Uday K Photography

Special kids in a Special place

2010-02-14T17:14:00.013-06:00

Fundacion Integrar was a very humbling experience. Photographing kids with mental disabilities has made me appreciate life in a whole new way and increased my respect to people who take care of such kids. This is a two part story from my stay at the foundation and spending time with Mateo, a special needs kid.

It will be presumptuous and arrogant of me to know the whole story after meager 4 days of shooting at the foundation and even less time at Mateo’s house. It is just a sincere effort to tell a visual story of such an environment and bring awareness to the challenges and care.

Fundacion Integrar:
Fundacion Integrar is a Non Government Organization based in Quito, Ecuador. It serves as a day care center to help kids with mental disabilities. But the foundation is more than a care center, it is a home where they teach them to smile and interact with the outside world. The kids have varying disabilities like Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and more. The director, Irma Martinez, runs the foundation on the 1st floor of her 2 story house. She started this NGO 12 years back with the help of family and relatives. The Ecuadorian government used to provide a meager $1000 a year grant but they stopped providing 4 years back. It has been harder for Irma to support the organization goals with less money. She has excellent staffs who are experienced Speech and Physical Therapist.

Mateo:
When I was leaving Fundacion Integrar after a hectic week, Mateo lifted his head and gave me a flying kiss. That was the sweetest kiss anyone has ever given me. Mateo Solis, 7 has Cerebral Palsy since birth and comes to the foundation for his therapies. Mateo is a quiet kid and barely interacts at the foundation. But at home, he is a different person. Often smiling, laughing and often playing with his favorite toy “Tigger”. In fact he likes the Tigger so much that he has two of them, the second one is a 3 foot tall which he sleeps with. His little sister Catalina is often next to him, trying to entertain and play with him. Mother Liliana and father Fabricio make every effort to make Mateo’s life as easy as possible with utmost care and dignity. Liliana recalls, because of the countless hours of therapies at the foundation, Mateo can stand and walk by himself.

Noche de los Muertos

2009-12-24T15:15:00.005-06:00

I had always been fascinated by this unusual Mexican celebration of life after death. More commonly known as “Dias de los Muertos” – Day of the Dead. But, it is the night when the real action happens.

Before the Spaniards arrived, it used to be celebrated in the entire month of August, but the Spaniards in order to coincide with All Saints Day, moved the date to Nov. 1st. Now it is celebrated on Oct. 31st and Nov. 1st.

I got a chance to visit Tzintzuntzan, a small village on the shore of Patzcuaro lake in the state of Michoacan to document this old tradition. Tzintzuntzan, the land of the Purhepecha’s was the capital of the Tarascan empire until it was conquered by the Spaniards in the 1520s. The name Tzintzuntzan comes from the P'urhépecha language, meaning “place of the hummingbirds.” A lot of the natives still speak the old Purhepechan language.

Most of the festivities begin later in the evening, when the parade runs through the main city block. Families carry huge wooden hoards covered with marigold flowers and pictures of their loved one’s. The parade ends at the door steps of the town church and moves inside where the head priest takes over from there. The Church was not in the original tradition but got induced by the Spaniards.

As soon as the church services end, the cultural program begins, which involves talent shows and rich traditional dances by the little ones to the elderly. The traditional Aztec ball game of fire is played in the middle of the night. This game is played next to the “yácatas”, which are semi-circular pyramids. This is a special ball made of animal skin which is lit on fire and played with something that looks like a hockey stick. During the Aztec era, whichever team won the game were sacrificed to the Gods and was considered sacred and holy.

At the end of the night everyone retreats into the cemetery. The cemeteries which often represent a dead view by the world, suddenly looks alive with millions of candle light and people hovering around them. It is not only beautiful but a very spiritual experience. Family members gather around the tombstones often singing, sharing jokes or sometimes just being there quietly. They believe that on Oct31st night is when the children and the unmarried return followed by adults on Nov1st night.

It is a night to remember.

La Catrina

2009-12-08T21:00:00.009-06:00

Catrina's were first created by a Political satirist Jose Guadalupe Posada to mock the upper classes and political injustice. La Catrina's as they are called is now a symbol of Day of the Dead celebrations held in Mexico every November. Wearing her signature hat she depicts a turn of the century upper class lady.

Today Mexican folk artists emulate Posada’s work, recreating La Catrina in wood carvings, ceramics, paintings and other mediums.

I had been to Mexico to witness and document the Day of the Dead festival. During this trip, with the help of my guide, I had the privilege to meet one such family who specialize in making clay Catrina's. The DeLa Cruz family is from Capula, a small village on the outskirts of Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan. The Dela Cruz family started the tradition of making clay Catrina's in Capula. Now most of the residents earn a living by making Catrina's. In fact the Catrina's made in Capula are famous throughout the state of Michoacan. These are sold during the Day of the Dead celebrations.

The unique thing about this family is, each member does their own Catrina from start to finish, thus giving their signature style. This is different than most people in Capula who work together thus dividing the labor among them, thereby preferring cost and time over uniqueness and signature style.

Click on the slideshow to see the entire gallery.

Alebrijes

2009-11-07T17:10:00.007-06:00

In front of Angel de la Independencia on Reforma, Mexico City

I rarely shoot someone else's art work. But I was fascinated by the way these Alebrijies were looking at the outside world. Rather than people looking at them, I constantly felt that these fascinating creatures made out of papier mache were looking inquisitively at the world around them.

Manjari's Bharatnatya Arangetram

2009-09-27T15:28:00.034-05:00

Manjari had her Bharatanatya Arangetram on September 13th, 2009 at Granville Performance Arts Center. The beautiful, bubbly and highly talented Manjari danced on stage with ease and perfection. The costumes and the backdrop were also gorgeous.
Here are a few glimpses from the show...

Backstage Moments...

Performance

Nisha & Swetha's Bharatanatya Arangetram

2009-09-07T10:42:00.026-05:00

Nisha & Swetha had their Bharatanatya Arangetram on August 30th, 2009 at Granville Performance Arts Center. It was a delight to see these two beautiful girls give a splendid performance. Here are a few glimpses from the show...

Backstage Fun

Swetha Sankar

Swetha & Nisha

Nisha Iyer

For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!

NYC Street Photography - An Enriching Experience

2009-09-05T14:07:00.030-05:00

Street Photography is a genre in itself and comes second only to War Photography in its rawness and serendipity. It has always peeked my interest & curiosity because of its nature. I wanted to do this project in a place which was full energy and life. I decided that NYC was one of the best and closest place to go. Since this was my first attempt at Street Photography, I was quite nervous before my trip. I had studied the great Masters and knew what I was up to.

I had gone to NYC with the objective to photograph and capture the culture and vibrancy that this city brings. Give my audience a feel of how the city lives and breathes, not the usual touristy shots but real, everyday moments. I dont know, if I was successful in my project but I do know that I had a great time doing this project. Meeting amazing people and listening to some interesting stories. Due to the time constraint, I concentrated only on a few places like Harlem, Chinatown, Subways, Midtown and the Clubs.

I have divided this photo story into sections as I covered them, so will be posting them in the same order mentioned above. As part of the learning process, I am hoping when you go through the images you will post your comments.

This might sound strange but after visiting NYC it has reminded me more of my hometown Mumbai(Bombay). To add to this nostalgia was the Kaminey movie the weekend before my NYC trip, which has Mumbai backdrop. More than ever, I now have a strong urge to go back to Mumbai and explore the city in greater depths. Maybe do a similar project. I am sure it will be enlightening and enriching too.

Harlem

The best thing I did before my trip was to book my accommodation in the heart of Harlem. To those of you who have been to NYC but not visited Harlem, have missed an experience of a lifetime. Harlem is rich in culture, vibrant and touches your heart. It is an amalgamation of people from various parts of the world. You see Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Haitians, Ethiopians and many more, but it is primarily a African American neighborhood.

Harlem.

Chinatown

Subway

Manhattan

Night Clubs

Afro-Caribbean Music Festival

Anjali's Bharatanatya Arangetram

2009-08-16T12:43:00.016-05:00

It is always exhilarating to see an artist perform an Arangetram but it gives utmost pleasure and personal satisfaction when it is your dear friend. That's what happened to me, when I was given the assignment to photograph Anjali's Arangetram. If you know Anjali personally, then you would agree with me how funny, resilient and multi-talented she is. All this was on full display on-stage and off-stage.
Despite all odds, like down with fever a few days before her big day and Shalini(her Guru & sister) loosing her voice . She gave a superlative performance at the Irving Arts Center on Aug. 9th, 2009.

Here are a few images from her show.

For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!

Pryanka's Bharatanatya Arangetram

2009-07-05T22:25:00.008-05:00

It was an absolute delight to watch and photograph Pryanka Sharma perform her Bharatnatya Arangetram at the Eisemann Center on June 28th. It was a talent on display from the moment she stepped on stage to the very end. It was nice to see her goof around with her brother Vishal moments before the show.

Here are a few glimpses of backstage and the show.

For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!

Aradhana & Ritika's Bharatanatya Arangetram

2009-07-03T14:22:00.016-05:00

Aradhana & Ritika had their BharatNatyam Arangetram on June 27th, 2009 at UNT's Lyceum Theater. It was a delight to see these two beautiful girls perform in front of a rather large audience. Here are a few glimpses from the show...

Backstage fun moments...

On Stage it was an Electrifying experience.

The Girls with their Guru Madhusri Sethuraman

For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!

Dogs are like babies

2009-03-18T18:44:00.006-06:00

It sounds funny, but Dogs are like babies. I realized, after Bella was in my life for a while. She was the first dog in my life; she was just 7 weeks old when we got her home. She had to be taken care like parents take care of babies.

I had a few friends who had babies around the same time and when we met, they used to talk about their babies little things. I curiously listened to the stories and found it amazing to see the similarity between a little baby and Bella. They both have to be potty trained, they both need quite a bit of attention, they always want to play with their toys, they like to cuddle up with their toys when they sleep and they show off all their toys when guests show up and the list goes on.

There is of course one thing which is not common. Dogs never grow out of their age, they always love you the same no matter what and they are always there for you.

Are you a good Juggler?

2009-03-04T22:40:00.005-06:00

This might sound strange, but I think the most important criteria in judging a person’s success is not by the money he makes but how good a juggler he/she is. Life is all about juggling. You have to juggle things when you are a kid with school, as you grow older, things at work, work and life outside work, juggling kids with their endless needs and so on and so forth. The number of things you juggle can grow enormously as the wants and needs pile up. The juggling complexity however grows exponentially.

Some people are natural and do a good job with this balancing act. I truly believe these folks succeed in Life. Others who have a difficult time, make their life difficult and miserable at times. Personally I suck at it right now, but intend to get better at this eventually.

For all the avid readers, I would highly recommend this book by Rohinton Mistry “A Fine Balance”. This book is a fictional story about various families intertwined with each other, dealing with this very essence of balancing life.

Monterrey - A trip to remember

2009-03-03T22:20:00.001-06:00

There are many things in Life; I wished I had done it at an early age. Meeting Sachin definitely makes that list.

I first met Sachin through a common friend and we kept in touch occasionally through each others blogs and pictures. I admire his voracity to travel and adventure and it has certainly rubbed onto me. He had been asking me to visit Monterrey from a long time and I simply couldn’t go. But when we told me a month back that he is moving back to India for good. I quickly packed my bags and decided to go. Though it was short trip, it was one of the most relaxing and fun trips I have had in a long long time.
I only wished it was longer.

Monterrey is a fun place, though quite modern, I immediately felt at home because of it’s resemble to Mumbai. Dhabba style dining, street hawkers and vendors were quite common. Surrounded by mountains from all sides, it was picturesque in its setting. Not able to converse in Spanish would have been a huge disadvantage but for Sachin. He speaks such fluent Spanish that he could be easily mistaken for any Jose …hahaha :) I mean in a good way. I had in him, a true guide and a confidant and had nothing to worry. That made it all the more relaxing and fun. However, I did learn from my trip that without conversing in the local language one cannot truly indulge oneself into the culture and mood of this beautiful place. Hence I have decided that I am going to learn Spanish.

A short but sweet trip. For a complete set of my trip pics, check out Faces of Monterrey

Thanks Sachin!

2009-03-01T20:43:00.000-06:00

I often get complaints from my friends and family that they do not see my pics. I am too busy taking others photos. I would like to remind them that they owe special thanks to Sachin

It only takes a good eye to bring out the best in the subject and only a photographer can understand each others needs. It is not that I never get someone to take my pics, but I never trusted anyone to bring out the best in me.

THANKS SACHIN!

YES WE CAN!

2009-01-25T22:18:00.001-06:00

This week we all witnessed history and I was happy my guy won. I have been following him ever since he gave the speech in the 2004 Democratic Convention. But for this history to happen there had to be whole lot of Luck By Chance that had to happen. Please, dont get me wrong I give full credit to our New President for the Audacity of Hope and the Positiveness that he brought with him.

The reason I wanted to write this article was not to talk about Obama but the Photographer who followed him for more than 2 years covering his Presidential Campaign every single Day. Her name is Scout Tufankjian. She had my dream assignment covering the most amazing person and his campaign. I only did it for one day when he was here in Fort Worth, Texas, but I couldn't stop talking about my experience for months. The energy, the people and the experience I had, was simply out of this world. I wish I could do it for a lot longer. I wish I could get her assignment.

She followed Obama from Dec. 2006 till he got elected in Nov2008, that is 2 freaking years. I am so jealous of you - Scout.
She has assimilated photographs from that 2 year journey into a wonderful book "YES WE CAN". I would highly recommend all you die hard Obama fans.

Sid-Priya Christian Wedding, July 5th, 2008

2008-07-13T15:32:00.001-05:00

The wedding concluded on the 5th with a traditional Christian wedding service at the beautiful Myres Park in McKinney. Priya was looking absolutely gorgeous in the white wedding gown and the couple looked made for each other. Sid's brother Vivek had everyone laughing with this funny first toast and the couples friends sang beautiful numbers for them.

For a complete set of images, please click on the "Client Photos" link at the top of the blog to access my Client site.
Enjoy!

Sid-Priya Hindu Wedding, July 4th, 2008

2008-07-13T14:54:00.000-05:00

The Hindu wedding was a performed at the Temple in Irving on 4th of July morning. The temple priest did the customary ritual which was followed by a sumptuous meal. A small gathering of friends and family joined the couple to offer their blessings and well wishes.

Here are few of the pictures taken during the wedding. A complete set of photos can be viewed at UdayKPhotography.com

Sid-Priya Sangeet Nite, July 3rd, 2008

2008-07-06T16:38:00.000-05:00

The wedding got a kick start with Sangeet Nite which comprised of Songs, Dance and Henna. It was hosted at Swathi & Dnyanesh Shirlai's. The highlight of the evening was non stop dances by Sid's niece "Kirti" and singing, dancing and a skit by his friends who go by the name "Pandemonium Gang".

Below are a few pictures from that evening. For a complete set of photos, visit UdayKPhotography.com and click on Client Login.

Democratic Presidential Coverage in Dallas & Fort Worth

2008-03-06T20:30:00.001-06:00

With both Barack Obama & Hillary Clinton campaigning actively in Dallas & Fort Worth before the March 4th primaries. The Photo-Journalist in me was craving to go cover this story. So taking some time off from my busy schedule, I decided to go shoot their rallies in the final week. It was fun and I wish could have spent more time on this project.

Here are a few pictures that I shot. The Obama rally was held at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Downtown Fort Worth on Thursday night while the Hillary rally was held at the Dallas Coliseum in Fair Park on Saturday afternoon.

Complete set of images can be seen on my website
http://www.pbase.com/udayk/ftw_rally
http://www.pbase.com/udayk/dallas_rally

UTSAV 2007 - A ThinkIndia Production

2007-10-03T22:47:00.000-05:00

"Utsav 2007" was another of ThinkIndia production for this year. It was very different from the usual big stage performances as it got the aundience involved in the show. "Utsav" means festival in Hindi and it was a real festive at the Richardson Civic Center.

There was a troop of singers on stage who sang and provided music non stop for 4 hours. In front of the stage, the audience danced "Garba" - A Gujrathi(western Indian) dance, "Dandia" - Dancing with sticks and "Bhangra" - A Punjabi folk dance.

Before the show started, there were numerous booths with traditional indian costumes, jewelry and art work. There was a booth named "SUR TAAL" where talented singers were entertaining the crowd, there was a booth for anyone interested in getting "Mehendi" done on their hands/legs and to top it all, for the ultimate Connoisseur there were traditional Indian Curry leaves to purchase.

All in all a fun filled event.

Here are a few from the show, for a complete set of pictures, please www.pbase.com/udayk/utsav

South Padre Trip - Labor Day Weekend 2007

2007-09-06T00:41:00.000-05:00

This was my first trip to South Padre and it was a special one. We had loads of fun at the Beach, the beach house and the long drive.

Everything was very well arranged, thanks to Ashutosh. Thankfully the weather also cooperated and we got the best of what South Padre had to offer.

Here are some of the photos that I took during this trip. For a complete set of pictures, please visit www.pbase.com/udayk/south_padre

Neha's Arangetram - August 26th, 2007

2007-08-30T23:52:00.001-05:00

An Arangetram is a graduation ceremony for Dance and Music. Neha had her Arangetram performance in the Eisemann Center at Richardson, Texas on August 26th, 2007.

She had been studying the Bharatnatyam dance from her Guru(Teacher) Shalini Varghese at the Aarthi School of Dance. She had also got formal training in Bharatnatyam when she was living in Toronto. It was my privelage to photograph Neha as she performed this amazingly difficult art with such finese and ease.

Here are few of the images from that evening. All of the images can be looked at UdayKPhotography.com

Not just another Friday

2007-07-12T22:57:00.001-05:00

My diary from May 2005....

I did not sleep properly the previous night. There were a lot of things going in my mind which did not allow me to rest and hence fall asleep. I had the digital photography class the previous evening at North Lake College and all I could think was photography. My frustration for not able to photograph for the last 3 to 4 months was on the verge of madness. The class just added more fuel to the fire.

Though it was a workday, I was in no mood to go to work. I still pulled myself out of bed and got ready. When I started to drive to work, I decided, the first thing I will do is check out if there were any cheap flights anywhere out of dallas. I just wanted to get out of dallas. I thought a change of place would get my creative juices flowing and help me make some photos. After looking on the web for an hour, I thought why not drive somewhere. But driving in Dallas for the most part is simply not fun. You have limited choices to the different places you can visit. There is a old saying, "You might drive for 10 hours and still be in Texas". My patience was almost running out when I thought, how about Big Bend National Park. I had never researched about Big Bend so the curiosity led me to find out more. It was about 550 miles southwest from Dallas. Should I fly or drive down there? I had never driven alone for that kind of distance before and that made my adrenaline rush going.

I downloaded couple of maps about the park and driving directions to Big Bend. I decided, I will go home pack my bag and start as soon as possible. I formatted by compact flash cards, cleaned all my lenses and packed my tripod along with my laptop. I forgot to mention one important point, Priya was in Bangalore during all this. I left home by 3:30 p.m. and started driving. Most of the drive is on I-20 around 350 miles. After driving for around 70 miles, I was out of cityscape and was passing through wilderness. The sunset was happening right in front of my eyes and at times it was difficult to drive due to the glaring light hitting my eyes. I took a rest stop after 3 hours at a gas station. Since it was getting dark soon, I decided that I would spend the night in Midland which is around 200 miles north east of Big Bend. I reached Midland at 8:30 p.m. and immediately started looking for a decent motel to spend the night. After going through half a dozen, I finally got one. I was exhausted and was very hungry. Had to freshen up and get some dinner. Since it was small town, most shops closed early. I finally found Dennys which was open 24 hours. I made a few calls to Ajoo and Piyu before retiring for the day.

The next day, I left the motel early so I could reach Big Bend soon. For the most part the drive was very interesting, not because I saw a lot of things but because I did not see anything. Mostly it was a vast open land absolutely empty. Occasionally some cattle grazing on the field but for the most part vast openness. One thing I did notice quite often was Oil drilling pipes. The strange thing was I had never seen anything like this anywhere in Texas. It seemed all of sudden all of the mines were put in this part of the land. They were beautifully spread across as if each one of them belonged to an unseen family. Unseen because there was not a single person around these things. I rarely even came across any street or shop. That was another peculiar thing, I had to make sure that I had at least half my gas tank because at times I used to drive for more than an hour without seeing any gas station.

I reached the park H.Q. just after noon and inquired about where I could stay. They told me that there was only one lodging place further inside the park and the chance of getting any accommodation without prior reservation was very less. The only other option was to stay 60 miles outside the park. I immediately called the lodge and was pleasantly surprised to find myself an accommodation for the night. Everything was going great. I just had to check-in the lodge and get on my photography expedition. After finishing up my lunch at the lodge cafeteria, I decided to drive within the park. It was a beautiful day and everything about it was perfect. There are very few days like this in Texas. Mostly it is either very hot, cold or extremely windy, but not today. The entire park screamed of Spring season by the omnipresent blue Bonnets which were beautifully lined up on either side of the unpaved roads within the park.

Big Bend National Park is very different than most National Parks. It feels bigger and wide open than most because it is devoid of big huge trees and green foliages. Cactus rules the landscape all over the park. There are gigantic rocks and boulders all over. At times the shapes of some of the rocks remind you of different Indian Gods in their various positions. The air is pure and the only thing you can hear is your own breath. It has a desert like look and feel to it. It feels spiritual! It has beautiful canyons, I visited the Santa Elena Canyon during sunset time. The sight was simply breathtaking.

Sunset at the Santa Elena Canyon

I reached the Santa Elena Canyon and just saw one other car. The Rio Grande river in front of the Canyon was dry, which made walking towards the canyon fairly straight forward. The walk towards the Canyon looked deceptive due to the enormous size of the canyon. All excited I took my tripod and camera bag and ran towards the canyon. The ideal setting was to take the sunset happening just behind the canyon. I setup my tripod and started shooting. There was so much to shoot and very little time. While looking through the lens, I saw some movement on the canyon. After careful observation, I saw three people descending the right side of the canyon. They looked like ants walking on a hill. After taking sunset shots, I walked towards the canyon, by then those three people were walking towards me. They recommended me to go on top of the canyon and look at the beauty from up above. I took their word with excitement and hurried towards the foot hills which was still a good 500 meters.

After sometime, I just happened to to turn back and see that, the entire place was without a single soul except myself. By then the light was fading rapidly. I thought to myself, if I do not climb it now I don't know when I will return back to this beauty. But I could hear another voice in my brain pleading to me not to go alone. I was scarred and confused. I thought to myself, what if I meet with an accident during my climb, how would anyone come to know about it. How would I call anyone for rescue. There was no cell phone service and nobody in sight. I decided to head back to my car. I consoled myself saying I would take beautiful pictures around the various canyons. The light was perfect to make some really good photographs. The only problem was, I had to do it fast before the light got lost into darkness. The next 30 minutes was well spent in making some good pictures. By then I had lost all the light and it was pitch dark. It was so dark that I could not see my own hand. It was scary! I could hear all kinds of insects buzzing around me. I started to drive back towards the lodge as I was getting scarred of the darkness.

It is very ironic considering that we urban city dwellers sometimes get tired of all the commotion around us. We want to be all alone by ourselves on a deserted lonely island. Now that I was all alone, I was scarred of the very same thing, I wished. I think we are too urbanized for the natural habitat. The nature around us has changed dramatically. We build artificial things to surround us and call that home. We have got used to them that we cannot live without them. Just being a part of nature all by ourselves scares us. This was the first time I realized it, I guess you have to experience it first hand.

The drive was quite excruciating. It was pitch dark all around my car, the only light was the one coming from my car headlights. The stars in the sky were still not out and the mountains which were not visible felt like soul of the desert. The drive felt unending, I drove for more than 40 minutes and I still did not see the lodge. There were times when I felt I was driving the wrong way but that was not possible as it was the only road in and out of the lodge. I kept my calm and after about 45 min reached the lodge. Seeing people around me I felt some sort of joy and relief I cannot describe. I rushed to my room and tucked myself in the bed. Part of me was very sad to know that I am not adventures.

Next day morning I started driving back home. This time I drove all the way with just a few breaks along the way. It was definitely an experience I will never forget. Since then, I have more respect for life and nature around me. I do not take anything for granted.

Mitali & Vikyath - Engagement

2007-06-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

Mitali & Vikyat's Engagement was held at the beautiful premises of Heard Musuem in Mckinney on June 23rd,2007.

The couple looked simply gorgoeus and so did all the decoration. Most of the decoration was hand crafted by close friends and family. It was a rather informal and casual gathering of friends and family. The party came alive after dinner when everyone started dancing with the couple.

Congratulations Mitali & Vikyath.

Here are a few photographs from the engagement.

Tashu N Ashu's Sangeet Nite

2007-06-23T15:10:00.000-05:00

This was a prequel to the Big Party on Saturday. But this party was itself BIG!

It was held at Madhu & Sunita's house in frisco. Thanks to them everything was Super Fun!!

Both Tashu & Ashu looked made for each other. All the decoration, lighting and music were funtastic

As Ashu had written in his invitation NO OBJECTION...NO TENSION and UNLIMITED FUN

Sheila & Sid - Wedding Day

2007-06-02T17:10:00.000-05:00

Sheila and Sid's wedding was held at the Marriott in Legacy Plano, on May 27th at 4PM.

Right from the flower arrangement, stage decoration, the food and up to the last toast, everything looked perfect for the most deserving couple. Though the weather outdoor was not perfect, inside it was more than perfect.

Both of them looked beautiful and cool. Especially when things kicked in high gear at the end, when everyone started dancing, the party went on till wee hours of the morning.

Congrats Sid and Sheila....

Sheila & Sid - A new begining

2007-05-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

It is highly unlikely that you go for the bride's marriage shoot, hired by the bride and find out that you are actually related to the groom. That's what happened in my case, when I went to Sheila's place yesterday evening. After getting to know the groom and talking at length with his father. I found out that, the groom's father and my mother-in-law are 1st cousins.

Its a small world!

It was a small get together, commencing the start of the marriage party. Both Sheila and Sid were very relaxed and were having lotsa fun and so did their friends. Here are a few photos from the party.

Photography is a Medium of Expression - A tribute to Henri Cartier Bresson

2007-05-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

My idol and my favorite photographer is the late Henri Cartier Bresson who once said "I was never interested in photography. It's instant drawing, that's all." The man who devised the "Decisive Moment" was a master in his ways. He used to say, "The photograph itself does'nt interest me, I only want to capture a minute part of reality".

In a day and age where the technology drives everything. I am still learning that Photography is simply a medium of expression. What interested me in HCB's work, was capturing the decisive moment. Knowing, Anticipating and capturing the moment. Photography is not about picture taking but capturing moments as it unfolds. Anticipation plays a big part of photography. Patience goes the extra mile of creating a master piece from the ordinary. You can experience the magic in HCB photos below. All of the photos are copyrighted by Henri Cartier Bresson.

Southern Short Course - A short Photo-Journalism course

2007-05-15T12:31:00.000-05:00

Photography by Justin Cook, UNC - Chapel Hill

I happened to find out about Southern Short Course by accident. I was researching about various Journalism Seminars and Workshops and came across them. So last year I decided to make a visit to Greenville, South Carolina to attend their Seminar. Boy O Boy, I was swept by the sheer energy and talent that this group brings. They have these seminars in one of the southern US cities, this year was in Chattanooga, TN

You can find Staff Photographers from Dallas Morning News, New York Times, Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, The Chicago Sun Times and many more. I met Pulitzer prize winning Photographers and students who had the passion and energy to be different.

The SSC consists of Seminars, little workshops, mini trade shows, on shoot competition and Photography Contents. I like the contests the most, you get to see the best pictures be compared and critiqued. You get to understand the story behind the pictures and WHY some made the cut in the final three and others did not. The good part is, you can talk to the photographer in person who took the picture. It is one thing to see a Pulitzer photograph and it is a totally different experience to meet the person who made the image. It is more than a good composition, technicality, artistry and style. It is about their vision and philosophy which makes the picture GREAT!!

Here are some of the prize winning photos from this year's competition.

Photography by John Pendygraft, St. Petersburg Times

Photography by James H. Kenney Jr., Western Kentucky University

Photography by Sam Dean, The Roanoke Times

One thing I like most about SSC is that they make you feel part of the same family.

I love you guys.....

See you in 2008

ThinkIndia Foundation, Dallas - A talented group of people

2007-05-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

I first saw the first ThinkIndia Foundation production called "Rangoli" in 2004. It was simply exceptional. The ThinkIndia Foundation is a non profit organization with a team of people in Dallas committed to raise funds for charity through fun filled and informative musical shows. These shows often depict the various aspects of India, its culture, its people and tradition. They pool in volunteers from all over the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex and produce the show. These shows are very well co-ordinate, organized, thought through and produced.

This time I had the pleasure to work with this team closely as I was the official photographer for the "Kohinoor - A priceless Legacy" event. I was also photographed their practices which gave me a glimpse in to the amount of fun they had while creating an awesome show. These folks are not only talented but also down to earth and make you feel like family.

So much looking forward to work with them again.....

War Photographer(DVD) - James Nachtwey

2007-05-03T22:31:00.000-05:00

This is one of the best photography documentary I have ever seen. I love photojournalism and this is as good as it gets. I love the story narration that this DVD succeeds in. James Nachtwey is the greatest ever to have photographed all the atrocities up close and personal. You can feel the pain, agony and raw human emotion in his photographs. He is right in the middle of shooting with mostly a wide angle just a few feet away from danger. It needs guts and commitment to do a job which has constant fear of getting killed.

I salute you.....James Nachtwey

You inspire me.

NorthLake Community College - My Photographic beginning

2007-05-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

I was introduced to photography by my dear friend Saurabh back in 2002. It was after playing around with his camera I bought my first Canon camera. After reading some photography books, I decided to join school to learn the right way. It was simply by accident that I decided to go to NorthLake Community College in Irving. This accident has been the best of my life so far. I have learned so much and I keep going there to learn more.

The folks down there are great. They make you feel like family and of course I have learnt a lot too.

This year we have started a NorthLake College Photo Club, we plan to have more fun through this club. Its nice, I have made new friends through this club and hope to get inspired by others work and share ideas.