Orchids

Orchids at my friend's house at Calcutta.

Fuji X-E1 | Fujinon 18-55 mm OIS

Leaving Doha

I never expected that it could be done with a Nikon cropped frame D7000 and a Nikon 18-200 mm lens.

This is at 3200 ISO and 1/13s. Other luck factors were clean windows, blankets on time and a great co-passenger, who held on to my backpack when I took the shot.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Postcards from the trip to the desert - 4

Evening prayers at the desert camp.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

The desert camp

Sunset at the desert camp.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Postcards from the trip to the desert – 3

Shot a few minutes after the earlier shot, the sky becomes a deeper shade of blue as the sun sinks further into the horizon.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Postcards from the trip to the desert - 2

The desert landscape is always at its best in the half-light of dawn or dusk. The last year's outing had been marred by a severe sandstorm. This evening, we were enthralled with a pristine sunset.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Postcards from the trip to the desert

The setting sun over one of the tents in the desert camp at Nariya, Saudi Arabia.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

The drive

It seems eerie that for that 40 km drive through the desert, the only traces of civilization were a few camels farms, a single horse corral and a rare truck or car that passed us.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Desert sketches

Grazing wild camels. Scenes from the drive to our desert camp last week.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 VR

Sunrise

The sun rises somewhere over the Persian gulf.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Lion Dance

The inebriated Lion has no clue that the other are eyeing his cask of whisky. I never knew that the main theme of the Lion Dance was booze related : )

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Chinese New Year Festival

The Lion dance during the Chinese New Year festival at the Dalhousie Institute at Calcutta.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 VR

Evening out

Friday night at the Dalhousie Institute, a social club at Calcutta.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR

Miles and miles of sand

The view as the Qatar Airways Airbus 321 banks sharply to set a course for Doha.

Nikon D7000 | Nikon 18-200 mm VR