Joie de Vivre

As the days become shorter (at least in the northern hemisphere) and the mercury drops, it is time to sit back with a cup of hot coffee and reminisce the past and plan for the future. While perusing through my archives, I came across this image of a lovely village scene from the Alsace valley, in the beautiful town of Colmar in France.

Europeans have certainly figured out how to savor the festive spirit and relish the communal life. Between markets popping up in cities, towns and villages across the continent, selling anything from beautiful Christmas decorations to lovely handicrafts and delicious warm treats, and those towns decking up with colorful lighting, Europe, in the winter, is a delight to explore. And while urban dwellings across the pond do carry on the tradition, that joie de vivre seems absent, perhaps as a consequence of the long history and sense of community in the older continent.

I experienced part of this during my travels through the Alsace wine route, and especially in Colmar (despite the heavy visitation by tourists). It was a delight to walk along ancient cobblestone streets passing well-preserved colorful timbered houses, a relic of its Germanic rule, that have now been converted to hotels, restaurants and shops. I waited until twilight to capture this typical Colmar scene by the canal at blue hour in a single exposure at F14 for 6s at ISO 400

Colmar
Alsace France

The Grand Library

The faint yet melodious serenade of a cello wafted through the centuries-old ruins. I continued along the old stone path, with wheel ruts still in place, passing by dilapidated yet artfully restored structures - houses, shops, markets, baths, and even an occasional amphitheater. Yet, as I turned around the corner and came to face the beautiful facade of the Library of Celsus, I was taken aback.

I stared at the grand entrance of the library for a long time, slowly savoring the beautiful marble columns, the ornate roofs, the festooned walls, and the realistic statues of ancient Greek gods and goddesses. And right below this entrance, on the steps, sat a cello player crafting tunes for the weary travelers who passed through the long Roman road in front of him.

It harkened me back 2000 years, to the time when this beautiful facade, and the library behind it, was constructed. I could imagine a busy street carrying traffic from one city entrance, past grand villas and crowded amphitheaters, passing in front of the library to reach the great Agora (marketplace) to peddle their wares. And behind those three doors would have been one of the best collection of scrolls and books, making it the third largest library of the 2nd century AD. While the rest of the library had been razed, the facade alone stands, having been painfully restored in the 1960s.

I tried to capture some of its ancient aura, but the camera could only do so much justice. This was shot at F22 (for the sun-star), ISO 800 at 1/50s

Ephesus
Turkey

The Final Resting Place

It was late afternoon, and I found myself wandering through a leafy green park, with landscaped gardens intersected by wide avenues, and with refreshing fountains to cool down the summer air. In-between all this stood a dusty nondescript tomb with no adornments or colorless. And after having spent the entire day gazing at monumental mosques and madrasas that had been beautifully restored to their former glories, this tiny tomb felt bare. And only the intricate patterns on the walls belied what was inside.

For what I was staring at was the 9th century Samanid Mausoleum, one of the most highly esteemed work of Central Asian Islamic architecture, having constructed even before Genghis Khan had ravaged this place. Since Sunni Islam prohibited construction of mausoleums, the fact that this one was constructed stresses the prominence of Ismail Samani, the ruler of the Samanid dynasty in that era.

As I entered inside, the warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the brickwork window formed a beautiful checkered pattern on the floor, and that lent a yellow ambience that highlighted the intricate geometric patterns that festooned the walls, archways, and the domed ceiling. In one corner stood the rather unremarkable tomb dedicated to the great ruler Ismail Samani.

I tried to capture the aura of magnificence, but the camera can only go so far. This was shot at F11 at ISO-800 at 1/8s

Bukhara
Uzbekistan

Finding Zen

I was seeking a place of silence, a moment of zen. But I was certainly at the wrong place and the wrong time for it.

I had landed in Japan the night earlier, right in the peak of its Golden week, when so many Japanese travel locally that even Shinkansens speed along with standing room only. I had made it to Kanazawa, on the western side of Honshu, and just like the capital city of Tokyo, Kanazawa was crowded as well. And to be able to find that solace in the thronging city of half a million would be a challenge by itself.

I was naturally drawn to the beautiful Kenroku-en gardens, hoping that a spot of greenery would provide respite in the concrete jungle. And after wandering around its narrow pathways with lush vegetation, mossy rocks and beautiful spring blossoms, I chanced upon a tiny pond, an archetype of a classical Japanese garden, replete with manicured vegetation, elegant cypress trees, a rustic stone lantern, and the gentle gurgle of a quaint waterfall. And I knew that at that moment, I had found my zen, and I just sat there, soaking in this lush scene hoping that it would never end.

But it eventually did, and before leaving, I captured this scene at F9, ISO 800, 1/125s

Kanazawa
Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan

Welcome to Seattle

The sweeping arc of the onramp races below me to merge onto the busy deck of an expressway, which, in the distance, leads to the gleaming lights of downtown Seattle. The tendrils of automotive traffic snakes its way through the concrete network carrying commuters home after a long day and bringing tourists in to enjoy a beautiful summer weekend. The pulse of the city can be easily measured by the traffic patterns on this busy arterial thoroughfare for Seattle.

I had always wanted to shoot from this location, a bridge connecting Capital Hill and Beacon Hill overlooking the busy junction of I-90 and I-5, and over the last week, I finally managed to. While the sunset was less than spectacular, it was worth waiting until twilight for the lights of the skyscrapers to turn on. While the viewpoint was great, I am not entirely satisfied with the location, and I need to find another vantage point that avoids the emptiness on the right side of the image. I hope to return back to try out other compositions under more colorful sunsets. This particular shot was an 8s exposure at F11 and ISO 400

Seattle
WA USA

Courting the Registan

I turned around the corner on a hot and dusty day in the city of Samarkhand in Uzbekistan. And the ensemble of madrasas came into view, carrying the impressive name Registan, meaning the "Sandy Place". And I had to pause a moment, nay many, to admire the scene that unfolded in front of me.

As I was working my way from West to East along the Silk Route, the historical monuments I had visited became more impressive with each new one. It, however, truly culminated in the Registan, the heart of the ancient city of Samarkand of the Timurid dynasty, which dated back to the 14th-16th century. The trifecta of three madrasas, the Ulugh Bek Madrasah, the Tilya Kori Madrasa, and the Sher-Dor Madrasa, suffered heavily from a lack of maintenance over the last few centuries, and it was the heavy-handed Soviet-era restoration that brought these beautiful edifices back to their former glories.

I returned back to the Registan during a summer evening, and I was surprised to see rare cloud formations take over the sky. As the sun slowly set and lent a bit of color to the sky, the lights of the Registan turned on, and provided it with its nightly attire. It was this that I had hoped to capture. And even with a wide field of view of the 16mm lens, the grand scene in front of me was hard to capture completely.

This image is a 3-image HDR composite shot at 17mm and F11 at ISO 100

Registan
Samarkand Uzbekistan

The path of prayers

Deep in the heart of mystical Kyoto lies the Fushimi Inari shrine, made famous by the thousands of vermilion torii that line the various concrete pathways that snake up the hill. Perhaps they serve as an object of devotion, or perhaps as objects of donations by wealthy patrons. Whatever it may be, walking through the hallowed portals, each one just slightly different from the next, but all in the brilliant vermilion, was quite an experience.

There were some sections so dense with the torii that the world outside barely peeped in, whereas there were others where the soft glint of the warm afternoon sun highlighted the vibrant colors of the torii. Every turn presented a new composition or a new perspective, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the different nooks and crannies of this beautiful shinto shrine.

Shot at ISO 3200, F9 at 1/13s (handheld). I had to edit to remove a person from the scene as well.

Fushimi Inari-taisha
Kyoto Japan

Adventures in Travel

View fullsize

Wandering through the narrow and crooked cobblestone streets of a old city, with the Gothic architecture of the cathedral playing hide-and-seek with my camera, I began to wonder what is it that drives me to travel, and in search of new adventures. And after a lot of introspection, I realized that, it is not the popularity of the destination that draws me out there, but rather the journey I hope to have there.

I experienced this time and again, from the 4-day hike through the Colombian rain-forests in Parque Tayrona, to exploring hidden valleys and mountaintops in the Black Forest of Germany, and navigating the innumerable fjords in Westfjords of Iceland. As well as in the crooked cobblestone streets of Strasbourg, with the Gothic architecture of the cathedral playing hide-and-seek with my camera.

Strasbourg
France

The Beauty and the Bay

View fullsize

Over the last few weeks, I have had chats with several people about their summer experience in the Bay Area of California, mainly to get an understanding of what they thought of this vibrant region. That led me back to my own attraction to this place. Sure, the thriving career prospects, the people, the food are big draws. But beyond that is the unique combination of the beauty and the bay.

In order to capture this beauty, I had ventured to Treasure Island, offset from San Francisco by a mile-and-a-half of the Bay, on a beautiful spring evening. Here, I could capture the glittering skyline of the city, and the graceful arches of the Bay Bridge. Twilight represented the perfect time to capture a smooth long exposure of this scene without worrying about the sky getting over-exposed. This was the scene that resulted.

And for me, this scene represents the unique juxtaposition of civilization and nature in the heart of a thriving cityscape. And it brings back wonderful memories of my time in the Bay spent exploring the nooks and crannies of the region!

San Francisco
CA USA

The City by the Bay

View fullsize

There are many reasons why the City by the Bay (San Francisco) is as popular as it is. Perhaps it is the location, at the confluence of rolling landscape and the calm oceans, or perhaps it is the beautiful architecture and cityscape that makes it quite distinct from any other city, or maybe it is the jobs, industry, and people, which make it a dynamic and thriving destination to live, visit, or explore.

Whatever it may be, there is no doubt that the city by the bay is a stunning city, especially when viewed from outside. As I was hiking in the Marin headlands north of the city on a rather smoggy winter day, I turned around and this beautiful blue silhouette came into view, highlighting the distinct skyline, the many rolling hills, the beautiful Bay bridge in the background, and a smattering of ships making their way to the Port of Oakland.

These are the views that enamor me to come back to the city by the Bay.

Marin Headlands
CA USA