A View To Kill

Closed now.

2006-02-10T05:49:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I'm closing this blog and moving to Flickr now. Thanks to my friends, now I'm a professional member at Flickr. That means I can store huge images and upload almost limitless images. If you are keen on checking out my photography, please visit my flickr page.

Thanks a lot for visiting.
- Varun

Timeless Warrior

2006-01-31T11:39:00.000-08:00

The Spiritual Wall

2006-01-23T22:15:00.000-08:00

Dusk

2006-01-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

The watchful mother

2006-01-18T04:44:00.000-08:00

Sunset at the lake

2006-01-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

Success

2006-01-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

My entry at this week's PhotoFriday contest.

Karma Chameleon

2006-01-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

Just chill.

2006-01-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

The smoker

2006-01-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Colors of India

2006-01-07T10:10:00.000-08:00

Queen of roads

2006-01-06T00:57:00.000-08:00

Return to innocence

2006-01-05T04:49:00.000-08:00

Family's Day Out

2006-01-03T23:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

We went to Goa for the new year. It was sooper! But a serious shock waited for me back here. When I entered my office on 2nd of Jan, first working day of the year, I came to know that my company is shutdown globally :-). Read more about it here. Hopefully, you had a better start of the year!

Tipu Sultan

2005-12-29T03:27:00.000-08:00

Taken at Lal Bagh, Bangalore.

I'm out of town for the weekend. Wishing everyone a happy new year!

Brothers in Arms

2005-12-28T04:32:00.000-08:00

India Today

2005-12-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas

2005-12-24T15:13:00.000-08:00

He is right beside you. You just need to look out for him.

A kid walking across the street wearing a Santa mask. :-)
Merry X'mas!

Queen of roads

2005-12-22T21:51:00.000-08:00

Bird of Paradise.

2005-12-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

It's a variety of "Bird of Paradise" (Strelitzia reginae).

Taking Off

2005-12-20T21:23:00.000-08:00

Friends

2005-12-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

A pair of Spot Billed Pelicans (Pelecanus philippensis).

Small Steps

2005-12-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Yellow.

2005-12-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Always Thums Up

2005-12-16T11:30:00.000-08:00

बरबादियों का सोग मनाना फिज़ूल था,
बरबादियों का जश्न मनाता चला गया..

ग़म और खुशी में दर्द न महसूस हो जहाँ,
मैं दिल को उस मुक़ाम पे लाता चला गया..

Jodhpuri Pagri

2005-12-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

He works at the Ummed Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur. Is it just me or he really looks like Naseeruddin Shah in Tridev? ;-)

Illumination

2005-12-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

Dressed in traditional Rajasthani (Shekhawati) dress, she was among the ladies welcoming Baraat at Pradeep's marriage.

Light.

2005-12-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

Light, light everywhere,
Yet no lights in those eyes.

My trip home was much needed break from the routine. I went further from Jaipur to Jodhpur to attend my friend Pradeep's marriage. This picture is from the Baraat. All these small kids carry lights in the baraat.

Going home.

2005-11-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

Now that CAT's done and done decent enough, I'm going to visit my parents in Jaipur. I'm leaving Bangalore tomorrow (Saturday) and shall be back on 6th night after attending Pradeep's marriage in Jodhpur. The trip also includes one afternoon in Mumbai, hopefully my friends there will find time to catch up.

Sunrise.

2005-11-24T21:51:00.000-08:00

The papaya seller.

2005-11-23T21:57:00.000-08:00

The color of saari in the background is almost like the papaya :-).

Care for a smoke?

2005-11-22T21:28:00.000-08:00

Dragon Fly

2005-11-21T21:19:00.000-08:00

The Shopkeeper.

2005-11-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

The Final Countdown.

2005-11-18T19:53:00.000-08:00

The day has come. Tomorrow morning I will travel good 15 kms to reach my CAT center. Hopefully I'd get out of it as a happier man :-). Wish me luck.

Worn.

2005-11-18T04:26:00.000-08:00

This one is taken at the Catholic Cemetery, Hosur Road, Bangalore. The records pertaining to this Cemetery start around 1830, I noticed a grave marked 1871. Most of the tomb-stone and sculptures, like this one, have faced the warth of weather for quite sometime now. No wonder they are worn out.

This is my entry this week at the weekly photofriday contest. This week's theme is "worn". I'm mighty proud to inform that my entry last week was selected among the top 6 noteworthy entries. Here's the photo, the theme was "warmth" (my entry is named "Buddies"). It appeared on this blog on 11th November.

Three Doors.

2005-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Reminds me of the Monty Hall problem :-). What's the probability that these folks studied probability today in the school ;-).

Upside Down

2005-11-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

These "gymnast" kids are a common sight at major traffic signals in Bangalore. They do their drill and then go to the stalled motorists asking for spare change. I don't want to use the word 'beg', but can't see how is it different. Its very sad, of course.

Clicked this one at the MG Road-Brigade Road junction, Bangalore on 14th November, which happens to be the Children's Day in India. I would've loved to accomodate the entire shadow in the frame, but the footpath ended abruptly, so I cut it there. I've blurred the traffic in background a bit using GIMP.

This photo represents me at the weekly contest at Bangalore Shutter Bugs. This week's theme is Children.

A Window to the Past.

2005-11-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

This is the wall of Golden Palm Canteen, at the Central Street, Bangalore. I particularly liked the old windows.

I have the same picture in black and white too. Click below. Please let me know which one did you like better.

Police Bike

2005-11-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Watchman

2005-11-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

All my life I was opening doors for others,
Now I feel life was closing doors on me all this while.

Colors

2005-11-11T01:35:00.000-08:00

This is a typical Banjara lady. These folks come mainly from Gujarat & Rajasthan. They are having a small exhibition cum sale at MG Road, Bangalore (On the footpath, at MG Road-Brigade Road junction). Clicked this one there

Update: She could as well belong to a local tribe called Lambadi/Lambani. Thanks Stuti for this..

Buddies

2005-11-10T00:36:00.000-08:00

Butterfly

2005-11-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Its a Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

The dried up flower (just below the butterfly) tells a different story.

UPDATE: Thanks to Ashwin, I stand corrected. It is not a Monarch but a Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus chrysippus).

Dahlia

2005-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

Back to colors :) Its a Dahlia alright, which one, I don't know.

Imperfection.

2005-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Recently I got hooked to GIMP. That's why so many of these 'experiment pictures', full of post processing.

Caged

2005-11-04T22:36:00.000-08:00

Took this picture at a pet shop at 100 ft road Indiranagar, Bangalore. The caged bird had a serious wound on its head. I hope it gets free.

It's a dog's life.

2005-11-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

Sparkler

2005-11-02T21:32:00.000-08:00

Or simply Fuljhari.

तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय्

2005-11-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

"Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya", it translates to "Lead me to from darkness to light". Hope you had a safe Deepawali.
(I wanted to take this shot for quite some time, but when I finally took it, it got a tad out of focus :-(. Such is life.)

Happy Deepawali!

2005-11-01T02:47:00.000-08:00

The nation celebrates Deepawali today. May this day bring boundless happiness to your family.

Lily.

2005-10-31T00:43:00.000-08:00

Its definitely a Lily.

Cycle Repair

2005-10-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Eyes

2005-10-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Its a moth, a beautiful one. One way to decide between a butterfly & a moth is by their respective motion. While butterfly is extremely agile & restless in it's motion, a moth takes it easy. I took 4-5 pictures of this same moth and he didn't mind at all!

Taken at Hebbal Lake.

Paan-wallah

2005-10-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

You can see me in the mirror right between them :)

Pull

2005-10-25T21:38:00.000-07:00

Two Frankfinn students walk down the street as the shopkeeper stares. Taken at Infantry road, Bangalore.

The Wheel of Life.

2005-10-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Bougainvillea

2005-10-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

Flower Power

2005-10-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Continuing with selective desaturation theme. I'm loving it - It takes some patient "mousing" with GIMP's selection tool, but the juice is really worth the squeeze. What say?

Took this picture long time back at MG Road. One of my favorites. And yes, her roses may be a little over-priced, her smile is purely priceless. :)

UPDATE: I had published the same picture here before, without the GIMPgiri, look here.

Back from School.

2005-10-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lost in thoughts.

As you might have noticed, I have tried my hands at street photography of late. Some of my pictures have satisfied me, but overall I feel it will take some more time before I click some real good ones. Comments & suggestions can help me greatly. So be generous with them, please :).

Paper boy

2005-10-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

From Anil Kumble circle, Bangalore

Pensive

2005-10-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Ulsoor lake, Bangalore.

Mourner in stone

2005-10-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

Clicked this at the Hosur road cemetery.

Eyes of experience

2005-10-17T23:25:00.000-07:00

Look in those aged eyes and you'll see
wrath of numerous summers,
chilly iciness of many winters,
Soaked wet rains and gloomy falls,
Those are the eyes of experience.

Soap Bubbles

2005-10-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

The Web

2005-10-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Isn't the spider also stuck in the web?
Isn't it the jailor who stays in the jail for the longest?

I got myself a flickr account. Check it out here - http://flickr.com/photos/vasingh

Nothing like a good smoke

2005-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

In the lap of nature

2005-10-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

दो जगह सुकून की इस दोज़ख ज़माने में,
एक माँ की गोद, एक दफ़नाये जाने पे.

(There are just two places to rest in this demonic world,
One is mother's lap, second the grave.)

Happy Dusshera & Durga Pooja

2005-10-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

Here in Bangalore, we don't put fire to those Ravan's effigies. Just when I was missing this interesting part of North Indian Dusshera, I came across this Visarjan procession by Bangalore Bangali Goldsmith Association.

Happy Dusshera & Durga Pooja to all!

One Night at McCool's :)

2005-10-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Airport is a nice place to get a really late night cuppa. Fortunately, I took along my camera on a rainy night, hoping to click some snaps of the wet roads. It started to rain, so I couldn't click the roads. Instead, I clicked some other pics. Good thing about airport - they have excellent lighting systems! Take this picture - the big light is hidden behind the tree and the leaves are lit with some light over me, I suppose. I love the effect!

The Wait.

2005-10-10T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have to go, but its raining,
I ought to be home, but its raining,
Stranded on the airport, its raining,
I'm done with this place, sigh - its raining.

Rainy Night

2005-10-09T22:05:00.000-07:00

School Off Road

2005-10-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is another picture I took along with this one.

Keep Walking

2005-10-05T21:27:00.000-07:00

Coconuts.

2005-10-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Candle

2005-10-02T21:46:00.000-07:00

A candle, lit in a dark room,
Generates both ghostly shadows & winking light,
Its upto one, what he seeks.

Me & Myself

2005-09-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Most of the time we get along well,
Sometimes it's just unbearable.

Done using flash+extended exposure technique. Since the room was lit by a tubelight, flash didn't make that big an impression. The picture came out to be good anyway.

Sculpture.

2005-09-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Clay, when moulded artistically,
becomes fantastic enchanter.
If broken, and break they would,
It's back to start - worthless mud.

Narcissist.

2005-09-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Me, Myself & My Initials

Done using flash with extended exposure time. The flash at start captured my image & I flashed my mobile phone for the rest of the period.

Hawk Roosting

2005-09-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

I sit in the top of the wood, my eyes closed.
Inaction, no falsifying dream
Between my hooked head and hooked feet:
Or in sleep rehearse perfect kills and eat.

The convenience of the high trees!
The air's buoyancy and the sun's ray
Are of advantage to me;
And the earth's face upward for my inspection.

My feet are locked upon the rough bark.
It took the whole of Creation
To produce my foot, my each feather:
Now I hold Creation in my foot

Or fly up, and revolve it all slowly -
I kill where I please because it is all mine.
There is no sophistry in my body:
My manners are tearing off heads -

The allotment of death.
For the one path of my flight is direct
Through the bones of the living.
No arguments assert my right:

The sun is behind me.
Nothing has changed since I began.
My eye has permitted no change.
I am going to keep things like this

- Ted Hughes (source)

Stone.

2005-09-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

I want to break free.

2005-09-25T02:01:00.000-07:00

Inquisitiveness

2005-09-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

I find dogs extremely expressive. Somehow with their droopy eyes, every twitching muscles & swaying tail, they manage to convey a lot. Here, this fella is definitely curious about the guy with a camera pointed in its direction. It started barking moments after the click.

Night Time.

2005-09-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Panning facinates me! Night time panning adds a little more glitter to the picture. So, here I am.
(My earlier attempts at panning:- here & here)

Homework.

2005-09-20T21:49:00.000-07:00

Please notice the coloring book, the doll, the crayons and the smile. :)

The Moon

2005-09-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

Some see the ugly spots, some notice the cool brightness. In the end, it's just a rock.

Burning Bright.

2005-09-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Something's burning inside me,
These bright flames are eating me.

Done using 8 sec exposure and match-sticks. The match-stick flame has indeed came out to be magnificent!

Hard Day's Night.

2005-09-15T22:53:00.000-07:00

Screw the portraits, I realized that I haven't clicked any good portraits to showcase here. Now back to regular photos.

I clicked this one when one evening I was roaming in the neighbourhood, searching for something interesting to click. These folks, staying in a under-construction building, were preparing for the dinner. I was confused for a while between taking a closeup of the old man in the foreground or taking a wider picture. I decided for the latter since it has a certain warmth attached with it. This picture is indeed one of my favorites.

Shafi

2005-09-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

With much denser hair :)

Passivity

2005-09-13T23:08:00.000-07:00

Abhinandan Sharma.
Confident, Ambitious, Knowledgable.

It's about time, Nandu!

Stars in the eyes, Fire in the belly.

2005-09-12T23:02:00.000-07:00

Satyajit Kumar Jha.
Friend, room-mate, fellow philosopher ;-)

Innocence

2005-09-11T22:59:00.000-07:00

Potraits always facinated me. They are best when candid. I've collected quite a few potraits by now. This whole week I shall publish potraits.

Team Meetings

2005-09-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

None of us is as dumb as all of us.

Ambitious Goals.

2005-09-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

Suggest captions fellas.

Ganapathi Bappa Morya!

2005-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

What are these festivals, if not the time to break the daily monotony,
What are these celebrations, if not an attempt to forget the mundane routine.

The nation celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi today. Good for me, the office was closed today :)

Stand at ease.

2005-09-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

Lonesome.

2005-09-04T22:33:00.000-07:00

Alone, Isolated, Abandoned,
Among the ruins, here I stand.
Oh, I have had my share of glory,
Now it sounds like an old story.
The landscapes have changes, so have the people,
I still stand, frail and feeble.

It is the same building whose picture I put on yesterday (here).

Rays.

2005-09-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, when all we see is darkness,
We just need to shift a bit to be in the sun, again.

The structure had an opening in the ceiling. See below,

Be Positive. Be Special.

2005-09-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Aren't we all like battries,
With positive & negative sides,
Perhaps we must make the right sides meet,
To let out the flow of energy.