Photography blog by…HENRY G L
A glittering keepsake of my every expedition, the way i see the world and enjoy it
W for Woods
I always found a pleasure in the pathless woods. Fascinated by the dark deep greenery and pipelines of sun rays competing each other to touch the ground. A call of a squirrel or birds. The soft whistle of wind tickling the branches. Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, take a walk in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.
Posted for Sunday Stills challenge – W (@ Vagamon, Kerala – India)
Paint bursts
This week Desert Wingz geared up for one of the toughest challenges they ever attempted, as usual Nik came up with this new idea of Sound Photography which pushed us to the next level of creative photography. The whole concept is of high speed photography capturing the movements of subjects which was made by sound.
The beginning:
The bubble family:
The blue burst:
Above cannot be attained if it was not a team work, Desert Wingz are all about a team, a dedicated group of dudes who would go for any edge to make our life always in high spirits.
Some basic stuffs we need for our home made studio are: Plenty of sun light which can provide us maximum light, paints, Woofer and music which can produce good deep bass so as to manipulate the sound which can make the paint burst. Use the maximum exposure of your cam (1/4000 @ Nikon D5100) ISO to minimum or as required. Rest everything is all about your creativity. let it flow.
Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit
“Rabbit rabbit rabbit” is one variant of a common British superstition which states that a person should say or repeat the word “rabbit” or “rabbits”, or say the phrase “white rabbits”, or some combination of these elements, out loud upon waking on the first day of the month, because doing so will ensure good luck for the duration of that month. Today, it is a frequent tradition in many English-speaking countries.
Posted for ‘Sunday stills challenge – White’
Road Service Patrol
In the capital of UAE, ABU DHABI If you are stuck by the roadside with a flat tyre or you run out of fuel or a bad battery and you see a fluorescent yellow 4×4 with orange and green flashing lights, it’s your lucky day.
The free service and one of its kind in this part of the world has been introduced by Department of Transport, launched in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Police.
The various services extended by Road Service Patrol includes towing cars in cases of auto failure from the main road and moving them to safer locations to ensure the safety of drivers and the smooth flow of traffic on the streets of Abu Dhabi. Patrols are also equipped to assist broken down vehicles and offer services such as changing tyres, identifying flat battery, jumpstarting and topping up fuel and coolant if needed, to enable vehicles to reach the closest petrol station in the vicinity.
In addition, each vehicle has a vehicle-mounted Variable Message Sign (VMS) capable of warning approaching motorists of road incidents earlier than before, as well as computerised communication with the dispatch centre and can respond to incidents more rapidly. The patrol also provides first aid to accident victims and assisting the Police and other related parties during road crashes.
The service is free of charge and can be reached 24 hours a day on the toll free number 999.
Posted for Sunday still challenge ‘Law enforcement or Emergency vehicles’
Courtesy : Department of Transport, Abu Dhabi
Wild Flower
Love is like wildflowers; It’s often found in the most unlikely places.
No matter how chaotic it is, it can just spring up in the middle of nowhere strong and beautiful like never before.
Posted for Sunday Stills challenge: wild Flowers
http://www.sundaystills.wordpress.com
Panning
We are up this time with a challenge ‘Panning’
Panning is a technique in photography that is used to capture a moving object in action. The subject of the photo is clearly caught on camera; however, the rest remains a blur in the background
I learned its not an easy take, it’s a skill which need loads of patience, concentration, hard work and techniques.
Here is the best i managed
still our top photographic lead spiced up the challenge asking us to try panning in a night shot
Hot served
Hot and sizzling, there is nothing to match with my favourite Chicken BBQ
Our days of outdoor grills and camping is over for next 7 months to avoid being grilled ourselves at 48 C heat from Sun
Posted for Sunday Still challenge – Hot
Ghost Town
Jazirat Al Hamra, or the Red Island in Ras Al Khaimah is one of the last authentic traditional town still standing in the UAE
It is also known as the ‘ghost town’ because of abandoned old houses and deserted narrow streets. Once occupied by the Za’ab tribe, this coastal village was created in the 14th century. The villagers mostly subsisting on coastal fishery and pearl diving. Its prosperity had declined since the pearling crisis of the 1920s and 1930s, when the Japanese developed pearl cultivation and threw many of the Arabian Gulf’s traditional pearl divers out of business. the village was abandoned in the late 1960s.
I decided to visit this place along with 4 of my best & photographic enthusiastic friends. We reached there early morning around 4 am (although our targeted time was 3 am), the place seemed incredibly haunted and spine thrilling as the narrow walk ways to the darkness was very clean and inviting. A burned smell mixed with dust added more to the drama in and around. Believe it or not as a bonus point we saw a black cat looking at us through a shattered window and by the time I picked up my machine, the cat slowly slip down out of that window and walked in to the darkness, as if guiding or inviting us to the town. What more a group of 4 Ghost raiders need to get in to a town like that, every nuke and corner we discover forced us to explore more in the dark. It’s the time we hated lights. Don’t attempt to explore this area in night unless you are quite sure that you are made for it.
^ Every door leads to darkness ^
^ Everything reflects so Ghostly ^
^ Life in rubbles ^
^ Lost in transition (look out those bite marks on the toe) ^
^Left to rust ^
….and a few more….
Hand Tools
A well ‘made for purpose’ handy tool which is not at all safe n simple to have your hands on.
At first, humans were casual tool users, employing convenient sticks or stones to achieve a purpose and then discarding them. Although humans may have shared this characteristic with some other animals, their differentiation from other animals may have begun with the deliberate making of tools to a plan and for a purpose. A cutting instrument was especially valuable, for, of all carnivorous animals, humans are the only ones not equipped with tearing claws or canine teeth long enough to pierce and rend skin: humans need sharp tools to get through the skin to the meat. Naturally fractured pieces of rock, bone or flint with sharp edges that could cut became the first tools of human beings. Then, gradually evolved in construction give way to Bronze, Copper, Iron, Steel and Titanium. Many cultures have their unique version of the knife. Due to its role as humankind’s first tool, certain cultures have attached spiritual and religious significance to the knife.
Posted for Sunday Stills challenge ‘Hand Tools’
Trains n Tracks
One of the most interesting fact about Trains is that i found them the most eco-friendly ways you can travel, this massive public/cargo transport machine do the best job than any other means of transport. The roadbed needs much, much less room than a four lane highway, for fewer scars on the landscape
Few interesting facts: (not our usual general knowledge)
Longest stretch of perfectly straight railway track is located in Australia. It is 478 kilometers long
Current speed record for trains is held by French TGV bullet train. He reached the speed of 584km per hour and then braked for 16 kilometers before it managed to stop
Total area of contact between train wheels and rail is little larger than one silver dollar.
Heaviest train ever recorded weighted 95,000 tonnes! This freight train from Australia was 7.3 kilometers long.
Italy has the only railway that climbs a top a volcano.
Posted for Sunday Stills challenge ‘Trains’
The Cross of Calvary
A representation of the hill of Calvary or faith, hope, and love.
Easter reminds me of a whole new beginning of life as Jesus Christ washed away all our sins. I love and respect The empty Cross as it reminds me that my lord has risen above everything cleansing my heart and life.
I know that many of you do wear a cross of Christ, a simple indication that you value the role of Jesus Christ, that you are trying to live by Christ’s standards in your own daily life.
Happy Easter
Green
Oldest form of Water Wells widely used in India, i was fascinated by the greens, the weeds and strings that wrap the well and the green leaves layer which seals the fresh water inside. Although this well is not used for drinking water we use them regularly for irrigation purposes. The tiny holes which we make on the side walls of this well below surface area would channel the water underground to fill in each time we take from it.
A water well is an structure created in the ground by excavation, digging, driving, boring, or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by a paddle/motor pump, or using containers, such as buckets, that are raised mechanically or by hand. Wells can vary greatly in depth, water volume, and water quality. Well water typically contains more minerals in solution than surface water and may require treatment to soften the water.
Posted for Sunday Stills Challenge ‘ Green ‘
Shell games
Participating in this week Sunday Stills photography challenge ‘Games’
The ‘Shell Game’, one of the most traditional indoor games we use to play a lot as kids which is similar to ludo game. The Cowrie Shell serves the purpose of Dice, we throw it up and the pattern it forms while falling on ground determines the points. Basically the game is of 5 x 5 square rows and columns (as per diagram) with Safe Zones. Here players race their 4 tokens against each other in an anti clock direction to reach the centre safe zone to win the game. Whenever a token of current player reaches the same square (other than safe zone) where another person’s token is already placed, the current player has the right to eliminate other person’s token from the board with a second chance to score. The only place where two persons tokens can be together are safe zones.
Every point moves the token forward
1 shell up and other 3 down is 1 point or a chance for a single token or an eliminated token to enter the game board
2 up is 2 points
3 up is 3 points
4 up is 4 points + chance for 2 tokens or eliminated tokens to enter the game & a second chance to score again
4 down is 8 points + chance for 4 tokens or eliminated tokens to enter the game & a second chance to score again
Only the player who is able to eliminate at least one token of another person qualify to enter the centre path towards centre or final safe zone to finish
Magic Wand of UAE
Proudly towering up to the sky, topped with golden clouds, here i am Burj Khalifa Some facts about Burj Khalifa Tallest man-made structure / building ever made in the whole world 828 metres tall (2,717 feet) with most floors (160)
the world’s tallest, most beautiful and powerful icon of United Arab Emirates.
I call it the Magic wand of UAE
Has the highest & fastest elevators at speed of 64km/h (It would take just a minute to reach from ground level to top floor) There’s 57 lifts in the tower.
It has 49 office floors. & 1044 residential apartments with a total floor area of 334,000 square metres.
The tower’s peak electricity demand is estimated at 50MVA, equivalent to roughly 500,000 100-watt light bulbs.
It’s expected to use an average of 946,000 litres of water each day.
During peak cooling conditions, the tower will require around 12,500 tons of cooling,
equivalent to the cooling capacity of about 10,000 tons of melting ice.
The tower’s architect and engineer is Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (Chicago).
The main constructor is Emaar Properties, a joint venture by Korea’s Samsung C&T, Belgium’s Besix and UAE’s Arabtec.
Total cost estimated at US$1.5 billion.
The price for the offices spaces reached as high as US$4,000 per sq ft and residential spaces as high as US$3,500 per sq ft.
Fruity n Veggy
Does anyone know the difference between a fruit and a vegetable? Simple, a fruit could be a vegetable, but a vegetable could not be a fruit. A vegetable is genrally an edible portion of a plant where as fruit is the mature ovary of a plant and has seeds in it. Fruits are sweet because they contain a simple sugar called fructose, while most vegetables are less sweet because they have much less fructose. The sweetness of fruit encourages animals to eat it and thereby spread the seeds Posted for Sunday Stills challenge ‘Fruits & Vegitables’
Sun set
We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. The higher the buildings the lower the morals. City buildings when watched from a distance would seem like they hold up the sky and don’t want to let the sun set
I remember once a kid was asking his mother why we paint sun set in the ocean, he always watched them trying to hide behind those buildings in the evening. How sad these days kids don’t get enough opportunity to feel and enjoy the nature in real, but they are forced to learn about nature through books and iPads. We should take efforts to bring nature in to their life leave them alone with nature, let them run, let them fall, let them climb, let them play, let them sweat, let them get dirty with mud and spoil themselves, let them contact and connect with nature. Train them to enjoy watching discovery and animal planets not your favourite serials and action packed movies. - * - Posted for Sunday Still challenge : Sun set & buildings
Number 7
Roman numbers are the oldest form of numerals used. Seven has a great significance in Roman numerals; do you know Roman numerals as used today, are based on seven symbols: I – 1, V – 5, X – 10, L – 50, C – 100, D – 500, M – 1000 but i really wonder how they survived without a zero. Posted for Sunday Stills challenge # 7 Traditionally roman numerals were used to indicate the order of family offspring of the same name For example, II was used instead of Jr. In England, kings used this system of naming their kings that carried the same surname. The Romans in their time conquered many different countries and England was one of such countries. After conquering England, Romans settled there, where the English and other people would adapt the number system used by Romans. This is why for example kings of England like King Henry the 1st written as King I (pronounced: as King Henry the first) or king Henry the 8th written as Henry VIII used these roman numerals in their name.
Circles on move
Whenever i think about circles, the first and only thing comes to my mind are those hot Wheels.
May be its just because am a bit driving nerd who is always fascinated by those super cars and their emblems on wheels like this Maserati rim with golden logo in a brown steel setting.
Posted for ‘Sunday Stills challenge – Wheels’
Golden fabric
Layers of thick Golden fabrics from a more traditional and ornamental form of Indian costume Saree in Kerala.
We call it ‘Kasavu set-saree’ (Mundum neriyathum) is the traditional clothing of women in Kerala, South India.
Posted for Sunday Stills challenge ‘Fabric’
The set-saree is mainly consist of 2 pieces, one which cover the upper body and other the lower body. Set-saree is worn as everyday costume and also as distinct costume on festive occasions. ‘Set-saree’ for festive occasion has golden coloured borders known as Kasavu, lending the costume another name of “Kasavu Saree”. The kasavu or the golden border is either pure golden layer, copper coated or artificial. The fabric of mundu-sari is cotton and is always woven by hand.
During the Keralite festival of onam, women of all ages wear the ‘Set Saree’ and take part in folk dance meant only for women called kaikottikalli. While Kasavu set saree is expensive, common people stick on to set-saree which has no golden borders. Even the colour for the blouse of the set-saree for this occasion is determined by the age and marital status of the woman. Young unmarried girls wear green coloured blouse, while married middle aged mothers wear red blouses.
~x~
Flying Machines
Synchronised flying machines performing at Abu Dhabi on UAE National Day, December 2nd 2012. Posted for ‘Sunday Stills” challenge ‘F’ (@ Abu Dhabi cornich)
Thoughts framed from my constant quest to enjoy beauty of nature;
for i learned its the handwriting of GODI admire & respect mother nature to the fullest.
These are my sincere efforts to keep the life moving always in high spirits.
My aspirations are simple, be positive & enjoy the best moments. My glitters are just spur-of-the-moment, and definitely want to add a positive reflection and do the best to preserve nature at its best.
Smiles i shared around the world
