Pixelleria: Sumit Dhar's Photoblog

Damselfly

Sat, 24 May 2008 20:17:27 -0800

Another shot with my Sigma 18-200mm OS lens. Just realized that the manual focus is amazingly easy in this lens and have been taking quite a few shots using manual focus instead of the autofocus.

PS: As pointed out by Binu, am changing the title of the post to Damselfly. All bow to Binu and his knowledge of God's creatures big and small!

New Lens in Action

Fri, 23 May 2008 19:24:05 -0800

My new Sigma 18-200mm OS lens in action. Not too much happening on the photography front, plenty of changes on the professional front. Have moved from Ernst and Young to Hewlett-Packard.

Spiez, Interlaken

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:10:08 -0800

Castle on Thun (pronounced Toon) Lake in Spiez, Interlaken.

Ferney-Voltaire

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:01:14 -0800

Geneva Motor Show

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:33:36 -0800

The Geneva Motor show is held every year at Palexpo. This year's show features exotic cars running on wierd stuff like benzene or even steam. While Tata's Nano is one of the exhibits and people have shown some interest, the real crowd pullers are the stalls of Ferrari, Lambhorgini and the like. The show also features quite a few concept cars. While I did not get to see it, I was also told about a concept car than can run on land as well as water.

The entire set of my photos from Geneva Motor Show has been uploaded to Ibibo.

Small is Beautiful

Sun, 9 Mar 2008 17:38:33 -0800

Nissan's Concept Car

Tata Nano

Sun, 9 Mar 2008 17:33:19 -0800

Tata Nano at the Geneva Auto Show

Good Bye, Blue Sky

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:12:03 -0800

Another shot of a tea estate, this one at Lakkidi. All my Kerala shots had wonderful blue skies. However the shots I take in the city (Bangalore, for instance) are usually dull grey. I wonder why? Maybe it is the pollution... :(

Surya Tea Estate

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:25:08 -0800

6 shot panorama of the Surya Tea Estate at Lakidi. Stitched using PTGui.

Graduated Neutral Density Filter

One pass Neat Image

USM

Minor Dodge and Burn

Shades of Heaven: Wayanad

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:17:37 -0800

A lush green tea estate at Wayanad in Kerala. Nature in its pristine glory, thankfully not marred by humans. The sights and smells of Wayanad are truly intoxicating. More photos from Wayanad will be uploaded over the next few days.

Lonely at the Top?

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:53:42 -0800

This was shot at the Rain Country Resorts in Wayanad. The resort had a rich variety of bird species. It was a pleasure going for a walk around the resort and spotting these colorful winged beauties.

Oh, if any one is planning on visiting Wayanad, I would strongly recommend Rain Country Resorts. The staff were very courteous and helpful, the food delicious and the scenery around the resort heavenly.

The Lotus Blooms Twice

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:59:48 -0800

This was shot at Pookot Lake, which is around 15Kms from Kalpeta. The lake is nestled in the midst of rolling mountains and the walkway around the lake is lined with thick foliage. Boating facility is available and the lake is littered with hundreds of lotuses.

PS: For those wondering about the title, it is a dedication to Rock Lee from the anime series Naruto.

Geese at Ease

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:12:34 -0800

This shot of the geese was taken by Manisha at the Rain Country Resort at Wayanad. The geese were very friendly, specially after we fed them bread. The hen had laid a few eggs and would spend most of her time in the nest trying to get them to hatch. The gander spent most of his time wandering around and it was good fun watching their antics.

Calm before the Storm

Sat, 9 Feb 2008 13:19:33 -0800

Shot at the lake near the Butterfly Park at Bannerghatta. Most of my landscape photographs turned out to have overexposed skies and correcting it in Photoshop is not an easy job. So, for this capture, I used a grey Graduated Neutral Density filter. Post processing included:

- One round of USM and Neat Image

- Enhancements in Lab Color mode

- Minor dodge and burn

- Curve and level corrections

Hard Climb to the Top

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 14:38:31 -0800

Vithola Apartments

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 13:13:19 -0800

Neha

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:07:31 -0800

Sito and Vrushali's little treasure. As seen here, Neha is eager to explore the open spaces at Georgia Sunshine Resort.

Future Leader

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:45:18 -0800

Have been concentrating a bit on portraits for the past few months. This one is from an older set and was lying around on the hard disk. Am without a camera these days as my Canon has been sent to Delhi for sensor cleaning. Hopefully should be getting it back by next week.

The dust problem has made me seriously consider buying a general purpose walkaround lens. Will probably go with the Sigma 18-200mm or the Canon 28-135mm.

Innocence

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 01:48:52 -0800

Along with Sito and Vrushali, had been to Georgia Sunshine Resorts for the weekend.

The resort organizes a morning nature walk and while exploring the villages nearby, I spotted this innocent looking very young calf. Not visible in the frame is the mother that was pawing the ground and snorting anxiously when I approached the calf and pointed the camera at it. :)

Georgia Sunshine Resort: Earthen Pot

Tue, 1 Jan 2008 01:40:09 -0800

Along with Sito and Vrushali, had been to Georgia Sunshine Village for the weekend. The resort was one of those beautiful get-away-from-the-stress-of-the-city-life-and-unwind kinda places. The Shivasamundram falls are nearby and it is a good weekend getaway from Bangalore.

This shot was taken just outside the reception at the resort.

Peekaboo

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:00:24 -0800

The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:56:39 -0800

Circle of Life

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:39:50 -0800

A Ferris wheel inside the Bahu Fort at Jammu. For this image, I have tried the B&W conversion based on the tutorial here.

Mother: The Protector

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:59:44 -0800

Had been to Jammu for a short vacation. This one was shot outside the temple at the Bahu Fort in Jammu.

Mona Lisa Smile

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 05:34:15 -0800

Had gone for a photo shoot today morning. While I was photographing a temple, there was this group of three small kids who were following me, curious about my intentions. When I turned the camera towards them, they were all smiles and started posing. I loved the smile and the joy on this kid's face.

I guess I will be taking a print of this pic and giving it to kid by the end of the day.

Brothers in Arms

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 05:30:02 -0800

Carpe Diem

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 05:10:20 -0800

This young kid wanted to pose like Superstar Rajnikanth in the movie Shivaji. This pose, though, looks more like Leonardo Caprio in Titanic.

Chak De - Practice Session

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 06:43:43 -0800

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 12:21:53 -0800

In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

-Led Zep (Stairway to Heaven)

Shot in the woods near the Bannerghatta National Park. During this visit, we were accompanied by Sito, Vrushali and their lil baby daughter Neha. The area around Bannerghatta National Park is teeming with birds, insects and small animals.

This picture was taken with the 70-200mm lens and required very little post processing. I am currently not using a tripod and most of the shots are handheld. Last time, I made the mistake of shooting at shutter speeds of 1/60 which resulted in blurry images. I have now started sticking to a shutter speed faster than 1/(Focal Length) to ensure that the end result is tack sharp.

One round through Neat Image and this image was ready to be uploaded to the blog.

Master of Disguises

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:48:21 -0800

Shot just outside my house. Post processing includes:

1. Exposure correction and increase in vibrance / contrast (in LightRoom)

2. Noise Reduction (using Neat Image)

3. Unsharpen Mask (Amount:100, Radius:3, Threshold:0)

4. Color Enhancement using Lab Color

5. Dodge and Burn

Ties that Bind

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:11:58 -0800

Shot at Bannerghatta National Park. Saw this family (?) of monkeys. The little one was very cute; prancing around and having a ball of a time while its mother watched patiently. The little one almost fell of the tree but the mother grabbed its tail and saved it from the fall. It made me realize how similar all living creatures are, specially when it comes to protecting their young.

For those interested in wildlife, check out the video titled "Battle at Kruger".

Can a leopard change its spots?

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:00:26 -0800

Predator on prowl. Shot at the Bannerghatta National Park. If you want to enjoy a weekend in Bangalore, the Bannerghatta National Park with its Big Cat Safari and Butterfly Park is a great option. The best time for the Big Cat Safari is early morning or late evening (around 3:30 PM or 4:00 PM) as that is the time they feed the animals and most of the big cats can be seen easily.

Deer

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 03:53:20 -0800

I just love the color reproduction and the sharpness of my recenly purchased Canon 70-200mm f/4 L lens.

Crane Beak

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:48:26 -0800

Central Park, NY

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 23:49:52 -0800

I want to break Free

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:26:52 -0800

Posting after a long time as I have been traveling and had not been able to do any photography for the past few weeks. Coming back to the image: This is a capture I had been trying for quite some time. With my earlier Fuji FinePix, focussing would often take time and there was no way I could get a shot of a bird in flight. Today while visiting Ellis Island, I spotted this Seagull in mid flight. Whipped out my camera just in time to get this snap. Practically no post processing, except for minor level adjustments.

Butterfly II

Sun, 2 Sep 2007 11:30:06 -0800

Yellow Fellow

Sun, 2 Sep 2007 11:00:09 -0800

Well Greased

Sun, 2 Sep 2007 02:21:08 -0800

Took a couple of snaps at a construction site recently. This one was post-processed using Nik Color Efex plugin.

Gears of War

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 03:33:34 -0800

Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.

Sat, 1 Sep 2007 03:14:01 -0800

This scene reminds me of lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner:

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.

Shelter from the Storm

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:24:06 -0800

Robinson Crusoe was Here!

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 02:03:08 -0800

We saw quite a few fishermen near the hotel at Kovalam. Most of them could not afford bigger boats with motors and used flimsy canoes (like this one) to go fishing.

Anchor's Ahoy

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 13:04:00 -0800

Had been to God's Own Country for a three day Managerial Training programme organized by my company.

What can I say? The programme rocked... we had a great instructor and I do hope I will use the lessons learned in my day to day activities. That said, The Leela at Kovalam provided excellent photographic opportunities. Over the next few days, I will upload some of the snaps from the training.

Saved by the Bell

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:27:39 -0800

Another photographic opportunity spotted by Manisha. This bell is a tourist trinket we purchased when we visited the extremely beautiful state of Sikkim in North East India.

About the photograph: Inspired by the excellent work of Mathias Pabst, I wanted to try out HDR photography. Took three exposures in Aperture priority mode, and used Photomatix to merge the three. Following that did some noise reduction, level corrections and vignetting in Photoshop. But still not as good as Pabst's work. :-)

In addition, from this photo onwards, no more copyright watermark!

Potpourri

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:15:03 -0800

Manisha spotted this excellent photographic opportunity at home wherein the potpourri crystal plate was beautifully reflected by the table glass. The image required very minor post processing work in Lightroom and Photoshop to enhance the shadows and contrast.

Dragonfly

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:19:04 -0800

Shot outside Vithola, near the Kalena Agrahara lake. This dragonfly sat still for ages, allowing me to come real close before taking this snap.

Changing Gears

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:57:02 -0800

Another picture (of Revoshift Cycle Gear) using my change of photographic gear as the theme.

Colors of Life

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:38:21 -0800

Shot at Sito's place. Sito and Vrushali recently had a baby girl and this colorful ball was one of the toys at their place. Only post-processing required for this image was minor curve adjustments.

A New Page

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 13:37:43 -0800

Today, my photographic experiences turn over a new page.

Just purchased my spanking new Canon EOS 350D along with a 50 mm, f/1.8 prime lens. This is something I had been lusting for quite some time and am happy to say that the camera meets all my expectations. The images are crisp and practically noise free, even at ISO 400. The prime lens allows me to shoot in very low light. The DOF is amazing.

All in all, as the McDonalds ad says, I'm lovin' it.

PS: For those in Bangalore, looking for a good deal on the Canon EOS 350D or any other photographic equipment, do contact Jayesh of Foto Circle. He is extremely knowledgeable and his rates are very reasonable. He is reachable on 09845022654.

Calm Before the Storm

Sun, 5 Aug 2007 11:25:12 -0800

It was a dark and a stormy evening. :-) The whole scene reminded me of lines from a CCR Song Bad Moon Rising:

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

The heavily overcast sky... the lonely tree standing vigil like a silent spectator... were these all indicative of the calm before the storm?

A New Beginning

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:32:50 -0800

Shot just outside Vithola, near Kalena Agrahara Lake. It has been raining in Bangalore for the past few days and the place is lush green.

Post Processing:

- Curve Enhancements, increased saturation

- Gaussian Blur

- Dodge & Burn

Let it blossom, let it flow!

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 09:22:06 -0800

Shot at Vithola, Bangalore.

Post Processing:

- Enchanced contrast / saturation

- Minor Curve Corrections

- Minor Dodge and Burn

I don't give a fig

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:39:07 -0800

We had gone to Angsana Resorts on a team outing. The garden at the resort had a fig tree which was laden with fruits and I felt the colors and texture would provide an good shot.

Post processing:

- Noise removal and spot healing

- Curve & Level corrections

- Vignetting

Puss in the Boots

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 12:30:08 -0800

Shot in Switzerland, near Lake Geneva. Was just walking around the incredibly beautiful country when this cat started following me in a wooded area.

Post processing: a bit of dodge & burn as well as slight curve corrections.

There Be Dragons (Fly)!

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:37:46 -0800

Shot at Botanical Gardens, Kolkata. I think, I had to wait for close to an hour to get this shot. But in the end, the wait was worth it.

Have done some some post-processing on the original image as Vivek mentioned in his comment:

- Little bit of dodge and burn

- Color enhancements using Lab Color

- Minor curve modifications to get a punchier contrast

Monkeying Around

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 13:07:19 -0800

Shot at Nandi Hills, on the outskirts of Bangalore. The place is infested with monkeys trying to grab a bite from the hands of the people picnicing there. This little fellow was a bit more agressive than the others and stood out.

Love Birds

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 13:08:09 -0800

Suzuki Swift

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:54:40 -0800

Caught & Bowled

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:07:03 -0800

Time for some Reflection

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 12:03:34 -0800

This shot was taken at Lal Bagh in Bangalore.

I was looking forward to shooting some water lillies but the lily pond was barren. I instead found these two lily petals floating lazily in the pond, giving me a perfect shot with great reflections.

Mirror Image?

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 05:06:17 -0800

Internet: Series of Tubes

Sun, 15 Jul 2007 04:57:40 -0800

Tiger, Tiger burning bright

Sun, 8 Jul 2007 14:36:08 -0800

Co-existence

Sun, 8 Jul 2007 14:31:03 -0800

Net Practice

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:06:49 -0800

Every Cloud has a Golden Lining

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 20:01:35 -0800

Levitation

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:34:39 -0800

Time to Party

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:30:45 -0800

United we Stand

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:28:51 -0800

Berries

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:21:38 -0800

Touch Me Not

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:35:27 -0800

Curvaceous

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:28:00 -0800

Who Framed the Windows?

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:57:20 -0800