How to find great shots while on the road

Took part in a blogging competition at Dreamstime and got the first prize. The topic given was “How to find great shots while on the road” Reproducing the blog here.

Great shots happen when you least expect it. So whenever that inner instinct tells you “this can be a good shot”, just grab the camera and click.

Rule number one, never click when the vehicle is on the move and you are driving. It can instead be a good opportunity to take pan shots (videos) if you are the co driver and the road is smooth. If you are in the car and while taking photographs, make it a point to roll down the window. A piece of glass in between your object and the camera reduces the quality of your picture.

Recently I had been to Bhigwan (in western India) with my friends to click photos of the Flamingos.  On the way I saw an assortment of birds fishing in the shallow waters and it was perfect against the rising sun. I requested my friend to pull over for a few minutes and clicked these pictures  

On the way back I saw this truck being loaded with sugarcane. It occurred to me that this could be a good picture to show how things got transferred from the farm to the factory. The bullock cart added to the effect. I took the pictures from the car.  

Once while travelling in the Nilgiri hills, we turned a curve. It was a neat perfect curve and I got out of the car to take a picture. The white lines and the wet road added to the effect. 

On the road, does not mean being in a car. I was in a buggy in Bruges when I saw this lady opening up her flower shop. Buggies on cobblestones can be very shaky especially when you are trying to click. Luckily for me the buggy momentarily stopped and I could click this. 

Always be on the lookout for something unusual, like this car I saw in Mumbai, in front of the Taj Hotel. It looked like all the crows were waiting for the driver to take his seat and start the car so that they could go for a spin. A rare sight and worth a click. At times like this you don’t have the time to set up the camera and wait for the perfect light. You just click before the moment vanishes. 

While on long drives, do stop in between to stretch your legs. And while you relax just look for the smaller creatures that make this universe spin in a balanced way. They are beautiful and fascinating to watch and in the process one learns to respect and give space to every creature on this planet.

On the way - part 1

Traveling is boring for some and it is all the more so when it’s a daily routine - namely going to work.

Whether you travel by a car or a bus, observing your surroundings and the daily activities can be really interesting.

To start with, its interesting to watch the morning walkers getting along with their brisk morning walk.

If you are lucky you get to see the fag end of the combined exercise activity  by the senior citizens. Everyday the leader keeps changing but the exercise goes on. And then there is the laughter club which some find very amusing.

    The church opposite the Race course is probably one of the oldest one in Pune.

And when you look at it from the other side of the race course, it’s the only landmark in the horizon.

The race course is one of those exciting places. You get to see the horses taken for the early morning training. The horses are wary of the traffic and the cacophony, so the trainer has a tough time holding on to them till they reach the tracks.

Once on the track they just sail through the morning routine of warming up and alternating between a trot and a gallop.

Its good to see people on tracks having their morning walk while the horses move in the opposite direction.

After a good work out they are back in their stables for a much required  rest.

There is a cross road named Victoria road right next to the race course The name of this road reminds me of my school days as our school in Bombay was situated on  Victoria Road (not far from Victoria Garden)  Of course Bombay is now Mumbai,  Victoria Road is Mustafa bazaar and Victoria Garden is Rani baug.

Right behind the Victoria Road sign is the Southern Command Riding school where young guys get their training.

Come summer vacation and you can see a lot of activity here where young boys and girls get a real feel of the horse and horse riding. 

Talking of the Race course you get to see a lot of activity there. Apart from the horses being trained, you come across joggers (who have a different track)

And there are some who do the Surya namaskar the right way -facing the rising sun.

Some believe in walking backwards as they say that it is a better form of exercise.

And after all this the juice vendor is always there to give you your choice of juice.

 I am always fascinated with this tangle of roots and trunks. Wonder how old it is, standing there right on the perimeter of the Empress Garden.

This Garden is one of the oldest in Pune and has some huge trees. Just a sideways glance is enough for one to appreciate the foliage and dense growth there.

From time to time Empress Garden holds some good exhibition cum sale of flowers and saplings. On such days you can expect a minor traffic jam in the evening.

These sugar cane vendors are getting ready with their stock for the day, anticipating the rise in the temperature. The complete contraption is made of wood and is very cost effective. The family pitches in as it requires minimum two people to run the show.

(this is getting to be a long one. . . . . .  so will be continued in part 2)

Calcutta streets Part two

While still on the subject of the Rickshaw pullers, here is one guy getting ready for his morning run. (at least he has some footwear)

There is some sort of a number painted behind every rickshaw.

Is this the registration number? I have no idea, maybe  someone from Kolkata can enlighten me on this.

As usual when there is a brawl on the streets all eyes are riveted there. It could be the stationary rickshaw

or the  rickshaw puller along with the passenger, oblivious of the impending danger of vehicles crossing in front of them.

Looks like things are sorted out and people are moving on.

Some observed the fracas from the safety of their shop, like this tailor who I presume makes these small pouches.

I am still trying to figure out what those pouches are used for. It can’t be a mobile pouch as it is too big for that. Is it a money purse for the ladies to be tucked away in the saree?

Talking of tailors, I was observing the dexterity with which this guy threaded the needle.  He must be definitely on the wrong side of fifty but he needs no spectacles to do the fine work.

As you can see, the other two machines on his sides are not in use for a long time or the wheel would be shining from the hand contact that takes place while starting and stopping the machine. It also speaks of the slack in the business, where once upon a time this shop must have been super busy trying to meet deadlines. Blame it on the thriving ready made garment business.

While walking along the narrow lanes saw some of the name boards. Wonder how old this one was.

A mother waited patiently as her son quenched his thirst with sugarcane juice

You will find these small cane crushers set up at intervals. The flywheel ensures reduced effort by human.

The newspaper stand is well displayed with papers on the makeshift table as well as strung out at a height so that people can see it from far

And for those who can’t afford to buy a copy of the newspaper, these free reading boards are available at strategic locations on the road.

In case you are wondering about the gadget in the picture below, it is the iron getting ready for pressing clothes

There are two irons which are kept hot on a coal grill. When one loses its heat, it is kept on the grill and the one on standby is used, thus maintaining the continuity of work. Trust me, its better than the electric iron, and cost effective too.

(continued in part 3 ..... click here)