Bear Cave, Pachmarhi, MP

Gaur (Wild Bison)

Here's a gaur threatening to charge at you.

Satpura Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh

Along with a few like-minded friends, I visited Satpura Tiger Reserve at Madai (Madhai) in MP in the first week of October 2008. Lack of good rainfall could have been a reason why the forest was not in its pristine glory, but here is one lush green image of the forest. This Reserve was opened recently and hence the infrastructure is quite poor. Very few vehicles in the Park to take you around and local politics could put you off. The Maruti Gypsi ride in the forest is a mere 1.5 hour long. Our vehicle driver on the first two days seemed to be a rookie who, it seemed to us, did not know the routes in the forest. After we lodged verbal complaints, we were taken for a longer ride on the third day. Our driver this time knew each and every path/turn within the forest and his driving was exceptionally good. We saw no tigers, but then tigers are not the only wildlife one sees in a Reserve. There were lots of wild buffaloes (Gaur), wild boars, deers, monkeys etc. We also saw (briefly) a leopard.

Germans Enjoying Life

If there's one group of people who know how to enjoy life, it's the Germans. Here is a group of merry-making Germans enjoying beer along the River Rhine, Frankfurt.

At Ganapatipule, Maharashtra

Post Sunset at Ganaptipule, Maharashtra

SANDAKPHU TRIP

ARTICLE COURTESY: SMART PHOTOGRAPHY

Light & Shade

Paragliding

This picture was shot at Panchgani, Maharashtra. The Panchgani Paragliders Club practice there quite regularly. I particularly liked this overhead view.

Goosie

I love this composition.

Serenity

Sunrise at Gateway of India

Gateway of India is one of my favourites. The boats and the monument always make a pleasing picture.

Playing

Tiger cubs playing at the Delhi zoo.

Ganapati

Ladakh, a beautiful desert

In July 2007, I went on a photo trip (conducted by Smart Photography) to Ladakh. Ladakh is splendidly beautiful and its best to travel by your own vehicle. Just ensure that your car has a good ground clearance and that you have a very good driver. Driving in that area is not for the faint-hearted, so be warned! Some roads are better than what you would find in Mumbai, but some will make you feel you are riding a camel. Before starting your journey, make sure you talk to your family physician and carry the medicines that he'll recommend you to take before and during the trip. The low oxygen level can make you sick, so follow the doctor's advice. We started our trip from Manali and drove down to Sarchu, where we rested for the night in most comfortable tents at the lovely "Blue Poppy". The next halt was at a place called 'Pang' - not a comfortable place to stay and should be avoided if possible. The third stop was Ladakh, where we stayed at the 'Yak Camp' at Tsomoriri Lake. The Yak Camp is, like the Blue Poppy, a very good place to stay and is definitely recommended. If you are a serious photographer, you need to spend at least ten to twelve days between Manali and Ladakh. Only then will you be able to see and photograph the lovely landscapes. Here are a few pictures shot during this trip. Sit back and enjoy. Please remember that all the images on this blogsite are the copyright of Rohinton Mehta. If you are interested to have a high-resolution copy (at a price of course), please contact me at r.mehta@nextgenpublishing.net

Flowers in Manali

This was my very first visit to Manali, for an onward journey to Ladakh in the first week of July, 2007. Manali is a place I would love to stay for ever. Here are some flowers I shot in the compound of a hotel.

Rooftops in Manali

Mountain Texture

All over Ladakh, if you are observant, you'll see many such textures in the mountains. As a photographer, you'll always be short on time to photograph the fantastic surroundings.

Mackenna's Gold?

This interesting play of light and shade reminded me of the movie, Mackenna's Gold.

The Balancing Rock

This was an amazing sight. The rocks seem to delicately support each other.

Colorful Texture

Tsomoriri Lake

A view of Tsomoriri Lake at Ladakh

Golden Top

Just before the close of the day, the golden rays of the setting sun casts its spell!

Ice-cream top

Dried Leaves

Beauty, it is said, lies in the eye of the beholder. I find these dry leaves beautiful too.

El Tigre

I photographed this beautiful tigress in either Kanha or Bandhavgarh Tiger reserve - don't remember exactly where.

The Green Frog

This lovely green frog was photographed at Amboli, near Goa. Eventually, it jumped and sat on my head!

Motorcycle in Fog

Another Mulshy Landscape

Viewers must have guessed by now - my favourite is the rainy season. This is yet another landscape at Mulshy, near Lonavla.

Which One Would You Choose?

Light Effects

Light changes every moment. One minute its there and the next few seconds later, it is gone.You have to be alert and ready to capture these magical moments.

Contra-jour Leaves

I used the widest possible aperture on my lens to throw the background out of focus.

On A Full Moon Night

I liked the tree (in fact I like all trees) that I had shot in the late afternoon. I felt the image needed something to make it more appealing. So, after darkening the image in Photoshop, I added the full moon image. It now appears as if the photo was shot at night when there was still some light remaining in the sky.

A Little Cheating Sometimes Helps

Even though the picture was shot in the evening when there was sufficient daylight, I set the White Balance to 'incandescent'. This made the image very blue. I later reduced the blue in Photoshop to what I thought was acceptable (to me at least).

Persian cat

The Palm Tree Leaf

The symmetry and the backlighting is what makes this image.

The Lonely Tree

It was 6.30am. Looking through the tree, I noticed the thin wisp of white cloud in the background. I wanted to create something different. So, I set the camera on a tripod, selected the smallest possible aperture, and zoomed the lens during the exposure.

A View from Echo Point, Matheran

Thunder and lightening heralded the onset of monsoon. It seemed the sky would fall any minute. Almost everyone left for the comforts of their hotels. My friend Sunil Kapadia and I realized this golden opportunity and shot quite a few pictures. This small, low resolution image really does not do justice to the scene before us.

In a Goa church

Light levels weren't adequate for low-ISO shooting. Tripod wasn't permitted. The only way out was to use a higher ISO.

Misty

For me, taking a walk through a misty forest is like passing through heaven. For those less initiated in photography, creating/finding a leading-in line leads the viewer's eye in to the picture, and is thus considered a plus point in good composition.

Beautiful Cologne

Cologne, in Germany, is a beautiful and colorful city. The picture shows the view of the main cathedral across the river Rhine.

A Landscape at Mulshy

Mulshy (a place near Lonavala) is beautiful during the rains. Come to think of it, if you are a nature lover, every landscape appears beautiful when Nature is at her best.

Soaring High

Holy mackeral. Its a darter!

Shooting with a 'long-tom', I was lucky enough to get the darter in the sun. Hee, hee, fooled you, didn't I? The darter was placed against the sun in Photoshop.

Another example of Pseudo IR.

A Warm Sunset

When shooting sunsets using a digital camera, don't forget to change the Auto White Balance (in case you are using it) to Daylight. Otherwise, your warm sunset colors will go for a toss.

Another rendition of daybreak at the Gateway of India