Wishing everybody a wonderful Dasara celebrations and weekend:

The pic is taken with the Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L macro lens, back in my hands after suffering a small dent in the front element and spending four months at the Canon service centre. I used Av mode, with the camera mounted on a Manfrotto 728B digi tripod and timer triggered. ISO-200, f/6.3 with a -1 step exposure compensation for a 1/3s exposure.

One of the main attraction in this years Lalbagh flower show was the flower mermaid:

The shot is taken with the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens, handheld in Av mode, f/6.3, ISO-800 with a -1 step exposure compensation for a 1/320s exposure time.

Lalbagh flower show is a treat to all those who love to take macros. But, I didnt have my macro lens when it mattered. This forced me to try out something new:

This shot is from the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L ultra wide zoom lens, handheld at 35mm. The focus is obviously at the rightmost flower and the rest of the flowers are used for the background, with the wide angle allowing such a wider perspective. The camera was set in Av mode, f/2.8, ISO-200 and -1 stop exposure compensation for a 1/1250 exposure.

A sponsored trip to Sivanasamudram with colleagues on a working day was sure going to be memorable. Ofcourse, we made the most of it ... a lovely lunch with a view of the Gaganachukki and a great time frolicing at the gush of water near Barachukki falls. On our way back from the falls, it was hard to not notice the fried fish and snacks kept on one side of the footpath. I did what I should do - ate the fish and took the shots of the snaps and maaza combination:

The shot is taken with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L wide angle zoom lens at 30mm, handheld, set in Av mode, f/5, ISO-100 with a -1 step exposure compensation for a 1/40s exposure.

Life has become more interesting after the arrival of the little one! And ... he wishes a Happy and prosperous Onam for each and every one of you:

The pic is shot using the Canon EF 16-35 f/2.8L wide angle zoom lens @ 35mm, handheld in manual mode, ISO-800, f/5.6 and 1/25s exposure. The black background comes from a black cloth held behind.

I was on my way home for lunch, when I spotted this lady carrying a basket of yellow marigold flowers. The camera was in my bag as always and with her colorful dress and basket I had to take it out:

With the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens fitted on to the camera, I could easily maintain a safe distance and take a few shots. The above shot is handheld, in Av mode, f/6.3 and ISO-800 for a 1/2000s exposure.

A little later, with a customer looking to buy flowers from her, she sat in the footpath and bargained with him. This was the opportunity and I walked past her and stayed on the other side of the road for a shot from the front.

Looks like she had a good bargain ... isnt it :)

The settings and the lens is same for the 2nd pic as well, 400mm, handheld, Av mode, f/6.3, ISO-800, but since she was sitting in the shade, the exposure was selected at 1/800s.

On my way to Maidanahalli, just after the village of Puravara, I saw this bunch of Ganesha idols getting ready for the Ganesh Chaturthi and the man who made them doing the finishing touches:

The pic is taken with the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens, handheld in Manual mode, with the settings of ISO-200, f/6.3 and 1/1000s. The lighting was a bit harsh and I could not get the man's face properly exposed.

Wishing a happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all!

The trip to Maidanahalli was productive not just for the Blackbucks, but also for the amazing variety of birds present within the sanctuary. One of them was the Indian Roller aka Blue Jay (scientific name Coracias Benghalensis). I had seen these birds earlier at Bandipur, but failed to get a shot. It had the same bright blue color as the Kingfisher, but obviously it doesnt look like one and I kept wondering which this bird is.

While driving around Maidanahalli, in search of the Blackbucks, I spotted th same bird once again and this time I managed to get a shot with the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens. Its a handheld shot at ISO-400, Av mode, f/8 and 1/1000s.

A little while later, I saw another bird of the same kind and took a few more shots. The settings this time was Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto at Av mode, ISO-400, f/6.3 and 1/800s with a -1/3 steps exposure compensation.

As soon as I downloaded the pictures, I sent them to the expert, Gowtham, for the identification and the reply came promptly (as usual). Thanks again, Gowtham, for providing all detailed information!

I had been hearing about Maidanahalli for a while now and was dying to go there. So, I grabbed my first chance, even though I was all alone and had to drive up and down all by myself!

Maidanahalli is about 140kms from Bangalore via Nelamangala -> Dobbaaspet -> Koratgere -> Madhugiri and Puravara village. The place is famous for its Blackbuck sanctuary, which is one of its kind in India.

Blackbucks (Antilope Cervicapra) are beautiful animals and is an endangered species. I was not very lucky and did not spot many of them. They are very shy animals and will run away at the first sign of trouble! So, even with the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L telephoto lens, I could not get very close. The above picture is taken in Av mode, f/6.3, ISO-400 and 1/2000s exposure.

With time, I managed to get a little more closer :) This particular is also at Av mode, ISO-400, f/6.3 and 1/2000s.

This is indeed the closest I got. I was almost at the same height as the Blackbuck and it gave me this hazy frame, due to all the dry vegetation between myself and the stag. The settings are same as the previous two shots but the camera returned 1/1600s this time.

One main reason why I didnt spot many Blackbucks is the high human presence as well as the herds of sheep and cattle inside the sanctuary. It seems that there is no restriction of any kind to cattle grazing and no wonder I saw more human beings inside the sanctuary than the Blackbucks. From what I heard, this place had hundreds of Blackbucks and they are still somewhere around ... hiding. If the encroachment continues at the current rate, these animals may just become history!

I am still playing around with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L wide angle zoom lens and on a quite evening I was trying a few shots of msy favourite model:

I had kept the camera at its widest focal length and aperture (16mm and f/2.8) and shot this hand-held. The focus is on the finger nails which is at the closest focusing distance (about a feet) from the lens. With only limited indoor lighting available, I bumped up the ISO to 800 and used Av mode for a 1/15s exposure.

This picture is shot the next day when the model went for a Mehandi in her hands :) I was marveling at the dexterity of those fingers creating intricate designs with utmost ease. How could I not click again? The settings and location is almost same - Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L, 17mm, hand-held, ISO-800, Av mode, f/2.8 1/30s.

Btw ... for those who saw '20 Weeks to go ...' and/or noted a bump, we have only a few more weeks to go to complete our family :)