Beneath the layers of make-up.

Over the years we have seen Hussain Sagar lake become a popular attraction in Hyderabad. The lush green lawns, tall trees, cobblestone walkways, restaurants, recreational facilities and the rapid transit facility called MMTS (Multi Modal Transport System) draw huge crowds not only on the weekends but the weekdays as well. A closer inspection however reveals an ugly face hidden behind all this make-up which is visible to everyone but draws reaction only from a small section of the citizens.

                                                                    Save the Lake
                                                                   ------------------------

Lumbini Gate

It was a pleasant Sunday morning in Hyderabad. Around 2 dozen photographers from Hyderabad Weekend Shoots (HWS) got together outside Lumbini park gate on necklace road. Our motivation- to contribute to "Save the Lake" campaign by producing pictures depicting the plight of the lakes in the city. This made the walk different from other photowalks where we would take pictures for fun and to improve our skills.

Warriors against pollution

After posing for a group photo we started our walk Eastwards of the lake in search of evidence for our case.

My fellow photographers getting down and dirty.

Hussain Sagar lake was built by Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali in 1562 to meet the water and irrigation needs of the city. In the 16th century it was 24 square kilometers in area but off late, it has become a victim of encroachment and illegal construction by land sharks. Apart from the usual dumping of industrial and domestic waste and indiscriminate usage of the lake by nearby slums, the popular festival of India called Ganesh Chethurthi contributes significantly to polluting the lake. Each year; thousands of idols made of clay and steel are dumped into this lake- a tradition, the origins of which are not clear but strictly followed. 

This blind spot behind the wall has become a garbage dump. It is only a matter of time before so much of it piles up, it will start spilling over into the lake.

The footprint of pollution.

Neil Armstrong said: One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

I say; one MORE wrong step by man, one giant catastrophe for mankind.

Even though the picture looks very gloomy, all is not yet lost. There are many things that are being/can be done by the government and the public to bring the situation under control. Campaigns like "Save the lake" will create awareness amongst the public. Improvement measures undertaken by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority could have a significant impact but all efforts must be targeted at the crux of this problem- the citizens' laid back attitude and ignorance about the consequences of such pollution.

Hyderabad Weekend Shoots (HWS) is trying to do exactly that. We are going to cover the entire lake with few more walks and the best pictures will be displayed to the general public at the lake. Our desire is to bring about a realization and make the change occur from within each individual, rather than at a superficial level.

Even if our pictures don't speak a thousand words, we hope they will at least reaffirm the age old phrase "Cleanliness is next to godliness". 

Some of my sketches.

"I am always doing things I can't do, that's how I get to do them.” -- Picasso.

Sketching is one of the arts that I occasionally indulge myself in. Instead of learning things the structured and monotonous way from a teacher/ instructor, I prefer to learn things on my own. It may take longer than it should but the joy of unraveling something on my own and through my own efforts is simply amazing.

Most people don't use rulers for perspective drawings and I did the same. At first I wondered if I could draw all the lines properly and not make a mess of it but I seemed to have managed well.

Wavy hair

The purpose of this sketch is to show the highlights of the girl's wavy hair.

A long drive.

OSHO Rajneesh.

OSHO Rajneesh: Never born- never died.
Only visited this planet between Dec 11, 1931 and Jan 19th, 1990.
One of the three people who influenced me.

My Dad- A pilot, photographer, athlete, great cook and above all a decent human being. He has influenced me greatly.

Swami Vivekananda- One of the great reformers of India. He was also a great yogi and the most famous of all Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's disciples. He has been a big influence in my life.

Serenity

One point perspective drawing

One point perspective drawing with some curves.

Two point perspective drawing

One point perspective from above. Series of steps at varying heights with different flooring patterns.

I tried to show the moody expression on this boy's face. If you look closely you will also see the outline of a farmer working on his field.

Jiddu Krishnamurti was writer and philosopher. Was hailed as the new age Buddha until he publicly denounced all guru worship and  disbanded "The order of the Star in the East"- A new organization under the Theosophical society. 






In my next posting, I will showcase some of my ambidextrous artwork. So please do visit again :)

Hyderabad Weekend Shoots- Friendship Day meet

The first Sunday of August is recognized as 'Friendship Day' in most parts of the world and is celebrated with much fervor in India. Although a foreign idea it is widely accepted by most urban Indians, just like the Valentine's day.

This year, I celebrated the occasion with my photography friends from the group 'Hyderabad Weekend Shoots'. We are a bunch of passionate, creative and adventurous camera geeks who meet almost every weekend to click pictures to our hearts content, on some predetermined theme. We then exchange the pictures online and share our comments & techniques used.

Our Friendship band

Our meeting point was the Barista coffee shop on road 36, Banjara hills. I was one of the first ones to reach the place giving me ample time to interact with each and everyone of the attendees, as they trickled in one after the other. We probably had the most creative friendship band in all of Hyderabad, designed by our very own Shekhar anna. It is an old camera film with double sided tape stuck on one end.

We were definitely the most noisy ones in the coffee shop. Around 20 of us focusing our cameras on each other, taking pictures of everything in sight and occasionally breaking something or the other. The seniors enthralled the newcomers with their photography trips to the far corners of country. While some were discussing tehcniques and ideas, others were busy ogling over someone's latest camera equipment.

We ended the meet by discussing an important project called "Save the lake". It is an initiative by BIG FM 92.7 and the Indian Army to save the Hussian Sagar lake from further deterioration. Hyderabad Weekend Shoots has decided to contribute to the cause in it's own way. Our idea is to capture images of various lakes which are fast becoming extinct due to encroachment and pollution. The images will portray the causes behind the drying up of so many lakes and the present condition of the remaining ones. These images will then be showcased at a public event to create awareness.

I sure wish that each and everyone of us is able to capture, thought provoking and captivating images for this campaign. A cause backed by so many like minded people with good intentions will definitely yield some positive results.

All the best everyone and a very Happy Friendship Day!

Claws, Fangs, Beaks, and more...

There are only two places in the urban jungle where I don't mind walking a lot. One is the Zoo and the other is an airport. The thoughts running in my head from my visit to the zoo today compel me to write this post.

I am in partial agreement with the people who think that zoos are a violation of animal rights and should not be entertained because of the cages, the enclosures, limited spaces and not to mention the way the animals are treated (in some zoos). The "King of the jungle" strolling lethargically in its 1 acre enclosure as opposed to its majestic walk in the wide open spaces of the jungle, birds gnawing at their cages to once again experience the freedom of flying the vast blue skies and crocodiles lying in dried up pits instead of laying low to ambush their pray in some swamp; are just some of the many sights upsetting for an animal lover like myself.

As there are two sides to everything, let me also mention the positive aspects of a zoo.

Zoos are helpful in the conservation of endangered species, rehabilitation of injured animals, and in conducting research projects. They are highly educational and definitely entertaining for people of all ages. At the zoo; we get a chance to admire the beauty and grace of the animal kingdom. Educational programs help us in understanding the crucial role the animals play in maintaining the balance of life on earth to which we human beings are intricately connected. Zoos which are carefully designed to replicate the natural environment of the animals offer us a glimpse into their lives.

Our incessant thirst to occupy more and more land has led to frequent encounters with the animal kingdom, mostly ending in a disaster for them. We need to invest and focus our energies on continued education and research into the very nature of the animals for insights that will help us coexist in harmony and zoos provide exactly that. By studying a small sample of animals in a zoo, greater understanding of the species in jungle can be gained. A measure similar to the zoo is a sanctuary which is a designated area for protection of animals.

The entrance

Nehru Zoological park is located in Hyderabad and is spread across 300 acres of flat land with Mir Alam water tank adjacent to it, covering another 600 acres. The zoo remains open from 9AM to 5PM on all days except Mondays. It offers several safaris such as; the Lion and Tiger safaris, to name a few. The zoo boasts of over 100 species of birds, reptiles, animals. A decent sized aquarium and an arboretum are also seen.



                                                        
                              
                                                                        The Big Cats

The zoo houses Tigers, Lions, Leopards and Jaguars. Of which; the most popular is the White Tiger. Today he looked very relaxed and majestic as usual. My personal favorite of all the cats is the Siberian tiger because of its immense size and his smaller cousin the Bengal tiger (seen above on the right) Someday I would love to get a picture of a Liger (the hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress). It is the largest of all known felines and currently not available in India.

                                                                                Birds section

The zoo has a wide variety of birds like; Vultures, Peacocks, Pelicans, Horn-bills and many other exotic birds on display. August must be the mating season for peacocks as we witnessed the bird proudly walk around displaying its magnificent plumage, always in the direction of the peahen. The feathers in its plumage are brilliant and radiant with hundreds of blue-green eye shaped designs. The bird would shake its feathers every once in a while making a 'whooshing' sound, to seek attention. Both the male and female are capable of displaying their plumage. They use them for attracting partners or when trying to ward off danger. The peacock is known as an ornamental bird and is the national bird of India.

Apart from the cats and birds, a small area is dedicated to reptiles where you will find the Indian cobra, Python and Monitors. Right next to the reptiles section is a smaller enclosure for nocturnal animals like bats and owls. However the entry into the nocturnal section is not free. The fee is a nominal amount of Rs.5.

50 acres of land which is sparingly filled with trees and has lots of greenery is the enclosure for the Indian elephants. Deers, Sambars, Elks and Bucks have several common areas, all over the park.

A small patch of land, full of plants, trees and flowers is the habitat of the butterflies. I couldn't capture any decent pictures of beautiful butterflies, as I was not equipped with the right lens. The butterfly park is located on the left hand side, just after entering the zoo.

The park is a also a delight for the ones who are interested in macro photography. Macro photographers explore the nooks and corners of all tiny objects. Most people specialize in photographing flowers and insects and both are found here in abundance.  

As I was heading out of the zoo, I was going over the things I had seen and captured in my mind. Nothing much had changed since my last visit, over a decade ago. The zoo definitely has tremendous potential but due to various political, economic and complete disregard for the animals, has stalled its progress. Without rambling about the what's wrong with the picture, I will jot down some thoughts on how to improve and convert the zoo into a fun, educational and money making establishment..


The following are some suggestions that I believe will help improve the zoo:

1- Handout a map of the zoo with every ticket.
2- Have clear and visible signs at every junction.
3- Construct more toilets.
4- Make the park friendly for the disabled.
5- Open more Snack centers at strategic locations.
6- Camera accessory shop and camera and cell phone battery charging areas.
7- Toy store with books, CDs, stuffed animals, balloons, t-shirts and other zoo branded paraphernalia. 
8- Aggressively promote the "adopt an animal" project.
9- Introduce the concept of "petting zoo". This concept is very popular overseas and will surely work   
     wonders in India. The petting zoo allows visitors to touch and feed the animals creating a bond between
     the two. This will inspire them to visit again and encourage new visitors.

Mahatma Gandhi once said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals". I hope, that we as human beings will start respecting life and give as much importance to preserving the animal kingdom as we are giving to landing on the moon or becoming a super power.

       The future of man is heavily dependent on the future of the animal- Ravi Kiran. Kota

General Compartment- An impromptu train journey.

I like to plan things ahead of time and execute them to perfection. Most of the time I succeed but there are days when I just go crazy and do things impromptu. Yesterday was one such day.

My friend and I decided to go to Warangal at 09:30, bought our tickets on the way at 10:00 and boarded the train from Secunderabad station at 10:25. Since it was not a pre-planned trip only general compartment (GC) tickets were available.The GC tickets don't have seat numbers and that means whoever is strong and quick on their feet will get seats, the lucky ones will sit on the floor and losers will have to stand the entire journey.

The GC tickets are easily available but the compartments are always jam packed with people, luggage and sometimes small domestic animals (thankfully not in this case). I always traveled Ac but I didn't mind traveling this way, for once, for the sake of experience.

Sec-bad Railway Station

We made a mistake in thinking that Secunderabad station was our train's first stop. It had originated from Nampally station and was already bursting at the seams by the time it reached us. The people on the platform couldn't even wait for the train to halt completely. It was like a rugby match; people were tackling each other, trying to get in and out of the train. Some were throwing their luggage on the seats through the windows- an unorthodox way of reserving a seat :)

Our hopes of getting a seat were dashed after witnessing all that. But, we were lucky enough to secure a place to stand, right next to the door. This was much, much better than getting stuck inside were there was almost no air circulating and the compartment which was not more than 5ft by 6ft was housing more than 30 people.

My faithful blue jeans :)

It was a pity that I could not take any pictures inside the train as there was hardly any place to move. Taking out my DSLR and shooting portraits of people already pissed and fighting with each other, was out of the question. I quietly sat on the steps and took out my E72 equipped with a 5 MP camera to shoot whatever I found interesting.

Due to heavy traffic on the tracks; local trains tend to stop midway every once in a while. This is an opportunity for the ticketless travellers to get in/get out of the train, without getting caught by the officials. Transvestites (the new-age dacoits) are the majority who take advantage of this. A popular belief among the uneducated and some educated people is that the transvestites are endowed with some power which makes their curse very dangerous. Over the years; they have made a big business out of extorting money from ordinary people. Most simply pay up but the non-believers who don't pay are abused and harassed by the transvestites.When our train stopped, a transvestite appeared out of nowhere and immediately you could see that everyone was getting uncomfortable.  The fear was so great that people were resorting to all sorts of things to avoid an encounter. Some were trying to escape by moving to a different compartment, some were faking sleep, one guy hid himself in the bathroom, but all ended up paying. Having made enough money the transvestite exited our train at one of the unscheduled stops.

Sharing steps with others. :)

Even though we managed to sit on the steps, it wasn't long before we realized how uncomfortable it really was. Sitting on iron flooring without a cushion for several hours is not an easy task. It was very cloudy and seemed as if a thunderstorm was looming large over us. Slowly the clouds dissipated without even a drizzle. Rain would only have worsened things by forcing us inside and dirtying the floors even more.

But no matter what; I had to achieve my objective and that was to go to Warangal to take pictures of the famous 1000 pillared temple. Based on the information from a fellow passenger, the temple was in fact located in Kazipet and not Warangal and so we got down at Kazipet.

                                    Enter The Temple With 1000 Pillars

The 1000 pillar temple also known as Veyyi Sthambala Gudi was a beautiful structure constructed in 1163 A.D by King Rudra-1 of the Kakatiya Dynasty. The temple measures 31m x 25m and stands on a platform raised to a height of 1m from the ground. It consists of three shrines of Shiva, Vishnu and Surya arranged around a central hall with a ranga mandapa in the front.

Even though the architecture was exquisite the temple was not as big as I expected. There was no guide to help tourists and very little information was available about the place and its history on sign board located inside the compound. There was no signage at the entrance or directions from the main road.

My friend

After a short prayer at the temple it was time to head back to the station. This time it looked like the gods took pity on us. We didn't have to fight our way into the train and the compartment was not packed like earlier. We left the station on schedule and were hoping to find a seat in the near future, with this hope to comfort us we made the best use of our newspaper. We used it as a mat on the floor and sat with our backs against the steel walls. The gap between walls was less than 2 feet and the floor was littered with empty packets of gutka and thambaku. It felt like we were in a compartment full of addicts. We got up every few minutes to give way to the chai wala, the samosey wala and it seemed the chances of getting a seat were next to none. In a way; the floor was better because the seats which were less than 2 sqft in size, were being shared by at least 2 people and in some cases- three people.

Branded jeans, leather shoes, ironed clothes and expensive watches made us the odd men out, the occasional stares from our fellow passengers were a clear indication of that.

Our train made a scheduled stop and a transvestite walked in, probably from a different compartment and judging from the bunch of currency notes she was holding in her hand, she was having a productive day. We quietly paid up our share of the ransom and were left alone in peace. The return journey was rather long with multiple stops due to oncoming traffic giving me a couple of quick photoshoot opportunities of the surrounding landscape. Our return journey took 3hours: 15minutes and we finally reached our station at 18:15hours.

To most people my journey may seem strange and absurd but I have learned valuable lessons from it. Apart from getting good pictures I have seen first hand the harassment, discomfort and unhygienic conditions, the poor endure and accept in their travels. It has made me appreciate what I have and I am. It brings to mind one of my favorite adages "Unless you know darkness, you cannot appreciate light".

Kelby Photowalk 2010- Koti

Kelby photowalk is an annual event conducted in over 900 cities. It is an event aimed at both professional and amateur photographers. There is no participation fee and all it requires is a camera and interest in photography.

This year: Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra and Tamil Nadu, participated in the event. Each state participated with multiple groups with each group containing not more than 50 participants. Hyderabad Photography Club (HPC), was one of the participating groups from Hyderabad. With three sub groups of 50 each; one headed to Secunderbad, one covered Necklace road and NTR marg and our group descended on the Koti market.

Below are some of my pictures from the walk:-

I got the idea of taking this picture while crossing the puddle of dirty water. All I needed now was a model. I waited.. and waited.. and finally saw this girl, oblivious of all the photographers taking pictures of everything and anything. She was in a world of her own.

I had to reposition myself again and again because the path where I was standing was very narrow and every few seconds, some someone would want to walk by that path. I had all sorts of distractions; kids jumping up and down, screaming for attention, people carrying heavy loads and bumping into you (they are not to be blamed because I was standing in their path). The place was chaotic and filthy.

I set my camera on multiple shot burst to give myself the option of picking the best and voila!... after scanning through several copies and some image editing, I have a winner.



I was skeptical about taking portraits on my first
photowalk but after I reached the spot I realized
that more than the fruits and vegetables, which were to be our prime subjects, the people captured my attention and they were competing with each other to pose for our photographs. It was amazing and totally unexpected.

Of the several people I came across I found this boy to be an interesting subject. He was young and eager to pose.


I was in a dilemma with this picture. The background was very captivating but I wanted the focus to be on the two men. I wanted to capture their mood. The tall guy seems to be daydreaming and the short one is seriously pondering about something.

I finally decided to go with the portrait. I changed the background to monochrome and got the focus on the two men just as I wanted.




Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation employee is taking a break from work. He relaxes on a pile of dirt on the road side while preparing his gutka. Even though he is in the middle of complete chaos he sits in silence, minds his own business and remains unperturbed by his surroundings. Maybe he is a zen master incognito. ;)







Even in this day and age I couldn't believe that we still have rickshaws on our streets. It must be a torture riding in our highly polluted, jampacked streets. I captured this closeup image of a rickshaw man hoping to picture the mood he was in. To me; it seemed like he was in deep thought wondering when his troubles would end.





A kid is busy preparing garlands for the day. He is so focused on his work that he doesn't even notice that I and another photographer were closely watching him to take a picture.
















This was probably one of the easiest pictures I took on this walk. His age, his walk, the basket he was carrying on his shoulder, the old street and the lighting were just perfect.

















After two hours of strolling in narrow lanes, crowded streets, dodging speeding vehicles and protecting our cameras from drizzle and pollution, we all got together with hopes of having captured wonderful pictures, for a group photo (R to L- I am the third guy in the yellow t-shirt with the big wide grin).