Some more from July

Sharing some more  nature photos clicked in July :)

But its not raining anywhere :(

The rain is shying away from me and whenever I'm ready to capture its beauty, it vanishes :( 

Moreover there are flowers and butterflies plus one beautiful pathway and a gorgeous Velvet Mite :)

Enjoy !

A new camera !!

Started with sisters Sony P-200, insisted and bought Nokia 5600 to photograph while I traveled, and then came the Canon SX 10 IS. 4 years went in all these photography journey and every equipment has got its special place for me. All these cameras have produced photographs preserving my memories and bringing out the best photographer in me. I value each of them very dearly. The latest one i.e. Canon had started giving me pixelated images and with a new serious genre of photography of Birds I now had to Update myself with a new camera. After much perseverance and proving myself to the world, I thought I deserved a DSLR and choose Nikon D5100 for me with the kit lens and an extra 55-300 lens. So Mr. Nikon is the latest gadget and hopefully we both will brings out the best from each other :) Another good thing happened with me getting a new camera. My nephew got the Canon to nourish his photography skills :)


Cheers!!
Tanuja

Republic Day

HappY RepubiC daY :)

The March Past

As thought with my camera and in high spirits I was at the parade ground at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bhubaneswar. Here every year the Republic Day and Independence Day parade is done with much pomp and show with flag hosting by the CM or the Governor of the State followed by function formalities, march past and all. The mood and the feeling of these days would never go from the heart. The feeling of being in a freed country, the memory of the brave men who gave us freedom and the feeling of being a part of this great country would never ever fade away. To make the feeling sink in more, I always go and watch the parade. :) It feels great watching it. From school kids to middle school to paramilitary forces, everyone in uniform, everyone with determination and strong will power to perform their best.

Today too, driving in the foggy and chilly morning, I came for the parade. On my way, I stopped to buy an Indian flag badge (as always) and pinned to my chest :) Kids and parents lined up to buy flags too. While driving I tried remembering the Patriotic Songs we used to sing in school. I remembered the song 'Aye watan Aye watan... humko teri kasam. Teri rahon mein hain jaan tak luta jayenge ... ' 

Accompanying my Canon SX10 IS, I had reached much early to catch some before parade candid shots.

The foggy ground

This time I was alone and no other photographer was in view, unlike last time where I felt there were more photographers roaming than the paraders. Good I guess. May be this time whoever came was near the place where flag hosting was done. I observed people, I roamed around casually, I smiled at them. At some place made them conscious and sometimes they made me conscious :P The roads were all foggy even till 8.15 am. The time came when the parade was to be started. There was tension among the jawans and cadets to perform their best. The last minute touch up in their uniforms and making stern faces. 

Last minute preparation

Police people got strict with the viewers and made them go outside the main track. I hadn't planned to stay in the crowd this time. I stayed towards the end of the parade set and watched them go one by one towards the main stand where they had to perform.

Watching them brings back my own goody goody feelings, when I used to be IN the parade. Wearing my best, pressed blue NCC AIR WING uniform. Pride in my heart, chest out, beret on my head, shining shoes and straight spine. It was some feeling I tell you. As if the whole world is watching you and would judge with the slightest moment made. 3 years, 6 times I have marched on this road, in uniform. Then the time comes when you have to perform in front of the chief guest. Showing the best of you with the other participants. The most difficult task was to maintain the uniformity among the other girls in the same flight. And the correct way was to hear the drum beats. After the college days got finished, I continued to come to the ground with the same feeling to capture the moment in my little camera. Completely this would be the 8th year I would be coming to the parade ground both for Independence parade and Republic Day parade :)

Of-course one can not forget these days while in school. Wearing the whitest of white uniform, me sometimes in Guide uniform. Watching and listening the programs performed at school. Speeches, some kids fancily dressed as freedom fighters and then we waiting for the tiffin packets and boondi (best part :D). Then we would walk towards our home gossiping all in the way. :) 

Coming back to today. I stayed till the last platoon was gone from my sight. There were three school boys by my left side who were very excited for the marches. They had superb expressions to be captured. Excitement, amazement and innocence. In the last, after fire station tableau, there were some performers dressed in folk dresses, Sambalpuri costumes and two in costumes of Durga Maa and Mahisasura. I had never watched such performers before. They looked beautiful and with very high spirits to make their audience dance in their tunes.

Durga Maa

The folk dances

I had few of their photos. While they crossed, two of the boys on my left side made a namaskar gesture watching the Durga Maa's idol. I was touched by their innocence. I bet even we adults would not have done this. But they did! On the whole trip today I was not very pleased as I had not got any good shots but they made my day fruitful one. I was in some kind of inner peace after watching them. On the whole way I drove back smiling. :)

Shot of the Day :)

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Some earlier days picture ... :)

Inspired

Celebrating Freedom

The R&V squadron

The guns at rest

Kids waiting for the parade to start

The song I was remembering of:

haPpy 2012 ^_^

happY neW yeaR friends :)

Embracing the new year, I remember the old year which has been quite a good year making me learn, experience and grow in the foot steps of a photographer.

Many adventurous outdoor trips, work assignments, a group Photography Exhibition, a cool Radio Interview on 92.7 Big Fm with Rj Rajiv and an interview for a in-fashion twin city website 'Broken Scooter'.

 After a whole post dedicated to the  Radio interview here's the link for the website: http://thebrokenscooter.com/2011/12/capturing-moments/ :)

Hoping for more adventures and experiments this year.... \m/

Thankyou for all the love and being my audience. 

love

TJ :)

A radio interview :)

Hey I had an interview on radio as a Photographer on Big 92.7 FM today :)
Thanx to RJ Rajiv who was cool enuf to call me :)

It all started with a fren request in Facebook reminding me that we were friends in Orkut (another Social Networking Service). I remembered him as a RJ long time back and then he asked if I would like to talk on Radio on photography. I was like 'What me!'  'Are you Kidding' 'I'm shit scarred'  :P But then we finally fixed a time to have the interview.

Saturday around 3.30.

There I was in time with Udayan which meant another photographer to be interviewed. I actually thought him to be interviewed next time, but then we made it together :D

After a little chit chat with the RJ, and some sense nonsense talks, we were into the recording studio from where he was heard by the masses. We were given microphones over our faces and then very casually asked questions. He was sounding low and me high...and hearing my voice back, I hated it but laughed at it too :P

Were interviewed like how we started on Photography, what we liked to photograph, what we have for enthusiastic photographers and some more about it.  :)
We even repeated some of our lines that went gibberish :D we were still scared :P But it was all fun too.

RJ Rajiv was cool for our mistakes too :P that made things easy. But seriously voicing for radio even when people don't see you isn't a easy task. take my words. :/
Hats off to people who made it in the Radio world.

Our interview was over, quickly edited and was about to be played live. We didn't really know whom to ask in our friends circle to hear us so we had a friendly chat with RJ Ranjiv, made a goodbye and came down to listen to ourselves.

we switched to the channel, waited to hear us. We knew we have messed it and now didn't wanted to hear out of embarrassment. Still with excitement and forgiving us as it was our first time on Radio we listened to ourselves. Not bad I would say :)

Thankyou  Rajiv, your one amazing person. Overall it was a nice experience :)

An Exhibition :/

9.11.11

Opening of the 'The speaking frames' a photography exhibition by 16 budding photographers (including Me). After much difference I was finally in it and today was the 1st day of the 5 day exhibition.

I had a very nice experience  receiving appreciation from unknown people on my photographic work. People coming to talk, stopping by your work and appreciating is such a great feeling.
I always used to think that I am least visible in a crowd and that people do not remember my name or face in usual.
But I was wrong !

A girl with her friend met me telling me that they remember me from Orkut days in a community called 'Bhubaneswar Naturalist'. I was like..'really'. She said she remembers me through the conversations and all and was waiting in the exhibition to talk to me. It was really pleasing to me. :)
That was very sweet of them to come across me and appreciate my work. :)  I was super glad they remember me from a virtual group that too after 2-3 years. ^_^


Then were many more people, students, professionals, common viewers who liked my work and as a whole were very happy about the exhibition. :)  The crowd was huge and the anticipation was amazingly seen. Everybody there looked happy, from the participants to the spectators.


Looking forward for more :)

***

There comes an end to the exhibition. Some disappointments, differences with other folks, some great friends and loads to learn. :) It taught me various dimensions a person, a viewer can think about a photograph and how the photographer deals with his/her perspective of the photo. Sometimes it just seems so complex. I understood that, folks were most interested for human emotions and less for bugs and butterflies. Colors and Black & White equally attracted them but too much of continuous B&W portrayal bored them.

I got terribly sick in between and also missed a great deal of the exhibition because of office hours. Still whatever time I spend with the people it was full of learnings. :) Met many seniors members of the field and they have as always been a great source of inspiration. At the end day, I got to know that two of my photos have been on probable sale. I was very happy, as earlier I though I was a waste :P
Again with the sale dealings, things for fussy for nothing and finally direct deals helped me :)
P.S I hate somebody binding me into some rules and regulations for nothing :P


A good exhibition !!!

What is it for me!

What makes a good photograph?

A good costly camera? an efficient high-range lense? Lights? Perspective? Timing?
Most would agree on almost all of them :)
Anyways who decides on what is a good photograph, as we say there is no Good or Bad in art. Its all what the viewer individually like and get expressed. It's all individual perception.

All these time I have been holding my camera and clicking all those few good shots and 100 bad shots, what I have self-learned and practice now is the power to Observe.

Wikipedia describes it as 'Observation is either an activity of a living being, such as a human, consisting of receiving knowledge of the outside world through the senses, or the recording of data using scientific instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during this activity. An observation can also be the way you look at things or when you look at something.'


And what I mean outta it, is the observance of the subject matter around you or in front of your which you feel like making it a part of you by taking a photograph. I believe observing the subject be it working man, running train, flying bird, static mountain or simply an empty bottle; it is important you observe its movement, colors, the behavior, the feel of it, the air, the anticipation and then move on thinking if it's calling you to click it. :) This along with other technicalities will help gain control over you and your camera handling.

Even studying all those butterflies and birds interest me as well as weaving my own story with people :)

It doesn't necessarily have to be an extraordinary movement or thing. Simple thoughtful things too turn out to be equally appealing. This way you wont click a thing because it merely looks good or that you have a digital camera at hand. :) Be aware of what you see yourself and what you wanna show. !



P.S : I'm no expert, I'm still learning :)  

onCe uPon a tImE

> Updated on 10.09.11

Hey Folks :)

This is Tanuja, hailing from Bhubaneswar 'The Temple City' of India.  ^_^

**Welcome to My Photography Blog**

I have been into Photography since 2007, but started taking it truly from 2008. Gradually I gave time in understanding the technicalities as well as people, movement, nature and everything around me to be framed. I moved on from various cameras; from Kodak Film camera to Nokia mobile to Sony Digital camera to now Canon SX10 IS.

I feel Photography comes naturally to me, as I realised that even when I don’t carry a camera I keep making frames to whatever I see. I mentally crop images, appreciate colors, edit and enjoy it in a way :)

I click photos and present it in the way I feel for it. The mood is created and the reality shown.

But I do believe that, sometimes it’s important to feel the situation and enjoy moments with Naked eye than through a lens. :)

I created this blog share my PhotOgraphY among my friends and people who enjoy photography. It feels good when people like my photography genuinely and express it. Also critique comments are most welcome as they help me improve and grow. You need not be a photographer to view and analyze it. Any expressive words for it are very much welcomed. ^_^



Love All :)
Tanuja

aka

TJ  \m/