I returned on 3rd of October from Ooty, on the day of Mahashasti. I was really happy to experience a feeling like this, returning to Kolkata on Durga Pujo.
6 of us planned a night out on the next day which was Mahasaptami. By 8 o clock in the evening we headed to hop in and around pandals. Had awesome time having an on-the-road dinner at Azaad Hind dhaba on Ballygunj, clicking photos of unknown faces who eagerly posed for me without hesitating a wee bit, sipping energizing spirits while zooming past the light trails of Pujo decorations at 2 in the morning, having morning tea to keep our eyes open at 5 in the morning at Maddox Square.
When we reached home, I couldn't see anything but the bed and slept till evening or at least till the time I couldn't feel like lying on the bed anymore.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
The final showdown
I was thrilled today, because I received my diploma along with 3 individual awards for best images produced throughout the year. The honour was to receive those from the legendary Iqbal Mohamed himself.
When I got critiqued it took only 15 minutes while for others it was more than 30-35 minutes. I was surprised as Mr. Iqbal mostly talked about how I am working, what I am intending to do and how are things going rather than how should I retouch my images for the final portfolio. A little confusing isn't it.
The current session students pulled the show very nicely in the afternoon. Performances, speeches, guest speeches and a final portfolio show-down followed by a High-Tea in the evening.
The last house party was at Anand's place with two-third of our batch's population present.
After I returned to my hotel and laid myself on bed, peacefully, I recalled that it was one of most interesting and amazing years of my life.
Bye, bye Ooty......
When I got critiqued it took only 15 minutes while for others it was more than 30-35 minutes. I was surprised as Mr. Iqbal mostly talked about how I am working, what I am intending to do and how are things going rather than how should I retouch my images for the final portfolio. A little confusing isn't it.
The current session students pulled the show very nicely in the afternoon. Performances, speeches, guest speeches and a final portfolio show-down followed by a High-Tea in the evening.
The last house party was at Anand's place with two-third of our batch's population present.
After I returned to my hotel and laid myself on bed, peacefully, I recalled that it was one of most interesting and amazing years of my life.
Bye, bye Ooty......
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The late running hiccups.
I missed my flight and that's the story today. Oh! I should and definitely rephrase this statement, as I was made to miss the flight. First time ever in my life I was late by 5 minutes and the entry gate closed. Yes, its the new rule, the departure gate strictly closes 45 minutes prior to the departure time. The airline people denied my entry as if it would scorch their plane with delay complaints. I was like, Oh! bite me ma'am.
I had cough out (literally) another 6 grands to purchase a new ticket for next day and travel the demented journey with shabby face and hanging jaws.
The bottom line is, I'm pissed off but can't find a person to be angry with.
I had cough out (literally) another 6 grands to purchase a new ticket for next day and travel the demented journey with shabby face and hanging jaws.
The bottom line is, I'm pissed off but can't find a person to be angry with.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Astonishing Airport: Every person is a threat to the country
I started from my home and reached airport by 5-30 in the morning for a 6-30 flight. I dint have a faintest idea of what next is going to happen to me. I reached to the International section of the NSCBI Airport, Kolkata. Where is the lounge? There isn't any, because the seats are broken, AC is out of order, toilets are not cleaned and floor is like a dirty barn.
No, I am not exaggerating, but these are all true to my knowledge at the time I entered through the main entrance. Security check, wow, ordeal would be an understatement. I had to explain about my deodorant as well. "Why don't you carry a smaller deodorant?" What does if matter when I am checking the baggage in? "What are these lights for?" Asked the lady at baggage scanning hold pointing at the strobe units I was carrying. I am a photographer and I am going for an assignment "Do they have battery, do you have a permission to carry them, what are these sticks (pointing at the light stands), why are you carrying so many wires, are you a military person?" I was literally puzzled by the bombardment.
After a quirky fight with supervisor at the baggage check-in counter, I somehow managed to check my baggage in by paying cash. They don't have any merchant machine for plastics. When insisted another set of threatening answers were ready for me and delivered on silver platter. During this I heard the supervisor directing his subordinates, that if someone is traveling to Dimapur or some place extreme east with an identification revealing regional root to those places then they can carry as much as 100 kilo of extra luggage without any baggage allowance and no one will screen their bags and will ask questions. So probably they are the only people who are model citizens of India and pose no threat to the nation. Well, this makes me try finding (read fake) my roots as well now.
By the time they were finished with me, I was convinced that every person (except the ones enjoying special privileges) is a definite threat to the country.
Then it was a nature's call, an honest one. "No, there is no toilet here, please relief your self on-board" were the words that came from the smiling face at the security check hold. Is there any water available was my next question which I myself restraint as I already knew the answer.
After waiting silently in a queue of about 60 people I was directed (read 'driven like a hard of cattle') towards a bus which was all shabby, worn off and looked older than me. The door dint close properly after everyone was on-board. I had smelled the most horrible putrescence ever in my life that day inside the bus. The only thing I saw which made my day was a rising sun on the eastern sky with a flock of cloud jostling around it and a Boeing 737 standing in the foreground getting washed by the crimson tides.
I was on board and offered a bottle of water with a pale and bland tasting sandwiches. Tea tasted like horse-p!$$ and the dessert was already rotten. I couldn't even use the washroom as some intelligent person occupied it for almost 45 minutes. But I was determined and after a trial like 3-4 times, I managed to occupy the toilet. Then after some time I realised that the seat I occupied is broken and it was moving violently as the ATR jet was taking the blow of air pockets. The Deafening sound of the jets made my head burst with headache.
After a 'memorable' experience of 2 and half hours I landed at Tezpur airspace. When I saw the car waiting I was a little skeptical about the next journey I was about to travel. But to my utter surprise, It was not so 'memorable'.
P.S. I just completely forgot to mention that I was traveling by an 'Air-India' flight from Kolkata to Tezpur for an Industrial photo-shoot at Tinkharia Tea estate, Assam.
If you want to see what photos I went to click, FIND it here.
No, I am not exaggerating, but these are all true to my knowledge at the time I entered through the main entrance. Security check, wow, ordeal would be an understatement. I had to explain about my deodorant as well. "Why don't you carry a smaller deodorant?" What does if matter when I am checking the baggage in? "What are these lights for?" Asked the lady at baggage scanning hold pointing at the strobe units I was carrying. I am a photographer and I am going for an assignment "Do they have battery, do you have a permission to carry them, what are these sticks (pointing at the light stands), why are you carrying so many wires, are you a military person?" I was literally puzzled by the bombardment.
After a quirky fight with supervisor at the baggage check-in counter, I somehow managed to check my baggage in by paying cash. They don't have any merchant machine for plastics. When insisted another set of threatening answers were ready for me and delivered on silver platter. During this I heard the supervisor directing his subordinates, that if someone is traveling to Dimapur or some place extreme east with an identification revealing regional root to those places then they can carry as much as 100 kilo of extra luggage without any baggage allowance and no one will screen their bags and will ask questions. So probably they are the only people who are model citizens of India and pose no threat to the nation. Well, this makes me try finding (read fake) my roots as well now.
By the time they were finished with me, I was convinced that every person (except the ones enjoying special privileges) is a definite threat to the country.
Then it was a nature's call, an honest one. "No, there is no toilet here, please relief your self on-board" were the words that came from the smiling face at the security check hold. Is there any water available was my next question which I myself restraint as I already knew the answer.
After waiting silently in a queue of about 60 people I was directed (read 'driven like a hard of cattle') towards a bus which was all shabby, worn off and looked older than me. The door dint close properly after everyone was on-board. I had smelled the most horrible putrescence ever in my life that day inside the bus. The only thing I saw which made my day was a rising sun on the eastern sky with a flock of cloud jostling around it and a Boeing 737 standing in the foreground getting washed by the crimson tides.
I was on board and offered a bottle of water with a pale and bland tasting sandwiches. Tea tasted like horse-p!$$ and the dessert was already rotten. I couldn't even use the washroom as some intelligent person occupied it for almost 45 minutes. But I was determined and after a trial like 3-4 times, I managed to occupy the toilet. Then after some time I realised that the seat I occupied is broken and it was moving violently as the ATR jet was taking the blow of air pockets. The Deafening sound of the jets made my head burst with headache.
After a 'memorable' experience of 2 and half hours I landed at Tezpur airspace. When I saw the car waiting I was a little skeptical about the next journey I was about to travel. But to my utter surprise, It was not so 'memorable'.
P.S. I just completely forgot to mention that I was traveling by an 'Air-India' flight from Kolkata to Tezpur for an Industrial photo-shoot at Tinkharia Tea estate, Assam.
If you want to see what photos I went to click, FIND it here.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The big day
The big day of my life: I got married. Do I need to say more.
After a highly tensed courtship (read drama, rephrase, melodrama), we tied our knots legally. Yes, that's the glitch, we did a marriage registry and expecting to get it wrapped up by January 2014.
I am happy today........ :)
To see the photos CLICK here.
After a highly tensed courtship (read drama, rephrase, melodrama), we tied our knots legally. Yes, that's the glitch, we did a marriage registry and expecting to get it wrapped up by January 2014.
I am happy today........ :)
To see the photos CLICK here.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The Nahar Nautanki
Nahar is a group of hotels in the state of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The younger son of Senior Nahar approached me during my stay in Ooty to photograph their hotel in Ooty.
The shoot went well, however the aftermath was not desirable. They wanted walnuts at the price of peanuts and rest you can imagine. What I gave them is a complimentary cashew with some peanuts.
Well you can see some photos HERE
The shoot went well, however the aftermath was not desirable. They wanted walnuts at the price of peanuts and rest you can imagine. What I gave them is a complimentary cashew with some peanuts.
Well you can see some photos HERE
Friday, May 6, 2011
First Industrial photo-shoot
I pulled out an industrial photo-shoot for the first time and that also successfully. With only portable flash units and halogen lights.
It was a pharmaceutical company where I photographed their major operations and units. Had a hard time adjusting to the temperature difference in different units which sometimes vary between 15 degrees to 45 degrees centigrade.
After I submitted these photos to the company liaison officer was awarded with applause and when submitted to college for an assignment, realised that I was one of two persons who could manage to photograph Industrial setups and finish the assignment. That was such an awesome feeling.
I got appreciated in my college as well for my authentic work.
If you want to see what I delivered then SEE here.
It was a pharmaceutical company where I photographed their major operations and units. Had a hard time adjusting to the temperature difference in different units which sometimes vary between 15 degrees to 45 degrees centigrade.
After I submitted these photos to the company liaison officer was awarded with applause and when submitted to college for an assignment, realised that I was one of two persons who could manage to photograph Industrial setups and finish the assignment. That was such an awesome feeling.
I got appreciated in my college as well for my authentic work.
If you want to see what I delivered then SEE here.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Creativity on the edge
There is an assignment called creativity and we are supposed to do that! WOW, this was my expression when I heard about the assignment after we got back from our longed vacation in december.
We toiled for 3 weeks on the roads, streets, villages yet din't get what we were looking for. During my hunt for a good image, rather a stunning image, I felt like singing the U2 song,
'I still haven't got, what I'm looking'
The total creativity session was divided into 3 segments out of which I liked the Time & Space part most. Perfect for my taste, complete flavour of photo-documentary. The days and nights were spent on the streets photographing people, their lives, the essence of a place and at the end of the day present it in a form you like. I was at time rigid about my choices and reshot the entire segment within the specified time.
After the work was over and critiques went well, I was left with some wonderful photos for my personal photo-documentary on Ooty market.
If you want to see those photos, visit the Documentary section of my website.
We toiled for 3 weeks on the roads, streets, villages yet din't get what we were looking for. During my hunt for a good image, rather a stunning image, I felt like singing the U2 song,
'I still haven't got, what I'm looking'
The total creativity session was divided into 3 segments out of which I liked the Time & Space part most. Perfect for my taste, complete flavour of photo-documentary. The days and nights were spent on the streets photographing people, their lives, the essence of a place and at the end of the day present it in a form you like. I was at time rigid about my choices and reshot the entire segment within the specified time.
After the work was over and critiques went well, I was left with some wonderful photos for my personal photo-documentary on Ooty market.
If you want to see those photos, visit the Documentary section of my website.
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