I got a butterfly...

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

..to pose for me! People probably must have had a good laugh watching me take this picture.
I was dancing around the butterfly trying not to alarm it, trying to get close enough to be able to get a decent shot ( a 3x optical zoom doesn't give you too many options). I think it was worth making a fool of myself though, I like the picure.

 

Pssst !!

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

I have to watch where I am walking these days. This is the second one I have seen in the last 2-3 weeks. I was walking down the back lanes near the mountain not particularly watching my step and whoa..there it was! Just missed stepping on it.
This was as close as I could get without worrying myself sick! I have no idea what snake this is though.If someone can educate me that would be so good.

 

A bird's eye view of Urasa

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

That is Urasa, well almost all of it :) The train line running through the picture is the Shinkansen track that speed connects Urasa to Tokyo. The kind of parallel road is Route 17 that goes all the way to Tokyo. I got this pic from a hill and I wish I had something more for a wider view than a point and shoot. Till I save up for a new camera however this one will just have to do! 

Urasa scapes - I

May 2006
Urasa, Japan
 

Light at the end of the tunnel

May 2006
Urasa, Japan


 

Yummy

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

Yummy is our local gellato store, and yummy it is. They serve the best gelatto I have eaten so far. They have a range of flavours they keep shuffling around so you dont get the same ones everyday. So far I have had Chocolate,Tiramisu,Strawberry,Capucinno, Almond Praline and I am contemplating on trying out the green tea one!
The store is just so Enid Blytonesque, it could have jumped straight out of one of her books. The place is so so inviting you want to go back again again! As you can see, at the entrance they have tons of flowers in an array of colours. On the inside they have a small wodden table and benches where you can sit and eat, complete with quilted cushions. When the weather is good they put out benches in front of the store so the place becomes like a local community gathering!
If you ever find yourself in Urasa, make sure you dont miss YUMMY!

Last blossoms for this season

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

The last cherry blossoms for this season. This was the only branch of the tree that still had the blossoms.
We happened across it while we were roaming around amongst the fields.
Its quite a poignant setting actually with the memorials behind and the single branch of blossoms.

Art attempts

Urasa ,2006

I did these recently. The first one I did today in fact.
It has been a long time since I put pencil to paper for anything other than scribbling! These days it seems I am proving myself wrong in everything I believe about myself. I always thought I could never never do figures and portraits!
Well it seems I just might be able to!!

Making your food look a million bucks

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

So I am eating raspberries and a banana right now and I just could not resist the temptation of taking a shot!
They look so good!!!

Blue and Gray

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

The rain shows no sign of abating. Clouds however provide interesting photography options. A clear blue sky is great for a picnic but add in a few clouds and the options open up for taking a picture. I went for a walk yesterday between a rain-break and got this one.
The clouds just opened up a bit, probably realised it was at the wrong time and promptly closed up again!! Enough for me to get a picture however. 

Reflections in the paddy fields - II

May 2006
Urasa, Japan

I went for a walk and it was a hot hot muggy day. However at one end the clouds were drifting apart to show a sliver of blue sky.
Again rows of trees reflected so beautifully in the paddy fields. 

Reflections in the paddy fields - I

May 2006
Urasa , Japan

Urasa has a peculiar landscape. Each house has an adjoining plot(s) of land and at this time of the year there is so much happening!
Its spring time and we get rain ever so often. When it rains the paddy fields are soaked, and if you are lucky you see perfect reflections like this one.

Sakura - II

April 2006
Muikamachi, Japan

Sakura - I

April 2006
Urasa, Japan

We had a late sakura season in Urasa because of an extended winter. This picture was taken on the 29th of April, long after the Sakura season in most other places was over. I like this picure because it has the classic feel of a Japanese painting. Not too filled up,not too empty.
Just the right mix of colous,lines and form.

Expensive kitsch

May 2005
East Village, New York

We were roaming around the village and walked into a store selling eclectic hand made stuff. Interesting hand made toys, kitchen ware, table ware,accessories and the like.
I really loved this beaded bag priced at..100$ !!!!
If it wasn't for the price, I would have had the bag with me instead of a picture. I really liked the way the bag was displayed though against the brick wall. Lots of warm earthy tones: in fact its probably a great wall accent piece for a room too!

Innocence

May 2006
Muikamachi, Japan

We were at Zenibuchi park for a Hanami afternoon when I got this one. I didn't plan to take this picture. We were in a conversation with someone that shifted gears to Japanese. Having very little comprehension capabilities in that language my eyes kind of drifted around when I saw the these two kids on the bridge. Predictably I was swept by a huge wave of nostalgia and an urge to experience life as a kid all over again!
In the end I just settled for a picture.

Koinobori

May 2006
Outside our house in Urasa, Japan

These wind socks are traditionally flown outside Japanese homes to celebrate boy's day and wish their sons good fortune. To tell you a little more, "koi" is the Japanese word for a carp fish. The Japanese consider the koi as a symbol of grit and spirit because it can swin up stream against strong currents and cascades. Since these are traits desired in boys, families traditionally flew koinobori from their homes to honor their sons.
A set of streamers usually has three or more fish. The large black one (magoi) represents father. According to a Japanese children's song, the red one (higoi) represents the first born son. However, in modern Japan, many prefer to see it as mother. The small ones (usually green and blue) represent the sons in the family. A new streamer is added each time a new baby is born.
I like this picutre because it really shows the strength of the koi against the strong spring winds! The entire horizontal length of the streamers indicate just how strong the winds were that day. I have also posted a sepia toned image because it enhances the motion of the streamers without being distracted by the colors!
I am indeed fortunate to live so close to tradition!

Tokyo's Rainbow bridge

September 2005
Rainbow Bridge , Tokyo

Apart from subways, another thing famous metropolitan cities seem to have in common is "bridges".
NewYork - Brooklyn Bridge
San Francisco - Golden Gate Bridge
London - London Bridge
Tokyo has its Rainbow Bridge !
We walked over the rainbow bridge and its a lovely walk if you do it at twilight.
This picture was taken from a ferry though that goes from Hinode to Odaiba. I like this shot a lot because it is a LOT OF effort to get good night pictures without a tripod. The slow exposure gives me a terribly shaky picture with the camera I have. I lucked out with this one though.
Managing the rocking motion of the boat, holding the camera steady,getting a good angle..phew!
I liked the contrast of the bridge against the inky sky. If you look closely you can even see the fading colors of a beautiful sunset in the background.
If you are in Tokyo, make sure you walk over the rainbow bridge, it is not something anyone should miss!

Skyscrapers of Tokyo

September 2005

Tokyo

I have been fortunate to travel around a bit. The skyscrapers I saw in Tokyo will definitely rank the best in my list.Some of them are works of art! Very clean lines,lots of glass reflecting the world.

Makes you sigh as your eyes travel up the structures reaching out to the sky.

Times Square

November 2004

Times Square, New York City

There is just so much happening at Times Square that it leaves you a little bewildered and with a buzz in your head!! At night the square is awash with lights,music,people and noise. The whole place crackles with an energy that you just cannot stay away from.

Summer Colors

June 2005
Boston

I shot this one on a hot summer day in Boston.It was a perfect day for a holiday and the streets were full of tourists,holiday makers and people out to have a good time. I bumped into this balloon tower in a square.
It was quite a sight,swaying in the breeze with its lovely colors. A perfect sight for a perfect summer day.

Experiencing Art

Feb 2005
The Gates,

Central Park - New York City
Christo and Jeanne-Claude

In Feb 2005 they were promoting a unique sort of art exhibition in New York City: "The Gates". Not one to stay away from such things I checked out the Gates on Google before venturing a visit. Along the pathways that run through the entire park they had erected at every say 20 feet two poles about 10-12 feet high and suspended a cloth banner between the two poles.Something like the mandap that we have at the door for weddings in India.The poles were orange in color and the cloth was also a lovely golden orange with a textured feel.That's it! I read the handouts for the exhibition and thought where's the art?

So I went to Central park and that's when I experienced the art! For those of you who do not know,central park is vast,has lots of trees and encloses a lovely lake.In Autumn when I went the trees still had their leaves and the park was a riot of colours. However in February at the end of winter, beginning of spring the trees were denuded of their leaves,the lake was frozen,the lawns had dried up..and there was hardly any colour. Amidst the stark trees and the overcast grey sky I saw hundreds of orange banners gently swinging to the breeze. There's a small rock formation near the lake and if you stand on it you gain some elevation. So I looked around and just when my eyes had seen enough of grey and brown, bits of yellow-orange fluttering in the wind caught my attention, breaking the monotony!

There's no canvas here,no form as such, no story to tell, just color placed at the right positions so that your eyes just take in the whole view and viola transform it to art!
BEAUTIFUL!