Tag: Photography

Bring Me That Horizon

I’m a sunrise person. I’d stay up all night if I have to, just to catch sight of the first rays of sunshine. And of all sunrises, one stands out in my mind clearer than any other. This one:

bring-me-that-horizon

It’s not the clearest of photographs and the sun wasn’t at her best. But it’s a special sunrise, and it was my best day ever. I stood on top of a mountain that lay between the Kangchenjunga and the Himalayas.

The sun would rise anytime after 5.30 am. But the scenic spot was so popular that we had to be there by 4.30 am if we were to get a good standing place among the thronging crowd. It was 10 degrees celsius.

I was all enthusiastic, and nothing could stop me from getting sight of the first rays. And we stood, braving the biting cold, checking our chattering teeth, and blowing on our hands to bring back the lost sense of feeling. An old woman and her daughter made a fortune selling coffee and acting as guides, they explained why we were wise to come early. Because as it neared six, the entire area had filled up with buzzing human voices and the muffled noise of people rubbing their palms together.

It was a long wait, and with every second it became harder to stand. There were no places to sit and we couldn’t move away from our vantage spot without losing it to another other group craning their necks for a glimpse of the soon-to-arrive sun.

And then it started. The process began about half hour before the sun came up. From a bold black, the horizon went to a navy, to light pink, and then to mild orange. The bamboo trees on the edge of the mountain swayed to the breeze, opening up to welcome the warmth, and far ahead of us, the surrounding mountains became a silhouette. Moment by moment, the sky turned lighter forming layers of colour.

My phone doesn’t recognise a gloved touch, so I removed them to get a picture. I tapped on the little round button on the camera five times before I realised my phone didn’t recognise near-frozen fingers either. After several minutes of rubbing my hands against my sweater, I managed to get a single photo of that sunrise. And every time I look at it, I think I’d give anything to be there again.

incredible-blogger-marathon-challenge-2

I’ve signed up for the Incredible Blogger Marathon Challenge. It’s a ten-task-challenge that can span up to fifteen days. This post is my response to the second challenge: Freeze a Foto.

All Will Be Well

When you’re so unsure of yourself, when you know nothing’s going your way, when all around you there’s nothing but thorns and roadblocks, you should take a walk.

And that’s what I did one Sunday afternoon. I walked around the Vandalur national park looking for a sign from the trees and fresh air around me, something to help clear my head.

I saw a bunch of dried branches, all piled together and jutting out in odd corners. And all of a sudden, I felt calm.

I stood staring at it for a moment before realising that sometimes even the earth falls into chaos. That doesn’t mean all is lost, though. It’s a sign; from chaos comes composure and reassurance that all will be well.

chaos

Nature Transmogrifying

When we say change, we often think change for the good. However, sometimes nature forces us to change despite our reluctance. We grow up, we mature, we learn new things, and meet new people. We transform from naive kids into knowing adults.

But then sometimes, we force nature to transform. Like in this case, a hundred-year-old tree had to morph its roots because we built a wall or two.

transmorgifying-nature

I took this photo in Vandalur, a national zoological park in Chennai, India.

The Shine Above

Nothing’s brighter than the sun shining through dense trees. And so it was one afternoon in Vandalur Zoo. We had a wonderful walk in the park with the view as a bonus.

While I waddled on my way, I chanced a glance upwards. And whom should I see but Ra himself, throned in all his might and glory.

sun-shining-through-the-trees

All’s Well

On a rainy day or a grainy day, I wouldn’t turn down tea any day.

At times it trickles down my throat and calms my sore heart, and at other times it trickles down my throat and takes me home. It’s like PJs for my soul. It makes all well.

I took this photo in Darjeeling while walking around in a national wildlife sanctuary. We had stopped for a tea that replenished our tired cells with a perfect balance of caffeine and bitterness.alls-well