Sholayar dam is about 20kms from Valparai on the way to Athirapally. I was not very enthused to go and see the dam, but decided to check it out while driving from Valparai towards Athirapally. I had to walk up a little and then climb a few steps before reaching the reservoir wall - but the effort was well worth it, with the emerald blue water, lush green shores and the white cotton clouds in a deep blue sky!

The picture was taken using the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L wide angle zoom lens, fitted with a Tiffen 82mm circular polarizer filter. This shot made me convinced that the filter was worth its cost - extremely handy for shooting landscapes when sun is shining bright. This picture is shot handheld in manual mode with ISO-100, f/8 and a 1/80s exposure.