Chinese Fishing Nets of Kochi: A Timeless Wallart with Calm Water, History and Human Rhythm

Introduction: Where the Sea Moves Slowly and Time Seems to Pause

There are photographs that capture a place, and then there are photographs that capture a feeling.

The Chinese Fishing Nets of Kochi belong firmly to the second category.

Standing along the waterfront of Fort Kochi, these enormous wooden structures appear almost unreal. Their long beams stretch toward the water like giant mechanical birds frozen in mid-flight. Thick ropes hang from weathered timber. Stone counterweights sway gently in the humid coastal air. Below them, the Arabian Sea moves with a patience that feels older than the city itself.

Related - Chinese Fishing Nets in Kochi – The Timeless Symbol of Kerala’s Coastal Heritage

Taj Mahal in India: Photographing the Monument, Its Light, Stories and Timeless Beauty

Introduction: The Taj Mahal Looks Different Every Time

The first time you see the Taj Mahal in India, you may feel that you already know it.

You have seen the postcard. The calendar photograph. The perfectly symmetrical Instagram frame. The countless images where the white marble mausoleum sits exactly in the middle of a blue sky.

Sissu Lake: A Photographer’s Guide to One of the Most Beautiful Lakes in Himachal

There are lakes in Himachal that announce themselves with dramatic turquoise water, high-altitude treks and crowds of travellers waiting for the perfect photograph. Sissu Lake is different.

It is quieter in character, closer to everyday Lahauli life, and visually interesting precisely because it is not trying too hard to impress you.

Situated near Sissu village in Lahaul Valley, at roughly 3,100 metres above sea level, the lake sits beside the Chandra River and beneath an enormous mountain amphitheatre. The landscape changes dramatically as the day progresses. In the early morning, the water can become a remarkably calm mirror. By afternoon, mountain shadows stretch across its surface, the breeze breaks the reflections and the surrounding landscape takes on a harder, more graphic quality.

Matrimandir at Auroville: Photographing the Spiritual Town of Tamil Nadu

Introduction: A Different Kind of Place

There are places you visit for monuments. There are places you visit for landscapes. And then there are places that make you slow down without asking you to.

Auroville is one of those places.

Often described as the spiritual town of Tamil Nadu, Auroville sits about 10 kilometres north of Pondicherry, spread across a landscape that feels strangely different from the coastal towns around it. Roads disappear into forests. Bicycles move quietly through red-earth tracks. Experimental buildings appear between trees. Cafés open into gardens. And somewhere at the centre of it all sits the golden sphere of the Matrimandir.

Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu: A Photographer’s Guide to Ramanathaswamy Temple, Architecture, Faith and Island Life

Introduction: Rameshwaram Is More Than a Temple

There are places where you arrive as a traveller and gradually become an observer. Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu is one of them.

The first impression is not necessarily the temple. It may be the salt in the air, the harsh coastal sunlight bouncing off whitewashed buildings, the sound of temple bells mixing with auto-rickshaw horns, or pilgrims walking barefoot through streets before sunrise.

Pangong Lake: A Photographer’s Journey Through One of the Most Extraordinary Lakes of India

Introduction: When a Lake Looks Like It Has Been Painted

There are places where photography becomes almost unnecessary because the landscape itself feels like a finished work of art. Pangong Lake is one of them.

Among the Lakes of India, few create such an immediate visual shock. After hours of driving through the stark, brown mountains of eastern Ladakh, the first glimpse of Pangong Tso can feel almost unreal: an immense ribbon of blue appearing between barren mountains, its colour changing with the angle of sunlight, clouds and wind.

Tulips Kissing Blue Sky: Photographing the Quiet Beauty of Tulip Flowers

Introduction: When Tulips Kiss the Blue Sky

There are photographs that document a flower, and then there are photographs that make you pause.

A field of tulips beneath a clear morning sky belongs to the second category. When the stems rise above the surrounding leaves and the petals open toward the light, it feels almost as though the tulips kissing blue sky is a quiet conversation between earth and heaven.

Golden Gate Bridge Photograph for Wall Art: Photographing San Francisco’s Most Iconic View

When a Bridge Becomes a Landscape

A Golden Gate Bridge Photograph for wall art is rarely just a photograph of a bridge.

That is perhaps the first thing a photographer realizes when standing with a camera overlooking San Francisco Bay. The Golden Gate Bridge is so familiar that the challenge is not finding it. The challenge is seeing it differently.

Multi-Religious walk around Mcleodganj Streets

Somehow I like this photograph and was not sure what title should be used for this one. I liked the way this Hindu sadhu is interacting these Monks who are going towards Budha Temple at Mcledoganj. This photograph was shot on the road which connects Mcleoganj Town with Bhagsu Waterfalls. Interactive combination of Red and Orange religions made me click this photographs, without spending any time in changing Camera Settings...

Food Photography Workshop by Dinesh Khanna and Aditya Arya at APEX, Delhi, INDIA

This photograph is shot during Food Photography workshop last week-end, which was conducted by Academy of Photography Excellence. India's popular Food Photographers Dinesh Khanna and Aditya Arya took with one day workshop. Anjali was part of this crew as Food Stylist. She is brilliant at it and loved the way she did all food styling for the shoots we did during this workshop. Above photograph shows Laptop screen with a photograph shot during workshop and one of the participants in background. Laptop screen has photograph of Matar-Paneer dish with some ingredients spread on the table.More photographs from this workshop can be seen at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2012/05/food-photography-workshop-by-dinesh.html

Delhi Jazz festival 2012 ended last Sunday at Nehru Park, New Delhi, India

Delhi Jazz Festival 2012 was celebrated at Nehru Park in New Delhi for 3 days, which started on last Friday and ended on Sunday. (16th March- 18th March, 2012). I also thought of visiting it for some time on second day which was off for me from office. I reached the place at 6:30 pm which was time for beginning of the evening on second day of Delhi Jazz Festival 2012. At first a local band from Delhi University performed and then next one was from Georgia. Overall environment around the place was awesome and I am still a non-Jazz fellow :) ... Will surely plan to visit Delhi Jazz Festival 2013 to really understand this form of music !

Motorboats waiting for Passengers at Govind Sagar Lake in Una Region of Himachal Pradesh, India

Here is a Photograph from my recent visit to Himachal during Holi vacations. While going to Hamirpur from Delhi, this lake comes on the way near Una and known as Govind Sagar Lake which is a part of Satluj River. This lake was created during initiation of Bhakhra Hydro Project. Although this lake has snatched land of many folks around the place, but at the same time they have got new opportunities to earn their livings. More photographs of Govind Sagar Lake can be checked - HERE

Above photograph shows a very small portion of this lake. Govind Sagar is a huge lake spread in two districts of Himachal Pradesh covering hundreds of kilometers.

Another Photograph published in Times of India (Himachal Edition - 10th March, 2012)

More details can be checked at - http://phototravelings.blogspot.com/2012/03/winged-wonders-of-pong-wetlands-by.html

Lift Areas of UB-City @ Banglore, Karnataka, INDIA

Piyush Tewari at TEDx Connaught Place to talk about SaveLIFE Foundation and how it operates in some part of India !!!

Recently attended TEDx show at Delhi and Mr. Piyush Tewari was first speaker of the TEDx evening. He works on improving situations of Road Accidents and helping people after an accident. Currently people avoid to help in case of road accidents to avoid unnecessary tension of police and court. Tewari's organization work with local police to make people aware about helping road accidents. He works with frequent road travelers and try to track down accident location through some of the wonderful technologies. I recommend watching this video online. For more photographs and details about this event, check out http://phototravelings.blogspot.in/2012/02/tedx-connaught-place-on-impacting.html

TEDx Connaught Place with a theme around 'Impacting Issues we Ignore'

Recently a TEDx event happened in Connuaght Place of Delhi, India. This episode of TEDx was around 'Impacting Issues we Ignore' and 8 speakers from different walks of life presented their ideas and how they are executing them in different sectors of India. Most of them talked about some social issues in India and working on them. To know more about this show and more photographs, check out http://phototravelings.blogspot.in/2012/02/tedx-connaught-place-on-impacting.html

Shining Star on top of Pong Dam Lake near Nagrota in Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh, India || A Fish Eye Photograph

Here is a photograph shot with a Fish Eye which gives wider view to a place as compared to standard lenses. Although distortion of this photograph have been fixed and we needed to crop the original photograph which has obviously reduced some view from all four directions. Fish eye lens clicks a photograph which looks spherical. Anyways, This is Pong Dam which is one of the popular destination of Migratory Birds in Himachal Pradesh. For more Photographs of Pong Dam with more details, check out - HERE

Talking to God on first day of New Year (2012) @ Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, India

Here is a boy in conversation with God to discuss the plans to make this year memorable for good things in life. Here is taking holy bath in Sarovar around Golden Temple of Amritsar. 

Golden Temple at Amritsar was over-crowded on 1st Jan 2012, as many folks from Punjab has come to this place for good beginning of the year and pray God for making 2012 a memorable year for good things in life. Amritsar being a very old city of India looks very scary during such special days, when whole Punjab is on street and there is hardly any space around. This was my third visit to  Amritsar and now probably I will  think twice to visit this city again. It's not tourist friendly and extremely inconvenient. But reaching at Golden Temple make you forget everything you see outside it. 

A Very Happy New Year to all of you again !!!

A Music Enthusiast playing Sitar during one of the evening at 14th Bharat Rang Mahotsav 2012

This photograph was shot during one of the evenings of 14th Bharat Rang Mahotsav, when Byomtesh play was being shown. There is a character in this play who plays sitar at home, although it was a scene when background music was running...

Bharat Rang Mahotsav is one of the popular international Theater festival organized by National School of  Drama, Delhi. Ministry of Culture is also one of the active organization which takes care of funding for such theater festivals. This time focus was mainly on plays around Rabindarnath Tagore. This year Ministry of Culture is celebrating as 150th birthday of Rabindarnath Tagore.

Sunset @ Shimla (Sunset view from Mall Road, Shimla)