Driving back from Lake Berryessa, I saw this beautiful oak tree shorn of the leaves. So, we decided to stop and invoke the spirits for all happiness everywhere. Here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Invoking the Spirits: Happy New Year 2007!
Driving back from Lake Berryessa, I saw this beautiful oak tree shorn of the leaves. So, we decided to stop and invoke the spirits for all happiness everywhere. Here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Apache Indian at Scorpio Ball
I have been guilty of keeping too busy yet again. Couple of weeks back, I attended the Scorpio ball in San Francisco as a photographer. Although, I would love to be dancing but taking pictures is what I love more than anything else. The decor by Bonnie and folks was fantastic...a rainforest had been created and superb music permeated the mind.
Till I post the pics, I thought I would share a picture of an Apache Indian at the Scorpio ball. The red and green light coupled with no flash is what makes this photo for me. I loved it! What do you think?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Surya: Burning man 2006
The last couple of months have been incredibly busy. Just haven't had the energy to post anything for a while. It's halloween and this time I did not go to San Francisco to take pictures.
This was also the first year I went to burning man in Black Rock desert. I have been to two Kumbh melas and this was the closest to Kumbh mela. I was there for only two and a half days and sure hope I get to go again. There was so much energy and art around; I loved it! I slept about four hours each night getting back after my feet hurt - tottering back to my tent with my camera bag which felt even heavier. I met some real nice and cool people at burning man. Having had this experience, I can officially call myself a 'burner'. :)
At the belgian burn, I met Surya, resplendent in a dazzling silver dress. She is a rafter and a real estate agent and very kindly agreed to pose. I am posting two images that I took of her. More pictures of some cool people to follow on my website...hopefully soon!
Happy Halloween to you! Take pictures and don't get spooked.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Spreading happiness around...
A few days back, I photographed my friend Henrik and Mina's wedding.
Henrik was a lieutenant in Swedish air-force and looked dashing in his airforce dress. Mina, tall and pretty, complemented him. The wedding was a small family affair in a quaint little church in Sausalito. Henrik called me last month to ask if I would photograph his wedding. Ofcourse, I was more than happy that he would ask me to photograph their special day. After the wedding, I took them to Marin headlands overlooking the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco bay area for a few portraits. As usual, it was windy and cold. I was hoping to see a golden gate swathed in sunlight. But, when it is warm inland, the cold rushes in along with fog. So, braving the wind and cold and accepting compliments from the usual swarm of tourists, they posed for a few pictures. Happy and so in love with each other, they spread the happiness around. Henrik and Mina - I wish you both a very happy married life!
Friday, July 21, 2006
The feeling Called Love
The Feeling Called Love...certainly shines through in this photo I took last year at Tim and Giuliane's wedding. I had been going through some of the photographs and portraits I took at their wedding last year and thought I'll share it with you.
Photographing a wedding is fun, yet stressful and tiring. One needs to be mentally alert all the time to capture the fleeting moments that would not come again. A photographer really does not have any time to relax during a wedding except maybe during a quick dinner interrupted by more pictures. So why shoot a wedding? Just because...for a people-lover like me, a wedding is a chance to capture some spontaneous moments filled with love and happiness. And that's the reason why I shoot weddings sometimes, mostly for friends and acquaintances. It is hard work but very satisfying when the couple like your work. In this post, I'll just share some portraits that I liked of Tim and Giuliane.
We had gone to a beach next to Golden Gate Bridge where I wanted to capture their exuberance. This was after the wedding day as they wanted some more portraits. We stopped at Lucas Arts Campus in Presidio for some photographs. I really wanted to photograph them with Golden Gate as a backdrop. After Presidio, we went to the beach. Light was getting low and had me wishing we had more time. And, it was cold as usual in San Francisco. Tim and Giuliane braved it all and I got to capture some dynamic portaits along with their happy, sporty attitude.
I love this shot of the couple in the church with Jesus seemingly blessing their vows. The light in the church is usually dim and here's where the fast lenses come in handy. The lighting inside can be daunting but ofcourse that's where one rises to the challenge.
The next two portraits were taken after the ceremony when we were off to reception at the Golden Gate Yacht club. Oh, and this was the first time I actually got to ride in a limousine. That could be another reason - shoot a wedding and got to ride in a limo. :)
I really like this B/W portrait of Giuliane with the veil happily fluttering with the wind. There is something about B/W that imparts a timeless feel to a frame. Just two minutes before this, Giuliane was very cold and feeling tired; wanted to rush to the reception. I told her that I would like two really nice shots and we may not have a chance to shoot their portrait again. Suddenly, she was not cold anymore and took charge posing with effortless ease of a model. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the energy that was being revealed though my camera shutter.
This portrait shows a tenderness as they are about to kiss, a kiss full of love.
And that is precisely what I love when shooting a wedding...all that energy and the air filled with this feeling called love.
Photographing a wedding is fun, yet stressful and tiring. One needs to be mentally alert all the time to capture the fleeting moments that would not come again. A photographer really does not have any time to relax during a wedding except maybe during a quick dinner interrupted by more pictures. So why shoot a wedding? Just because...for a people-lover like me, a wedding is a chance to capture some spontaneous moments filled with love and happiness. And that's the reason why I shoot weddings sometimes, mostly for friends and acquaintances. It is hard work but very satisfying when the couple like your work. In this post, I'll just share some portraits that I liked of Tim and Giuliane.
We had gone to a beach next to Golden Gate Bridge where I wanted to capture their exuberance. This was after the wedding day as they wanted some more portraits. We stopped at Lucas Arts Campus in Presidio for some photographs. I really wanted to photograph them with Golden Gate as a backdrop. After Presidio, we went to the beach. Light was getting low and had me wishing we had more time. And, it was cold as usual in San Francisco. Tim and Giuliane braved it all and I got to capture some dynamic portaits along with their happy, sporty attitude.
I love this shot of the couple in the church with Jesus seemingly blessing their vows. The light in the church is usually dim and here's where the fast lenses come in handy. The lighting inside can be daunting but ofcourse that's where one rises to the challenge.
The next two portraits were taken after the ceremony when we were off to reception at the Golden Gate Yacht club. Oh, and this was the first time I actually got to ride in a limousine. That could be another reason - shoot a wedding and got to ride in a limo. :)
I really like this B/W portrait of Giuliane with the veil happily fluttering with the wind. There is something about B/W that imparts a timeless feel to a frame. Just two minutes before this, Giuliane was very cold and feeling tired; wanted to rush to the reception. I told her that I would like two really nice shots and we may not have a chance to shoot their portrait again. Suddenly, she was not cold anymore and took charge posing with effortless ease of a model. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the energy that was being revealed though my camera shutter.
This portrait shows a tenderness as they are about to kiss, a kiss full of love.
And that is precisely what I love when shooting a wedding...all that energy and the air filled with this feeling called love.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
SF Carnaval Portraits
Drum beats and colorful dancers. Add a gorgeous day to the mix and this would sum up the San Francisco Carnaval parade this year. I chose to drive and got to the parade bright and early and walked to where the participants were warming up, getting ready for the parade. Along the way, met a photographer friend and we walked some ways together, ready for a long day taking pictures.
I always want to shoot portraits but then, I am also interested in action portraits of the beautiful people dancing. Ofcourse, it's another story that I end up liking the posed portraits much more. Maybe, next year, if I am around to photograph the parade, I'll shoot more portraits instead of action. Or maybe not. I am too fickle, maybe too moody.
I met the three musketeers warming up next to the gray wall.
Yuyi, my friend, is an accomplished artist. You can see some of her illustration work on Yuyi's site.
I met Nina with her friends at the Carnaval wall in Mission district. This was her first time participating in the parade.
Monique is the reigning queen of SF Carnaval 2006. Dressed in bright fluorescent green feathers, apparently her creation, flashes me her brilliant smile.
Christy has a beautiful smile with dimples. Dancing with her contingent, Mara Reggae, she stopped briefly, to allow me to compose the picture.
Kim Anderson sashayed down the Mission street with the Mara Reggae troupe. She has has an infectious personality with a ready smile, makes you want to take a picture of her.
Throughout the day, my senses have an overload of visual and auditory stimulations. And, I keep on shooting. At the end of the day, after I am back home, I feel dehydrated, sunburnt, yet happy with a long day's shoot. It energizes my spirits. Does photography energize you too?
I always want to shoot portraits but then, I am also interested in action portraits of the beautiful people dancing. Ofcourse, it's another story that I end up liking the posed portraits much more. Maybe, next year, if I am around to photograph the parade, I'll shoot more portraits instead of action. Or maybe not. I am too fickle, maybe too moody.
I met the three musketeers warming up next to the gray wall.
Yuyi, my friend, is an accomplished artist. You can see some of her illustration work on Yuyi's site.
I met Nina with her friends at the Carnaval wall in Mission district. This was her first time participating in the parade.
Monique is the reigning queen of SF Carnaval 2006. Dressed in bright fluorescent green feathers, apparently her creation, flashes me her brilliant smile.
Christy has a beautiful smile with dimples. Dancing with her contingent, Mara Reggae, she stopped briefly, to allow me to compose the picture.
Kim Anderson sashayed down the Mission street with the Mara Reggae troupe. She has has an infectious personality with a ready smile, makes you want to take a picture of her.
Throughout the day, my senses have an overload of visual and auditory stimulations. And, I keep on shooting. At the end of the day, after I am back home, I feel dehydrated, sunburnt, yet happy with a long day's shoot. It energizes my spirits. Does photography energize you too?
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Royalty of San Francisco Carnaval 2006
I have been away from the blog for quite some time. To make amends, here are some images from the King and Queen contest of San Francisco Carnaval 2006. If you like, see many more unprocessed proofs in my event galleries.
Carnaval is always colorful with fantastic rhythms, music and spirited dancing by the beautiful people.
Luis Fernando, the newly crowned king of SF Carnaval is all smiles with his electrifying moves.
I chatted with the newly crowned queen, Monique Perry after the event when I took this picture. She was very gracious and soft-spoken. As I waited for the ballroom light to shine blue, she posed very patiently.
My congratulations to the newly crowned royalty of San Francisco Carnaval!
Carnaval is always colorful with fantastic rhythms, music and spirited dancing by the beautiful people.
Though it looks cool, it's very difficult to take a photo when the only light seems to be red. I wish the light folks would mix some yellow, green or blue light as red does not seem to register very well on the film/sensor. This is one of the images I liked.
Luis Fernando, the newly crowned king of SF Carnaval is all smiles with his electrifying moves.
I chatted with the newly crowned queen, Monique Perry after the event when I took this picture. She was very gracious and soft-spoken. As I waited for the ballroom light to shine blue, she posed very patiently.
My congratulations to the newly crowned royalty of San Francisco Carnaval!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Dance Photography: Abhinav
I love dance photography.
In Dec 2004, I was in Bangalore on an assignment. It was the last evening of Bangalore Habba '04 at the Palace grounds. A grand stage was set in front of the majestic Bangalore Palace. Thanks to Inayat, I was able to photograph a spirited dance performance by Nirupama-Rajendra and Abhinava Ensemble. All the photos in this post are from that performance.
I have been thinking of putting up a portfolio of dance photography on my website. Over the past two years, I've photographed quite many dance performances but I have just not been able to share the pictures on the web. Slowly, I am gleaning pictures from those performances.
Have you seen the studio photography of RJ Muna? About two and a half years back, I saw his dance photography. Even though those were studio images, my heart yearned to shoot dance performances. His images inspired me to shoot dance.
Photographing dance performances is fun and challenging as well. One has to shoot without flash, have fast film speed, an arsenal of fast lenses and like everything, you learn to anticipate movements and shoot on instinct.
Long back, I read somewhere -
"Work like You don't need the money.
Love like You've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching."
Maybe, I should add to this -
"Photograph something like you've never seen it before."
In Dec 2004, I was in Bangalore on an assignment. It was the last evening of Bangalore Habba '04 at the Palace grounds. A grand stage was set in front of the majestic Bangalore Palace. Thanks to Inayat, I was able to photograph a spirited dance performance by Nirupama-Rajendra and Abhinava Ensemble. All the photos in this post are from that performance.
I have been thinking of putting up a portfolio of dance photography on my website. Over the past two years, I've photographed quite many dance performances but I have just not been able to share the pictures on the web. Slowly, I am gleaning pictures from those performances.
Have you seen the studio photography of RJ Muna? About two and a half years back, I saw his dance photography. Even though those were studio images, my heart yearned to shoot dance performances. His images inspired me to shoot dance.
Photographing dance performances is fun and challenging as well. One has to shoot without flash, have fast film speed, an arsenal of fast lenses and like everything, you learn to anticipate movements and shoot on instinct.
Long back, I read somewhere -
"Work like You don't need the money.
Love like You've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching."
Maybe, I should add to this -
"Photograph something like you've never seen it before."
Monday, January 02, 2006
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you all!
Driving on the road, my brother and I saw this group of horses on the hill.
My brother says -"wow brother! this is cool. You should take a picture of this. "
And I want to stop too. So I ask - "Well, may I?"
W are on our way somewhere and I feel bad stopping in the middle.
So, I stop, take a few pictures and start back on the road. I am stopped at the traffic light when I see the horses running. The camera and the lens is still handy and I quickly shot three frames before the light turned green. I really wished I was not in the middle lane stopping the traffic.
I remember a poster I saw way back when in college which said - "To get the most out of life, paddle slowly." Most of the times, it is not the destination but the journey that matters, don't you think?
Driving on the road, my brother and I saw this group of horses on the hill.
My brother says -"wow brother! this is cool. You should take a picture of this. "
And I want to stop too. So I ask - "Well, may I?"
W are on our way somewhere and I feel bad stopping in the middle.
So, I stop, take a few pictures and start back on the road. I am stopped at the traffic light when I see the horses running. The camera and the lens is still handy and I quickly shot three frames before the light turned green. I really wished I was not in the middle lane stopping the traffic.
I remember a poster I saw way back when in college which said - "To get the most out of life, paddle slowly." Most of the times, it is not the destination but the journey that matters, don't you think?
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