"My View" Success into the field of Photography

Celebrating 4th Anniversary................

-My View-

 Success into the field of Photography

Reaching excellence in different fields of creativity has always been a penchant of artists. But this is not a thing which can be gained by any short cut. After going through the life history of many distinguished photo artists we notice that they achieved heights in their fields by the dint of certain qualities and principles.

There should be a precise goal before us. We have to aim at a particular field of photography (like travel, photo journalism, fashion/advertising, industrial, wild life, under water etc.) according to our taste, caliber and convenience. Once a particular aim is fixed, our life becomes significant. Further, this aim is closely associated with hard work.  We can not imagine of success without this asset.  Hard work with single minded dedication brings success within our approach. Our past and present are full of many such examples where we witness the great photo artists gaining success through their hard work and dedication, and of course, with certain goals in their mind.

Since nothing is above well-built vision, we should always try to develop our  visualization. This is possible through constant observation of different subjects with our own point of view and regular practice. In addition we have to avoid replicating the art works of other photo artists. Originality of work is always appreciated.

Many changes are taking place in photography-technology every day. Thus keeping our knowledge updated is a vital factor for achieving success in modern age.  Diverse means, like internet, latest books and magazines work as our true friends in order to renew our know how.

Constant effort is another important factor to reach our target. We often don’t succeed in single attempt. This does not prove us incompetent at all.  Our failure at all times indicates towards our lacking.  Serious evaluation of our lacking and subsequently its proper rectification ensures our bright future.

Appropriate equipment are essential to give shape to our vision and ideas. For this, we should firstly analyze our requirement and then acquire the accessories accordingly. Unnecessary collection of tools should be avoided. Additionally we should have proper understanding of the features of our equipment.

Our senior artists possess many experiences. Their guidance can be of great help at every step of our career. We should never fail to obtain it.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

 

- Profile - "Capturing the Soul of Places" -- Pradeep Pande

Celebrating 4th Anniversary..........

- Profile -

"Capturing the Soul of Places"

Pradeep Pande

Pradeep Pande was born in 1961 on 18 day of October in the picturesque surroundings of Someshwar Valley of District Almora (Uttarakhand, India). Therefore interaction with nature was quite spontaneous for him. He used to follow his mother to the farm fields and to the forests where she used to go to fetch fodder and firewood. All this made him love nature. Later he had to shift to Nainital for his education where his father worked.  He completed his elementary to higher education in this beautiful town. This furthered his fascination for nature, although his love for photography had started during his childhood days but at that time having a camera was a distant dream for him. As time went by, the works of various photographers published in magazines and books made the urge to click uncontrollable, and he had his first camera –a Pentax K 1000. When the photography made a quantum jump from analogue to digital age, he too followed the suit. His close companionship with noted photographer and naturalist, Mr. Anup Sah made him learn the nitty-gritty of photography. This boosted his zest and he determined to proceed in search of excellence. He is a keen trekker and has been to many places in the Himalayas. He aims at capturing the soul of a place. While doing so he gives equal importance to the people and their life of a particular region. This does not mean he abstains from other genres of photography; he lays hands on wild life, nature and still life as well. Photography for him is a way of depicting nature and people in a way which should generate feelings of hope, nostalgia, pleasure, sympathy and love. He has a number of reputed awards and recognitions to his credit. His beautiful photographs have taken place in reputed publications.

Pradeep Pande is a banker by profession and works as senior manager in Uttarakhand Gramin Bank at Nanital.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma 

-Dashboard- Panchchuli As Seen From Abott Mount

-Dashboard-

Panchchuli As Seen From Abott Mount

This time I am before you with a photograph of Panchchuli Peaks. I had an opportunity to visit Abott Mount in December, 2012 with my friends. This elevated spot is situated near Lohaghat (District Champawat, Uttarakhand, India) and is known for its scenic beauty. We can notice diverse flora and fauna here. Above all, the great Himalayan Peaks are well visible from this place. We had a three-day programme for this spot. All were disappointed for the first two days as we could not witness Himalayan Peaks due to heavy clouds all around them. We prayed Almighty for the clarity of weather and our wish was heard on the day third. We reached Abott Mount well before the sunrise. It was totally dark and we had to face extreme cold wind. All were waiting for the very first light, and as the earliest rays of the sun appeared, our happiness had no bounds. The view was crystal clear and the vast Himalayan Peaks were in front of us. The soft light of the morning and the strokes of the clouds above the peaks doubled the charm of the scene.  None of us waited for a while and started clicking. I took a number of images with different viewpoints and compositions. Here is one of them. In this image I have concentrated on the Panchchuli Peaks of Himalaya. These peaks attract us due to the matchless rhythm between them.

I used a Nikon D 90 Camera with a Tamron 70-300 mm lens. The ISO was set at 200. I used a small aperture size in order to get depth. The camera was set on a firm tripod.

--Dr. Pankaj Sharma

                                      

-Photo Feature- Tungnath A Place with Versatility of Features

-Photo Feature-

Tungnath 

A Place with Versatility of Features

 Mr. Anup Sah of Nainital, Uttarakhand (India) is a well known photo-artist, mountaineer and a trekker. He has been a contributor for our blog since its inception. This time he is before us with a photo feature on Tungnath region of northern hilly tract of India.

 -Dr. Pankaj Sharma

“Tungnath region is located in District Chamoli of Uttarakhand, India. This region is one of the most beautiful places of Uttarakhand. The Echo System of Tungnath is very unique. The entire area is extremely rich in Himalayan flora and fauna. Beautiful rhododendron forests and rich wildlife including Himalayan Thar and Monal Pheasant make this area worth visiting. Moreover a variety of birds (of both, the high and the low altitude) are found here and thus this place is a paradise for bird watchers. The “Tungnath” temple of this region is known as the highest Temple of Lord Shiva (3680 metre). Chandrashilla, the highest hill top of Uttarakhand (4000 metre), lies here.”

Best month to visit this area: April.

Route 1: Delhi-Rishikesh-Rudrapriyag-Ukhimath and Chopta.

Route.2:.Delhi-Kathgodam-Ranikhet-Chaukhutia-Adibadri-Karanpriyag-Gopeshwar-Mandal-Chopta. 

There is motor-able route up to Chopta.

-Anup Sah

  

 

Learning: Travel Photography Tips

  -Learning-

Travel Photography Tips

Visiting beautiful places is the passion of human beings. Many people often click gorgeous places but a very few succeed in making excellent photographs. With a few points in our consideration we can achieve desirable images.

1.  Appropriate equipments:

* SLR Camera.

* One standard zoom (such as, 18-55 mm, 18-70 mm or 18-135 mm)

* One telephoto zoom (such as 70-200 mm or 70-300 mm).

                                         

If SLR camera is not within our capacity, a suitable digital compact or prosumer camera can help us nicely.

* A firm tripod to prevent camera shake during low light conditions

2. Good knowledge of the Key Characteristics* of the Particular Place:

We should have a good knowledge of the flora and fauna, geographical features, historical background, people and their culture of a particular place. This will help us to photograph that place judicially.

3. Portraying of the Places in Their True Form:

Our aim should be to photograph the places in their true form with above mentioned    characteristics. * We have to avoid any manipulation in representation.

4. Photographing in Early Morning or Late Evening Light:

The use of one-sided and soft light of early morning and late evening helps us to find gentle images with vivid colours and fine details.

5. Story Telling Value:

If a photograph conveys some story, it is always appreciated.

6. Great Depth of Field:

Depth makes a photograph dynamic. For this purpose we should use a small aperture (32, 22, 16, and 11). We can set the shutter speed of camera accordingly. If we have a digital compact camera, landscape mode will dish up our purpose.

7. Good Composition:

* Our composition should be simple

* So many objects are be neglected. We have to concentrate on one or limited objects.

* Disturbing elements (like, electric poles/wires, discarded items etc.) are to be avoided

* Place the human beings or a man made structure (like hut or temple) a little away from the center. This will add balance to the picture.

* Tight Composition is to be kept away. Openness in the frame is commendable.

* Leading lines play a dramatic role in a   photograph. We can find such lines in the form of roads, rail tracks, rows of the trees, fencings etc. These lines lead our vision into the frame or from one point to another. In addition leading lines boost rhythm in a picture.

* Coordination between the subjects is another vital factor of an image. If they do not coordinate with each other, the photograph loses charm.

* The feel of rhythm is an important part of a good photograph. This can be created by balanced arrangement of the subjects.

* Horizon of the scene should be straight.

* There should be a freshness of approach in our composition.

8. Keeping Extra and Fully-Charged Camera-Batteries:

This helps out evading disappointment during crisis.

9.  Care of Camera:

As our camera is very important during a trip; we have to take extra care of the camera. A small negligence can harm it.

 - Dr. Pankaj Sharma

-Event- 2nd National Photo Awards, 2011-2012 (India)

-Event-

2^nd National Photo Awards, 2011-2012 (India)

The 2nd National Photo Awards, 2011-2012 were given away on 28 March 2013 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi by Photo Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India to the eminent photo artists of India for their outstanding work in the field of art photography. The awards were conferred by Mrs. Meira Kumar, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Mr. Manish Tewari, Minister of State (Independent Charge) - Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India presided over the function.
These prestigious awards were given in three categories; Life Time, Professional and Amateur. 

The award winners for different categories are:

• Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients –

(1) Mr. Pranlal Patel, (2) Mr. T.N.A. Perumal and 

(3) Mr. T.S. Nagarajan

• Best Professional Photographer of the Year 2011-12 –

Mr. Salil Bera

• Professional Photographer of the Year 2011-12 on “Green India Environmental Stories” -

Dr.  Pankaj Sharma

• Professional Photographer of the Year 2011-12 in Open Category –

Mr. Anil Risal Singh

• Special Mention Awards (Professional) –

Mr. Anand Patel,  Mr. Atul Choubey,  Mr. Shib Narayan Acharya,  Mr. Kailash Soni, Mr. Vinod Gajjar,  Mr. Chetan Soni,  Mr. Dilip Lokre,  Mr. Kailash Mittal,  Mr. Sanat Kumar Sinha and Mr. Shankar Mondal

• Best Amateur Photographer of the Year 2011-12 –

Mr. Subhash Jirange

• Best Amateur Photographer of the Year 2011-12 on “Life and Landscape of India”-

Mr. Sudip Roychoudhury

• Best Amateur Photographer of the Year 2011-12 on “Fine Arts” –

Mr. Debashish Ghosh Ray

• Special Mention Awards (Amateur) category-

Mr. Asis Kumar Sanyal,  Mr. Joydeep Mukherjee,  Mr. Manish Bhatnagar,  Mr. Debashis Tarafder,  Mr. Sirsendu Gayen,  Mr. Subhrajit Basu,  Mr. Dhrumil Desai,  Mr. Subir Kumar Dutta, Mr. Ganesh Shankar and Mr. Rajesh Joshi

(Information Courtesy: Mr. Debatosh Sengupta, Director-  Photo Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. Of India) 

"Photo Feature" : Bhagoria: The Festival of Love, Life and Colours

-Photo Feature-

Bhagoria: 

The Festival of Love, Life and Colours

India is rich in varied customs. Diverse cultural and traditional activities can be observed in different parts of the country. Bhagoria is one of them. Bhagoria is a festival of love, life, music and colors. It carves a special niche amongst the tribal people of Madhya Pradesh.  Mr. Kailash Mittal of Indore is before us with a photo feature about this event.

 -Dr. Pankaj Sharma

 “Bhagoria is a tribal festival of Nimad and Jhabua regions of Madhya Pradesh, India. This is a trademark celebration of the Bhils and Bhillalas. It is believed that the people of the village, “Bhagor” of District Jhabua started celebrating this festival many years back. Thus this is known as Bhagoria.

The festival marks the onset of the spring season and falls a few days before the festival of colours, i.e., Holi every year. This unique festival can be witnessed at its peak on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border of Madhya Pradesh. The celebration starts with the tribal music and dance. The tribal people are an important part of Madhya Pradesh and contribute a lot to the culture of the state. It is a sparkling occasion, accompanied by singing, dancing and drunken revelry. Bhagoria is one of the most entertaining tribal festivals where young boys and girls are permitted to choose their partners. A number of shops equipped with local items add to the charm of this occasion. Varied means of amusement, especially for children, are also available during this festivity. ”

-Kailash Mittal, Indore