#MMTLuxuryStays Shimla Travel Photography @makemytrip @blogadda

Hi People,

This is a letter written from my old self. roughly 8 years ago in 2009. When I had a different height, and a different enthusiasm towards life.

My dad has his meeting at Shimla and me and my mom were invited too. Although I couldn’t enjoy with dad during the day as he was busy with his meeting, me and mom explored the hotel we were living in – Oberoi Wildflower Hall Shimla.

Shimla being a beautiful place {at-least it was beautiful back then, now it is too commercialized to call it a hill station} I had jotted plenty of places to explore but dad being unavailable to take us around was a bummer.

So the only option left was the hotel itself. Well I initially thought, what possibly can there be to explore in a hotel. But, since I had nothing better to do, I kept roaming with my digital camera in my hand{I didn’t know I was going to buy a heavy dslr along with a bazooka lens and be so passionate about photography back then}.

So I started exploring slowly and steadily with sadness in my heart. First came the reception area where there were pamphlets kept and I started browsing through – “Situated at 8,250 feet above sea level” is what stuck with me. Then came the activities -nature walks, rafting, cycling or yoga, or relax and rejuvenate with an exclusive spa therapy. I was like where are these things being held at. Went straight to the help desk and queried about stuff unless the person started getting irritated with so many of my questions. I then planned to explore the unexplored territory myself. The help desk guy did tell me about the mountains bikes and the trails within the campus which I can ride on. Although that never happened as the cost of the ride was equal to the cost of the bike . I might as well have bought the bike and taken it back home in the same amount. What else can one expect from a 5 star resort. Anyways .. moving on.

I moved to the dining area to see what were they planning for lunch. I my quest to explore further, I went down the stairs and found plenty of different shaped glasses kept on each table. I inquired the waiter and he said that the area was reserved for wine tasters. Got to know that there is a thing called “wine tasting”. I couldn’t click the tables as the area was “restricted”.

Post lunch we{my mom and I} went the swimming pool and past that was the Jacuzzi. I lied there for quiet a while. The view of Shimla from the Jacuzzi is breathtaking as it is located on the edge of the hill. It a good scary feeling.

Later in the evening my dad joined us for dinner where I ordered a Mexican pizza{no walls build around yet} and an amazing looking dessert, which frankly was just 2 scoops of ice-cream and a wafer in the middle.

Bye,

Thanks  future me for looking back and reading from your past.

I am blogging about my luxury stay experience for an activity at BlogAdda in association with MakeMyTrip

P.S. I will be adding the pics soon, once I find them from my old hard-drives.
Talking to myself in Solitude and finding a Repurpose to my past.
Finally found the pics

Shimla

SAMSUNG

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Candid Portrait #Photography Day215

Visited a colleagues family this week and this what I clicked while we were having a light conversation. The Jubilant Faces of each of them are so serene and peaceful that it feels like they are satisfied and contented with their life. Something which everyone longs to be. I also clicked chimneys right outside their kitchen window.

Camera Specs: D5300 , 55-300mm

Camera Settings: Monochrome with extra contrast and flash used to make the highlights brighter and create a happy mood. More light/highlights creates a merrier mood. As the saying goes – more the merrier.

P.S. No photoshop or any such softwares have been used to produce these images. Share a link down below if you are inspired by my work and have re-created something on your own.

Monochrome Street #Photography Day214

After the early morning light painting, clicking candid at Nandi and only 2 hours of sleep, I headed out for the meetup on Prime-lens Monochromatic Photowalk which was organised by Frugal Photography.

I clicked with Samuel Carothers till 11pm and it was an amazing experience. I experienced something very different today onEarth.

Event details included :

Prime-lens monochromatic photowalk with a NatGeo photo-journalist(Samuel Carothers) this Sunday 3pm – 8pm
Technical Knowhow about the cameras in the first hour.
* Why Shoot Black and White?
* How to See in Black and White.
* Visual Design. ( form & content & composition)
* Elements of Form In Photography
* The Medium Of Photography
* Characteristics of Color
* Colours in Black and White
* Tones and filters
* Contrast
* Keys ( High-key ~ Low-key)
* Expressions and Elements in Black and White..

I personally learnt how to click black and white as I had never done so before. Second thing I learnt is how to approach a stranger and take his pics. So it goes like this : take a few pic of his without him/her knowing and then walk up to them – show them their pic – and appreciate the picture – then politely ask if its okay and whether they would pose for the camera.

I know now that the streets include many thing, starting from portrait and candid all the way to abstract and architecture. The perfect blend of all is Street.

Monochromatic photography taught me that its important to reflect on an image’s emotions without the colors. That is when I can actually bring out a story in them. And the story is how the viewer connect with the photograph.

Street #Photography at Nandi Day212

Next up, after Light Painting, we reached the Nandi Hills at 6:10am, but it took us 1 hour to get the tickets due to the improper queue, and hence we missed the beautiful sunrise. I was sad for my friends because it was their first time to Nandi and missed the best part.

I did capture many images while they were toiling up the hill trekking to see the sunrise point. I also clicked random people who seemed interesting to me.

Landscape is a part of the mother Earth and let’s try to preserve as much as we can for the future to see it that way. Today Was a Good Day but its not yet finished. Later I held a meetup regarding Street Photography in Monochrome.

P.S. No photoshop or any such softwares have been used to produce these images. Do share a link down below if you are inspired by my work and have re-created something on your own.

Light Painting #Photography Day211

Me and 4 other friends left at 2:30am for Nandi Hills, 70kms from Bangalore. On the way we created many light painting photographs via the streaks of the cars passing by, by external flash and using the “Color Light” android app.

Thanks to all my friends who helped me and has enough patience to keep posing for it repeatedly. The work which you is the hard work done during the timespan of 4 hours. And the day did not finish there. We continued clicking street and candid types after the sunrise.

Landscape is a part of the mother Earth and let’s try to preserve as much as we can for the future to see it that way.

P.S. No photoshop or any such softwares have been used to produce these images. Do share a link down below if you are inspired by my work and have re-created something on your own.

#LightPainting #LongExposure #Photography Day206

Half-Light to the Future is in our hands.

Scared and kicked byt the invisible force

Window to the Future

The headless ghost

Attacking the invisible force

#Goku vs #Vegeta. Kaame Haame Haa

The world through my eyes

This is something I explore with my friend Ajay Vishwanathan from MIT and he helped me a lot to create these pics. All these pics are Straight Out Of Camera and no Photoshop or any such tools have been used.

Rutted Roads #Photography Day201

Earth
In our lives we have many paths to chose from and many to avoid. It depends on our judgement on how we treat our One Love to the path we choose. Always remember, choose wisely.

I never thought that roads could look so beautiful and include such warmth.

Students visiting places

Alley leading to Fruit store