La Liberté

The statue of Liberty leading the people (a symbol of France and the French Republic, also known as Marianne from the painting by Eugène Delacroix commemorating the July Revolution of 1830) in front of the Dupleix Palace in Chandannagore, India.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm | Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Sunset

Sunset on the river Hooghly at Chandannagore.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Day's end

Sunset on the Hoogly river at Chandannagore.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20mm

Still life - Experiments with the Nikon 35mm f1.8G

Shot at my friend's house today morning with my new Nikon 35mm f1.8G DX lens on the Nikon D300 at f1.8. Nice subtle colors and the lens is quite sharp even when shot wide open.

Nikon D300 | Nikon 35mm f1.8G DX

Countryside

Saturday morning. En route to Chandannagore, a right turn from the Delhi Road.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Stroll by the Ganges

A small boat cruises on the serene Ganges at the Rani Ghat, Chandannagore.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

The morning news!

The morning news!
Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 VR

Sunrise

Al Jubail. Sunrise.

View through my kitchen window at 5.45 am.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Steak House

Dinner at the Steak House at Jubail on the occasion of a colleague’s farewell.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Contrails

Contrails in the crisp clear skies over Jubail.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200mm @ 200m f 11

Durga Puja 2013 . . . some more pictures

The puja decorations at the Lake Range Durga Puja has always been a bit different, always a cut above the ordinary. This year it dwelt on the chariot theme, with four horses and a structure made of miniature chariots.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Post processing with the DxO Film Pack3

Another of the series from the Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association Durga Puja this year. The purohit was intently watching the rituals in progress.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR | LR | DxO FilmPack 3

Playing with post processing

This was taken during Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association last month. Post processed with DxO Film Pack 3 and Lightroom 2.7. The film look from the Kodak Kodachrome 64 preset has given a burnished effect to the picture.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR | DxO Film Pack 3 | LR 2.7

Diwali

Lots of sweets and special dishes made up for my Deepawali celebrations away from home. Interestingly, I recently spied this Deepawali decoration in KSA.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

The window cleaner

A window cleaner at the New Delhi IGI Airport, T3.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : An edited take on one of my earlier images

An edited photograph of the Sandhi Puja at our New Alipore Association. I was experimenting using the Nikon Capture NX, that originally came with my Nikon D200, and this was the result.
I quite liked the result.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR | Edited on Nikon Capture NX

Durga Puja 2013 : Maha Nabami

Nabami puja at the Vivekananda Sporting Club puja on Simla street in north Calcutta.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Rain washed Calcutta on Maha Nabami

Esplanade on Nabami morning. Though the tropical cyclone Phailin had dumped copious amounts of rain in the city, it failed to dampen the festive spirit.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association

This is the final picture of the Sandhi Puja.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association

The purohit oversees the proceedings of the Sandhi Puja.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association

Continuing on with the pictures from Sandhi Puja, here is one more. The lamps used during the aarati being handed around.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association

Sandhi Puja in progress at the New Alipore Association Durga Puja in New Alipore, Calcutta.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja

Sandhi Puja at the New Alipore Association this year.

For a change, I took my D7000 and the Nikon 18-200 mm VR and the combination performed quite well in my opinion.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Sandhi Puja

Sandhi Puja is performed at the juncture of the 8th and 9th lunar day. Sandhi puja lasts from the last 24 minutes of Ashtami till the first 24 minutes of Nabami. This year it was in the late afternoon on a rainy day, with the rains being brought about by the tropical cyclone Phailin.

SANDHI PUJA AT NEW ALIPORE ASSOCIATION PUJA

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013

A riot of colors at the Shibmandir Durga Puja.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20mm

Durga Puja 2013

Durga Puja 2013 at Maddox Square on Maha Saptami.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Durga Puja 2013

Dhakis playing at the Mahapuja Samiti Durgotsav at Ladies Park, Bhowanipur.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20mm

Durga Puja 2013

Taken yesterday (Sasthi) on my way back from the airport. A traffic police directs pedestrians and revelers almost in the line of oncoming traffic.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Durga Puja 2013 : Maha Saptami

Ceiling motifs at Shibmandir Durga Puja.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Durga Puja 2013 : Maha Saptami

Mudiali Club on Saptami morning.

Nikon D300 | Sigma 10-20 mm

Victoria Terminus, Mumbai

The top of the Victoria Terminus or Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai during my day trip in September last year.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Summer evening at Al-Khobar

Empty roads during a summer evening  drive back from Al-Khobar in end-July this year.  Looks quite unusual but it was Ramadan and it was the time of breaking of the fast.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Calcutta Rains

Pedestrians wait for the rains to stop in front of a car showroom flanked by a BMW X1 and a slew of TATA vehicles, none of which will take them away in the blinding rain.

Nikon D300 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR. Converted to B&W on Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Birds

An experiment with minimalism.  Birds sitting on some dead branches against a bright summer sky.

Shot with the Nikon D7000 and the Nikon 18-200 mm VR. Modifications via LR 2.7.

Al-Khobar at night | Low light experiments with the Nikon D7000

Taken while traveling through Al-Khobar on our way back to Jubail, just after exiting IKEA last night.

Shot at 2500 ISO at 1/80s with the Nikon D7000 and the Nikon 18-200mm VR.

Isn't this too damn close for comfort?

Unlike my other trips on board Qatar Airway's shuttle from Dammam to Doha, on the last trip, the aircraft passed directly overhead the tall towers in Doha downtown as it made the final approach for landing. I had a feeling that we were very close to the buildings and we had drifted slightly off the flight path.

The plane finally made a hard left turn and then aligned itself to the runway.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

India unplugged

Taken sometime during the week before, during my trip home to Calcutta.  This was taken just before the onset of a squall, which resulted in a heavy downpour.

Somehow, I feel that this picture does represent India today . . .

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

International Departures | Experiments with the Nikon D7000

International departures at the new terminal at the Calcutta airport at 12.40 AM. I was taking a Qatar Airways very early morning flight to Doha, Qatar.

Taken at ISO 1600 handheld at 1/20s.





Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200mm VR | B&W conversion on Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

From the air

A traditional dhow making speed over the tranquil waters of the Persian gulf.

Taken from the aircraft, as it began its final descent in to Doha International Airport.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Cloudscape

Clouds over the Victoria Memorial at Calcutta on an August morning.

Shot yesterday morning with the Panasonic G1 and the Lumix 14-45mm Vario through my car window.

Street Photography | Experimenting with the Nikon D7000

This guy was selling independence day bric-a-brac at a busy intersection in Calcutta. This was taken as soon as he saw the camera lens sticking out through the car window.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Storm-watch

Shot at 12.01 AM through the aircraft window (2.31 am IST) with the lens pressed to the window and the pillow covering the ambient light. The shutter was open for 13s. This is the result. You can see a dark shape of the wing at 3 O' Clock.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Streetview - Nai'riyah

An owner covers his prized Nissan ZX-280 sports car in the extreme heat of the Nai'riyah summer.  The quirky bed-sheet covering was rather an interesting choice though!

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45 mm Vario



PS: I have removed the car number plate markings on purpose.

Structured randomness

Shot in the late afternoon at Al Khobar. The slanting rays of the sun created interesting patterns of light.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45 mm Vario

Al Khobar : At a street light

Shot at a traffic signal at Al Khobar.  We were confused about with way would take us to IKEA and being the iftar time, there was not a soul on the road.  The cylindrical building is the HQ for Sadara.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Dusk at Al Khobar

Dusk at Al-Khobar today evening.

Taken from the car, when we were just about to get on to the Damman-Jubail highway. The roads were empty today as it is month of Ramadan.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Camels at Nai'riyah

Almost a scene from the Lawrence of Arabia. Camels being herded across the deserts of Saudi Arabia at dusk after an excruciating hot day. 

Taken somewhere on the Nai'riyah road from a moving car while returning back to Jubail.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Reflections

Reflections. Terminal 3, IGI Airport, New Delhi.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45 mm Vario | B&W conversion in camera

Sandstorm at Nai'riyah

Sandstorm during our drive to Nai’riyah. Though we were in a SUV, at times were were forced to slow down to a crawl as the visibility dropped down to a few feet.

Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45mm Vario

Street scene at Nai’riyah

It was 47 degree centigrade in the shade in the early evening at Nai’riyah. It was like stepping right into an oven when we started our journey back to Jubail.

 Panasonic G1 | Lumix 14-45 mm Vario | Converted to B&W in LR.