Unexpected View

It started raining very early in the morning and the rain showed no signs of stopping so I thought it would go one for a day or two.

Surprisingly it stopped in the afternoon and the sky began to clear. I hoped for another amazing sunset and God gave us a really amazing sunset.

I was on the terrace for nearly two hours just watching, taking pictures and listening to music. It was so beautiful at times that I would forget to take a picture because I just loved the view.

I did manage to get a few pictures but they didn't turn out quite the way I had expected but I still like them.

Today was another one of those days when there were really dark clouds in the sky yet the sky was blue. People say this is unusual and pictures that capture this are fake but I disagree because I've seen this happen so many times before.

Victors

I noticed this Oriental Garden Lizard on a metal fence one morning so I ran back home to grab the camera and take a few pictures.

When I got back it was still there but so were two more male lizards - fighting! Now I know these lizards will protect their territory fiercely but I've never actually seen two lizards fight. I tried my best to get a few pictures but they were all over the place so it was tough. I'll share a few pictures soon. I still have to pick the best one.

After the fight the victor went and joined the lizard that was already on the fence and stay close to him. Maybe they thought the fence was some kind of podium :P

Anyway that was quite the experience and that be to God for that and also for the pictures that I was able to take :)

Drama In The Sky

Before I attach today's picture I just want to thank you all for all your support and help, feedback and the amazing response. I really appreciate it all and am really grateful :)

I took this picture just as the sun was setting behind the clouds. I know the colours look a bit off but I assure you that these colours are 100% natural and authentic. I made no adjustments to the colour.

All I did was amp up the contrast and I must admit that I was pretty surprised too. I could see all this in real life but didn't expect the camera to pick up so much detail. It just blew me away...the sunset, that is, not the strong wind that was also blowing.

Hope you all have a great weekend ahead! :)

A Statuette

I must say that this picture was somewhat unexpected. I didn't expect to see an Oriental Garden Lizard on the wall that day simply because I was in a rush to get to college and I didn't think I had time for much else...until I actually saw this beautiful creature sitting on the wall.

I just had to grab the camera and get a few shots. I always thank God for these shots (or any other shot for that matter) for two reasons - first He created these beautiful creatures and second they stay there without getting spooked when they don't have any reason not to be spooked. I owe it to Him.

So I grabbed the camera and thankfully it was still on the wall unlike so many times before when they'd run off within the few minutes it would take me to get the camera out.

For some reason the camera had a really difficult time focusing and I had to throw away quite a few shots. This is surprising because the auto-focus on the SX50 is usually spot-on in bright daylight. Anyway, this was on the better shots where the eyes were in focus. I've said this before and I'll say it again, 9 times out of 10 getting the eyes in focus is very important.

Sky Glory

We've had some pretty awesome sunsets this year and so I've been able to get some really cool shots.

I have God to thank for that :)

I had to put this image through photoshop because the image SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) wasn't really what I had seen. It just didn't capture the beauty of the sunset that evening.

I increased the contrast a lot then used the Dodge and Burn tools to bring out the detail in the shadows and highlights respectively. It was only after a minute of using these tools that I was satisfied with how it turned out because this image just gives you a glimpse at the stunning sunset that evening.

The real sunset was way more beautiful and surreal. The colours were really dramatic.

Which brings me to another thing...someone asked me how I'd retained only the yellow in yesterday's picture and removed all the other colours. Simply - I didn't. Yes, you read that right. The colours are all natural. No adding or removing of any colours at all. That's just how beautiful and stunning the sunset was and I'm glad you all enjoyed it too :)

Bursting Forth

We had a pretty nice sunset yesterday. I wasn't sure if my camera (or rather my dad's) would be able to pick up all the colours but I must admit I am pretty happy with the result.

Of course the dynamic range isn't great and I would have loved some detail in the ground as well but nothing is ever perfect so I'm pleased with the final result.

For some reason Photoshop won't let me save this image citing a "program error" so I could only save a compressed version. I'll have to re-process this image later on. It's probably because I have a really slow laptop now but that's ok. I love this image and I wouldn't mind having a second go at it :D

Supermoon 2013

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know everyone is putting up pictures of the supermoon but trust me this is going to be different. "How?" You ask? Well simply because the moon was behind clouds for most the night so getting a clear shot of the moon was nigh impossible.

But I did manage to get some cool self portraits done.

I know I've always said that the SX50 HS is really bad for night photography and I'll stick to that statement. I would have preferred a better camera but you work with what you have so I tried to make the most of last night.

The moon did manage to steer clear of the clouds for a while yesterday and I did get some good details but I'm not going to share that today. The SX50 is perfect for close-up detail shots though.

I wanted to get the entire scene in focus (me included) but that was going to be impossible with the highest f-stop on the SX50 i.e. f8. Plus stopping down to f8 meant that I would get a relatively dark picture which is not what I was going for. I wish I could amp up the ISO but I can't so I had to deal with that.

These are just two of the pictures I took yesterday. I took loads more but I liked these two. As for the light on my arm - that's a torch. I used one of my slippers (flip-flops) to balance it on a brick so that it was shining on me the entire time.

Hopefully I'll have a better camera during the next supermoon.

Contemplating

This little fellow somehow managed to find his way into our house one evening. Unfortunately for him, we had a few guests over and they were spooked!

I managed to grab it with a small soft towel and then left it out in the garden.

It hopped for a few feet before coming to a complete stop (probably because of the torch light). It stayed there for a few minutes as if contemplating its next move. It then jumped some more and enjoyed a few insects that were attracted to the light.

This proved to be a good photo opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn't even attempt to eat one single insect once I got the camera out but I quite like this picture.

A Curious Visitor

This is a break from landscape/skyscape pictures. Don't get me wrong...I love those but I just thought I'd introduce you to a visitor.

Early one morning the guard came with a stick and something on it. I rushed out with a camera because I knew it was something living. I was not prepared for what I saw. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine coming across a terrapin under such circumstances.

My Dad, on the other hand, was not surprised. He said that these creatures are very common here and he knew a guy who used to regularly eat terrapins and tortoises that he caught locally.

I'd never seen a terrapin before so I was really excited. My grandmother was there with us and she proceeded to wash the dirt off this cute little creature with water and then it was brought inside the house. We did this because we knew we couldn't let it out as there were loads of people who eat just about anything that moves.

The nose reminded me of a certain terminal of a charger. The eyes reminded me of a particular bird...it looks exactly the same!
I really liked it's feet (or whatever they are called).

The plan was to set it free in a stream near our house, the following day. We ended up keeping for two days and then I took it to the stream in a bucket and kept it ever so gently on the bank. Boy! you should have seen it go. It must have smelled the water and must have been excited to be free once again. For some reason that actually made me smile and made me happy :D

When I turned around there were a few men there who wanted to know what that creature was. I was later informed that those people apparently eat these. I'm glad I was able to let it free :)

His Strength Is In The Clouds

Today's title is taken from Psalm 68: 34 which says "Ascribe Strength to God; His excellence is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds."

I'm not going to go on and on about how beautiful sunsets are because I think you have already got that from the pictures that I've been posting.

We haven't had a good sunset for over a week now and that is a little disappointing. But I didn't get some great shots of an Oriental Garden Lizard today morning so that was really good. I'll share that sometime soon so stay tuned.

Have a great weekend! Don't forget the super-moon on 23rd. I hope the skies are not cloudy because I intend to get some good shots.

This is going to be my new cover pic on Fb.

The Final Peek

I think you are all tired by the number of times I mention that I love the clouds at sunset - the ever changing colours and shapes. I just love them. But that's not all.

Every once in a while I like to zoom in and just capture the ball of fire as it sets. This is where the superzoom SX50 comes in real handy.

This particular picture was taken on the same day as yesterday's picture. If you look carefully at yesterday's picture you'll notice this scene at the bottom. Isn't it beautiful. The finer things do have their own beauty.

He Covers The Heavens With Clouds

This was the most recent sunset I photographed. Actually, it's the last dramatic sunset we've had here in almost a week.

The skies have been overcast for a long time now and so we haven't even been able to get a glimpse of the sun setting behind the hills.

On the bright side, the last few times we've seen the sunset it's been really majestic and insanely beautiful!

Today's title was taken from Psalm 147: 8

The Heavens Declare The Glory Of God

I couldn't get enough of the sunset that day and so I just went on taking pictures until it was too dark to take any more pictures.

I would have loved to take a few shots of the stars peeking out from behind the clouds but the Canon SX50 HS is definitely NOT a good camera for night photography.

Anyway I wanted to try a panorama which I haven't stitched yet but I'd like to share one of the shots I took which is not vertical.

Oh, and today's caption/title is taken from Psalm 19:1 :)

The Beauty Of The Skies

Today's is another landscape photograph.

I really need to find a better vantage point to get a better view and thus to get better pictures. I can't take them from the ground level because I'd get 90% buildings and 10% sky which doesn't really work out well when my main subject is the sky.

I try to keep things different by adding varying amounts of foreground elements in the frame. I tried it with this picture mainly because of the reflections on the water.

Like A Mural

I'll be sharing landscape pictures for a few days now so stay tuned for some spectacular sunsets.

I processed this image in two different ways. I particularly liked this version because it looks like a mural.

It's probably just me who thinks that way but it is still beautiful so I just thought I'd share it with you all.

Hope you've had a nice weekend.

Also Happy Father's Day! :)

A Masterpiece

When I say "masterpiece" I'm not really referring to the picture so much as I am the actual sunset.

I really love sunsets, especially ones that are really dramatic. Of course those aren't very common here so it is always a treat when there are clouds in the sky that change colour as the sun sets.

It seems like God is painting and re-painting it every minute to produce thousands of masterpieces each evening.

After The Storm

After the storm...a beautiful sunset :D

I like when the clouds are clearing after a storm and the sun is setting behind them. The colours are unmatched and are always different. The clouds just add to the drama.

I've honestly spent many hours up on the terrace just watching the sky as the sun sets. It is mesmerizing. I'm also sure that there are tons of others who do the same ;)

I'm not saying that sunsets without clouds are not beautiful...they are. It's just that the clouds make is so much more beautiful.

The Skies Around Us

Is the sky really around us? Not really, right? It's way, way, way up there. So then why does today's title read "The Skies Around Us". I'll explain that as soon as I show you the picture because let's be honest - most come here for the picture and not for some boring words from me.

I'm guessing you already know the reason, now that you've seen the picture. I went up to take a few pictures of the sunset and I couldn't help but notice the clouds that were just below that little (ok it isn't really "little" when you're are close to it) tower and then there were clouds above it as well, as if they were slowing engulfing the tower.

The clouds soon hid that tower from view, but not before I had taken this picture.

I must admit that I had to play around with a few sliders in Photoshop in order to get the picture to look even remotely like the real scene which I had witnessed.

Bearing Fruit

Yes, yeah. I know that's another cheesy title/caption for today's picture but I don't really bother about that too much.

Remember the "Bony Fingers" post? Well this is a picture of another branch of the same tree, taken on the same day. The "bony fingers" didn't have fruits but this one did.

The fruits aren't really popular here and most people don't even know that they are edible but once they get hooked onto these fruits they just go and finish them all :D

Sinister Smile

We get a lot of frogs here so a picture of frog shouldn't me much of a problem right? Not really. For some reason the frogs here are super shy and a co-operative specimen is a rare find.

So I was happy when this little fellow decided that he would sit perfectly still while I went and grabbed the camera and a torch and then took a few pictures of it. I have God to thank for that :D

Plus the frog seemed to be literally smiling which was an added bonus. Next time I see this frog I'll let it know that it is now famous :D

I used the torch to light the frog up because it was really dark and I knew from past experience that the camera would have a problem auto-focusing. With the help of the torch the camera had no problem focusing and once I had locked the focus (by switching to Manual Focus) I switched the torch off and then took a few pictures using the built-in flash.

If you have an external flash then I would highly recommend that because the built-in flash gives out a really harsh light that sometimes ruins an otherwise perfect picture.

Through The Trees

I see this tower everyday and it never seemed special in any way. On this particular day I went up to the terrace to shoot the sunset and I did get a few good pictures but I noticed the clouds right behind me were pretty interesting so I wanted to take pictures of them as well.

Placing the tower in the frame just made the picture look better for some reason but then I walked towards the right and I saw this particular scene. The tower through the trees. Although I go to the terrace a lot I've never really seen this before so to me it was interesting and I wouldn't let it go.

It turned out pretty well, IMO.

Hope you all had a great weekend :)

Reaching Out

This is a shot of another branch from the same tree that I shared yesterday.

To me it looks like this is trying to reach out to the sky or is calling out to some insects or creatures to come and rest. Or maybe it's just my hyperactive imagination.

Well at least a lowly fly heard and responded to the call and is now resting on the branch.

Bony Fingers

Sometimes the most mundane things can stand out because of something else.

Case in point - today's picture. There are these plants in our garden that have leaves like palm trees and have these tiny fruit that is 90% seed, 8% outer covering and only 2% sweet nectar. The branches on which these fruits grow only appear just before the buds come. Honestly, I hadn't given these branches a second glance because I was more interested in photographing the bees and insects that were attracted to the flowers and fruits so I got a new perspective one day when the sun was setting behind an overcast sky thus giving it a warm glow.

To me the branches looked that the fingers of a skeleton reaching out and beckoning to something on the ground. So the sky enabled me to see this in a new way.

A King In Its Own Right

Have I ever told you that Oriental Garden Lizard's are really territorial? They will really go out of their way to defend their territory. So, if you are an intruder - BEWARE!

These lizards will give you a warning though, so be on the lookout if you are a trespassing male lizard. The males will do these little "push-ups" to warn another intruding male. If that intruder doesn't back off then they'll hash it out.

I always look out for such things because if I notice one lizard doing "push-ups" then I know there is another lizard nearby and that means more photo ops that I can't miss :D So, these creatures can actually be an asset to you.

Evening Call

I watched as two birds built their nest but it was a little too high so I knew I wouldn't be getting any pictures of the cute babies that would hatch soon. But one can always hope and I kept watching this nest everyday.

Sure enough I saw one of the baby birds one day but I didn't have a camera then so I just stood there enjoying the cute little thing.

Days later I saw this little birds sitting on the branch and calling out to its parents. I wonder whether it was calling for food or trying to draw their attention to the human with the weird looking "third eye". Or maybe it was a combination of both.

The sun was bright in the sky and as I mentioned in an earlier post - sunlight is not something that you have control over so you have to work with what you get.

Bugged

This again is one of the first 10 pictures I took when I got the camera back.

This little beetle was really busy. I don't really know what it was upto because I'm not sure whether beetles drink nectar or eat flowers. Do they?

It was gloomy day and thus the light was diffused which is pretty good for macro photography but since it was late in the evening the level of light was pretty low. I don't really like to use the built-in flash for macro shots because it produces really harsh shadows that don't really enhance the image most of the time. So I used a slow shutter speed and raised the ISO but not a great deal because noise is a massive problem with the SX50.

The challenge with nature photography is that most of the time you have to work with whatever light you can get and you have no control. It might take a while to get it right but it is worth it.

One Among Glass

This is the first Oriental Garden Lizard I saw after I got the camera back and I must say that I had to work really hard to get this picture as it was unusually shy.

First I tried going close and taking a picture but it kept putting its head down and hiding on the other side of the wall. I tried a couple of times and this method didn't work. So I had to change tactics.

I went back a little and stooped down so that the glass was blocking the lizard from seeing me. I then took a few steps before slowly standing up and taking this shot. It soon ran off and I didn't see it again that day. My back and legs hurt a lot but it was totally worth it. Right?

Btw I'm thinking of replacing the sky. What do you think? Should I do it or will it be too distracting?

Busy Sparrow

I was really happy when I was able to use a camera again after a gap of more than a month. It just felt great. The first nature shot I took was of this little fellow.

It was raining and I didn't really expect any birds to be out but the rain slowed to a drizzle and I noticed this cute little fellow on the wall. I don't really know what he was upto but it did provide a good picture opportunity. Thankfully he was there for a few seconds so I was able to quickly get this shot before he noticed me and flew off.

I really need to work on my stealthy ninja skills :P

The Stones Have Eyes

I was out shooting this fly which seemed quite docile so it was a pretty uncommon opportunity which I just couldn't let go of. The fly turned out to be quite the uncooperative subject but I didn't notice the cement on one of the bricks moving.

On closer inspection it was actually a tiny spider that was really well camouflaged. I just love it when these tiny spiders look back at you. Now I know that may be weird but I kinda like it and find it interesting.

The spider stayed still long enough for me to get a quick shot.

The SX50's macro capabilities aren't really great so I had to crop in tight but I was pretty happy that the eyes are clear in this picture.

Just A Day Job

This was another pleasant surprise. I went to shoot the rose when I noticed this tiny little bee.

I sincerely apologise for not writing more. I've been really busy but I'll try and maintain the one-picture-a-day thing.