Blackboard for Sale

Shot with X100f, somewhere in Bangalore.

Posted from Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2cZiUTt

Reader

Shot with X100f

Posted from Flickr https://flic.kr/p/2bPuptf

Ironing out the Wrinkles (Orwo N74+)

Portrait of an elderly sitting next to his shop at Malleshwaram (Bangalore). While crossing the street, quite often I see him, sitting silently. Usually, there is one more person who works in this laundry (or a tailor) shop. One evening, I was walking down the street and thought of taking his pic. I gently asked and took this portrait.

Shot with 35mm Orwo film (pushed to 800) and Nikon 50 mm. For film development notes, please read my previous post: Man with an Electric Tuktuk.

Smiling Man

He works at a food canteen in my college, where I visit regularly. 

On one Sunday, while I was loading a film (HP5+) on my F80, he was starring at me with surprise -  like a little kid. I asked if I could take his picture. And he smiled like this. Took this image with Nikon 85mm lens at F4.

Later, I developed the roll and gave him a printed copy of this photograph. The smile was bigger this time.

Location: Prakruthi Restaurant, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Film: Ilford Hp5+ at EI 320 (expired 2009). 
Developer: 4ml (for 24 shot film) HC110 in 600 ml 20º C water. Semi Stand Development for 1 hr. 5 inversions in start then at 5 at 30th min.
Scanned using Canoscan 8600F. Post-processed in Photoshop.

Tender

Portrait of a Mother with her Son at IISc during Diwali (I guess). Shot on 35mm Kentmere 100 Film with Canon QL17.

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/SgGnUK

Lil! (Film)

Portrait of a little girl standing and facing her mom, dressed up in traditional attire during some festival in India. Shot on 35mm Kentmere 100 film using Canon QL17,

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/S78i3k

Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple, Nandi Hills, Bangalore

Tokina 1228 - HDR

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/LsKhB9

Nandi Hills, Bangalore

40mm Nikkor + CPL

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/LhWEHh

Man on Street: Shooting with Flash Speedlight on Street

Shot with Sigma DP2 Merrill and Flash.

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/J45X1A

I've started using a speedlite flash for street photography even during daytime to light up the faces of subjects. So far its good. I've faced some weird reactions from people when they get flashed on face but its fun! :-)
I'll continue using flash from now onwards. My current setup is Sigma DP2 Merrill with a small Sunpak pf20xd auto flash. It goes well with DP2m. I generally shoot on Aperture priority, mostly at F/8 - F/10 during daytime. Since this flash do not work with Sigma's TTL, I manually set the exposure compensation (ev value) to "-1 ev" and adjust the flash power accordingly.
My next step is to get a trigger cable or wireless popper.

Few more shots using speedlight:

For night shots, I go complete Manual. The following pic was shot in hyperfocal distance at F/8 and shutter at 1/30 (I guess!). Flash was on Auto aperture mode, set for F/5.6. Dp2m's leaf shutter works at any sync speed!





Some more shots are below, but this time using my Nikon D5100 with a handheld flash at remote SU4 mode.

Kids

Shot with DP2 Merrill.

Posted from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/J4ikRa

On the Stairs

Shot with Sigma DP2 Merrill at high ISO and a flash in zone focusing style, this noisy image has a unique film like look. It was raining and I was crossing by a street where I saw this woman sitting on a staircase waiting for rain to stop.

from Flickr http://flic.kr/p/HsHABG

Faces of Art: Karnataka Chitra Santhe 2016

A set of seven portraits taken at "Karnataka Chitra Santhe 2016" organised by Chitra Kala Parishad, Bangalore on 3rd of Jan, 2016. Shot with Nikon D5100 + Nikkor 40mm/2.8. RAW processed images. Copyright protected Images. Don't copy/use/embed without permissions.

"Experienced"


"Percipience"


"Lenient"


"Divine"


"Mystic"


"Oriented"



"Shine"

People on the Streets - BnW

Sunset over Lalbagh Lake - Goodbye 2013!

Location: Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Bangalore, India

Video and Music: © Nitesh Bhatia

It is suggested to experience this at low sound volume and full screen 1080p resolution.

Description: 10 minutes loop of a 15 sec sunset clip running at slow speed (50%) dissolved together to form a continuous video. The background music is composed in GarageBand and video is transcoded to 1080p resolution using iMovie.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/niteshbhatia/11419545905/

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known

A little girl I saw in Lal Bagh, Bangalore. Her parents were probably busy in browsing the shops around while she was standing like this since long.  I felt the joy behind her elevated thoughts while taking this picture. For a moment, it occurred to me as if the world was deeply interfused into her sublime mind and she was well aware of the fact that, somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known!

PS: It is also an example of backlight subject photography using a medium telephoto lens, where light is coming from behind or sideways of the subject. I was sitting very far and my presence was unknown to her. This is one advantage of using a medium telephoto lens (85mm in this case), one can sit in a corner and just gaze around the world and its people, while still remain incognito!

Christmas Greetings!!

Photograph taken inside nave of St. Mary's Basilica located in Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore.

It is the oldest church in Bangalore and is the only church in the state that has been elevated to the status of a minor basilica.

"In the name of God!" - Conversation with an Autowala

This is a blog post of a funny incident that happened with me in Bangalore, the city of nasty autowalas (auto-drivers)! Here, incidents like meter tempering, excess fares, faulty meters, abusive language is very common. However some autowalas are good too, no doubt. In my past 3-4 years of stay, I share a kind of love-hate relationship with these as I've met both kind of autowalas. In my case most of the time I engage in an argument if they ask to go without meter or charge 10-20 Rs. extra on meter fare value. It is hard to convince them to follow meter against their numerous reasons for not following it! Sometimes, I try to warn them by telling about police or I simply look for another auto. Nevertheless I simply fail in most cases. I have so many memorable incidences to tell. However this one is little different -- God came in between us. Or rather, I brought him in!! :D

It was evening 6:00 pm and I was looking for autos in K.R. Market area. Since it was office-off time, none of the autos were free and also the buses were all jam packed. I started walking towards K.G. road, thinking that I may find an auto on my way. But I couldn't! I got one auto and he asked me 150 Rs., more than double the meter rate and I refused hire him after gently asking him to go by meter. After walking around 4km., I saw a vacant auto in a traffic signal. At that time I was near Majestic Bus Stand. From Majestic, roughly 55 Rs. fare is normal.

"Malleshwaram Jaate?", I asked. (Will you be going to Malleshwaram?)

He replied, "Malleshwaram me kahan?" (Where in Malleshwaram?)

I said near 18th cross. He asked for Rs. 90. without meter.

"Meter se chalogae?", I asked again. (Can you go by Meter Fare?)

"Meter slow hai, islye to bina meter ke jaa raha!", he replied. (My meter is slow, that's why I am going without meter.)

I smiled since I had no option and it was getting late. I told him Rs. 60 is the max I could offer. He came down to Rs. 75.

"18th cross, Temple Maramma tak jana hai", I said and sat inside. (18th cross, Maramma Temple is where I want to go.) That is where our campus' entrance gate is located. And then came the funny part.

"Aap log 100-100 rupaye coffee peeney mein kharch kartey aur abhi apko problem hai", he taunted. (You guys spend 100 bucks on Coffee and here you have problem)

"Wo log proper bill bhi detey bhaiya! Apka to meter hi slow hai", was my quick reply. (They provide us proper bill. Here your meter itself is slow.)

Then after a momentary pause I said, "Kya bhaiya, aap sandhya ke samay zada paisay maangtey, pata hai uper se bhagwan cross hotey iss samay!" (You are asking for extra money at the time of dusk. You know God travel around during that time.) During my childhood, my grandmother used to give me this reason to wake me up if I was asleep in evening.

"Arrey aap 5-10 Rs. ke liye bhagwan ko beech mein le aaye!", he said. (You are bringing God just for 5-10 bucks)

I replied, "Mandir mein to itna hi daaltey naa aap, to bhagwan to beech mein aa hi saktey!" and laughed. After then he did not uttered a single word. My stop came in some time and it was a temple! (If in temple you can donate this much, then God can also mind for this much!)

To pay him, I took my wallet out followed by a 50 Rs. note and two 10 Rs. note. I was searching for 5 Rs. change and then he said, "Chalo 60 Rupaye hi dae do, kya aap bhagwan ko beech mein le aaye!" (Just pay me 60 Rs., You bought God in between!)

He took 60 Rs. from me and left.

I smiled an moved on!



PS: The auto-driver in photograph is not the same one as in the post. I took that photo long time back when I was learning panning-photography.

Deep into thoughts

Portrait of a woman, a fruit seller as you can see, sitting next to her cart, roadside

Deep into thoughts she was disconnected against momentary lapse of reality around her

Passing by the same roadside I took this picture

And she remained sitting - calm and gently - deep into thoughts

Disconnected against momentary lapse of reality 

And I moved on...

Sir, I am not a child labor!

Roaming around a vegetable market in Bangalore, he caught my attention and I took this photo. Afterwards, I showed him his picture and to my surprise he was a bit frightened.

With a hesitating tone, he said in english, "Sir, this picture will not come in newspaper naa? I am not a child labour. My mom sits here and she has gone somewhere around that's why I am attending the store".

Recently schools have started teaching young kids about importance of education and ill effects of child labor in India. This somewhat has started new wave among kids as they themselves become aware of what is right and wrong.

But anyways, I enjoyed a two lined conversation between me and him. And yes he was not a child labor. I met his mom afterwards.


(Similar kind of story but with a different contrast: Gamna)

Never Stop!

Never Stop. Its a short description of a person's photograph I've never met, I've never known, yet I've seen him so many times in my photo gallery to recognise his individuality.

Around a month back, while walking across busy streets of Malleshwaram, at around 7 evening I was standing among the crowd, perceiving the movement of people thinking about something. Within a flash of interval, I saw an old man walking briskly in the crowd, as if he is on some mission, I quickly took the picture. It didn't come well, shot at high ISO, lot of noise and lacked in sharpness. But his charisma got stuck into my eyes. Every-time I see this pic, I get several parallel thoughts fighting with each other -  the old age, the noise in photo, yet the sharpness.

After a month or more, recently on the same streets I saw him again, for a fraction of seconds only. Same old face, but with a haircut, clean shaved a probably a different spectacles, walking and holding hands with a young lady - probably his daughter. I quickly recognised him, the same person. But the briskness was missing in the slow walking.

I came back and today I opened my photo gallery and finally decided to share the photo that confuses me every-time I see it. And I never stop thinking about it!