Near Abby Falls Coorg

Spotted this 'Danger Spot' board near Abby Falls in Coorg. I wonder what was the danger that this board was warning us about.

One completely unrelated danger that I can see is that if I am not careful, my travel plans for 2008 are in real danger. I mean it is May and I have gone out only once, to Lansdowne.

A Picture Every Other Day- Spiti Again

Magnificent Spiti- Demul to Lahlung

I need some inspiration as it is death by grading till this weekend. Will catch up with the blog world as soon I am through.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Being Silly!

Being Silly- Jumping Down a Pile of Bricks

I really like the picture above, my nephew and his friend jumping from a pile of bricks (when they are a little too old for this!) and my elder nephew clicked this picture. I mean when do we grow up so much that there is no time left for silly things?

Trafalgar Square, London

You know why I say this? I remember walking past this stone lion in Trafalgar Square and I actually wanted to go and sit there but then didn't risk it for the fear of being too silly. Next time, I am going to act silly at least 3 out of 10 times when I feel like doing so.

A Picture Every other Day- Sitting Duck

Sitting Duck- Picture Clicked at Best Western Resort, Manesar

After looking at this picture I can understand why a sitting duck is considered an easy target! The bird looks so peaceful, unconcerned with the world and without a care in this world. Or is it hiding behind the rocks from everything that is to be avoided, hence this peaceful look? Depending on the mood, both the interpretations would feel correct! Either way, it does seem like an easy target.

A Picture a Day- Butterflies

Butterflies

You can see the effect of not having to taking classes! My SLR has not been used as much as I like. So I thought I could make an effort to work more with it and post the images as 'A Picture a Day'. Let us see if I make any progress this way. The most irritating aspect of taking pictures as of now is to do the closeups with a wide angle lens (the only one I have till now). Let me straight away head to Ebay.in and see what can I afford. Turned out to be nothing much, have to head to Chandni Chowk one of these days.

PS. This is also my post no. 501.

Rappling- A Few of the 'Adventure' Stuff I Have Done

Rappling Down a Rock, Sankari, Har-Ki-Doon Base Camp 2004

I had clicked this picture for our camp leader (and who turned out to be a good friend too, he visited us more than once when he has been in Delhi) on the Har-Ki-Doon trip. I too tried this activity and came down the rock without too much of a sweat. Then my younger nephew tried it and he slipped, got up and then came down. Unfortunately there are no pictures of ours.

That reminds me, during this trek, I had a very nasty Yashika film camera that used to jam the film at will. And you guessed it right, when we started walking from Seema to Har-Ki-Doon, the most most beautiful day of the walk, that damn camera jammed. That is when our camp leader handed us his digital camera for the rest of the trek. I mean that was really large hearted of him and whenever I remember this trek, I do think of his gesture with a lot of fondness.

Looked Like A Doll's House- Lansdowne

This small house was quite near the city center (which is pretty run down) in Lansdowne. Nearby was a tea shop (you got it right, we had our evening tea there) and next to it some benches from where one could see the sun set. I liked the bright color of the roof and the way this house resembled a doll's house! I wonder if anyone lived there?

Around Buckingham Palace, London

Taken on a evening in November, 2007, near Buckingham Palace, London

Oh Boy!

As Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) would say- Oh boy, Oh boy and Oh boy again. For a while (by optimistic estimates) all you would get to see on this blog are pictures. I mean any more work my way and I feel I will simply vanish into the think air!

Pictures from Lansdowne

St. Mary's Church, Lansdowne

Well, this one is going to be a delayed travelogue. I have not been able to put even captions on the pictures. But have a look at the Lansdowne pictures anyway. I was not lucky enough to see the snow capped peaks. Still, a break is a break but it is difficult to believe that I was away from this hectic pace.

South Indian Side Dishes

Lunch at Kamath's in Bangalore, Side Dishes on a Banana Leaf

Can't I have a lazy Sunday on a Tuesday? Looks like I can!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Two of the Most Beautiful College Buildings in Oxford

Christ Church College- Oxford

All Souls College, Oxford

Sticky Post: My Photo with Credit to Someone Else- Is it Time to Ping Again

This post is sticky for a few more days, regular posts continue below. I made it unsticky today (30/01/2008)

Compensation!

Remember that post-

Yesterday I took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore. I picked up the flight magazine (December Issue). I found that in their feature article they have taken a picture of mine with a credit to someone else. And of course there is no question of asking my permission as the credit is given to someone else. I am mad.

Well, I was promised a correction in the next issue and compensation too. Now I have not heard from then in a long while. This mishap happened in the December issue and I agree their January issue must have been in the press by the time we got talking. But now it must be time for the February issue and I have not heard from anyone. Should I wait or should I bother the editor again?

PS. This time the post remains sticky till the matter is settled.

Update (27/01/2008)- I wrote to the editor and asked what was the compensation amount.

He replied that they pay Rs. 500 per photograph normally. To me they would offer Rs. 1000. I am OK with that. I have been updating this at Indiamike too. I really liked this quote by Shakti (see message 85) when I posted the same there-

There is a much larger issue here in that corporations are becoming very casual about stealing imagery from unsuspecting photographers. If the penalty for getting caught is posting a clarification on the source and perhaps a token payment to the original photographer then there's zero incentive for them to change their practices.

So I sent it across to the editor too. Oh, well after reading the quote (I had quoted the source to the editor), the editor went mad and basically tried telling me that I was too small for them to buy pictures from me (I have no issues with that but still they ended up using one of my pictures and I thought I was the wronged party).

By this time I too was running think on patience and I told him it is probably time that I name the magazine and the airline on my blog and at Indiamike.

You would not have believed the complete change of tone in the next email from the editor. Of course, they appreciated that I did not name the magazine. Of course, they would mail me a check in a day or two. Of course, they were interested in my postal address and of course they would send me a copy of the February issue.

All I can say is THANK GOD FOR THE INTERNET. That gives an option to mere mortals like me to write.

Update (29/01/2008) Got that check for 1000 rupees, as promised, on time. The magazine has been promised after 2nd February. Thanks a lot for all your support.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Mountain Flowers

I must say I am crazy about flowers. Well, I am used to the ones which we can find in the city. But when we go trekking I try to click every new flower that I see. The flower images below are from our trek to Kuari Pass.

Flowers from the Mountain- Blue iris

I do know the name of this flower (the blue Iris) but unfortunately I am really not good with the names of the other beauties that I see.

Mountain Flowers

But as I said I bend down every time I see a new flower and take a picture.

Blue Flowers from the Mountains

One week into the semester and I already feel desperate to travel! Though February is not a good time for flowers really.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Flower from Sikkim

Flower (Taken in Sikkim)

Long time since I posted a picture of a flower. I just love flowers. I know I have a very dull approach to clicking a flower, but I still like these pictures!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Langza to Komik, Spiti

Anjan (our co-guide) on the way from Langza to Komik, Spiti Trek, 2007

Afternoon Siesta at the Kuari Pass Trek, 2006

This is what happens to us on many treks! I remember crashing on the lunch point from Komik to Demul walk. Only the others never took any picture :) But that is the only time I can remember. I am not a big fan of afternoon siestas but with a big cold and a sore throat that has almost chocked my voice, the images look very tempting.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Near Sojha, Himachal Pradesh

Walk Near Sojha, February 2007

After a gap of many years I find my self in warm Bangalore in December instead of freezing in some part of the Himalayas. I can't make up my mind which one I like better.

When You See a Picture Taken by You in an In Flight Magazine with a Credit to Someone Else!

Note: This Post is sticky for the time being. The regular posts continue below. I will be updating this post as and when I get some new information.

Update (27/12/2007): I have made this post unsticky in honor of these pictures from Prashar Lake in December (pictures courtesy Anil, my colleague).

Yesterday I took a flight from Delhi to Bangalore. I picked up the flight magazine (December Issue). I found that in their feature article they have taken a picture of mine with a credit to someone else. And of course there is no question of asking my permission as the credit is given to someone else. I am mad.

After consulting a lot of people through mail and putting the same question at Indiamike, I have written to the airline but this being end of the year I doubt I will hear back soon. I will wait for a decent period of time (say January 15 or should I wait longer?) before putting a post with the name of the airline.

Update 1 (24/12/2007): I heard from the airline and the editor who handles the work for the airline. I must say they are prompt. I wrote them over on the weekend and by Monday morning I got the reply. The editor says they got the picture from the person who they have attributed it to. According to the editor the person is one of the top travel writers in India. The editor has asked for one week's time to get back to me. So far so good.

Update 2 (25/12/2007): I had googled the author to whom the picture was attributed and I wrote a mail to him asking if he had any idea how he got the credit for the picture? I got a reply. He says he was away and an assistant sent the pictures. When one of his was not opening, the assistant simply downloaded a picture from the internet and sent it to the magazine editor that turned out to be mine. He admits there has been a mistake and says he is willing to write to the editor and also pay me out of his own pocket. I agreed to writing to the editor but of course not to paying out of pocket. Looks like the thing will settled quickly? I will now wait to hear from the editor and the airline again.

Update 3 (26/12/2007): Heard from the editor again. He says they will print a correction in the next issue and pay me for the picture. Also said they would try to put a system in place so that such incidents can be minimized. I asked if I could get a copy of the issue in which the clarification occurs. I hope I will! The editor didn't mention what they would pay I didn't ask. But I think this should be the end of the matter.

I will make this un-sticky only when I see the correction. The worst part in this whole episode is the role of chance. Had I not taken that flight with the particular airline , I would have never known about this whole stuff.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Omkareshwar Temple Coorg

Omkareshwar Temple, Coorg

Lazy Sunday Photo- The London Oxford Route

Took this one on a moving bus, from Oxfrod to London. Loved the colors of fall and as there is no fall in the northern India, loved them all the more. And I am not yet home. Tomorrow, I should be back.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Shy Kid

Another Drop on the Leaf

Lazy Sunday Photo- Stairway to Heaven

Swargrohini- Har Ki Doon

This mountain range in Uttranchal 9saw it on our Har-Ki-Doon trek) is called Swargrohini, or Stairway to Heaven. What an apt name.

Yippe! I Made it to Top Ten in One Category at the Oktatabyebye Contest

The Photo to the Air Ticket!

Finally, the results for the Oktatabyebye are out. Check out the lovely pictures by the people who won here. I made it to the top 10 in portraits.

That made me check the prizes and I almost can't believe my eyes. I mean, I really want that fare paid air tickets vouchers NOW!! I wonder what are the destination valid on this air ticket voucher. That means I can go somewhere again maybe just over the weekend.

(Link to the row)

Top 10 (per Category)

All the above

+ Fare Paid Air ticket Vouchers

+ Personalised Photo Print n' frame from Epson

Oktatabyebye Freeze Frame Contest- Final Round

The final round is now on at Oktatabyebye. I made it to the final on the editor mention in portraits and landscape category! I was also wondering how do they ensure that I own the copyright of what I submit. I really do wonder how do online competitions manage the copyright issue in this era of millions of photographs online. Anyway, here is the mail from the Oktatabyebye team-

To ensure that only deserving and genuine entries get declared bonafide winners in the Oktatabyebye Freeze Frame Travel Photography Contest, all Category Finalists would have to submit raw files of their entries along with the proof of ownership, if they declared winners. A declaration stating that these pictures/videos are your own and you are the original copyright holder for these particular photo(s)/video(s) is also mandatory.

Now I do not shoot in RAW format (but I guess they are not asking for RAW files but just files to the pics?) and I don't think I am going to win anything but I can definitely vouch that the pictures are taken by me.

Moonlit Night

Moonlit Night

Another picture with my old Nikon 3200. I think it would be a full moon today but I doubt that I will take out my camera. But come weekend and I will be armed with two cameras for at least two days.

Painted Storks- Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Bharatpur Bird Santuary

Oktatatabyebye Freeze Frame Contest- Round 2

Two of my entires made it Round 2 in the Oktatabyebye Freeze frame Contest. If you are looking for ways to kill time and won't mind the torture of registering for the site, here is where you will find my pictures to vote for and give a rating. Sounds so simple, right :) If you simply want to look at the pictures that got shortlisted, they are the ones below.

Now I have to say, I like both of them a lot.

The lady in Veil

I clicked the picture above at Best Western resort in Manesar, near Gurgaon. I am not very fond of resorts and all, but sometimes they do give good opportunities for taking a good picture.

Dhankar Lake

This one is from my June 2007 trip to the magnificent Spiti region. The Dhankar lake is 1 hour walk (at our moderate pace) walk from village Dhankar and there was no one around apart from us when we went there. I know I have to write in detail about this trip, one of these days soon.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Bug Me Not

I took this picture a long time back, with my first digital camera (Nikon Coolpix 3200). I still remember I was opening the car and about to go to the college when I noticed this insect. Of course, I took out the camera from the purse and clicked it. These days I somehow do not carry a camera in my purse (though I have an eye on any good 5 mega pixel camera phone, are the Sony ones good?) nd I have not touched the DSLR in the past 3 weeks. Another thing that I have noticed is that I used to take better close ups with this basic camera rather than with my Canon 350 D. Guess I need more practice with the DSLR.