Coo..coo…coo…tweet…tweet…coo…coo…
It’s 5:45 AM, and I’m gently awakened by the melodious song of a Blue Whistling Thrush. This particular bird made a nest near my roof last year. Its call is perfectly timed to wake me for the early morning light on the Himalayan peaks.
An Evening With Clouds
This evening, as I wrapped up my work, the sky was blanketed with clouds, and a light fog had settled in. I had completed all my farming and gardening tasks for the day. The rain had come and gone in bursts throughout, leaving the atmosphere heavy and overcast. With the day’s chores behind me, the evening was perfect for photography.
(Distant trees through a gap in floating clouds)
Continue reading An Evening With CloudsRendezvous with Fellow Photographers
Just a few days back, a couple of photographers came to stay at Maini’s Hill Cottages, our homestay. They were old friends. They came on a family vacation and had their photography gear with them. A photographer will always remain a photographer after all. What followed were two days of great photography and photo-walks and some beautiful moments spent together.
With Camera, Clouds & Birds
The rains had been relentless for days, but there was finally a brief pause. It felt like the perfect moment to tend to the garden, gather some fruit, and take leisurely walks beneath the towering trees. My friend says I’m in love with this place. Maybe he’s right, after all.
Nature Walk at Natadol
With the heat of summer settling in, nothing compares to the cool embrace of the hills—a perfect retreat for relaxation. Last weekend, that’s exactly what I did. Joined by a few close friends, we spent our time in a lazy rhythm, the evening slipping away as we chatted under the starlit sky. The next morning promised adventure, as we had planned a nature walk with our resident guide. The anticipation made it hard to sleep. As the first light kissed the snow-capped peaks, I was already up, camera in hand, ready to capture the beauty of the morning.
Cup of Chai & the Sparrow
A very happy new year to all my readers.
Today morning, I got up with a warm inner feeling. It is the first day of the new year after all. What exciting things to do? The best thing, I could think of, was to walk down to a neighborhood kiosk and have a cup of piping hot tea with milk (or better known as masala chai) and enjoy some early morning photography. Packed a camera with a normal lens and I was on the road, striding towards the tea-stall.
Photowalk – Yet another Mountain Stream
A rainy Sunday morning. Four of us gathered up early in the morning for a planned photowalk. Yesterday evening, we had thought of going for an early morning outing. Rain or no-rain, the photowalk was still ‘on’. We were not going to let a few drops downpour spoil our plans. Packed with our photography gear and umbrellas, we all started off for our destination while the day was still breaking out. With an overcast sky, the photography was going to be nice, provided the rains stopped a little. The destination? A mountain stream that should be nicely flooded at this time of the year.
(Cascading mountain stream – this is the place we wanted to visit)
Cascade near Do-Gaon
With the monsoon season, well advanced, rains have taken their hold on the hills of Kumaon. The persistent cloud cover and high humidity gets quite depressing after a time. It also happens to my late grandmother’s birthday, who I was very fond of.
After a week of almost incessant rains, today, the weather cleared up a little. It was not raining but the sky was still overcast. The diffused light from overcast sky is what I needed for a photograph I had in mind. Armed with my camera, I once again set out to photograph some more cascades that appear with the rains.
On the trail of Cascades & Waterfalls
With the onset of monsoons, the nature starts to reinvent itself. The trees turn green. New leaves every where. Mountain streams start filling up and many small cascades and waterfalls appear. Yesterday the incessant rain took a short break. I immediately hit the road with my camera, tripod and a few snacks to munch on.
Temple with Million Bells
Hills always attract me. They have a magnetic effect on me and I get pulled towards them. Every once in a while I give in to this pull and travel to the hills. Few days back, I got a chance to travel to a Hindu temple located near Bhimtal in Kumaon region. This was my second visit to the place.
(Temple bells – Golu Devta Temple near Nainital / Bhimtal in Kumaon)
