Pune Oktoberfest 2016

It is the third week of October and the Oktoberfest is over in Pune.  It is one opportunity where I get to click some good candid pictures, like this one - a special kiss: 

Or the one of this couple who were totally engrossed by the music belted out by the live band.

I tried to click this child enjoying a ride, but the parents spotted me and was quick with an appropriate smile. 

Conducted by the IGCC (Indo German Chamber of Commerce-Pune) it is held every year at the Pune Race Course premises.

Youngsters and the not the so young come for a swig and  to shake a leg: 

Some like to pose with the band while others are real quick in posing when they see that my camera is pointed at them (taking selfies has made them an expert in this field) 

In this video you can see how this guy below (in red tee shirt) got himself into this funny pose.  

Did make a few videos and uploaded them on You Tube, while some are on the FB site of Pune Oktoberfest.

If you are patient enough, you can get some profile pictures with a good dark background.

Space is the main constraint especially when it comes to dancing, and trying to capture some action in that crowd is not easy. 

Apart from the beer, there was a constant flow of some  good German food.

Earlier during the day, there was the horse race with some of the sponsors keen to see their horses win. 

At this enclosure, I saw this bell, probably hanging there from the British era. It may not be in use now, but I like the shine on it. 

Also saw this photographer catching a few winks while taking care of his gear too. 

Got some more footage of the dance and the band in action. Will link those videos here later, once I compile them. 

Party dresses at Smitten

The above picture is of an aspiring pageant model who hopes to make it to the top.

To start at the beginning, my friend Xavier told me about this place known as Smitten and said that I must see it. So one day I stepped in and found the proprietor Ms Nutan busy taking down the Christmas decorations. 

I had a look around and found that the items on display were not the usual stuff that one sees in a Boutique. 

As I was browsing around, Nutan joined me and explained that she deals mostly in party dresses and accessories. 

   

What is unique about the store is that all the dresses on display is one off.

Another interesting fact about the store is that it has only three branches. They are at Pune, Kanpur and New York.

The one at Pune is at Bizzbay Mall, off NIBM road. 

I asked Nutan “so where do you source all these dresses from?” She said “all the stuff in Kanpur and Pune comes from New York. People prefer to buy the dresses from here than get it from abroad. The advantage is that one can actually try out the clothes for fitting and then buy. Moreover the prices are also comparable and affordable”

“So who are your usual clientele?”

“Girls who want something special for a party, or for an occasion. And then there are these aspiring models. In fact Ms Ritika who is a Pageant coach in Pune and runs The Tiara brings her batch of students to try out our dresses”

I said I would like to write about this place as many don’t know that such a place exists in Pune. 

So there I was in the shop with my camera clicking away the dresses and the students from The Tiara.

The girls listening attentively to Ritika on the finer points of selecting  the proper dress   

    The girls were happy to pose for me

Notice what is common in the two pictures above?  
The cow bell. Just love cow bells and the sound it makes. 

The one below has the Mona Lisa look. When I told her this she said "you are the second person who is telling me this"

But I liked the pictures where they were caught off guard  

  

When they were not posing for me they were either helping each other to dress up or busy taking pictures of each other. 

Nutan was always around giving suggestions and helping them select the appropriate dress. 

While processing the pictures, I isolated the background to give it a punch . .  . . . . can be an additional leaf in their portfolio.

Made a short video with movie snippets and 100+ pictures (wow . . . . did I click that many?) 

While watching on YouTube, ensure that you keep the setting on 720pHD for clarity.