17T16:03:00.002+05:30

Blessings

2011-01-06T15:47:00.002+05:30

Fruit Shop

2010-12-26T13:17:00.003+05:30

Drums

2010-12-24T18:37:00.002+05:30

Kali Puja Immersion

2010-11-16T21:28:00.003+05:30

Celebration

2010-11-08T01:32:00.001+05:30

Devotion

2010-11-07T00:23:00.001+05:30

Hedua Chat Shop Estd. 1941

2010-10-12T22:04:00.002+05:30

Take a picture

2009-10-22T14:39:00.002+05:30

Kali

2009-10-20T01:06:00.002+05:30

Idlers II

2009-10-12T18:30:00.001+05:30

Bidi Makers

2009-09-29T12:15:00.002+05:30

Click here for more info on Bidi

Beauty Full

2009-09-27T14:24:00.004+05:30

Idlers

2009-09-26T00:57:00.003+05:30

Night

2009-06-21T14:15:00.001+05:30

Going to work

2008-09-07T13:21:00.001+05:30

News

2008-06-30T13:01:00.003+05:30

Kali Puja

2007-11-17T22:17:00.000+05:30

I have bought a Canon EOS 400D because I did not have a film scanner. Film scanners are not readily available in my city and the good ones cost as much as a DSLR anyway. I hope to more regular with my blog now.

Wondering

2007-09-29T23:45:00.000+05:30

Transport

2007-09-22T20:57:00.000+05:30

2007-04-07T21:04:00.000+05:30

Siesta

2007-03-04T17:23:00.000+05:30

Traffic Jam II

2007-02-16T22:05:00.000+05:30

Traffic Jam

2007-02-06T21:55:00.000+05:30

Been a long time. I was caught in a traffic snarl so took the opportunity to shoot from the lap.

Girl

2006-11-03T20:10:00.000+05:30

Durga Puja

2006-10-15T19:00:00.000+05:30

Durga Puja

Always Free

2006-09-18T12:14:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Truck Art

Quintessential Rural India

2006-07-16T23:27:00.000+05:30

Techorati tags: Bullock Cart, Orchha

Blue Door

2006-07-11T22:34:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Orchha

Temple at Garia crossing

2006-07-10T18:49:00.000+05:30

Washing

2006-07-08T21:02:00.000+05:30

This was taken in Orchha, India sometime in Dec 2005. The bridge is too narrow to park the bicycle. Further, the man washing has to keep an eye too on his bicycle, lest someone makes off with it while he is cleaning himself!

Technorati tags: Orchha

Tea Shop

2006-06-30T09:25:00.000+05:30

I somehow love these small tea shops all over our city. And the tea is incredibly cheap.

Technorati tags: Tea Shop, EOS A2, Canon EF 50mm

Wondering? Thinking?

2006-06-28T22:29:00.000+05:30

On Sunday, my wife's grandmother passed away. We (wife and I) had gone to the cremation ground. This is my brother-in-law sitting under the tree.

Darjeeling Mall

2006-06-10T11:29:00.000+05:30

Vehicles are not allowed on the Darjeeling Mall. So people generally push their two wheelers across the Mall. Cars/four wheelers are strictly forbidden. This was taken sometime in 2002/2003 during the monsoon. Monsoon time in Darjeeling one is almost always walking in the clouds and everything takes on various shades of grey tones. Scanned from a 4x6 inch print on a very low end scanner. One has to see the print to appreciate the tones, the scan does not do justice to it.

Canon 500N, Black White film pushed 2 stops.

Technorati tags: Darjeeling

Autorickshaw Art

2006-05-31T13:58:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: rickshaw

Schoolgirls returning home

2006-05-22T20:28:00.000+05:30

Girls returning home after school, buying goodies (toffees and stuff). (Rural Bengal, India.)

Fishermen II

2006-05-16T09:44:00.000+05:30

Fishermen looking at themselves :)
Canon A2, EF 50mm f/1.8 II, Fuji 100

Technorati Tags: EOS A2, Canon EF 50mm

Fishermen

2006-05-15T12:05:00.000+05:30

Fishermen repairing their nets.

Canon A2, 50mm f1.8 II, Fuji 100

Fruit Seller

2006-05-13T10:17:00.000+05:30

Canon EOS A2, EF 50mm f1.8 II, Fuji 100ASA

Shot from the hip :-)

Rural Tea Shop

2006-05-12T20:48:00.000+05:30

A rural tea shop.

Technorati tags: Tea Shop

Beating the Heat

2006-05-07T12:24:00.000+05:30

From the bus again, on the way to the seaside.

Just Married

2006-05-04T09:01:00.000+05:30

On the way back from our holiday we saw this couple crossing the ferry.

The Bride and the Gamchha Seller

2006-05-02T19:28:00.000+05:30

I was going to the seaside near Calcutta with my wife when I spotted this scene from the bus window. Bride accompanied by a woman. BTW, Gamchha is a local towel made of cotton.

LPG

2006-04-24T11:24:00.000+05:30

Kolkata, Calcutta, LPG

Oxygen

2006-04-15T19:23:00.000+05:30

Oxygen, pretty soon we will be needing portable bottles to survive.

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta

Break

2006-04-10T09:51:00.000+05:30

Waiting for their turn

2006-04-08T12:13:00.000+05:30

This is a main auto-rickshaw terminus. The person leaning out is checking to see how long before his turn to move comes. The man in red in the vehicle in front of him is quietly resigned.

Tecnorati tags: Autorickshaw, Kolkata

Sunday Grooming

2006-04-02T22:56:00.000+05:30

I have cropped the foreground a bit. I think the man in the blue shirt is waiting his turn and cleaning his nails in the meantime.

Through the mirrors

2006-04-01T12:21:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta, rickshaw

View from the other side

2006-03-30T23:48:00.000+05:30

For a change I was in a taxi with a film camera. Just got the film scanned by a one hour lab. I am not really satisfied with the scan. I really want to blog with film rather than a digital point and shoot camera. Till such time I buy a scanner, I guess I will have to make do with the p&s.

Technorati tags:Kolkata, Calcutta, rickshaw

Courier

2006-03-29T10:46:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Jute, courier, Gunny Sacks

Tea time

2006-03-27T10:29:00.000+05:30

I was whizzing past these guys having tea. I like the picture inspite of the fact that it is unsharp!

Technorati Tags: Tea

Relaxing

2006-03-24T09:44:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: autorickshaw, Calcutta

Auto Stand

2006-03-21T10:46:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: autorickshaw, Calcutta

Worried

2006-03-16T10:41:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta, rickshaw

Tea Break

2006-03-15T09:43:00.000+05:30

Technorati tag:Kolkata

What's inside?

2006-03-13T19:44:00.000+05:30

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta

Journeys

2006-03-11T21:50:00.000+05:30

The wooden thing on the left is a bed used for carrying a dead person for cremation. This family makes these beds for a living. I did not realise this at the time of taking the picture. I was intent on capturing the old women. As usual, this has been taken without any composing or looking through the viewfinder.

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Rickshaw

Prayer for the road?

2006-03-10T23:16:00.000+05:30

Garia Crossing, what can one do but pray, what with the pollution and chaotic traffic!

Shot from the hip

2006-03-09T10:52:00.000+05:30

A shot from the hip, no composing, nothing, totally auto, took it while walking very slowly.
This is a roadside tea stall near the Garia Bus Depot.

Please comment!

Rickshangle

2006-03-04T10:43:00.000+05:30

Rickshangle's the name suggested by a friend for this series. The black thing in the corner is my mesenger bag.

Paan Shop

2006-02-28T18:40:00.000+05:30

Paan Shop! That hand holding money is my left hand. I had the Konica (gifted by my brother-in-law to my wife) in my right hand.

Technorati tags: Paan Shop

Life from a rickshaw

2006-02-28T18:26:00.000+05:30

I use a rickshaw almost daily. So I thought I might as well take pics while travelling in it. I dont aim the camera. I hold it on my lap. I dont compose. It is a small 5 megapixel Konica Revio KD-510Z. If I can sustain I will start a separate blog.

Technorati tags: Rickshaw

Going Home

2006-02-22T16:03:00.000+05:30

Another picture of the Calcutta Trams.

Toy Train

2006-02-21T12:37:00.000+05:30

Another picture of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Ghum Station, taken sometime in 2002 or 2003

Technorati tags: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Calcutta Trams

2006-02-20T14:33:00.000+05:30

They are going to vanish soon. Have to document them as much as possible.

2006-02-06T16:01:00.000+05:30

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Picure taken at Ghum Station, 2003.

Technorati Tag: darjeeling himalayan railway

Digital Fun

2006-02-05T15:11:00.000+05:30

After struggling a lot over the merits and demerits of Film vs. Digital, I decided to borrow a Canon Powershot 310 (3.1 Megapixel) camera and take some pics at the Calcutta Book Fair. I have to concede, digital is very, very convenient. The biggest plus point is not having to wait for the film to develop. I think any budding photographer should actually start with Digital as the instant feedback helps in learning and then move on to film. I love my film cameras, but the biggest dissapointment with film are the labs. They somehow are just not good. After getting a roll printed the result is so dissapointing that even the 3 megapixel camera pics are 10 times better than my film results. Now I am debating whether to go digital or get a film scanner. Hard decisions as it involves a lot of money.

For the moment it is fun with the simple p&s.

Calcutta Book Fair

2006-02-05T15:04:00.000+05:30

The Calcutta Book Fair

It is pretty crazy at the Book Fair. Millions come from all around Calcutta to look at and buy books. The atmosphere is magical. I had missed the Book Fair for the last couple of years as I was not in town. This year I could manage just one visit. :-(

2006-01-21T22:32:00.000+05:30

Holiday

We had been planning for a holiday for a long time. Shuchi wanted to go to Kerala, I wanted a wildlife holiday. We found out about Ken River Lodge in a magazine. We liked the website and decided to go there. The best part of going to Ken River Lodge was that the rest of the tour (Kharjuraho and Orchha) would be very convenient to reach from the Lodge. To be honest, I had cold feet. Ken River Lodge seemed to be too classy a place. Once we reached all our fears seemed unfounded. We got a very warm welcome from Karan Rana (god bless his soul). The owners proved to be equally warm. Bhavna happened to be a person with hundred's of anecdotes about life on the lodge. I am sure she has a book inside her and am willing to bet good money it will sell well. To cut a long story short, I heartily recommend the place to everyone, wildlife lovers, peace seekers, activity lovers, inactivity lovers. The star attraction of the property IMHO is the river that runs by the side. As for wildlife, we saw plenty, but not the tiger, whose only trace was a set of pug marks.

From the Lodge we went to Khajuraho. Interesting place with a lot of foreign tourists, excellent Italian food. Too touristy for my liking and too crowded.

From Khajuraho we went to Orchha. Wonderful place. The MP Tourish hotels are very good here. Lots to see. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came back rejuvenated. The only downside, we had to spend the 31st Dec, 2005 on the train.

2006-01-21T21:09:00.000+05:30

Long time

Been a long time since I blogged. Have been back from the holiday for almost 20 days now. We (Shuchi and I) thoroughly enjoyed our holiday. Will write a detailed description of the holiday soon.

Photography Friend

2005-12-09T22:26:00.000+05:30

I have found a photography friend in another brother-in-law! Now we are both madly taking pictures (a bit of an overstatement :P). He has recently acquired a Canon EOS Elan 7e and a 50mm f/1.8 II. I hope he does not regret the decision as I was instrumental in his acquiring the lens and the body (fingers crossed)!

I wonder whether all the great writers wrote under the influence of alcohol :-?

:P

Sentimental

2005-12-09T22:14:00.000+05:30

Somehow alcohol brings out the best in me. I seem to be a much better, mellow person after imbibing (yeah, I checked the spelling of the word :P) a couple of drinks ;-). It does make me a bit sentimental too. Recently my bro-in-law offered me a job in his newly formed software company. Although I have fantastic amount of faith in him as a programmer, something held me back. I guess it was mostly inertia, I was sort of well settled in the job that I was doing at the moment. Although I had very good reasons to leave, being bypassed for a raise primarily among them, I loved the colleagues I worked with. One person, Nirmalaya, will forever have a soft corner in my heart, having learned a lot from him. One hell of a unselfish guy. I guess I learned a lot from him.

I seen to have lost the thread :-? Anyway, join I did and I do not regret the decision one bit. I never knew changing jobs was so difficult.

On a different note, have just bought the Canon EF 75-300 III USM lens! The preparations for the holiday are in full swing!

Planning a trip!

2005-11-23T18:28:00.000+05:30

We, my wife and I, are planning a trip to Panna National Park, in Madhya Pradesh. We wanted to visit Bandhavgarh National Park, Khajuraho and Orchha initially. We abandoned the idea of going to Bandhavgarh after being unable to figure out how to reach Khajuraho from Bandhavgarh, a distance of around 250 kms. So the hunt was on and we decided to go to Panna and stay at Ken River Lodge. Bandhavgarh was abandoned more so as we could not get a booking for three nights. Doing some extensive research on the Net we decided to take a chance on the Ken River Lodge. The other two we are yet to book. I never knew planning a trip so well in advance could be such a big hassle. The M P tourism website obviously is not too Net friendly. The online booking does not work! The Calcutta office works with a a dial up connection :-o. Anyhow, the first part of planning is complete. Now planning the second part. Wonder what and how much film I need to buy?

Rant!

2005-11-19T11:40:00.000+05:30

Finally got my hands on the scans. They are so terrible that for a moment my heart stopped and I thought I had a lemon of a lens and a totally malfunctioning camera. I checked the prints. They were decidedly better. It takes me back to what I have always felt before. In my city (Calcutta, India) there is not a single D&P shop that gives reasonable prints for amateurs. I had almost given up on colour print film and started using Black and White and slide film. So it is back to the same for me. Hopefully in around 15 days I will have something worth uploading.

Film vs Digital

2005-11-18T11:53:00.000+05:30

There is so much talk about film vs. digital. For those of us living in developing countries it is still not economically feasible to go out and get a DSLR. I got the secondhand A2 at a fraction of the cost of a entry level DSLR like the EOS 350D. For me the best part of digital is that there is no waiting period between clicking and checking out the results. The realtime editing is a cool feature too. I still like the whole feel of holding a good print in my hands, black and white or colour which is lacking in digital pics. Even if the cameras eventually go digital, printing on paper will remain.

Waiting for the first roll

2005-11-18T11:48:00.000+05:30

Waiting for the first roll to be developed and scanned. Waiting for something is so boring. The person responsible for collecting the pics and the cd ditched. This is so annoying. He has promised to get the stuff today. So the wait continues. Keeping my fingers crossed! Hope to be able to upload something tomorrow.

:-)

Photography

2005-11-15T20:14:00.000+05:30

Got interested in photography all over again after a two year hiatus. A brother-in-law got a small digital P&S and rekindled my interest.

Another cousin was in San Jose, Ca at the time so I started hunting on eBay for a good camera. I am a Canon nut. I had a Canon EOS 500N and wanted a better body along with a new 50mm 1.8 II as that was within my budget. Being badly bitten by the bug I decided going retro would be cool as I would be able to get much more gear for my money. So the hunt for a Canon A1 with some FD lenses started in real earnest. Another friend piqued my interest with a F1. Being a long time lurker on http://www.photo.net I started looking at the classifieds there. I decided to check out the secondhand offerings for Canon EOS gear. Pleasantly surprised with the prices there I started a thread on photo.net for suggestions on a second camera body. Amongst the suggestions, one for an A2 caught my fancy. A quick read of the reviews and comments and I was sold on it. In the meantime, I got a call from a local chap about a Canon A1 for sale, cheap. One look at the condition gave me a mild heart attack and I abandoned the idea completely. Another call, this time from a friend whose friend was selling some FD gear. He had (the friend of the friend) three Canon F1s and a Canon A1 with an assortement of FD lenses. So off we went, my friend, significant other and yours truly. One F1 was totally dead, the other one had a working shutter which froze as soon as the battery was inserted, the third he refused to show. The A1 had the infamous Canon squeal. The person selling acted really coy about the prices. We came home with two bodies (both F1s). After the initial rush of madness, my SO asked me, if the Canon F1 is so legendary, how come this person had three non-working Canon F1s? That settled it. The F1 was out. Totally.

Back to photo.net. An A2 with a great price came up. What was most interesting was the person was only 20 mins from my cousin in San Jose. I shot off a couple of emails and a couple of calls. Cousin met seller. Deal clinched. She came back to India on the 20th of Oct. After a long wait I finally got the camera in my hands on the 10th of Nov.

What can I say? Compared to my Canon 500N, which is an entry level camera this one is manna from heaven.

So, watch out people. You are going to be bombarded with pics taken with the A2 with the new EF 50mm f1.8 II.

Whew! that was one long entry.

:D

Starting out

2005-07-28T21:59:00.000+05:30

Hi

I am just starting out with Systems Administration. Both Windows and GNU/Linux. So I am going to keep track of stuff that I learn.