Photos

Walk, jog, run, sprint, hop, take a leap of faith and fly. #crypticigotengaged (at Vijayawada Airport)

I am marrying someone who doesn’t like to be photographed in DSLRs. It’s going to be interesting.

Quick fast moving days and ten slow, snail crawling slow days.

The youngest cousin of my generation, still wants his towel-that-thinks-its-a-blanket to fall asleep. This reminds me of Hobbes. He’s no Calvin, yet. But I think we always had our Hobbes in our dreams. Day dreams or otherwise.

Another one from the same show

From another life. Can I say, in a hush tone - There was a time, I was a fashion photographer. It was the time of my life. 😜 Am kidding. Am far from being any kind of a pro. I used to shoot cultural programmes in Infy campus while I was there. Infy was less of a company and more of a collage. There was some kind of an event every other month. There was a campus photography club, mostly I-will-shoot-in-auto-mode types. But there was this small bunch of really good people and photographers - few pros and langotas like me. These few guys used to shoot amazing stills and all. I used to tag along and shoot and learn from them. This photograph was from a fashion show during an annual event called Parichay. @romeldutta @swaheel are some of the pros who still shoot fashion and modelling.

From another life. Can I say, in a hush tone - There was a time, I was a fashion photographer. It was the time of my life. 😜 Am kidding. Am far from being any kind of a pro. I used to shoot cultural programmes in Infy campus while I was there. Infy was less of a company and more of a collage. There was some kind of an event every other month. There was a campus photography club, mostly I-will-shoot-in-auto-mode types. But there was this small bunch of really good people and photographers - few pros and langotas like me. These few guys used to shoot amazing stills and all. I used to tag along and shoot and learn from them. This photograph was from a fashion show during an annual event called Parichay. @romeldutta @swaheel are some of the pros who still shoot fashion and modelling.

Did I tell you guys how much I love Hong Kong? #hk #hongkong #skyline #citiesatnight

We used to be friends, a long time ago.

Infy knew how to make beautiful offices.

Did you know that Sholay was shot in South India? In a village called Ramnagara, near Bangalore. This was shot from top of a small hillock there.

This remains to be one of my favourite photographs till date. Shot this while experimenting with my new 50mm in the Infosys campus. This always reminds me of the Blade Runner movie. Will there be so much stark difference in buildings right opposite to each other? Will our cities be so dystopian?

@karthikcs and @missuskc are making an awesome project on Bangalore’s moods. I have been digging up my old photographs. One photo led to another and I spent a whole night going the old collection. It been three years since I moved out of Bangalore. I miss Bangalore. Not the city, but the weather. I wish there’s a city that has Bombay’s rains and Banglore’s summer rains and winters. Maybe in few years we can engineer our weather to our whims and fancies. How would you configure your weather, if you could?

From before mextures was a rage. Shooting against the sun with flares in corners of the frame.

From long time ago. Bangalore had such dramatic skies.

Life back at my grandmother’s place is laid back. Everyone wakes up at 5 in the morning. There’s pretty much nothing to do after 10am. I hardly get a signal, much less a stable internet signal, inside the house. My grandfather had got the house built with a foot thick walls and celiling. On a day with good breeze I get a decent signal on the terrace to read up a page of news on twitter. So when we are done with days chores, we just sit in the veranda. Usually with grandmother detailing the happenings in the town since our last visit with occasional glimpses into our family’s history or mom reading me tidbits from the Telugu newspaper. More often or not, ones of the news articles’ triggers a long lecture on my bad habits.

Once in a while, I find myself sleepless and trying to remember what hell is this, why is this here. Can’t fix it, can’t leave it there and can’t sleep and move on. Maybe code, maybe life.

Movember. One everyday, same place, similar forgotten aperture and speed. 30 days or so.

you were saying? #cats #cat #ginger #gingerdoingthings

Seen during an evening run.

I wasn’t kidding when I said there was a storm at the sea.

Were you curious as a kid? Did you wander off at stations and bus stands when elders were busy with luggage and porters? Did windows, tall buildings, double decker buses, trains and platforms fascinated you? How did you push and test your boundaries? What were you and were you not allowed to do? Do you remember yourself when you see kids doing things other than being glued to mobile phones or tablets. On a different note, last weekend I learnt that shooting from behind glass gives amazing textures from the reflections. Especially in the dark areas when the contrast and shadows are bumped up.

Experiencing storm at sea was a first. The speed boat turned away from the coral islands and sped towards the mainland. It was a bright sunny day at coral island. I went underwater walking. Another first and I loved it so much that I added learning diving to my before 30 bucket list. The clouds started rolling over the mainland and soon spread into the sea. I could see the distant haze of heavy rain in the sea and we were speeding into it. I saw an air vortex forming and that set my imagination on overdrive. I had an entire parallel reality running in my head. In one universe, I was a sea storm chaser. I was at the boat’s steering. As soon as the first vortex hit the sea, others started. There were a dozen more. I skid the boat left and right and sped past the small vortexes, towards the largest one. I had to shoot it. In another universe, the boat was knocked out by the waves and everyone was in water. Everyone in the boat were all the crushes I ever had. I had a life vest and I had choose the one be saved. In the real world we were just worried about the phones and cameras getting wet in the rain. But there really was one vortex, and I looked like it was ducking water into the clouds for the next downpour.

Stormy dramatic skies seem to be the order of the day.

Some days are bad. I know what is and what is not. I know the problem, the discomfort and the reasons. I am not happy that I am aware of everything and yet can’t change anything. I woke up today hoping I will meet and wish her on her birthday. Or maybe, atleast send flowers. Or maybe I will call and sing the birthday song. Oh, after letting all the imaginations run wild, I finally wished her, over a text message at 1030 in the night. So much for imagination and dreams. I, sometimes, have very vivid dreams. I remember the dream for few days. The memory of the dream slowly fades away. It becomes hard to draw a line between the dream and earlier memories of them. Sometimes, I wonder if I really have memories or are they dreams from that time? What’s the totem for that? Today, in the end there was lightening, thunder and it rained. I am calm now.

Sister got married on the fourteenth. For some reason I don’t feel any different about her. I now have a brother-in-law I don’t feel any different. The feeling hasn’t sunk it yet. I took three weeks off for sister’s wedding. I was expecting lot of confusion and chaos, but mom and dad managed it all. And our family friends too. I guess that’s why they say no one can manage a marriage single handedly, everyone has to pitch in a hand or two. I didn’t get to shoot the wedding. I carried my whole kit, but I could only catch a few glimpses of my sister. I have one more week of vacation and I will be with my parents and sister and BIL. It’s a new family.

Upside down, you are a different person. That’s what jobless Saturdays do - turn you upside down and make you do things like this.

I spent the weekend delivering some of the Mumbai monsoons to Delhi. What were you upto? On a different note. I feel unsettled from inside. Like a thundering storm, but calm and quite on the outside. It’s like a plane trying to be clam when passing through thunderstorms. Maybe thunderstorms is a wrong analogy, because it not anger, but it’s the excitement and expectation that there will lightning. Lightning news #vscocam #clouds #fromaflight

Rains & drives #vscocam #b&w #rain #bombay #Mumbai

The first of many sister’s wedding functions.

Every time, I have to chaffuer around mom and grandmoms for shopping, I get reduced to carrying handbags, like a mobile cloak room.

The only travel I got since Jan, is the my daily commute to office. It also has been quite long since I went anywhere and shot anything. I kept saying to myself, this month I will wrap up all work and take a vacation next month. Four months in, nothing changed. Few more months…

In the future if power cuts become rare, they will become the next cool thing. And hippies are going to show off power cuts like this.

Hills and mountains remind me of a dream I always had. I dreamed of Tom Sawyer, I was Tom Sawyer. I run away and start living in the hills. I would see a small cabin with smoke rising surrounded by low passing clouds over the hills. I would make up adventures. Adventures that involved goofy caves, dark valleys, fierce rapids and a treasure hunt. I almost believed that I would get live Tom’s sometime after I grow up, a little more. As I grew up Tom got replaced by Famous Five, Asterix, Hardy Boys, Tintin. And then movies replaced books, fiction & science fiction replaced movies, but somehow I always hope that the stories come true. I imagine Godzilla attacking Bombay, Independence Day aliens descending on Bangalore, space ports in Delhi that would take us to the Pegasus galaxy. I mix up universes of stories. Imagine Engineers from Prometheus, Ancients from Stargate Atlantis, Asgardians, Captain Kirk, Spock were all real and were a part of this universe, the one where we live. Isn’t it fascinating to imagine yourself as one of them, an unlikely hero. Who do you imagine yourself to be?

Drives, long drives make me happy. They tire me, but they make me more happy than tired. The car’s an extension of you and sways gently at the bends, curves and banks. Sometimes there are family/friends, lot of conversions & arguments and sometimes it’s just you, music and a highway. And when I have to be in the passengers seat, I run Worst Scenario Car Crash scenarios in my head, in a loop. From being stuck in middle of rail crossing, to getting hit sideways, crashing into paddy fields, aircrafts landing on the highway, flying off bridge and falling into a water body or onto a rail track. The last one almost happened.

Ever since I moved to Bombay, everywhere I am, I look around. I look around for a familiar face. You. When I am occasionally in Bangalore, memories of you flash by. We have moved on from that city, but I still turn back to look for you. The gone you. Nine years since college. I wish there were a parallel universe where I were with you. The lost you. I have been so fascinated by @_ikru style photographs and stories that I wanted to start with that format. But I will try to keep the photograph and story related. Some stories of past, some from now and maybe some fiction & dreams.

at PaGaLGuY HQ

“I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar.” Sometimes I wish I could fly up to the sky and drop down, in slow motion, from over the clouds.

Puffs. Powder Puffs.

When bored of sleeping, eating, watching, working & getting bored reverse lens the primes and shoot.

Reindeers

This is what happens when you reverse lens a f1.4 prime.

Fridays.

neelimav : A thing of beauty of is a joy forever, like these Himalayan villages and the mountains that surround them. Sagnam in Pin Valley, Himachal Pradesh. Blogs here - Spiti © All rights reserved.

Back in office. Tinkle and awesome calendar cards from @karthikcs and @missuskc

To put a snow leopards pug marks in perspective.

The ice, valleys and mountains became familiar. Mondays back home seem alien now.

When I fly to the mountains.

This uncle was catching up on his new smartphone manual. Page by page.

Five more days. Anxious.

The PaGaLCafe, Champaklal Estate, Mumbai. I know it’s difficulty to take us seriously.

After sunset

humansofnewyork : This man never came to a complete stop. So when I asked him for advice, I knew the first thing he said would probably be the only thing I’d get. He spoke with a very thick accent. “If you work your entire life,” he said, “You will have very long life. If you stop— no good.” By the time he finished talking, he was already past me. See! Retiring early is over-rated.

dinosaurdaily : That didn’t take much time now did it?

#thewinterselfie no this is not in Bombay.

Finger licking gooood!! (at Cafe Free India)

After hours times pass in office, like a king!

nevver : Where have you gone without me ? gotta re-create this :D

That’s how Bombay-in-trains reads newspapers. Half a fold at a time.

The early morning fogs have started showing up.

The better of all the things I spent my money on. Antique prime lenses, a full frame DSLR and a medium format ikoflex #showoff

#goa sunset again.

Spotted at a restaurant.

Working from home.

When you have a 1.4f, Instagram blur is useless ;)

humansofnewyork : Random People Reviewing The HONY Book: Slightly confused strangers provide snap judgements of Humans of New York. Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Indiebound

humansofnewyork : “Can you take my photo? I have Asian parents that need confirmation I’m working.”

humansofnewyork : “The more times I fall in love, the less sure I am about love.”

Insignificant.

Dramatic clouds, is the end near?

There’s going to be a local andhra airlines Air Costa. Apparently it’s goin to operate like an air taxi, hopping between small cities.

Have you ever seen palm trees on the highway divider?

deepu-k : Goa sunsets

Sunset, sea & happiness #sunset #sea #goa

Everyone say Hi to ‘August’.

Bhushan Steel, Orissa

#clouds (at Bhushan Steel)

at Biju Patnaik Bhubaneshwar Airport

Go home, cat, you are drunk.

Goofy Sundays

friends, stories & smiles

Bhendi Bazaar, Mumbai

deepu-k : Everyone got phantom cigarettes in office :D

Bombay from the skies

The big ass tablet phones can do that to people.

Two One Two, Worli, Mumbai

Moments when I can’t use my SLR. (at Raghunath Vihar Army Welfare Housing Society)

Fridays, Universal Cafe, Fort, Mumbai

Ginger Tales. Some of the photographs have been shot by colleagues in office.

PG Gourmet Club at Aoi, Bandra

Rain on the vashi bridge

The old and the new. I have a full kit now. Be jealous. #slr #canon6d

And there it is, finally. I love my sister.

Sick Sundays. Spend time feeling awe and jealous about others photographs

Parks, buildings and sunset. #park #sunset #cityscapes

Something something for AIPGM #PAGALGUY

The ceiling makes this station look like a space port. Only if those holes were beam pods. #scifi #railwaystation #spaceport

what if the sun was really that big? #sun #navimumbai #road

some things, like opening my framed photographs, make me happy. very happy.

if you are building systems, products or your dreams. read this book. I have been taught these, from long before I started reading. this book articulates everything so well.

ever seen so many stamps on a domestic flight’s boarding pass?

except for an occasional radio noise burst, not a single soul is around at these gates. it’s getting quite spooky.

Gate 35 has a comfy and peaceful lounge

the black ass seeds

one bitchy type of thorns.

at KVCR Cashew Greens

at Eluru Railway Station

step 2: separate the fruit from the nut.

I

the vashi bridge was the biggest mystery of my childhood. I never could understand how were pillars constructed right in middle of the sea.

I can’t be uglier than this :p

the all new PaGaLGuY, going live in… sometime tomorrow noon. :p

I am starting to look everything in black, white and greys. (at GTB Nagar)

you, yes you.

Russians and Germans have probably invented some of the best optics and lenses. ~25 years old and this binoculars works like a charm.

Amazing clouds time of the year.

Curtains and early morning light. Yes, 11 is early morning on a Sunday.

So this is how the poppins look like now.

I want to know what is being protected in that pelican cade. (at Visakhapatnam International Airport)

What were the railway people thinking when they decided to light up vizag station as a marriage hall.

at Chhatrapati Shivaji Domestic Airport

That is some view to have with a morning coffee. (at Chhatrapati Shivaji Domestic Airport)

Little guy also wants to do beta testing. (at Pagalguy.com)

So much for 6 levels on the toaster knob, when the toaster just do either of these.

Why send cards, when you can plaster hoardings across the colony ;)

What is the procedure to get the fog around you, inside the house?

shadows