Story Behind The Picture
“After A Long Journey”

Dear Friends,

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This time I am before you with a photograph, titled “After a Long Journey” which is one of my favourites and has a great meaning behind it. This photograph was clicked in December-2006 when I was on a trip to Hoshangabad (M.P, India). This city is famous for its "Sethani Ghaat" which is built on the banks of Holy River; Narmada. The people of the region have a profound faith in this river. I had a chance to go to this Ghaat on one fine morning. The weather there was quite pleasant. While I was taking a stroll, I noticed this old lady relaxing on the stairs of the Ghaat. She had reached to this spot from a remote place after covering a long journey. Her facial expressions witnessed together, "her journey to the Ghaat" and "the lengthy voyage of her life" at the same moment. Her bags and stick supported her personality. Further, in the background the rows of stairs strengthened the composition. I had an opportunity to get a truth-seeking shot. I clicked two frames. This is one of them. I used a Nikon, f-80 with a 28mm -105mm lens (Nikon).

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---Dr. Pankaj Sharma

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VIVA CARNIVAL - 2010, GOA

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Dear Friends,

Goa is famous for its annual Viva Carnival which is an occasion of joy and cheers. This time Mr. Chandan D.N.Gaonkar of Panaji (Goa) is before you with a special photo feature on this Carnival.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma.

Goa (India) is famous for its Viva Carnival which is celebrated annually with great zeal and has a history of about 500 years. This year the carnival was commemorated from 13th – 16th February. This four - days festival started in Panaji, the capital city of Goa. The carnival parade began on 13th February (Saturday) at 3.30pm and was witnessed by a big number of Goan locals and tourists. Carnival parade set in motion with the float of Momo (the ancient Portuguese king, who believed in “eat, drink and merry”). Everyone was full of delight. There were more than 80 floats showing the culture and traditions of Goa whereas some were giving social awareness messages. The event was a grand success. The parade was brought up by the department of tourism (Government of Goa) in association with Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. To conclude, it was a memorable event where thousands of people joined to have pleasure together.
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Report and Photographs by :- Chandan D.N.Gaonkar, Panaji, Goa.

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Man Made Structures in Landscapes

Dear Friends,

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A handsome "Landscapes" is the dream of a photo artist. Though natural physical features are the vital parts of a landscape, man-made structures also play an important role in few cases. Cottages, houses, temples etc. sometimes become imperative components of a landscape. If we keep some points in our consideration, we can brilliantly add above said structures in our photograph:
1. Manmade structures should not be very prominent in our photograph. They should be used as supporting elements. This is possible by maintaining proper distance between the camera and the structure or by using a wide angle lens.
2. We should avoid placing the architecture in the centre of a frame as it seems dividing the frame into two parts (left and right). It’s wise to place the supporting figure at any of the golden points as per the rule of third.
3. The structure of any bright colour will add meaning to the landscape. We have to avoid the structures of dull colours.
4. Shooting during early morning or late evening will help us presenting the architecture delightfully as this light helps in highlighting the details.

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--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

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24th SURAJKUND CRAFTS FAIR

Dear Friends,

The famous "Surajkund Crafts Mela" is not only a fair but this is an event full of diverse cultural activies as well. Mr. Indraneel Sen of Delhi was recently in this fair. He is before you with a Photo Feature on this unique event.

---Dr. Pankaj Sharma

Surajkund is situated in Faridabad (Haryana) which is very near to the Capital city of India, New Delhi and is famous for an annual Fair. This Fair (which is held every year from 1st February-15th February) is a joint venture of Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India and the Govt. of Haryana. The Fair is an attraction for its settings and for the display of workmanship of artisans from the Indian continent, SAARC nations and the countries rich in folk, craft and culture. Keeping in view the rich heritage & flavours of India, Haryana Tourism Deptt. organizes this unique fair popularly known as the "Surajkund Crafts Mela" every year. The central stage of this crafts fair is the Chaupal where folk artists dressed in traditional attire draw the attention of visitors by their intoxicating music, rhythmic dances, the vibrant beats of drums, foot tapping music and various cultural activities.
This year the fair was inaugurated by Mohd. Hamid Ansari, Hon’ble Vice President of India in the presence of Governor and Chief Minister of Haryana, Union Minister Of Tourism, & Hon’ble Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot. Among other dignitaries present, were Shri Sujit Banerjee, Secretary, Tourism, Government of India, the Chairman of Surajkund Mela Authority, Shri Sanjay Kothari, Additional Secretary - Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Ambassadors from Tajikistan, Arab Republic of Egypt and Armenia and Minister Counsellor (Commercial), Thailand. 23 states of India and various countries like, Tajikistan, Egypt, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Bangladesh have joined hands to put up an unbelievable show of handlooms and handicrafts this year. In all 417 craftspersons from India and 31 artisans from other countries are participating in this year’s mega event. Renowned dancers of Kalbelia and Khartal from Rajasthan, Ghumar from Haryana, Chhaw of Purulia (West Bengal) along with the performers from Tajikistan and Thailand are taking part at Choupal, the open air theatre. To conclude, this fair leaves a deep impact on the visitors and is a must visit.

--Report and Photographs by- Indraneel Sen, New Delhi.

Story Behind The Picture

“Freedom”

Dear Friends,

We often get such photographs which are full of meaning and have some stories behind them. This time I am before you with a photograph, titled “Freedom”. This was clicked during the monsoon phase of 2009. I was on a trip to a small village of district Bareilly (U.P, India). It was drizzling pleasingly. On my way, I stopped at some place for a break. While I was sitting in the car, the small tricolored flags on the dashboard with the windscreen with water droplets behind them attracted me intensely. Further, in the background I noticed a portion of bricked wall on the top, a small pond in the middle and a piece of land with green grass at the bottom, resulting in a symbolic of our national flag. I got ready for a lovely shot. When I was about to press the button of my camera, a small girl entered the frame running from left to right. I just clicked and got a pretty shot. This photograph is one of my favorites. The Indian flags on the dashboard, the tricolored background and the girl running liberally; altogether give the feel of freedom.

---Dr. Pankaj Sharma

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