I’m participating in the #BarAThon – a blogging Challenge which involves blogging on alternate days from Jun 17 – Jun 30, 2017. There is one common theme running across all the days, which is ‘Seven‘ and specific prompts for each of the blogging days, based on the titles of books.
Today, I have chosen to go with the theme- Seven memorable skywatching moments.
1. Dusk at Nahargarh
Catching the serenity of the dusk hour at Nahargarh Fort, in the outskirts of the pink city—Jaipur, was a very beautiful experience. The glowing sky was gradually losing its sheen, as the Sun dipped into the horizon and clouds drifted in. It was great to capture a few sky shots but even when the lights went dim, the sky had a beauty all of its own that one could only capture with one’s eyes. This was that moment.
2. Another Sunset and the Lion-Shaped Cloud
This was shot on a partially cloudy summer evening, a few years back. I was working from home, and it was one of the earliest of my sky watching moments when I discovered what a great view our living room windows offered, of the blue skies outside. I’ve been hooked onto sky watching ever since. That moment I captured, spoke to me and although I’ve seen many cloud formations after that day, I haven’t quite seen anything similar ever again!
3. Fiery Skies From My Window
This one just reminds me of the famous words by Tagore, “Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky.” Another shot from my living room window and a random capture that was taken by snatching a few minutes while attending to the evening chores.
4.One for the Road
This one surely suffices to be called just that. What a day it was, setting off early in the morning with the parents, three of them who are septuagenarians, and the three of us, on a road trip, to make memories over the summer break. We had a lot of fun chatting and sharing amusing anecdotes on the way, to keep ourselves occupied over the long drive to Coorg and later, Ooty. This shot was taken on the first day of our journey as we got onto the highway, on our way to Mysore. There were rain clouds looming in the sky, but nothing that could dampen the spirits of the trippers eager for a respite from the soaring heat of Bangalore!
5. It’s a Crimson Sky
Shot, when I returned from a walk one evening, and as I was getting ready to make myself a cup of tea, I noticed a glowing crimson hue spreading right across until the farthest end of the horizon. It was a sight like never before and I knew I had to capture it. Over the days, there were to be many a dull evening, when I had hoped for another such sunset, but it was not to be. Thankfully, I put aside my work and enjoyed the sky to my heart’s content. Do you see why they say- ‘Earth has its music for those who will listen?’ I’ve often felt that life is to be lived in these little unforeseen moments, while we are busy doing our everyday things. Mindful living lets you do just that!
6. The View Above
When you shoot, you’re always ready to take pictures anywhere. I love to carry my phone because it lets me take random shots on the go. There’s nothing like a beautiful crisp winter morning when you’re feeling positive and the world is full of possibilities and you stumble upon a brilliant capture, as you are waiting for the car to pull out of the parking lot. The sight needs to be captured there and then and frozen forever, for who knows when this might become a memory to be treasured for posterity? What do you think of this shot?
7. A Dramatic Sky in Mauritius
They say, that the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its nets of wonder forever. Well, this is what the sea did to me during my stay in the beautiful island of Mauritius where I lived there years ago. Mark Twain once wrote, ‘Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven being copied after Mauritius’. If you’ve been there, you’d know how right he was. I have fond memories of the two years I spent there, its sapphire-blue waters, powder-white beaches and the swaying Casuarina trees that present a front-row seat onto some of the most beautiful views in the Indian Ocean. Ah, who wouldn’t love that! The image below was shot during an evening spent in Grande Baie, located at the Northern end of the country, which used to be our favourite weekend haunt in those days, not far from our home in Rose Hill.
I’d love to know what you think of these favourite images of mine, that I’m sharing today. If you’re one of my regular readers, you already know about my love for photography, but I confess, for all the love that makes me go out looking for great photos, I’m still an amateur photographer at the end of the day and still have got a long, long way to go, before I’ve learnt enough to click good pictures. But, the experimentations continue and I am learning something new every day.
There’s a raging debate on how some people think a smartphone can never ever match up to a DSLR. They have their reasons too and not every reason is to be tossed away. I’d go with a DSLR any day if I really wanted to click great shots, but due to the paucity of time, I’d grab a phone camera first thing while I need to take a quick photo. I’m sure most people would do just that. Mostly this choice comes down to overall weight, as well as convenience. DSLRs sometimes just feel like overkill if you’re not doing photography professionally. A smartphone is something you’re likely to have on you and doesn’t require any special accessories most of the time.
Do you enjoy photography too? Tell me, what do you really think of these images? Bring on your thoughts and do share them in the comments below.
You may read my other posts for the series here:
#Barathon Day 1 – The Fault is in the Stares.
#Barathon Day 2 – Life of Pie.
#Barathon Day 3 – Seven Favourite Film Scores.
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Also linking this with #Skywatch Friday, where people post beautiful sky shots from different parts of the world.)
58 Comments
aghoshx@gmail.com
A long comment test by @aghoshb – the longest comment
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Met an old professor of mine today, and while reminiscing about old stuff I asked her how she knew it was me who did a particularly stupid prank and she told me this, “Ofcourse I knew it was you, there was only one student in my class who was smart enough to execute it, yet stupid enough to think that it would work.” ☻
During a job interview, grasping for an analogy, I said that building and extending a software system is like building a house and went on about it like this, “So if the foundation of the house is very strong, then you can build upon it and extend it as you see fit”, and then my interviewer asked me, “So what if at some point, I want a river to run right through the middle of this house”. Without thinking too much about it I said, “Well then, I’ll build a bridge over it.” — True story as to how I got hired. ☻
chris jones
nice informative article
Jim, Sydney, Australia
Good sky shots.
mahekg
Wow loved them all especially the first one
Esha M Dutta
Thanks, Mahek. So glad to hear that from you. 🙂
the bespectacled mother
Your sky shots inspire me to look for the colours in the evening sky and appreciate the work of light through the clouds. My favourite among all are No.2, No.4 and No. 7. I liked the cloud formation in the number 2.
Esha M Dutta
Glad to know you like those, Anamika. Yes, agree that cloud formation was very unique that day…never saw one like that again! Keep watching this space for more skyshots in the days to come. 🙂
Obsessivemom
Esha your linky on the BAR blog seems to have some problem. Can you please check/relink it.
Esha M Dutta
Oh, is it? Thank you so much for letting me know this. I have been offline all day and am checking this now, pretty late in the day. Let me see how I can fix it. Thx a ton once again. Really appreciate this <3
Obsessivemom
They’re beautiful. Love the colours.
Esha M Dutta
Thanks so very much for your kind words.
Alok Singhal
You’ve got some absolutely amazing shots here. I am a fan of iPhone and some of my great shots have come from it!
Can’t pick one, each is unique in its own right.
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Alok! I am an iPhone loyalist now, having converted from Samsung three years back. Now, my DSLR sits pretty on the table while I travel around with my iPhone everywhere.
Thanks again, for your appreciation!
Alok Singhal
Good to know, I can’t live without my iPhone too
apsster
Reblogged this on Little Heart Speaks and commented:
Damn those shots 🙂
Esha M Dutta
Thanks, appster. So glad to know you reblogged it. Cheers 🙂
arv!
Choicest pictures of the beautiful sky, Esha!
The Nahargarh picture is epic and so is the Bangalore sky with the pink hues. Since you’re an iPhone user, let me tell you many photographers in West have ditched their DSLR and use iPhone to click pictures. It sets their creativity racing. Many photo sharing website have separate sections for the mobile photos. 😊
Esha M Dutta
Thanks a lot, Arvind! The Nahargarh pic is my favourite. I have two others from that series which I was unable to find that day while posting. Will share that on Instagram sometime. IPhones are getting better too. My husband is an iPhone loyalist who got me hooked onto it now for the past three years and I’m loving it. Easy to see why so many people prefer them over the DSLRs.
arv!
Will look forward to those pictures Esha. Definitely, iPhone is a good phone. Personally, after using it I found that I don’t like it’s ecosystem and limits the system poses. And with some amazing phones from other brands, there are better choices available from photography perspective. Still, I think we all have our choices. Do you use photo editing apps or iPhone generic software?
BellyBytes
You have truly chosen 7 distinctly different shots. Isn’t it amazing how the same sky looks different at different places and at different times?
Stan
“Memorable” for good reason!! For a ‘novice’, you are doing an excellent imitation of an experienced photographer. Kudos!
Gleefulblogger
Beautiful shots…. next time if I am in need of such awesome click I am going to contact you for sure 😉
Here is mine, hope you like it… https://www.gleefulblogger.com/2017/06/24/war-pieces-fight-survive/?preview=true&frame-nonce=dff748f422
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much for your appreciation. Do feel free to get in touch whenever you need any images. Will hop onto your post too and check it out. Happy weekend. 🙂
ewok1993
Incredible selection.
Worth a Thousand Words
Esha M Dutta
Thank you for your kind words!
vishalbheeroo
Love all of them but four, five and six are favorites. You have an uncanny eye for detail, seeing beauty and the divine in the pictures. True, mobile device help but you know, lately my Kodak Digi cam is coming handy to me. Nothing beats this joy of clicking with the camera:)
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Vishal. Your kind words mean a lot to me. I’m able to see how one can be happy simply by capturing the sights around the everyday places! Happy clicking to you as well. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on the blog. 🙂
vishalbheeroo
You are urging me to come up with a couple of photo features. I haven’t done it for a long time. Need to go through my old folder:)
Eileen
Hello, these are all lovely sky captures. I love the colorful skies, just stunning. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!
Esha M Dutta
Thank you very much, Eileen. Glad to see you stop by the blog. Wishing you a lovely weekend! 🙂
travelerinme
Sky watching is a part of the bigger therapy that comes from Mother Nature! Such pretty sky-captures Esha and yes the memories attached to them. Mobiles are definitely very handy ……. an honest photo expresses a lot, medium does not really matter. Looking forward to more of your #BarAThon posts 🙂
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much for stopping by at the blog and sharing your thoughts! I do agree the joys of skywatching are many for those who love Nature. But people are sometimes so preoccupied with their gadgets that Nature ceases to exist for them after a point. Do follow my forthcoming posts as well in this series. Thx again 😊
thomas
Love the last one most
Esha M Dutta
Thanks and so glad to see you stopping by, Thomas!
Vasantha Vivek
Sky watching is really therapeutic for me too. Amazing shots, Esha !!!
Esha M Dutta
Thank you Vasantha! Glad you enjoy the pics too! Mindfulness in practice!!
Roshan Radhakrishnan
You and I live in very different worlds! Amazing that these are shot from your regular room window! My sunsets are so dull in comparison
Top Disney Songs over the last 3 decades
Esha M Dutta
A lot of people say that to me, Roshan. I feel blessed to have the view. You’ll be surprised to know there are many who live in this very apartment, and have never ever watched a sunset in their entire lives and wonder what all this fuss is about! Takes all kinds to make this world, I guess. 😀
ladyfi
Stunning shots all of them.
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Ladyfi. 🙂
Shilpa Garg
You are not a Novice… You are a PRO!! Simply love the way you click pictures. All of these are simply gorgeous. Love the one at Mauritius the most.
Esha M Dutta
Thanks for the compliment, Shilpa. So kind of you to say that! 🙂 I just love the fact that it gives me so much joy to share my clicks with everyone around through the blog and through social media. Do stop by, again!
L.E.R.T
6th was the best, at least in my opinion. And I’m a big iPhone photography enthusiast. The technology enhancements these days are slowly leading up to the point that you don’t even need a DSLR. Even for the phones, we can fix a macro lens and we are good to go.
Esha M Dutta
Oh, thanks for the mention! Glad to know you’re an iPhone enthusiast too. Agree technological advancements do make things a lot more easy for people to get better quality and overall the ease of carrying one is undeniable. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
Balaka
I love all of them, each tells a different story…but if I have to choose then the one in the parking lot is my favorite…and talking about Mauritius, I remember the photos you had shown me…those were gorgeous…you should take up professional photography Di
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Tina! It feels good to get appreciation on a dull day when your enthusiasm seems to be on a wane! I am enjoying the art of taking pictures mostly on the mobile these days! Few things in this world keep me sane. Clicking is one of them. 😃
Balaka
Deep also loves to click pictures on his mobile..however I was little disappointed that you clubbed skywatch and barathon…should have written separate posts..you are such an amazing writer…I always admire your English since childhood..
Esha M Dutta
Thanks a lot, Tina. You know time is always tight so somehow managed to club both posts in one for today! It’s always a pain to take out dedicated time to blog! So much to do, so little time!! Aar ki je bolish…You write so well yourself…love your short stories. Keep writing and sharing as you always do. Best wishes always
Balaka
Time is indeed a constraint….but still I was expecting a little bit more from you… anyways looking forward to your next posts for marathon😄😄
Shalzmojo
I have been following your sky series n love the ones from bangalore skies which seem to radiate such vibrant hues. Somehow sunsets have more color to offer than sunrise or is that just my perception?
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Shalini! I agree about sunsets being more magical and more vibrant than sun rises! At least, that’s what my experiments with the nature photos show me. So glad you like the series..to me it is a source of great joy when I can share my photos online through the blog! I’ve had people say they now watch sunsets after discovering that all it takes is a view outside the window to feel the magic! 😊
shanayatales
Lovely captures, all of them. Can’t pick a favorite. 🙂
Esha M Dutta
Thanks for stopping by, Shantala. Do visit again. 🙂
Peter B
Beautiful shot, all seven!! I would have a hard time picking a favorite. Like you, I love photography. I use my iPhone often (my last post was all taken using my iPhone) but you can’t beat a good, full-frame DSLR for stunning photos. You can also do much more editing and cropping using a full-frame DSLR. I tend to decide based on what I will be shooting. But you are correct, much heavier and less convenient to be carrying around a DSLR with multiple lenses!!
Esha M Dutta
Thank you so much, Peter. I am a great admirer of your photos. You are right about the new editing features in a DSLR these days, but you can;t beat the fact that a phone is always handy. Thanks for stopping by at the blog. 🙂