Sunday, June 8, 2008

WILDLIFE OF KOLKATA..

Only few of us are aware that there are lots of places in Kolkata for someone who's interested in wildlife photography.Specially birds of various kinds,insects & bugs.Initially even i was not aware of it.But thanks to a friend of mine who has been a major source of information for me about these places.This picture of a Cattle Eggret was shot at Central Park,Kolkata.


A kind of Bug also spotted by me at Central Park.Well so far I have only been able to go to Central Park for capturing the various & interesting aspects of wildlife but there are other places as well...like The Botanical Garden which is also a place where you can spot loads of things that will definitely catch your attention.

Its a White Breasted Kingfisher-a bird found in abundance at Central Park.Perhaps this is the best shot I had of this beautiful bird,so just thought of sharing it with you people.After my first visit to Central Park suddenly I realized that there's a lot more to Central Park than what most people know.

Black Drongo is the name of this bird.This bird is also found in large numbers at Central Park.I still remember the day I saw this bird & immediately decided to capture it in my lens.It was a really fulfilling day for me.It was the same day I spotted the White Breasted Kingfisher along with a lot of insects & bugs of different kinds.

Again a kind of interesting Bug.Sometimes I really lose count of the times my eyes have been witnesses to beauties like this & all of them have been spotted by me at Central Park.A lot of times there have been situations when I have seen interesting things but did not get enough time to freeze those beautiful moments.This time I was lucky for having been able to get JUST one shot of this Bug which came off pretty well.

This is a Marsh Dart...Damselfly.....something which I have seen quite often but I still haven't been able to get a perfect shot(atleast for me) of it.This shot is probably the one I like out of the entire lot but I am still not satisfied with this shot.Please leave your honest comments regarding this picture.

YESSSS....this is a shot which I consider to be one of my best shots till date.Its a Common Garden Lizard found in Central Park,Kolkata.There wasn't enough light when I took this picture but surprisingly the outcome was excellent.This is something which I spotted just one day & I was lucky enough to capture it.Please let me know how much you people like this shot.I am really eager to know your honest comments about this picture.

Its a Three Striped Squirrel...again found in abundance at Central Park.With almost every step you take forward you can find them running around you.But inspite of being seen so frequently its really hard work to get a good shot of them because of their swift movement.Perhaps I pressed the shutter button just in time for this shot :-)

A lonely Cattle Eggret.Well basically this was a very disappointing day for me.This is the only picture that came off well.Perhaps just one of those days when things do not go the way you want to.

Hmmmm....a Monitor,also found in Central Park.I was there with one of my friends & after toiling quite a bit in the heat we decided to relax a bit when suddenly this Monitor caught our attention.It took some time for us to track this animal.It was busy thriving on the remains of a dead body(probably of some bird).We looked for a convenient place for capturing this animal.It took us some time to get the kind of shot we wanted because as soon as it saw us it would go away & then again we had to track it.I took quite a few shots out of which this is the one i like the most.Hope all of you will like it too!

This is again one of my favourite pictures that I have taken.Its a Dragon Fly.What i like the most about this shot is its clarity.This picture was taken on an extremely cloudy day & considering that the clarity of this picture is really awesome.

A Butterfly.Isn't it really BEAUTIFUL??This shot is again taken at Central Park.This place is really a treasure hut for enthusiasts like me who's interested in capturing the wildlife of Kolkata & needs to be protected.

A Butterfly of a different kind BUT EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL....



Its a Cormorant.Well its took me some time to get this shot right because the conditions were not quite favourable but the outcome I feel was worth the time & the effort.Hope all of you out there will like it!

Its a Woodpecker...spotted at Central Park.This was the second day when I spotted this beautiful bird & was finally able to capture it.Again I was able to take just one shot but luckily for me it came off pretty well.

Well Pigeons are not really considered to be beautiful.But for me the concept or maybe the perception mattered more than just visualizing these Pigeons.Pigeons may not be beautiful but if you look at it the way I viewed it then you will definitely find this moment interesting enough to capture it.Again,as I have already mentioned in my previous post,its the perception that matters for a photographer more than anything else.Its your vision or rather your way of looking at things that make you different from the rest.

A Common Sparrow....finally I was able to achieve this...something I have been trying to do for quite some time now.
Well this post was basically about the various new things that I have seen in all these days.My passion for shooting wildlife has only increased with time.Various kinds of birds,insects,reptiles that I have witnessed so far has kept me interested for much more.I wish to capture various other aspects of wildlife of Kolkata & present them to you people along with my experience & whatever I have learnt in course of my journey in the world of photography through my posts.Please feel free to let me know your honest comments as that's what matters the most for me.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

PERCEPTION MATTERS...

Well this is something that I learnt & it really took me a long time....almost 3 years.In my initial days of photography I thought that a good cam with great specifications is all that one needs to capture those ''AMAZING'' pictures.If I am not wrong then many of you would have also thought the same way.But gradually I came to know how worng I was in thinking that way.
As I have told you people ealier that in my early days I did not have a proper cam to take pictures with.All I had was my nokia 3250(well I still have it now).A lot of my friends at that time already possessed digicams & after having a look at the pictures taken by them the first thought that came to my mind was ''gosh...I badly need a digital camera if I have to take decent pictures".But as days went by I realized how wrong I was.
Believe me guys its not the cam & the specifications of the cam that matters.What matters most is your perception towards your subject.Your ability to view your subject in a different way from the common people is what enhances your creativity & makes you different as a photographer.Beauty doesn't change.Its the view or rather the way you look at it that keeps changing from person to person.





This showpiece that you are seeing was always there but no one ever thought of it the way I did & perhaps that's why no one ever thought of capturing this beautiful statue.In our daily life there are loads of things that we come across but we never see those things the way they should be seen.If it had been so then this world would really have been a much more beautiful place to live in than what it is now.That's where creativity comes in.It allows you to look beyond the obvious & maybe see something that's really worth noticing.People have their own ideas of photography & its the same for me as well.But I try to keep my ideas & thoughts different from the rest.I really don't know how far I have been able to do that.Its upto you people to decide but I try my utmost to think differently from the common mass.For me photography is not just capturing the beauty that is obvious.For me photography is to let my creativity run wild & I try to see things beyond the obvious.




I wonder if this beautiful lady was ever been observed as anything other than a mere show piece!!But I definitely found a lot more in it & maybe that's why I decided to capture it.There may have been numerous occasions when this statue has been admired by people just as a showpiece but I seriously doubt how many times have people considered the real beauty of this lady laiden in golden rust.The downcast eyes of this lady gave me sense of quietness.She looks calm & composed & yet those eyes can speak volumes for herself without even uttering a single word.That's the reason why I chose to capture just her face & not the full body.
I would really like to know your thoughts & views on whatever I have discussed.I hope you all will like this post of mine!Please let me know your honest comments...

Monday, May 19, 2008

DEW DROPS..


Hmmm.....I guess the title says everything about this shot.The shot was taken at Central Park,Kolkata.It was early morning & I was looking for some insects & bugs near the hedges when suddenly this accumulated dew on a leaf caught my attention.There's really nothing great about this shot but what I wanted to portray through this shot is how nature by itself can create wonder.It doesn't really matter how much advanced we get in this Industrial Age,we will ALWAYS be slaves to Nature...

A LONELY DAY..

I was sitting on my roof with a friend of mine.It was around 5pm in the evening & basically we had nothing to do.I had my camera with me.Actually I was trying to spot a sparrow so that I can capture it in my lens....something which I have been trying to do for quite some time now.This Howrah Bridge was right before me for all this while but the thought of actually capturing this bridge didn't occur to me.I was more keen in trying to spot a sparrow.As time went by & light faded away I saw a wonderful scene right in front of me...a scene that's actually been created by the fading light of the setting sun & it gave a new look to this Howrah Bridge.The bridge looked beautiful & that's when i decided to capture this wonderful scene.I hope you'll like it..

Sunday, May 18, 2008

SUNRISE..


This shot was taken by me at 5am in the morning.Just couldn't let this beautiful moment pass away without capturing it in my lens.

SOME FLOWERS FOR YOU..


This is Gulmohar(Caesalpinia).Took this shot at Central Park,Kolkata.Basically the blend of colours appealed to me






This is Rangan flower captured on my roof.The flower is not yet in full bloom.It basically blossoms during the rainy season.Took this shot mainly out of curiosity but it came off pretty well.








This is Bael flower.This shot is again taken on my roof.Its an early morning shot at about 5:30 am.Probably there was just enough light to capture this beautiful flower..

INTERESTING...


I took this shot at my home.A very interesting concept for me ie to freeze the moment just when the droplets are about to fall from the tap.Hope you all will like it!!

HELLO FRIENDS!!





Well basically I started this blog so that I can share my thoughts about photography & also get to know your views.


It all started off when I was in the 2nd year of my college.I don't know how but somehow I developed this fascination for photography.The idea of capturing interesting & beautiful moments & freezing them in a single frame appealed to me & by the time I completed my graduation this fascination of mine got transformed into an obsession.


Initially when i started off I did not even have a proper camera.I took pictures with my mobile cam..nokia3250.I took pictures of almost anything & everything I came across.I did not undergo any formal course on photography but my interest in the field prompted me to go through various articles on the internet which helped me to learn a great deal about the technicalities of photography & how to get things right.Any layman would consider photography to be the easiest thing on this earth but trust me there is a whole lot to learn in this field.Its really a HUGE & DIVERSE field & you really need to keep your learning curve upwards if you really want to grow in this interesting field.There are a lot of things that one has to keep in mind before pressing that shutter button.


I always wanted to get a new camera for myself so that I can take better pictures.At the same time I wanted to be absolutely sure that me & the quality of pictures I am taking are worth the new camera.Thats because I did not want a camera just for the sake of it.


Finally two to three weeks back I got my new camera & I must say that I am pretty much satisfied with my new camera.Its really been a wonderful journey for me in a world of photography- a journey thats thrilling enough to keep one interested & strive for even better performance.The pictures displayed have been taken by me with my mobile camera.Please leave your honest comments..