Auto Stand

Technorati tags: autorickshaw, Calcutta

Worried

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta, rickshaw

Tea Break

Technorati tag:Kolkata

What's inside?

 

Technorati tags: Kolkata, Calcutta
 

Journeys

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?

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

Shot from the hip

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

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

Paan Shop

 

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

 

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

 

Another picture of the Calcutta Trams. 

Toy Train

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

Technorati tags: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 

Calcutta Trams

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

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Picure taken at Ghum Station, 2003. 

Technorati Tag: darjeeling himalayan railway

Digital Fun

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

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. :-(

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.

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

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

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!