Sunday, March 17, 2013

My experience of night photography @ India Gate clickwalk




India Gate @ night clickwalk  

This was my first night clickwalk rather it was a first for the group. I really freaked out and enjoyed.

We were all suppose to meet @ 7 pm and Romel was to get his second tripod for me but becoz the complete India Gate was corderned off due to security reasons and parking lots were also closed. He reached an hour late by finding the parking near Patiala House courts with great diffculty .Instead of waiting for the tripod, I tried shooting by keeping my camera on the baricades which were kept to stop people to approach India Gate. All I had to manage was to save my camera from people but it was easy and I started clicking.Today was the first time when I really opened up and experimented with speed n aparture and really
enjoyed a lot.

I think amture photographers like me should not worry about a perfect photograph, they being amture should just experiment and learn. If the shots r not great you have an excuse of being new :) in case of good shots you will get the credit.

I enjoyed it and my walk from India Gate to Rashtripati Bhawan was a true clickwalk as I was walking I was clicking and captured some really artistic photographs of walking and moving lights. These look great, I love them ;) stopped at various points and clicked around some people and lights. Becoz aparture was high and speed low I wanted to capture moving people but most of the time I could only capture some shadows...I still need to learn how do I
capture people like walking ghosts..hopefully will do in next night walk but I am happy to capture some moving traffic shots well

India Gate @ night clickwalk 



 India Gate @ night clickwalk 



 India Gate @ night clickwalk  
 

 India Gate @ night clickwalk  



 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 India Gate @ night clickwalk  


 Rashtrapati Bhawan @ night clickwalk  


 Parliment House @ night clickwalk  

This time I have not done any postprocessing and used my photographs as it is. Some of the things that I learnt for night photography are:

1. Always carry a Tripod for night photography as it allows you to take photogrtaphs at any angle while keeping the camera steady, even for long exposures.

2. Our imagination is what works the most @ night photography with things around us in regular life that help us make our work better. Here I’ve used lamp

posts and street lights to get the effect.

3.  Night photography settings, ofcourse I am not an expert on this but in my opinion you should use narrow aperture and slow shutter speed for night
photography

It was not that diffult as I was expecting but for sure real fun...I would like to go for more night walks but would need tips from others on how to capture
good night photographs and what kind of effects I can create.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Clikwalk @ Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary























I had written this blog long back when I visited Sultanbird Sanctuary but posting it late ...
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the best places around Delhi and NCR for nature lovers, bird watchers and photographers and for picnic as well. Here you get to see quite a lot of migratory birds through out the months of winter.

I really enjoyed my visit to Sultanpur National Park Bird Sanctuary, My wife Manvir and son Agrim also were with me along with few other clickwalkers. Though I enjoyed early morning drive to the destination and the walk there but I think I still need to spend more time to get familiar with birds' behaviour to understand their moves and to get a good photograph. In my two bird walks I learned what surely not to do which I would like to share with you all:
1. Don't make noise or talk aloud, be calmn and watch your steps, don't step on dry leaves or branches. 
2. Don't run toward birds and try n get too close to them, they get sacred and fly away.
3. Bright clothes can make you more visible and scare the birds
4. For a good shot focus on the eye of the bird.
5. Prefocus your lens on the spot where you noticed the bird previously. Within minutes a bird may be back, and you may get several frames before it flies away again.
6. Must have good binoculars to find and track the birds from a distance

I am not a good wildlife or bird watcher...might be that this was my second bird watch trip and that also without binoculars. I could see some of them clearly visible but some which others could spot I just had to follow their directions to locate the bird :)


Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary migratory bird


Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary migratory bird



Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Migratory birds


Oh ! forgot to tell that Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located at Sultanpur, Gurgaon District, Haryana, India. It is located 15 kilometres from Gurgaon, Haryana and approx.40 kms from Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. Every year more than 100 migratory bird species arrive at Sultanpur in search of feeding grounds and to pass the harsh winter. There is pathway made all around the lake and it takes good 2 to 3 hours to finish the entire circuit.

If you are coming from Dhaula Kuan, after crossing the Toll take Exit 10 and go right below the flyover. From there the road straight leads to Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary approx. 14 km. The road is good and the drive early morning surely is great but on your way back you will find traffic.