Let yourself be

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray

Life is all about the journey …

We all choose different journeys to take in life. The choices we make and the experiences of the journey enriches us. But it is never about the destination, it never has been. Are you trying to convince yourself that life will be better after you complete some thing ... or that doing xyz will make you happy or give you a purpose ? Stop worrying, Start living - Happiness is in the now ... in this moment ... doing what you are doing without worrying ! Encourage others on their journey, and cherish yours. How are you enjoying your current journey ! The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination. – Dan Milman

Vivekananda Memorial Rock, Kanyakumari

Kanyakumari, the southern-most tip of India, is around 90 km away from Trivandrum and is located in Tamil Nadu. Kanyakumari has now become a famous tourist spot and anyone who goes there does not miss visiting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial. Swami Vivekananda himself visited Kanyakumari in December 1892. It has been debated that Vivekananda plunged into the roaring waves and swam across to reach those large rocks. People, even today, dare the swim across, hence it definitely was a possibility. He spent three days and three nights on that rock. The roaring ocean was all the company he had. He saw religion to be the life-blood of India’s millions. He realized in the silence of his heart that India shall rise only through a renewal and restoration of that highest spiritual consciousness. He saw her greatness; he saw her weaknesses as well, the central one of which was that the nation lost its individuality. There is lot of controversy on the initiation of the memorial at this location, predominantly religious clashes (according to Wikipedia). Though ironical, it is really sad that many a time we miss the forest for the trees. Anyway, today you can take a ferry to the rock. Its peaceful, serene and well maintained. It definitely a place to sit and reflect, if you really wanted to :) And as you can see, it is a pleasure even watching this rock from the shore, once the sun goes down and it is all lit up. On right is the Thiruvalluvar statue. At 133 feet high, this depicts the 133 chapters of the Thirukural. You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. – Swami Vivekananda

Be Silent & Listen

I was returning back from shooting stars over the night. Heading right back to office, was treated with this lovely sun rise. How can I avoid pulling over, running across the highway and getting a shot of the same :) The inspiration you seek is within- Be Silent & Listen

Bahai Temple of worship, Chicago

An architecture so white, so magnificent, so delicate and so close to Chicago, it has to be the Baha’i temple. The Baha'i Temple, Chicago is one of only, seven Baha'i temples in the world. It is actually the only one in all of North America. The place is enormous and has 9 almost identical entrances symbolizing the 9 major religions of the world and the fact that all are welcome to worship together at the temple. It's really a pretty fascinating place surrounded by sprawling grounds with manicured symmetrical gardens and fountains. If you had visited the place, you know that the entire temple is white pure white. But the twilight, bought in the golden shade and accentuated the intricate work on the walls. I also loved how the lilies complimented the setting sun :)

Come let us light up Chicago !!!

Learnt about a new plan that Mayor @Rahm Emanuel had put forward to make the city of Chicago as "The North American City of Lights". I love night sky, I love watching the stars & milky way. But I would also say I love lights and city skylines. It was a great experience shooting man made skylines like this @ Seattle. I love lights. Without them, the shadows would not be so beautiful. So I say come let us light up Chicago ! Lighting is not just about adding jarring halogens and LEDs to buildings. It also can be learning and designing a lighting systems at a really grand scale that is functional and beautiful, while keeping the light pollution low. Am sure we do have technology in place to achieve this. So if you are one of them who can make it happen – - do participate in this world wide competition and submit a proposal to light up Chicago - in a way we can all enjoy the milky way that is always there !!! Come let us light up Chicago - in a way to reduce light pollution & bring out the milky way that had always been there !!! This shot is a composite of the Chicago skyline from the Alder Planetarium. The milky ways is from Green River Wildlife area – a couple of hours away from Chicago. Hopefully we would be able to enjoy views like this without camera gimmicky or total blackouts.

Sunset - by the Tulips

Nothing beats a beautiful spring day like a trip to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Just 30 mins away from downtown - nestled in Mary McDonalds woods – this well kept & curated garden, provides a deserved break to the Urban feel of Chicago. Are u tired of the concrete jungles, wanna breathe some fresh air – not tainted by pollution – just head down to Chicago Botanic Garden – a worthwhile place to get ur Zen back :) And did I say this is a lovely place to enjoy a sunset too …

209P/LINEAR's handshake with earth - Camelopardalis

As you would have read from the news, the new meteor shower – Camelopardalis - was expected to adorn the skies during the early morning of 5.24.2014. When I heard about this meteor shower, I was pretty existed. Time of the event being a weekend – check. Location – northern continental US – favorable. Clear skies – check. May be the stars just aligned for this :) Camelopardalis - I was wondering about the name, as it has been as long as the giraffe's neck, when I came across this ! The giraffe's species name, camelopardalis (camelopard), is derived from its early Roman name where it was thought of as a composite creature, described as having characteristics of both a camel and a leopard. The forecasted peak time for the meteor shower was from 1 –3 AM CST. It was not as much as hyped (~100 / hr), but the night was still clear and Milky way was magnificent. Around 4 AM, took out my flash light and started playing to get a star war style crisscross with the milky way. Just then the celestial gods decided to bless – look - a shooting start in the same direction my camera was positioned, as if to slice the Milky way. This was not one of the shooting star i saw in person. I was busy walking up & down and playing with the flash light. But I will definitely settle for this shot instead :) Lesson to self : Never given up, just go out and do what you like, you never know when the stars will align :) Note: Are you just getting started with night photography ? Do check out this article !

Majestic Milky way @ Bond Falls

This is a single RAW shot processed for the milky way. The ambient light bought in the details of the falls and bit of reflections. Shot this while chasing the Perseids last year. I liked this shot for how this brings out the grandeur of the milky way. At the same time, it is amazing how walking couple of steps and lighting the foreground can bring in such a different feel. Here is the shot with a bit of light painting on the foreground. It is amazing how much camera’s can see these days. even far superior is what the eyes can see :) darkness of the night stillness of the forest rumbling of the falls twinkling of the stars grandeur of the milky way - adorned by a shooting star !

Rockefeller Chapel @ UOC

The Rockefeller Chapel was designed and erected to be the center and dominant feature of the University of Chicago. Located in the University of Chicago, this beautiful building has become an integral part of the campus. Rockefeller Chapel is an incredible place and don't let the term "chapel" fool you. It's huge and simply magnificent, with one of the largest if not the largest pipe organs in the state of IL. During sunset the light shines through the stain glass and lit up the interior. As the sun goes down the exterior too, is equivalently beautiful.

Jewel of the Karnataka–Belur & Halebidu

Located around 140 miles from Bangalore, the temples of Belur and Halebid are one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. These were built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad. Legend has it that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. Belur is famous for its cluster of temples, the most beautiful being the Chennakeshava Temple. This shot in particular is that of the The Ranganayaki temple, a minor shrine in the Chennakeshava temple complex. Learnt that this temple along with Hoysaleswara temple in Halebidu and the Jaina monuments at Shravanabelagola are being proposed as UNESCO world heritage sites. But with such a rich history and ornate work, its a surprise that it is not already on the list of world heritage monuments !

Kennecott Copper mine

Starscapes

They are flying kites

“They are flying kites” – this was something that intrigued me as a kid at school. The same set of words that can be interpreted so very differently. May it was something to do with just realizing that things do have alternate perspectives. Things may not be always what they seem or hear to be :) Anyway, this shot is from the Oregon Coast. That sunny afternoon folks were enjoying the kite festival at Lincoln city. I used to think flying a traditional kite was difficult when the wind was not favoring. Imagine this kite being controlled, not one but six (yeah look closely) strings. You really need two hands with orchestrated harmony to get this thing in flight. But once up, it was a thing of beauty, what do u say :)

Golden Sunrise @ Mahabs

The trip to India was awesome. It was time well spent with the family and taking a break :) Though I was not able to shoot as much as I had intended, I was able to sneak in a stop for a sun rise at Mahabs. Am glad I did it :) Mahabalipuram is very famous for the shore temple. My plan was to shoot a silhouette of the shore temple. I had shot the same during twilight blues, but wanted to get the same with some vibrant colors this time. The plan started to fall apart when the start was delayed and the overcast horizon made the light questionable. And just as I just set up the tripod, realized I had missed the Neutral Density filters at home. I always like shooting a long exposures during twilight, as it gives the dreamy feel to the shot. Given these, decided to freeze the wave action. The foam was so fresh and the water was inviting. In turn, luck, as if to favor me, decided to help with the light. Just in time, the sun broke out of the overcast horizon, spreading the golden blanket across the sea. When I look at this shot, I was reminded of the below quote by Ansel. It really paid off getting in the water and shooting low :) A good photograph is knowing where to stand – Ansel Adams

What we see depends on what we are looking for …

Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.

Reflecting on Reflection

Everything in your life is a reflection of a choice you made. If you want a different result, make a different choice … Shooting reflections is an experience unto itself. There is something mesmerizing about reflections. It is not just about getting the final shot … From the point of scouting a location to waiting for the for the wind to take a break and the light to be just right – it all kind of gets you into a meditative plane ! May be that is what drives me to look out for perfect reflections while I am out shooting ! When things do not line up or, if the location is not very conducive for mirror reflections, occasionally I do try to achieve the same in post processing – like this shot – but the experiences from shooting a original reflections are far more soothing and satisfying :) This shot is from N Santiam Hwy. I was returning back from a failed attempt to capture some shooting stars. But luckily it was fall season and as the light broke, there was still lot of interesting things to shoot. I was glad that I pulled over the highway to capture this mesmerizing reflection.

Colors of Sunset

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ― Rabindranath Tagore Sunsets are amazing – for there is no two alike. It could either burst into a million colors or turn out to be more subtle – the surprise element, as with life, makes it even more enjoyable. This shot was from a drive to Green river state wildlife area in Illinois. We were headed down there to shoot some stars for the night. As we were driving down the Highway 30, the sky was just lit up with the twilight colors. I just could not help but pull over and run across to capture the scene :)

Fall Colors Reflections @ Santiam Hwy

All that you see is a reflections of you ! This is from N Santiam Hwy. The route from Stayton to Bend thru Detroit was just ablaze with fall colors. Parked off the highway and wandered into the misty morning without destination. Luckily came across an unmaintained trail path that led me down to this view !!! It is always pays to take the road less travelled. Some beautiful fall colors, a blanket of mist, some drizzles and an occasional sunshine – it definitely turned out to be a memorable drive.

Haystack Rock at Twilight

You know that Haystack rock at Cannon Beach is one of my favorite for sunset. Today’s shot is a not so very popular view of the same. Nevertheless it is always breathtaking. Haystack Rock at Twilight shot from Ecola State Park. How do u like it :)

Sunset over the ocean

There's almost nothing more relaxing than the sound of the ocean as the sun sets over the water.

Come, Join for a drink …

Collect moments, not things ! Slow down, enjoy the view , have a drink :) There are several view points and highway pull outs from where views of Mt. Hood can be enjoyed. But Panorama view point is probably on the top of the list. It is not very well known, probably because the directions to the same are not well marked. But being so close to Hood River and the Hwy 84, you could just drive up to enjoy the view right from the car. Or just get down and plan to have a drink at the picnic tables while enjoying the view !

Shooting Snow Crystals

What do u do if there is no time to stand and stare. What if the work is so crazy, u can’t make that trip u had been planning for so long. What if the weather so cold & crap that u can’t get out, even when u get those half a day breaks. What do u do if the world is turned upside down and there is no way to get out, with that camera to shoot … What do u do ? If ur world is upside down, just turn the lens upside down ! Yes u heard me right - turn that lens upside down and start shooting macros. Let me set my rambling of work craziness aside, but u get the picture right :) This situation definitely nudged me to experiment, during the short short breaks, with what ever was available. It was amazing, how just flipping the lens could result in instant magnification. Stick a regular magnifying glass at the end and boom – even the mundane of things become so beautiful. This is nothing new and the technique has been used probably for ages. Though things are not tack sharp with this method, trying the same & seeing the results is definitely fun and exhilarating. The below shot is that of a snow crystal @ less than a millimeter. Even at that size, the precision & unique design of each crystal is lovely. Did u know , no two snow crystals are same – each one is unique, like our finger prints. If you like this, you will love the amazing shots of snow flakes and crystals from Chaotic Mind. And a very Happy New Year – 2014 to my Friends out here. Thanks for the encouragement and support ! Looking forward to sharing more in the coming year !!!

Even her goodbyes are ever so beautiful …

Sunset at Wizard Island

Will you hold me ?

I’m unique, just like everyone else :)

I am Unique, just like everyone else ! The fall is gone and the winter has begun. The leaves are gone and the snow is around. This shot is from the beginning of the fall, when the colors were just beginning to adorn the pacific northwest landscape. Goodbye fall – it was fun times - driving around, enjoying the colors bought by u ! Thank U !

And the Winner is ...

Abstract Expressions of Fall

The fall colors, driving thru miles and miles of majestic aspen, the dense fog that was weaving thru the trees, the sun peeping thru and trying to dispel the fog, the clean crisp yellow leaves, the barks that were still afresh, the reds and maroons from the bushes below – put them all together and this is what you get :) Though the colors were lovely, the forest was too busy to get a pleasing composition. This week’s shot is my attempt to express the sense of feeling that prevailed from that lovely fall drive in a single shot, without getting lost in the forest. How do u like it ? As for the processing, this is a composite of 3 shots - one for the normal exposure of trees, one with the camera panning vertically and a final one for the sun :) Getting the panning shot was the most difficult, at the same time the fun too. Shot atleast 40 – 50 before I could get it the way I wanted. But no worries if it does not work out, U can just apply a vertical motion blur in post processing too.

Autumn Waterfall from Cottonwood Canyon

A whiff of crisp and cool breeze, water cascading down the rocks, lovely fall colors – now that is a scene that would rejuvenate any mood. Something I definitely needed now :) Ultimately, fall is about the inevitability of change. The beautiful colors of the season is a reminder to embrace change. This is from couple of years back, when I used to shoot with Canon S2. It was and still is - a lovely camera :) It was a lovely drive up the Cottonwood canyon near Salt lake city.

Love of Life

Logic says life is life and can never be death. How can life be death? But in reality, life is moving every moment into death. Life is death. Logic says love is love and can never be hate; but love is moving every moment into hate. – Osho There is beauty in death and decay, There is death in beauty too. They are nothing but two sides of the same coin. You love the same person and you hate the same person — the deeper the love, the deeper the hate. Hate and love are two aspects of the same coin. Can you hate a person without loving ? How can you hate a person without loving ? First you have to love, only then can you hate. Hate needs love as a first step. How can you become inimical to a person with whom you have never been friendly? Friends and foes are separate only in logic; in reality they are together. If you search your hate deeply, you will find love hidden.

Canvas of Nature - bright & brilliant reflects what you reflect !

Fall Colors are just around the Corner

White Peacock

Butterfly Flutter by

What the caterpillar knows as the end The rest of the world knows as a butterfly – Lao Tzu

autumn colors, bushes on fire a light drizzle, the fog rolling in and the photographer goes - click !

Painting the Sunset

Know the diff between Science and science fiction : Science needs to sound and feel real to be accepted. In the same lines : Photos need to feel and look real to some extent. But the painting is not restricted by these views. I had been fascinated with painting from young age. I am grateful to have had my chances to play around with the same during my childhood. Growing up, I lost touch with most of these, dabbling only occasionally. There is something magical about working with art that is physical like drawing, painting or pottery or crafts. There is something missing with working on the computer as compared to the old school hand work. But given the constrains especially on time, and to kindle some of those experiences decided to take up digital xxx rather than missing out completely. Have been working on the digital watercolor over the last year. It is no way complete and an trying out different things & refining the process, but do love the options it opens up ! It is different, personal and all the more fun. Hoping to create more art of these kind in future. This week post is watercolor on paper based on the shot from the same location that I had posted earlier. The clouds and the light was changing so rapidly, It was literally a splash of colors. That is the mood I had wanted to share. How do u like it ! Looking forward to your comments and feedback :)

Glorious Sunset at Busse Woods Lake

There is a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them. – Jo Walton

Little Explorers at Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls in the Columbia Gorge is one of my favorite falls. It has a beauty of its own - be it rain or shine. This particular day – along with the rain, the spray from the falls was so much that I could not even get my camera out. Having the falls to myself, I decided to let the camera rest and enjoy the serenity of the scene. Just then these two little guys came in - well equipped - to explore the falls. There was no stopping them be it the rain or the spray from the falls. Many times, adding a human element to landscapes adds beauty and scale. And there are no second thoughts when they happen to be cute kids like these :) I just couldn't resist … and the rain, as if agreeing with me, stopped for a brief time - letting me capture this lovely moment. How do u like it ?!!!

Celestial Contemplation

It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see. And it is ironical that at times, you need to turn off the lights and thoughts, rather than turn them on - to see beauty like this. I am just a tiny spec on this earth at the given slice of time. The earth in turn is such a tiny speck in the milky way. To top it off the the Milky Way is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe. When u get to witness the celestial grandeur like these – it brings in an amazing feeling of being extraordinarily special and at the same time wonderfully insignificant. The journey of outside are not very different from that of the inside. At the end all that matters is the search itself :) Let the waters settle and you will see the stars mirrored in your Being. ~Rumi

Sleeping under the stars is an experience unto itself. Add a streak of shooting star and it becomes magical. Perseids meteor shower is one of the consistent ones. Capturing it west coast last year was fun and exhilarating. Equipped with the past experience and learning had been scouting locations and planning for it this year. Unfortunately the weather was not playing along over this particular weekend. Almost all of Illinois was forecasted for gloomy weather and thunderstorms. As I was debating, there was a forecast for Aurora sighting over this past (same) weekend with a level of 5. Both these together made it too tempting to drop the plan. I decided to take my chances with the weather. After lot of deliberation decided to drive up north to for 8 hours. The plan was to get out during the daylight and scout the location as much as possible. Thought it would make it easier to maneuver again during the night, but boy oh boy, could I be any more wrong !!! The pitch black unknown trails were kind of eerie. But once the stars came out it was a totally different world – so serene and tranquil. I am beginning to love the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night :) 45 hours on the road with just few hours of sleep, in search of that one spot to capture the Perseids. The lashing rain, the forecasted aurora that never turned up and the hide and seek with the clouds - it was all fun. Was it all worth it, you bet ! The road trip took me to one of the darkest skies of Mid Western US - Bond Falls. Would like to share with you a moment in time from that night. This was one of the two meteor I was able to capture on frame, but loved how everything came together in this shot. I do love when a plan comes together :) The deafening sound of 500 gallons of water / second from 50 feet The tranquil silence of the dark night Milky way adorning the skies A (Perseids) meteor fireball streaking across the horizon Definitely a moment of serenity and one I would cherish !

Starscapes

Starscapes

The magic of water

The magic of water Water flows, glistens, nourishes, mirrors in simple and subtle ways. There is always something magical and meditative in watching water be it a tranquil pond, running stream or cascading fall.

Beautiful Basilica from St Louis

Beautiful Basilica from St Louis Gorgeous and inspiring Cathedral, Magnificent and beautiful Basilica, Amazing church, incredible craftsmanship – a work of art and at most beauty – At some point you just realize words don’t make sense and decide to enjoy in silence, awe and wonder. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis is one such place. I am so glad we visited the Cathedral as part of the Jul 4th trip. This place just transports you to Europe. (no I haven't visited Europe, but that definitely is in the bucket list :)). Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis - a great place to mediate, pray, think and wonder for hours together. I had always wanted to photograph the interior of a cathedral or church. Being a place of worship, many a times there is a restriction on the usage of tripod. From time to time I have heard from friends that it does involve sneaking in with ur tripod and asking for forgiveness later ;-) But this place was different. It was open to all, there was no restrictions on the usage of tripod or no one to bother as you take your time to enjoy each and every piece of the cathedral. The Cathedral is definitely one of the city’s most stunning building both inside and out. The detail and beauty of the mosaics are brilliant. P.S: Be advised that photography is not allowed when mass is in progress. Use common sense, respect people’s space – for many this is a place of worship. Act accordingly.

If you Love, let it be …

If you Love, let it be … “If you love a flower, don't pick it up. Because if you pick it up it dies, it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation.” – Osho

From St. Louis with Love

From St. Louis with Love An arch consists of two weaknesses which, leaning one against the other, make a strength - Leonardo Da Vinci St. Louis hosts one of the grandest Jul 4th celebrations. With the fair, food carts, live band, fireworks all under the majestic arch – it cannot get any better. To top it off, the show continues for 3 days around Jul 4th. Shooting fireworks is fun. But including a sense of surrounding and the mood really makes it even more interesting. This shot of the Seattle space needle with fireworks is one of my favorites. So when I learnt about the Arch and fireworks, started digging around with Google earth and TPE for potential spots. After some planning decided on the location – some accessible spot from the other side of the the river, across the railway tracks and as close to the water as possible. Later learnt that due to the security it would be impossible to get to this location during the Jul 4th weekend. Oh well, may be some other time. As a plan B decided to check out the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and the view of the Arch from the observation platform. The views were good, except for the power line. Hopefully it does not become synonymous with the city skyline ! As the show progressed , the direction of the wind was not in favor and the smoke started hindering. Was not very satisfied with the shots from this spot. There was not enough lighting on the Arch itself. May be I was still stuck up on the river side spot. My friend did get a lovely shot from here, so may be, it was just me ;-) The next day we decided to head right under the arch. Built at 630 feet and with 900 tons of stainless steel – Gateway Arch - is the tallest national monument within the United States. Standing beneath it gives a sense of awe and humility. None of the pictures does justice to its grandeur. One really need to be there to experience its size. About the shot - The original plan was to check out the reflecting pools and see if the fireworks would compliment the composition. Unfortunately both the pools were filled with algae, not ideal for reflections. After scouting the location settled for this view. Being much closer to the arch, the surrounding lights beautifully reflected on the metallic surface. The colors of blue & red along with symbolic stripes makes this shot iconic for me, especially being shot on ID4 celebrations ! It was cool to get the burst of the heart too. I love it when a plan comes together, even if it was not a primary plan :) P.S: Check this out for more cool information and history of the Gateway Arch.

Super Moon Lighthouse

Super Moon Lighthouse Super moon, Blue moon, Pink moon, Harvest moon – are all nothing but whimsy media terms. Believe me, there is nothing super about the super moon. I am definitely not an expert at shooting the moon. I have captured the moon in the past, but am still learning. One thing that helps in getting a captivating shot is to capture the moon when it is low - real low - on the horizon. The other is to include a foreground subject to get a scale of reference. Just make sure you far away from the foreground subject and shoot with a really really long long lens [ beg borrow or steal, just get the longest lens you can :) ]. Shooting with the long lens helps actuate the size of the farther object (in this case the moon) by playing with your mind. As with the below shot or this example of the sunset. It becomes much more obvious in this shot by Photographer Alessandro Della Bella. This evening the weather was playing hide and seek. It was supposed to be clear. Then it was all overcast. After lot of deliberation, decided to drive out to the planned spot. It was still an hour or so more for the moon to come up. It was still drizzling. Decided it would be a nice evening walk, if not anything else. Just around the time of the moon rise, the clouds had cleared a bit, but the the horizon was still overcast and hazy. What is the fun if everything goes as planning right :) After suspenseful wait the moon decided to show up – just at the right spot. At the end it was all worth it. Yes - there is nothing super about the super moon. Actually - every full moon is indeed super. What do you say ?!!!