41: Autum Clouds after sunset

Plan: Saw these beautiful clouds formations after sunset and wanted to create the feel using the PP.

Story: It would have been better if I went to the beach for such sunset. I had to settle for my roof top. Tried the tutorial and got some of the feel here.

39: Girl at park

Plan: No plan !

Story: (How I spoiled the shot) While roaming in the park I got this group of children who got curious about the camera and wanted me to take their pic. I was not prepared for the moment but then it was setting sun. I tried high ISO 1600 on a kit lens.

I later realized that spoiled the pose as I took the shot in live view at the girl's face level but she was looking at my face.

Tried lot of PP to reduce noise and add contrast with dodge and burn.

38: Lonely Tree

Plan: Saw a tree at the newly opened river front and captured it. Wanted to show it along with the clouds.

Story : Took few clicks and this one was from a lower angle where I could frame well along with the clouds. During post processing made the look of an older photo by changing the white balance.

35: Ganesha

Plan : Every year when there is a Ganpati I take some pics of him so this year is no excuse.

Story : Took the kit lens and composed with raised arm. Added brightness, contrast and sharpness in Fastone viewer. To avoid distractions I used the inner frame.

26: Mit

Plan: To use wide angle lens distortion to create a top angle large headed portrait.

Story: I was searching for place from where I would execute this and found that the stairs in my drawing room were just right. Just that the natural lighting was not enough. Put the manual flash with trigger on one side and bounce it of from the ceiling.

Learning : Kit lens can be very useful and with off camera flash things can be much better. The stair rails are seen in the glasses could have been avoided.

25 : My Mehndi

Plan: To capture my daughter's mood when she has mehndi on her hands. School is strict and do not allow wearing mehndi during school days but for one festival.

Story: She would not pose for me and makes faces which makes it difficult for getting the right mood. So by the time I got ready with my off camera flash. This test shot only came good where she was showing her real feeling about the mehndi.

Learning : To capture the mood of people be ready to catch right expressions .

20: Night Lights of Cinepolis

Plan : To take the bridge and adjoining building at night.

Story: Bridge was not lighted up when I landed at the site. So did this building for its lighting instead. Considering the obstruction in front of this building I had to satisfy with this shot only.

Learning : There are times you may need to do the shoot again. Will try the bridge second time.

19: Seven lanes to haven.

Plan: Rainbow was on list and any day it would appear I would make it my project subject.

Story: It happens at the start of monsoon. Not very usual for the South Gujarat to have monsoon start with mild rains and rainbow. Also it was on the Sunday afternoon.

Learning: No autofocus will capture rainbow only manual focus.

18: Faith

Plan: To take a photo of Pipal tree which is worshiped across India.

Story: Women worship this tree and ties cotton thread as a ritual and prays for the health and long life of their husbands. Went to one such tree near my house at the noon time hoping to get some good clicks of the tree under the shade. Once went there and saw up, found the sun appearing from the leaves. So composed this click.

Learning: Got some details in the shadows done in post processing. Might be overdone a bit.

17: Busy Kid

Plan: I had an invite to one of my uncle's party where I was asked to click the photos. So I invested in additional flash and triggers since it would be more like wedding photography in a wedding hall. Using the off camera flash I wanted a single light shot with flash on the top.

Story: With no assistant, I was holding flash in one hand and clicking with other. Getting flash above the subject was not possible. Then I found this kid having food and was tied in his small table. I got my flash on his head and clicked with other hand.

Learning: Off camera flash has opened lot of opportunities about indoor photography and now with monsoon coming its going to be gr8 fun indoors.

16: Fence at dusk

Plan: Since monsoon is approaching I was keen to do some outdoor shots before I get confined to indoor shots for 2 months. Planned a trip to this bridge with family for afternoon to see if I can get one keeper from the view of items at the bridge.

Story:  We got delayed and landed there at dusk. Tried few shot at dusk but was sure that light was not enough for me to get a good shot. Then I saw this fence and thought of shooting it in a brighter background. To make it interesting found out one of the bent arrow on its top and took this shot.

Lesson: To learn handling the mask I did the PP in gimp using the mask to blur the BG and sharpen the dark fence. On closer look the edges are not as good as I would have liked but it is my current benchmark using this technique.

12: Chakra-View

Plan: Clicking interesting patterns as they come my way is already on my card. This circular pattern is a roof of hut under a dim lighting.

Story: I was not hopeful of getting this shot correctly since LED lights were not enough. Boost the ISO to 800 and centered the circle in frame. Improved this shot a lot by adding brightness and contrast.

Learning: There is always room to improve the shot in PP.