photography – Footloose Forever

The Daily Post Photo Challenge: Numbers

June 4, 2016June 4, 2016Posted in Photo challengeTagged board games, dice, ludo, numbers, Photo challenge, photography10 Comments

This week’s Daily Post photo challenge theme, numbers, re-opened a chapter from my childhood memories…

I remember those happy days when we took pleasure in this indoor board-game called Ludo. Throw the dice and give your move with the numbers you get. Numbers played a key role in this game. Those who were lucky found the ladders to move up quickly.

And the unlucky ones got the snakes and struggled to reach 100, which was the winning point.

Good numbers and bad numbers are just so relative in this game. What is good for one might be bad for the other players. You never know what awaits you in the next move.

Now, when I look back to this Ludo board, I can see this simple game so closely resembles the biggest and most complex game called “life”. And numbers are important in every stage of our lives.

Your age is a number.

Your school and college grades are based on numbers.

Your salary/income is a number.

And your blog-views are also numbers. 😉 😀

Unfortunately, we are seldom happy with these numbers.

Published in response to The Daily Post Photo Challenge: Numbers.

Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Forces of Nature

May 9, 2015May 9, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged ocean, Photo challenge, photography, rishikonda beach, sea beach, travel photography, Vizag, waves6 Comments

waves, ocean waves, vizag, Rishikonda beach

The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them.
~ Paul Hawken

Rishikonda Beach in Vizag is a place where you’ll see the two opposing forces of nature – the mighty ocean on one side and the rock solid earth on the other – are in constant fight with each other. During low tide the water recedes giving it a break. And in high tide the water again pounces on the rocks with renewed zeal and force. And years of corrosion have sharpened the boulders and created fissures through the rocky shore. Nature’s force has certainly created notable marks on the stones over the centuries.

Published in response to Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Forces of Nature.

‘Our nature consists in motion; complete rest is death’

April 25, 2015April 26, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged daily post, Nainital, Photo challenge, photography, waterfall13 Comments

In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time. ~ Leonardo da Vinci

I have seen small streams, rather springs while traveling to mountains in Sikkim and also in Darjeeling when I was very young but never saw a waterfall in my life. Whenever I see pictures of waterfalls I imagine myself as a diminutive figure standing in front of the roaring water awestruck by Nature’s uninterrupted motion. So, when I came to know about the waterfall in Nainital I was delighted that finally my dream would come true.

However, when we reached the site of the waterfall the sun was about to set. I was expecting a wide-open space in front of me with the sight and sound of mighty waters flowing down the rocks. Strangely the driver stopped the car on one side of the road from where I could see rock-cut steps which disappeared into the trees and bushes along the mountain slope.

“Is this the right place?” I asked skeptically.

The driver smiled and replied, “Yes, this is the place. You follow the steps and buy tickets from the counter over there.”

I did what he said. After crossing the counter I could see a canopied walking trail, brief enough to bring me to the waterfall in a minute. And much to my astonishment I saw a narrow stream of water flowing down the cascading rock bed.

Oh God! This is what they call a “waterfall”!

It was a mixed emotion of shock, disappointment and finally amusement. Never be prejudiced when you are going to see new things or places. I scolded myself. 🙂

I stood in silence for a few moments, and then slowly stepped into the water. The cool touch of rippling waters felt awesome. The rocks were slippery with lichens all over. The pebbles in the waters sharpened from years of erosion pricked at my bare feet. Yet it was most wonderful to feel the motion of the water below my feet.

Published in response to Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge: Motion.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Wall – If you ran into one don’t give up

March 14, 2015September 21, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged Photo challenge, photography, wall art, wall painting, walls27 Comments

Shantiniketan EZCC wall painting, tribal life

Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. ~ Michael Jordan

And that’s what I tried to do with my camera. 🙂 I think I can share these wall photos in response to this week’s photo challenge – wall.

Painting of Lord Shiva on a wall at Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi.

A wall in Varanasi depicting the story of the ancient epic Ramayana.

Walls where time has left its mark. Ruined walls inside Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan.

A wall that is meticulously carved to intricate details. The wall of a Haveli (palace) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

The wall that exudes grandeur and opulence of the medieval kingdom of Rajputana. The interior walls of Amer Fort Palace, Jaipur.

On the contrary, this wall speaks of tribal life in Bengal, something very simple and down to earth. Wall paintings at Srijani Shilpagram, Shantiniketan.

Santhal tribes in India decorate their cottage walls with colourful paintings.

Now here are the walls that display the creative genius of young artists in Visva Bharati Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan.

And finally, walls in my city Kolkata where you’ll find everything from sports to politics. 😛 🙂

So, what do you think about walls in Indian cities and villages? Aren’t they interesting?

Weekly Photo Challenge: Orange

March 8, 2015March 8, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged orange, Photo challenge, photography30 Comments

ORANGE is the happiest color. ~ Frank Sinatra

Orange is a warm color that exudes a lot of positive energy. I share some of my positive moments in orange in response to this week’s photo challenge. I find orange almost everywhere.

Orange in the garden.

Orange in the sky at Pushkar.

Orange in the robes of folk singers in Shantiniketan.

Orange in Pink City Jaipur.

Orange in the arches of Amer Fort Palace courtyard.

And finally, the orange fireball at sunset.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Reward is finding joy in small things

February 28, 2015March 1, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged nature photography, Photo challenge, photography, reward48 Comments

For me reward is finding joy in small things.

It can be admiring the shiny droplets of water on giant taro leaves (colocasia) right after the rain.

It can be following tapping sound in a quiet afternoon to find a woodpecker on the palm tree in your backyard. (It’s rewarding because we don’t often see such birds except crow, pigeons and sparrows in the concrete jungle of urban life. 😦 )

It can be discovering beauty in wildflowers that bloom by the road and we never bother to look at. They may look ordinary but get closer and you’ll see beauty in them too.

It can be watching animals play in the wild.

It can be getting up early and rushing to the garden to discover the buds you saw yesterday turned to flowers.

It can be waking up to a beautiful morning after a terribly dark rainy night and see the rays of gentle morning sun tear apart the cloud and flood the valley.

It can be resting under the cool shades of a tree after a long walk in a summer morning and feel rejuvenated.

And finally, it is when I see my little niece happily playing, singing and smiling all by her.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Express Yourself

January 26, 2015January 26, 2015Posted in Photo challengeTagged express, expression, Photo challenge, photography31 Comments

expression, affection, love, love birds, chittor, chiittorgarh

WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge Theme: Express Yourself

Expression: 1

The expression of an artist is best conveyed through her canvas. One fine morning, while strolling along the Ghats of Varanasi I found her absorbed in her creation.

artist, canvas, painting, sketch, drawing, Varanasi, ghats, expression, sketch — “The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

Expression: 2

“Love is the ultimate expression of the will to live”. I captured these two ‘love birds’ expressing their affection for each other amidst the ruins of Chittorgarh Fort on a romantic evening.

Expression: 3

My sweetie pie…my little nice…she is just one year and nine months old and a bundle of joy. She wants to grab everything that interests her. This time it was my camera! 🙂