Photography Onthemove

Varanasi – Julie Mc Guire

supriya — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:54:31 +0000

Varanasi is one of those places that I’d always wanted to visit and photograph and to do with a bunch of like minded people was fantastic. It is, however, a shock to the senses – the sights, the smells, the sounds are really India at its most intense – but life (and death) along the Ghats is never dull and a joy to photograph.”

By day or night, there's something going on at the Ghats and people flock there in their hundreds and thousands to see, bathe, and drink the holy water.

Your first view of the Ganges will take your breath away; wider than you could ever imagine, and busier than you'd believe, it's best captured at dawn as the first lots of pilgrims and tourists take to the waters.

Morning starts early at the more than 100 Ghats along the Ganges, with devotees coming to immerse themselves in the sacred waters, or bless a new born child.

Or, of course, people send their dead directly to the Gods as they float off down the Ganges. For religious reasons, there are number of people whose bodies cannot be burned on the Ghats and this leads to the jarring sight of bodies simply sailing down the river... where they stop no-one knows.

People pray in silence and gain spiritual strength from meditating by the Ganges.....

The Ghats are also home to a number of 'hospices' where families will bring their loved ones to wait to die. I have no reason to think that this skull is not that of a good friend of this guys.

The best time of the day for photographs - an orange hue consumes the skies and the ghats!

... while kids will be kids and love to have fun wherever they are!

Corbett Wildlife Photo Tour

supriya — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 12:35:42 +0000

Photo Courtesy: Vinay Subramanyam

About the Trip: Guided by an instructor, join us for a Wildlife Photography Tour in the Corbett National Park. A detailed review of your pictures and one on one time with the instructor will leave you confident of using your equipment to its max, in precarious situations & timings in the jungle.

Itinerary:

Day 1 – 27^th April, Friday

We arrive at Ramnagar in Uttaranchal by train and board our gypsies to head straight to the jungle via the Dhangari gate of Corbett national park. The drive is long so we can make a quick stopover at a hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. We reach the Dhikala Forest Rest House passing through the dense Sal forests and grasslands inhabiting wide range of wildlife at Corbett National Park.

Day 2: 28^th April, Saturday

Mornings are precious in the jungle, so start early for a jeep safari at different areas of Corbett National Park. Discuss some more photography details over breakfast and then head to the watch tower, overlooking the river! From here you get to watch the activities of the jungle. Lunch will be at the watch tower.

After some rest, we head out again on a safari in the jungle. After the hot day at the watch tower feel the evening freshness of the jungle. Enjoy a wildlife movie at rest house or get some time with Vinay to discuss photographs. Dinner and overnight stay at rest house.

Day 3: 29^th April, Sunday

Another full day in the forest.

Day 4: 30^th April, Monday

After another morning safari, we head to the Dhikala Rest House for breakfast and get packing. It’s time to explore another region, Bijrani. After breakfast come out from Dhangari gate and head to the Bijrani Rest House. On the way visit the high bank area which offers beautiful view of Ramganga River and crocodiles basking on banks. By afternoon reach Bijrani Forest Rest House. The evening holds the last safari for the trip.

Day-5: 1^st May, Tuesday

After breakfast check out from FRH and depart for Ramnagar then onwards to Delhi.

Quick Info –

Level – Beginners/Advanced/Photo Trip Only

Date – 27^th April to 1st May, 2012

No of Days – 5

Photo Tour Cost – Rs 35000/- Per Head

Cost Includes – Accommodation, Food, Internal Travel & the Instructor guidance if opted for.

Note- Participants can bring any cameras , but SLRs are recommended.

For further details and planning, get in touch with Supriya on Supriya@getoffurass.com

Mail us at supriya@getoffurass.com for a detailed itinerary

The London Diary – Sonal Mangla

supriya — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:04:26 +0000

By the Ghats of Ganga in Varanasi – Shahela Sajanlal

supriya — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:33:30 +0000

By the Ghats of Ganga inVaranasi

Far above from the ghats, where he got all the sun’s attention

The cycle stood against locked doors, on the side of a staircase that led to the Ganges. Seemed like it had seen a lot of the world go by.

He refused to look at the camera, but wanted to be photographed. He had a nice smile.

He insisted I could take a better picture.

This photograph captured everything that Varanasi was for me.

Shahela currently works with Facebook in Hyderabad and has recently been bit by the travel photography bug! We are waiting to hear from her when she quits the corporate world and takes this professionally.You can reach her at shahela.sajanlal@gmail.com

Manoj Lakhwani

supriya — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:51:23 +0000

A Tryst With Cuba

Viva Cuba

Hasta la victoria siempre

Ry Cooder wrote “In Cuba, music takes care of you and rebuilds you from the inside out.”

As I walked by the sea-front Malecon stretch or old habana, I could hear trumpets and guitars being played.

As I walked in the streets of La Habana and Trinidad, I felt like I was reliving the India of the 1980s.

Raul on the left, 87 years old, retired. Used to work in sugar cane and was a carpenter. Alberto on the right, the silent one with a faint mocking smile. Both chain cigar smokers.

Turquoise water… a piece of paradise.

Vikram Kushwah

supriya — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:35:28 +0000

This project is a portrait of my imagination and memories, often twisted by the dark underlying layers of story books I read as a child.The series of pictures is a juxtaposition of the Freudian Theory of ‘The Uncanny’, the constantly recurring mysterious environments in the Surrealist Art Movement and reconstructions of my distant childhood.

The feeling of the uncanny, as Sigmund Freud points out, is one of confused fear, something that you feel when confronted with something that was meant to remain hidden, locked away and now has come out in the open. This feeling is certainly not unambiguous. It is this ambiguity itself that makes the mind wander. The wandering mind opens many doors. Behind these closed door lies what we call the imagination. There are more doors behind the ones that have been opened. They all whisper to each other – about what lies beyond- engaging and gripping the psyche.

These images are constructed using fragments of recollections – often uncanny – from the childhood, stitched up by the secret and powerful tool of ‘day dreaming’ and also with careful understanding of Sigmund Freud’s essay, ‘ Das Unheimliche’. They lie somewhere between reality and fantasy, between the conscious and the unconscious. These images are not only a reflection of what I saw behind the ‘closed doors’ of my mind, but also of what I could have seen.

Researched and shot over a period of nine months, this project has involved long aimless walks in the woods in Kent, meeting some strange people and finding myself in remote and isolated places as a result of which my dreamscapes and memory gave me rather peculiar visuals. Intricate study of the art and writings of the surrealists and revisiting my very old story books helped me give perspective to the Freudian philosophy of the uncanny. Rather than illustrating the uncanny, the idea here is to give the viewer an experience of the uncanny by extracting fragments of desires and fantasies buried within the subconscious.

Jyothi Shyamsunder

devakishor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:58:57 +0000

Jyothi's journey into Bhutan!

2012 Calendar

supriya — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:40:31 +0000

Monthly Photography Contest on Flickr

devakishor — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 12:30:29 +0000

For a sustained New Year Resolutions on a clicking discipline, we have a Monthly POTM Contest on our Flickr page.

Whats in store for you? Getoffurass & Photography Onthemove goodies for the winner and the opportunity to have your photograph selected for our annual exhibition…

To participate in the contest, head to our Flickr page.

Previous Winners:

June, 2011. Theme: Slies…

Winner: Alit Apriyana

Ilalang Senja - Alit Apriyana

Why:

Lot of pictures are either just about a beautiful sunset or beautiful clouds but this particular picture has something that brings the two together…the setting sun as well as shades of the blue sky, add to it the green grass! The natural contrasts of the yellow, blue and the green come out quite strikingly…not very easy to capture as seen.

This of course has a very high dynanic range as we’re able to see the greens as well. The composition also adds to this frame as the horizon is not equally divided into two halves…

We also have a personal bias towards the beautiful ‘heaven grass’ as we call it which very well silhouetted and yet the green along the base can be seen…

Andaman Photo Journey

devakishor — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 11:13:03 +0000

About the Trip - Lethargy becomes a virtue when the destination itself promptly slips you in a state of relaxation! So take a deep breath and take the plunge into the myriad culture & enigmatic landscapes of the Andamans! Join Photography Onthemove to discover the lesser traversed regions of this topographical wonder of 527 islands, islets and rocks!

Guided by an instructor, get a comprehensive understanding of SLR photography through class-room sessions, field exercises & a detailed review. The endeavour is to leave you absolutely confident with basics of capturing light, composition, framing and give you access to photograph one of the most enigmatic topographies of the world! You can also sign up for an advanced learning in HDR/ Time Lapses/ Flash Use and more!

Day 1 – Arrive in Port Blair and get transported to your first base camp, where a team is doing a fantastic job of preserving the rich bio-diversity of the islands. There is no better place for you to get a small orientation of this unique destination.

Day 2 – Time to get to the local jetty and watch the sun creep up behind the fishermen bringing in their catch! The furious activity of collecting the nets and organising the fish can be a great photo-opportunity! Time permissible, we go out to one of islands.

Day 3 – We head out to one of the islands known for its spectacular marine life, clean beaches, banana plantations and typical island life. A little break from the sea into a place which has no roads and has never even been mapped. It will be a good one to practice your photography skills! We will go through small canals and a network of water bodies.

Day 4 – Today we explore some more unknown islands. The trip will be in a small dingy boat which will ferry us up and down. Packed food, a day long trip but a picnic you would have never imagined!

Day 5 – Today is the day for driving through the thick tropical forests of Andamans.

Day 6 & 7 – Today we head out to one of the most popular islands of Andamans. gained a lot of popularity in the past few years and one is likely to bump into many travellers. The reason is remains in our itinerary is the option of trying your hand at Scuba and it still is one of the most beautiful islands of the Andamans. You can hire a bike or just walk around. We give you some ‘own time’ to explore local eating places, catch some drinks at a local pub or just relax.

Day 8 – This is the last day spent amidst the sound of lashing waves and absolute stillness in the environment. Certainly, nostalgia will set in before we leave in the afternoon for Port Blair! Spend time with us on your photographs, discussing nuances, next steps and any other queries. We ensure that by this time you will be quite ‘camera-happy’!

Quick Info –

Level – Beginners/Advanced/Photo Trip Only

Date – 4^th to 11^th Feb, 2012

No of Days – 8

Workshop Cost (8 Days) – Rs 55000/- Per Head

Only Photo Tour Cost (8 Days) – Rs 49000/- Per Head

Cost Includes – Accommodation, Food, Internal Travel & the Workshop if opted for.

For further details and planning, get in touch with Supriya on Supriya@getoffurass.com