Sunfeast 10K Marathon

Here’s my coverage of the Sunfeast 10K Marathon.

Senior Citizen’s run – Most of them were dressed up in yellow T-shirt with the word “Harmony” printed across.

The elite group finishing the run – Amazing, considering the finished the race at the same speed at which they started.  Apparently, they are used to run 40+ KM marathons.  This must have been a walk run in the park for them!



A few images from the special run. This part of the race was the most inspiring.

Start of another elite run? Not exactly sure.



Seniors finishing the race



Start of general run – Dude’s got cool hair style!

One the popular amateur photographers in Bangalore – PeeVee, a good friend, who ran for a cause:



iPods, sunglasses and caps galore!



Some of the women folk finishing



Audience

And here’s PeeVee finishing the run:

It was pretty awesome to see most of the folks who started the race finish with the same enthusiasm level.  Watching the race was an experience by itself, taking part in it would have been another.

Truly an inspiring experience.

All Rights Reserved. Images posted here should not be reproduced or published, either in part or in whole without the explicit written consent from the copyright owner. If you would like to use any of the photographs displayed here commercially or would like to use for any other use please do contact me by leaving a comment with your eMail ID (will not be published) and I will get back to you. Thanks

PS : Stealing images is bad, so please don’t do it.

PPS : If you are featured in any of the photographs, and want it to be removed, please let me know. (This doesn’t apply to you, PeeVee! You can sue me )

Review : Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 USM L IS

Most of the reviews of this beast (or beauty – depends on how you see this), on the net, are written by professionals, for professional. I am no professional, so if you intend to buy this lens, or even are thinking about something on this range – Read on.

Don’t get threatened by the long name of the lens – Now I’m assuming you’re shoot with a Canon system, because there is this lens is meant for canon users.
EF conveys that that the lens is compatible on a Full frame sensor or a 35 mm film camera. Effectively, on an APS-C sensor, you get the equivalent range of 160-640 mm without any degradation in quality or loss of f-stop. f/4.5 – 5.6 indicates the aperture varies from f/4.5 at 100mm to f/5.6 at 400mm. USM is the fast focusing motor from Canon, L denotes the luxury grade lens known for its ruggedness and quality of optics, and IS denotes that this lens comes with a built in stabilizer.

What’s in the box when you buy this lens :
1. Canon EF 100-400 lens
2. Lens Pouch – Not well padded, maybe good if you are storing the lens, carrying it around in a backpack.
3. Tripod Mount Collar – Thankfully, Canon decided to give this in the box.
4. Lens Hood – Plastic hood.

One of the first things that you will notice is the weight. At 1.3 KGs, its neither too heavy to handhold, nor exactly light for those migrating from the 300 mm range. Then you start fiddling with the lens, and you realize that the the push-pull design is confusing – it took me a while before I could figure out how to unlock the zoom mechanism. There are four buttons on the left of the lens – Auto/Manual focus toggle, Range limiter, IS On-off, IS Mode (Mode 1 stabilizes horizontal and vertical, Mode 2 stabilizes only vertical – useful when panning). Mount it on the camera, and jeez, that’s actually heavy. Viewfinder, half press of the shutter release button – surprise surprise! Focusing is fast (even on a entry level dSLR body), and for those migrating from non-IS lenses, you have to be blind to miss it, or maybe you didn’t turn the IS button on!

Now for the details – There is a lot of talk on sharpness, Image Stabilization and Image Quality. Apparently, there was a problem with sharpness in a few lenses that were manufactured earlier – If your copy is a recent one, you’ll most likely not notice this behavior. Older lenses were sharper at f/8 than f/5.6 – There are plenty of websites that tell you how to test sharpness. I’ve not noticed a difference in sharpness in the images at f/8 and at f/5.6. My copy of the lens has given me acceptable levels of sharpness.

Sharp enough?

Or How about this?

With respect to image quality, I don’t find issues with the lens. Color reproduction is excellent, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time processing the images for color. It also gives me a wonderful bokeh.

The Image Stabilizer on this lens is supposed to be a 1.5 generation stabilizer. I don’t use a tripod, so can’t say much about it’s use or behaviour when mounted on a tripod. There have been reports of erratic behaviour as the lens tries to stabilize movement when mounted on a tripod. From what I’ve used, the the stabilizer works very well when used handheld. I’ve been able to get shots at 1/25th of a second when shooting handheld.

The photo is a little cluttered, but the sharpness at 1/25th of a second speaks for itself

I primarily use this lens for bird / animal photographs. It is tough to get an image of a bird with a 400 mm lens that may not require cropping, but on following proper approach or if the bird is cooperative, you’ll be able to fill up the frame with an image of the bird.

The other huge concern is the push-pull design and mis-informed users. I’ve heard folks telling me that UV filter is a must as the lens has a push-pull mechanism – Something that I can not understand why. While it is unconventional, I’ve not noticed any increase in dust on the sensor than what it was before I picked up this lens. While I do agree that it does take a little bit of learning to understand the use correctly, and that if careless, the lens can snap if you have not tightened the zoom lock and point the lens down, or otherwise. So take care that the first thing that you do after you fix the lens at a specific focal length is to tighten the zoom lock.

It took me a while to get adjusted to the camera + lens weight combination. I’ve so far never used a tripod with this lens. I should say this lens has been my primary workhorse, and has helped me build up my arms.

Other alternatives if you’re considering this lens:
1. Canon EF 400 f/5.6 L USM – Lightweight, and a few have mentioned that this lens can focus faster than the 100-400. There is no IS though. Good lens for birding.
2. Canon EF 300 f/4 L USM IS – Another small lightweight lens. You can add a 1.4x TC and get 420 mm equivalent at f/5.6

Please note that though there are third party alternatives, I’m not suggesting any as I’m not sure how compatible they are with a full frame camera or with new cameras.

Things that I would like Canon to improve on for this :
1. Better hood – Metal hood would be much appreciated.
2. The zoom lock merges with the focusing ring – This creates a lot of problems when trying to operate the zoom lock with one hand. I’m surprised that very few people have mentioned this.

In conclusion, does the price tag of this beast justify it’s performance? I’d say yes, this is one of the best lenses in the range. If you’re still thinking about making a decision, here are some images that could help you.

PS : I’m thinking of converting this into a website to share information on photography – Tips, tricks that I know of, along with some equipment reviews.

PPS : I’d originally written this for Chitra’s blog

Report : Bangalore Bird Race 2009

A few weeks back, Sudhansu Nayak, a person whom I met a few months back because of a common passion we share – Photography, informed me about an event – It was called “Bird Race” and was to be conducted in January 2009. I had no ideas what this meant, and decided to dig the dirt out – The bird race is an all day event, the objective is to go around Bangalore (no restrictions on type of transport) and spot birds, mark them in a log-book provided. The bird race starts at 6 AM, and we are supposed to submit out finds at the venue by 5:30 PM. Judges take a sometime to go through the logs, and decide the winner. This is one race that I didn’t even think of winning – the entire aspect of going out, watching birds for an entire day sounded very intersting, and I jumped in right away. Without second thoughts, we decided to pull in Mallik and Amit Mitra, two very well known and respected bird photographers. I and Sudhansu are relatively new comers to serious birding – Mallik and Amit are very well known by most of the bird photographers in Bangalore. So we were heavily banking on their experience and ability to ID birds.

So, with our team all formed up, Sudhansu came up with the team name “Albatross”, and we were all set to go. Well, almost all set to go.

And now, the report of the D-Day:

Bird Race 2009, Bangalore was scheduled on January 18th. Co-ordinating and planning mostly over phone and eMails (which can be very confusing for a few people like me), we decided to do a dry run of our planned places on January 17th, which basically involved visiting the scheduled places and checking them out for birds, and also the estimated time to get from one place to another. This didn’t work out, owing to different reasons. Sudhansu had to visit Nanadi Hills anyway – A famous ornithologist from Bangalore was taking folks from his work place around to show them the birds there. I and Mallik decided that we will scout different areas and check for the availability of birds (I ventured into Kanakpura Road area – Details on this on a later post). Finally, on the night of the 17th, all of us decided that Nandi Hills should be our primary spot due to the bio-diversity of the place.

January 18 : All of us met at Sudhansu’s place early in the morning, and we were off to Nandi Hills. Amit is familiar with the Nandi Hills area, as he photographs very often. On the way, stopped for tea near Devanhalli, and marked off a few birds immediately – Common crow, Cattle Egret, Indian Pond Heron, Purple Rumped Sunbird, Indian Robin, Common Mynah. At the foothill, we spotted a small lake with a couple of egrets sitting around – decided to stop the car and venture out. We ended up with a around 10 species of birds including barn swallows, sandpiper, lapwing. Looking at the birds there, most of us had a big problem – our photographer instincts kicked in, and everyone of us started snapping photographs of a lovely sandpiper. The foothills is very diverse – with birds like Sky Lark, varieties of Shrikes, Indian Roller, Green Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Bee Eaters, Laughing Dove to name a few. It took a while to realize that we were there for the competition and not for photographs. So, we decided to keep photographs to a minimum and use the cameras and lenses for “record shots” – proof that we had actually spotted the bird, in case questioned.

At the top of Nandi Hills, we spooted almost every bird that was documented to be seen there – Orange Thrush, Blue Capped Thrush, Oriental White Eye, Bush chat, Common Buzzard, Oriental Honey Buzzard, and our bird of the day – The Asian Paradise Fly Catcher. The only bird we missed was the Nilgiri Wood Pigeon. Had breakfast there, met up with fellow competitors, and continued. I was quite surprised at the diversity of birds that could be found there – I’ll never forget the Oriental White Eye – I’d always been thinking that the bird was a larger one – till I actually saw it. Very cute, very small – I don’t think I’ll forget its call easily. I’ve seen the Asian Paradise Fly Catcher before, and it’s one beautiful bird – Amit was the one who spotted it, and it ended up with me, Mallik and Sudhansu running behind the bird to get more than “record shots”. Once we were convinced that we wouldn’t be able to find more birds, we left Nandi Hills, and on the way, ticked off a few more birds from the checklist. Stopped to buy grapes – what’s visiting Nandi Hills without getting some grapes?

Next stop – Jakkur Lake. I’d never even known that Jakkur had a lake. Ticked off a few more species – Purple Heron, Purple Moorhen (Purple Swamphen), Little Grebe, Common Coot. Hebbal was a disappointment – We managed to scare away a Purple Heron (accidentally) and get some beautiful photos of the Grey Heron. We also saw a couple of Lapwings who weren’t that scared of our relatively larger camera equipment (Details on that later). Recently, Hessarghatta lake has been home to a lot of raptors, and so, off we went to wards Hessarghatta. Stopped for lunch on the way, and braving all traffic jams, we were off. Amit mentioned that whenever one saw and photographed a Common Buzzard at Nandi Hills, he was bound to be pulled over by the cops – it’d happened to him, and a friend. Fortunately, that didn’t happen this time.

Hessarghatta was another disappointment, with very few birds visible. Mallik and Sudhansu noticed that there was a car closer to the lake shores, and we aksed a few kids who were awing our gear how to get there – They were only too happy to help us. We eneded up there, to spot some pipits and stalked some buntings. Laid flat on the ground at a distance of less than 3 metres away from two buntings that were busy searching for food – got some shots, before the buntings decided that they had to fly away.

It was almost 4:30, and we had to back at Manipal center by 5:30. Sudhansu decided to take up driving activities. If there’s one thing Sudhansu can do better than photography – It’s his driving ability. I was in the front seat, next to him, closing my eyes for a nap at times, but my hand could never let go of the camera on my lap, or the hand rest. We were there on time, with our total count to a mere 67 birds – something that Amit was very disappointed with. I was happy because I got to see and identify more birds that I’d normally spot over a month’s time. At the venue, we met up with folks who were much elder to us, seasoned bird spotters, and knew all the areas and tricks of the trade. We knew we didn’t make it, for the three teams that had reported before us had respectable totals of more birds. We didn’t stay back for the prize distribution ceremony, as we were only too tired. I read that the team that won had been to Nandi Hills, probably much earlier than we did – Their total also stood at a respectable 145 birds, with the first and second runners up totaling to an impressive 130+ birds.

We missed out on a lot of birds that are found in abundance – Greater Coucal (none spotted!), Painted Stork, Spot Billed Pelican, and a lot of other birds. I guess taking part in the competition has only opened the door – Energy draining, and taxing, but worth it. It was a fantastic experience to be with these folks and do what all of us liked to do most – spot birds.

A few links :
More information on India Bird Races

Sudhansu’s photo gallery – Sudhansu is very varied when it comes to photography – From Streets of Bangalore to birding in Jungles of Bannerghatta, he photographs everything that appeals to him!

Amit Mitra – Amit is also on India Nature Watch – He is one of the most respected bird photographers in Bangalore

Mallik – Another respected bird photographer in Bangalore – A long time photographer, Mallik’s photographs speak for themselves

Niranj – A newbie to bird photography – Something that I don’t intend to give up for now

Gear Information
Sudhansu : Canon EOS 40D, Canon EF 70-200 f/4 L USM IS
Amit Mitra : Nikon D70s, Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG HSM, Sigma 2x Teleconverter
Mallik : Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF 400 f/5.6 L USM, Tamron 1.4x Teleconverter, Kenko 1.4x Teleconverter
Niranj : Canon EOS 350D, Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L USM IS

PS: Photographs from this event, if any *good* ones are found, will be added later. I am too tired to get them out of the camera right now.

Around Bangalore : Bannerghatta National Park

Have been thinking of reviving this blog, and it struck to me that I could add trip reports of places I’ve been visiting – Most of these places are around Bangalore – of course, there are exceptions, but very rare. And of course, once in a while, you’ll get the usual rambling from me.

To start with, let me write about one of the attractions, closest by distance to Bangalore – Bannerghatta National Park.

Located at a distance of around 30 KMs from Bangalore, Bannerghatta National Park is probably the closest weekend getaway for most of the folks – For a nature lover, it can’t get better than this.

Getting there : Very simple, take the Bannerghatta Road. The offshoot from Hosur Road, will take you through Dairy Circle Underpass, Shopper’s Stop, IIM, Meenakshi Temple and continue straight on the road – Plenty of route markers to give you directions, and there’re plenty of people to help you with the route. Spoiler – asking anyone on the road would yield the same answer – “Seedha” (Straight, in the local language) or “Straight”. The only time you may probably need help is at Bannerghatta, where there’s an easy to miss direction board – The board is fading. At the junction, the road splits into three different off-shoots – Keep going straight – The road isn’t good though. Take a diversion immediately to the left, and continue on the road that takes you close to the hill. This beaten road will take you to the National Park. Alternatively, you can take the Volvo buses (I saw them standing at the entrance of the park) operated by KSTDC. Traffic is not normally a problem if you start early. There are plenty of good restaurants on Bannerghatta Road to grab breakfast – Sri Krishna Cafe (opposite to IIM), Adigas to name a few.

Parking a vehicle isn’t a problem – You’ll have to pay for parking though.

What to do : As I’m aware of, there are three things to look forward to at the National Park.
1. Zoo (Opens at 9 AM)
2. Safari (First van at 10 AM)
3. Butterfly Park (Probably 9 AM)

A variety of safaris are available – You can choose the animals that you’d like to see and decide the safari that you’d like to go for. There’s the Herbivore Safari, the Bear Safari, the Grand Safari – to name a few. Alternatively, if you are in a group of 10 or more people, at Rs. 35 per person, you can take a guided walking tour of the herbivore area for an hour.

The following schedule is based on you entering the park at 9 AM – Depending on the distance, you can decide when to start.

For those who’ve decided to take the safari, pick up the tickets to your choice of safari – My suggestion would be the Grand Safari – this is the king of all safaris – and includes everything on the menu – Herbivores, lions, bears, tigers. If you buy tickets to the safari, you don’t have to buy tickets to the zoo separately. If you aren’t interested in the safari, the tickets to enter the zoo have to be bought separately. On a holiday, the price of tickets for the safari is higher, and it’s more expensive for a non-Indian citizen to get in. Cameras are allowed to be carried in, at an extra charge.

In the zoo, there is huge variety of animals and birds to look around – Star Turtles, Geese, Snakes (Python, cobra, rat-snake to name a few), pigeons (varieties and varieties of them – I didn’t know there were so many!), parakeets, finches, porcupines, foxes, zebras, panthers, crocodiles, alligators, deers, emus, elephants, peacocks, langurs, macaques, malabar red – squirrel, horn-bills, pheasants, hippos to name a few. There is a huge aviary with a lot of water birds – herons, pelicans, painted storks. So choose your pick. There’s a little bit of everything for all kinds of nature lover. Apart from the birds and animals on display, the zoo premises also serves as a habitat for a variety of other visiting birds such as kites, sandpipers, herons. (Please note that the animals and birds in exhibition are kept in protected enclosures – while one may not appreciate this, this is a zoo – it is what it is).

Once done with the zoo, you can proceed to the area where they queue up people to board the safari vans. These have grills so that it is difficult for an animal to come in, or a person in the van to jump out. The safari will take you through all the areas that sections of the park where they have the animals in controlled environments. On each occasion I visited the park, I found the drivers and the helpers very co-operative – They stop for reasonable time, very close to the subject, and guide the people very well. They even kill the engine (without people asking for) so that getting photographs is not that much of a pain (if on idling, the vibrations can play mess up good shots). One gets to see a variety of animals during this safari – Nilgai, Sambar deers, Crocodile (if lucky), lions, tigers, white tigers, bears to mention a few. The van takes you through curving roads which are difficult to remember and recollect – each enclosure is securely protected with double gates, that are carefully operated. It takes about an hour’s time to finish the safari.

Once done, they halt the vehicle outside of the zoo, and you can use this time to refresh yourself with a cold-drink or snacks – Plenty of options to choose from. From Lay’s chips to our famous boiled and salted corn – everything’s available.

Butterfly park is a about half a kilometer away – You’ll have to walk all the way. There is a separate entry fee (cameras extra) for the butterfly park. As you’ll see, it’s a rather large room filled with plants. It’s very easy to miss the butterflies. By the way, take care of those kids if you’re taking any along – they tend to get excited at the sight of a butterfly and start catching them – Also watch your step – some of the butterflies sit on the ground – you may end up trampling one unintentionally. The room is humid, and the more time you spend there, the more you will sweat. I have seen various varieties of butterflies here – Common Tiger, Striped Tiger, Common Rose, Crimson Rose, Common Mormon, Blue Mormon, Common Crow, Common Castor to name a few. Best season to visit would be during summer, when I was told that maximum numbers would be available. Butterflies are categorized to areas based on the flowers they feed from. And if you love flowers, you just found one more reason to visit the butterfly park.

Food : Not a problem – Jungle Lodges and Restaurants has a decent restaurant – provides a good meal for lunch – Friendly waiters.

Restrooms :
1. Pay and use – at the zoo
2. Available at Jungle Lodges restaurant – very neatly maintained.

Suggested itinerary :
* Reach the park by 8:45 AM
* Take tickets for the safari – enter the zoo and look around.
* Take the safari area by 10:30 / 11 AM.
* Back near the restaurant by 11:30/12 AM – early lunch, relax.
* Butterfly park at 1 PM – How much time you want to spend there is your decision.

I have been told that taking the safari at 10:30 / 11 AM might be a bad idea as the animals are not active – I’ve taken it at all times from 10 AM – animals kept in controlled environments aren’t exactly active – They will be idling around most of the time – If you expect to see tiger / cheetah chasing a herbivore, you came to the wrong place.

Tips :
* This is a no plastic zone.
* Do not feed the animals.
* Do not tease the animals.
* Do not litter
* Please take care if kids are around – keep them within control
* If you have a baby (< 2 years), avoid the safaris – though it is nice to let the kid look at the Animal Kingdom, there is a good chance that if the kid starts to cry, it can disturb other passengers, or animals at the park.
* Avoid making loud noises.
* Everyone needs a chance to look at the animals during the safari – be courteous and allow fellow passengers to get value for the money that they’ve paid too – Of course, don’t let them hog your space.

Around Bannerghatta National Park :
* Bannerghatta town has a beautiful temple – ask for directions and ye shall find where it is.

If you have any specific queries, or want more details, leave a comment with a valid eMail ID, I will write back to you.

Visitors at Lalbagh..

My boss at work told me that there were some Spot-Billed Pelicans at Lalbagh – She’d read it on an article in “The Hidnu” (probably Monday). That piped up my interest.

Visitors at Lalbagh.., originally uploaded by Jnarin.

I’ve seen them before, but this time, it was special. The Pelican(s) posed wonderfully, and I even got to see one of them fish – I was too busy watching it that I forgot to get a shot. They are a little wary of humans, but I guess that’s natural.

Beautiful bird – They’re at the lake in the mornings, go with some bread crumbs. When you throw the bread crumbs, they slowly approach you – No, they don’t eat the bread. The fish pop out and Mr Pelican here pops the fish. Innovative way of fishing. You will also find Cormorants and Egrets around.

Happy Birthday…

..to me!

The Telephone Call

Call No. 1

[Phone rings, and I see a number from Mumbai]
Me : Hello
Caller : Good Afternoon Sir! I’m calling on behalf of [My ISP]. I’m calling from [Some online gaming company]. Can I have a few minutes of your time?
Me : I’m in a meeting right now, can you call me after an hour?
Caller : Yes Sir!
[Hang up]

Call No. 2 (After a couple of hours)
[Phone rings, and I see a number from Mumbai]
Me : Hello
Caller : Good Afternoon Sir! I’m calling on behalf of [My ISP]. I’m calling from [Some online gaming company]. Can I have a few minutes of your time?
Me : Yes, I remember you had called me a few hours ago – I remember. What can I do for you?
Caller : Sir?
Me : Yes?
Caller : OK Sir
[He hangs up]

I’m confused – was there something wrong? *Scratches head*

On The Streets – Gandhi Bazaar

Ganesha Chaturthy Shoot @ Gandhi Bazar

I have to say today was something to remember. I’ve been very interested in street photography, but something stopped me from getting into it. Sanju called me yesterday night at around 11 PM and informed me that there will be a BWS(Bangalore Weekend Shoots – A group on Flickr) meet @ Gandhi Bazaar. I checked the thread, and confirmed my attendance. Come today morning, wake up, check the weather. It’s a wee bit cloudy, and with a mild drizzle, but he manages to convince me into going. We synced up at Airport Road, and proceeded towards Residency Road. On the way, the clouds pour out, and we got totally drenched. Halted near Command Hospital, Sanju calls Peevee to find out that he ran off to Chennai We make up our minds to go ahead. Rain slows down, and off we go again. Since neither of us was familiar with the location, we find it after a couple of inquiries. It’s half psat seven, and there’s no one at Vidyarthi Bhavan. We decide to have breakfast. In the mean time, Dennis Zach gets Sanju’s number from Peevee, and gives him a call. He walks into Vidyarthi Bhavan, and after exchanging pleasantries, and finishing off the breakfast, we get onto the streets. It’s not raining as badly as it was before. We wait for a few minutes, and then start to walk. When the rain slows down, Sanju tells us that he’s going in and walks off with his camera. His action inspires all of us, and both of us decide that we’ll not miss the action. Well, the rest of the report, is below. Somewhere in between, Jyoti also joined us, but we lost track of her after a while.

Elderly gentleman at a Garland shop:

A Young Girl: Sanju was busy taking shots of this girl. She was looking at him, and her mom’s orange dress made a perfect backdrop. Click!

Gentleman at Ganesha Idol shop: Sanju and Dennis had walked in and started shooting the idols. I was outside getting some shots of this man. He asked me to come inside and get some photos of the idols he had. BTW, the first shot was from his shop.

Fresh roses:

Some more decorative artifacts:

Vegetable Vendor:

Mr. Dennis:

Father and Son : My favorite shot in this series.

Puncher / Pancher / Panchor Shop:

Ideas for Headgear Manufacturers:

Young Girl on the streets : Sanju was busy on the left getting shots – The child was distracted by Sanju – I got my chance to get a candid.

Woman with Bindi : Off all things, her large bindi stood out.

Girl in Tears: A pretty girl in yellow dress, just about to break into tears. Please note, I didn’t have anything to do with her crying.

Florist : He was fast, and was getting the flowers into the required layout very quickly.

World Champion: He finished his talk on the mobile, he and his few friends approached me and spoke to me for a few minutes (I speak broken Kannada – One of them translated it to a language I know better). I showed them the photos that I’d got since morning. He asked me to come over for the special lunch for Ganesha Chaturthi at his home. I couldn’t make it though.

Tying a Knot : She was fast, very fast. With constant interruptions, I had quite a bit of trouble getting the shot.

Man in helmet with an Umbrella:

Florist from across the road:

And the last of the series : This cute kid in the car was staring at me, as I got this pic, he waved goodbye to me.

This was my first attempt at street photography – I had some issues with framing, as clearly visible in almost all of the photographs. I was not prepared for the speed at which I had to complete composing, and getting the shot on time. It was a challenge, and I hope to get better as time progresses. All shots are right out of the camera with no processing done.

No, I’m not turning this into a photoblog. I want to improve my writing skills, and photography skills. Hopefully, I’d be able to write what I see – I’d rather want the photo to speak for itself though.

Frames of Mind 2008

Bangalore Photography Club (BPC) will be organizing their third annual exhibition – Frames of Mind on 29, 30 and 31st of August. I was part of the group that attended the kick-off meeting in the early hours of Saturday, when most of Bangalore was asleep. Initially decided to meet @ India Coffee House, but since it wasn’t open at that time, decided to shift the party to Airlines Hotel. I didn’t get to see the photographs that made it to the exhibition, as they being framed. However, I did get to see the photos that didn’t make it, and I was spell bound. Some of them are shot by normal folks – people like you or me, and were left me with my mouth wide open for sometime. Do attend on any of the days. I’ll be there too – so leave a comment if you’d like to sync up.

Do spread the word around. There might be some photography workshops by professional photographers if everything works out well – Dates and time of which even I’m not aware of – Will update as and when I get the information.

Breakfast at MTR

One of the oldest joints in Bangalore – I was at Lalbagh with a friend in the early morning hours last Saturday, and both agreed to hog at MTR (Mavalli Tiffin Rooms) – It is one of the most highly rated (vegetarian) restaurants in Bangalore.

We didn’t have a reservation, but still decided to give it a shot. Went in, and the person who was allocating tables told us that it would take around half an hour. No problems, we were prepared to wait. After all, the place was supposed to be the best. In about twenty minutes, we were called in. I was happy – we managed to get a table before the mentioned time. Now we sit down, and wait. Five minutes, no one to take the order. I start to look around to see if I can grab someone’s attention to get them to take the order. No one cares. Impatience sets in. Waiter comes after 10 minutes, and tells us curtly “No idlis – Only dosa and khara-bath”. Not wanting to wait longer, both order Masala Dosa.

10 minutes passes by, then 20. There’s no sign of the waiter who took the order. A good half an hour later, he brings us two plates of idlis. We tell him this is not what we ordered. He takes it back, and we wait another 20 minutes for the waiter to get our dosas. All over, people who have come in after us have got their food. We haven’t. I was about to leave the place when finally the food came.

The dosas were smaller than the conventional hotel dosas, and somehow, I really couldn’t enjoy the taste – Or maybe, they weren’t that special after all. I mean, waiting for close to one hour to eat a masala dosa that was meant to taste like heaven – somehow, the whole thing didn’t work out for me.

Since I had no clues about the size of the dosas, I was still hungry. Ended up ordering khara-bath, and that ensured that we had to wait for another 20 minutes before we got the food. Coffee took another 10 minutes – Payment was quick though.

When my friend tried to tell the manager what happened, all he got was a mean – “It will take time. Food will be served late”.

Oh great! There’s one place that I will never visit, unless I’m out of options. I’d rather go somewhere else for food. But really, does it make a difference to them? If they cared about customers, at least someone would have apologized for taking one hour to get us our masala dosa, and half an hour for the khara-bath.

For all those who think the place is divine and makes heavenly food – it’s not. You can get better food and a lot better service at a lot of other restaurants. Apart from curt waiters, and mean managers, and a lot of time taken for the food to be served, which really ruins the experience of eating there, this restaurant has nothing to offer. Maybe it holds value for people who’ve been around the place for a long time, it holds no value for a hungry customer.

Post ends there. Search engine spamming starts:

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