look back, look forth...

2007... I was looking forward to this one for a long time. As was the year I would graduate... and I did. And now that it's almost over (with just a few hours to go... ) let me (for the first time ever) sum up the year!
the new years eve 2006 was a very quiet one with not much excitement. I wasn't overly happy, infact pretty jittery and nervous. The best thing I did was watch fireworks from my terrace. And the one call I expected didn't arrive, and I had to make the effort myself. It was in a way... a very disappointing start for the new year, and i though, would be really difficult to pick up from there. It seemed, that this year would be long drawn, slow and disappointing. I didn't overly expect from the year, and left it all for fate to decide.
So the first little fissures arrived soon enough and I saw myself slide into the lowest chasm I have ever been in. It is difficult to accept a break up, without letting it affect everything else around you. the strains were hard to keep to myself, and I found myself cracking up... But I found a little new photo group which kept me occupied otherwise. So that was one of the high points of the year.



we had a memorable holi on my terrace. my college mates! It was real fun... deadly celebrations! had to get the terrace painted once again... (we had to get it done anyway... holi just gave us an excuse... )

Photoshoots were the regular activity and I got to see many new laces and sides of Pune, and got to meet, surprisingly, a great bunch of individuals which is so rare an occurrence. We had the best of times exploring places in and around Pune!
The first Lunar eclipse of the year and the first full eclipse in three years was clearly visible from Pune, so the beautiful night was enjoyed on the lovely ambiance of my terrace.The solar eclipse followed soon after. Was quiet a sight too...


The first half of the year was my Thesis semester... and my last of the 5 yrs of grueling b.arch course. I wasn't happy with what I was doing... for once i realised that i was doing the wrong things at the wrong time, and that could affect a lot of things. But I persisted with it. And I also faced an unknown Godzilla eating up all my hard work of the past few months on my HDD. Well, the work was the last thing on my mind... I lost some precious photographs and music , and I still feel sad about it... But I recovered from that too, and moved on.
Thesis wasn't really going well, when something happened that shouldn't have. Girish passed away while on a drunk driving spree. And that too just a few days before our vivas. Just when he could have become an architect... just when he had started living his dream. Just when things were going right... We all learnt the hard way, but at the loss of a friend.
It was but thesis time, and we had to move on, once again. And we did.
Komal's wedding gave us something to look forward to. A classmate's wedding is real fun! After a lot of debating, we attended her wedding at Nasik, just a few days before our jury. and I wore a sari!
Then came the day of the Jury... and post jury... i was really really really down and out... I was just told on my face that I wouldn't clear with what I did... So i was prepared to give it the next semester. And I recovered from that jolt too.
Then I started having fun... photo shoots and all... My birthday came along with a pro account as gifted by my flickr friends... and that was a pleasant surprise! and was a beautiful summer!
We had shoots all along ... the Lonavala stn to khandala stn walk being the biggest. That was fun.






I did an experiment somewhere this time... and that was 75 mins star trails with Pooja's Nikon FM 2... For someone who doesn't know much about Film photography, this was one hell of a successful experiment!

hen came my pilgrimage tour to Auroville... need I say more... I love that place. and I keep going there. It was a good trip and Devina accompanied me there. My juniors had just started training there, and I showed them around, taking them places there. It was fun... reliving those magical days I spent in Auroville last year! After auroville, I headed to Bangalore for my friend Navisa's very Marvari wedding! What colour! It was an experience I can never forget!
Auroville, and Bangalore and a 5 hour Rain delay later, I found myself back at Pune... totally unwell, and with results just 2 a few days away.
Result day: I knew the outcome, but couldn't help feel jumpy! So off I was to college... and what do i see... I cleared... I don't know how, I don't want to know how... But I passed... and that was the end of B.ARCH!
And then started a brand new adventure! Part time work with my teachers. That still continues, BTW... and my first ever Digital Single Lens Reflex camera! I and many many photoshoots!
So I started experimenting with my camera and all...


Then came the Ecological society course on Natural resource management and ecological restoration. It gave me a different outlook on things, and continues to do so...
I started experimenting with my camera soon enough, and made some awesome things. Like a macro attachment thats a big hit! And also my very own cheap Fish eye attachment.
So i was experimenting... as usual...
So, Photoshoot, field visits, work and eco soc. classes, trips... loads of those : to Chakrata and Delhi, Phaltan... it has been something
Kaas
Mastani Lake
Panshet Market
Temghar Dam
Bedse caves
Just a few places I visited...

The Chakrata trip was fantastic! It has been really eye opening and informative. Any trip will not be the same for me again. Learnt how much patience it requires for bird watching
Visited Delhi during Diwali... it was a fun week reliving the wonderful few years I spent there.

We had a photo shoot at Wai and one of my pictures from that shoot made it to flickr blog, and highest position for my photos on Flickr explore pages! That was the pic of an old payphone! I also like one more from that shoot.
Got to see stunning Geminids fireballs and meteor showers quiet by accident! Went to Bhimashankar soon afterwards...
then came the convocation... the unceremonious handing over of our degrees 6 months later...
But, now I can register with the Council of architecture and be called Meghana Kulkarni, Architect! i have a mixed reaction to that... But then, it's a phase... moving on once more.
Then Came the Phaltan trip with Eco soc. which was also a very eye opening trip! It has to be one of the most beautiful places I have seen...

So here I am, in the final few hours of the year 2007. It has been a year of jolts, surprises and turmoils. But i have tried to rise above all. I have loved, and lost... than never to have loved at all. Made some excellent new friends. Strengthened old bonds. traveled a lot. Discovered some new places. Learnt to let go, move on, and have no strings attached. Not that I have implimented anything, but hope to do so soon.
The one thing I have really learnt from all those yesterdays, is that I shouldn't really expect anything. Just keep living and experiencing instinctively. Believe in ideals and follow them with all your heart. There is a long way to go, and I have just about started.
And I have found my direction. Just need to continue on that path, no matter how hard it seems.
Do that was de-constructing the new year.
I'm looking forward to the new one, 2008. I don't know what it'll bring. But I'm ready to face it, head on, as a new challenge.


-------------------------------------------------------------- Meghana

ohbuddy ohbuddy ohbuddy ohbuddy !!!!

LOOK AT THAT !!!

This has to be my only picture I like that hasn't been taken by me!
The credit goes to a friend of mine. This photo is really cute!

SELF HELP

I only trust one person to take my portraits - Myself.
And thats why i have so many pictures of myself. Another classic one I took before going to Rahul's B'day dinner.
SO I'm the best when t comes to click my own portraits... if anyone else does try, the are never good!

I dream RED

little red sparks, a pretty scarlet thought, a meadow of little crimson flowers I dream of

A sweet little red candy, a little book with a crimson cover, lovely little scarlet dreams there I discover

little scarlet berry bushes, a cute bird with a crimson wing, a little red song for the crimson bird to sing

red satin sashes, scarlet hair bands, little crimson butterflies settle on my sun kissed hands

scarlet cheeks, crimson lips, a little red beetle exploring on my fingertips

I lay on a bed of soft scarlet leaves, close my eyes and sunspots appear red, with a gaze into the crimson sea sunset

the crimson waters shimmer, and twinkle little red stars, a sweet little scarlet memory opens up old forgotten scars

the crimson passion overflows, till my scarlet heart is dead, i keep waiting for you till eternity and I dream RED ...

I dream red...

Sometimes I wonder...

A lone february STAR

I was playing the guitar you gave me. A particular song... my body bearing the resonance of the strings heavily laden with memories of you. It was a little too much for me to take, but something made me go on. A silent little encouragement from you...
I had to go through it. And after I did, the silence was calming, a permanent sedative for the pain and hysteria from my loss. I was still shaking from the vibrations. And I know you were there...
Never has a song brought back so much of what you gave me before. Never have I missed you more. Never had I realised you made me into what I am today. You live through me. You are my hero, today and forever.

And I play for you this song from my heart:

hanging on
here until I'm gone
right where I belong

just hanging on
even though I watched you come and go
how was i to know you'd steal the show

one day I'll have enough to gamble
I'll wait to hear your final call
Bet it all
hanging on

hanging on here until I'm gone
right where I belong
just hanging on

even though, passed this time alone
somewhere so unknown
it heals the soul

you ask for walls, I'll build them higher
we'll lie in shadows of them all
I'd stand but they're much too tall
and I fall

February stars
floating in the dark
temporary scars
February stars

---------------February Stars (The colour and the shape) Foo Fighters.

each one has a different way of looking at things.

each one has a different way of looking at things.
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

I saw it, and thought... something. Just a few random thoughts. But profound, now that I think back. certain interpretations are unavoidable, but I like looking at somethings that let me imagine what I want. I don't want to be told anything, I want to interpret according to me. according my constant ramblings. Not empty but filled with nonsense that will let me join the dots without any numbers.
A straight thought does not amount to much. It typecasts me.
A skew dismantling my mind into millions of pieces and putting it all together in drastically varying patterns comforts me.

I dream in Technicolour

I dream in Technicolour
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

The interpretation of my Technicolour dreams

I never dreamt in such profundity as I have started to dream. I don’t dream when I sleep, but I dream, wide awake, fully conscious of my surroundings, just one thought, one feeling, one dream.

I feel tranquil, peaceful and content. I feel a sense of harmony. I dream blue.
I dream of moments… so close to coming true, a touch, almost real. A feeling, almost true. I dream blue.

I dream of those times we should have,
I dream of all conversations that never happen, I dream of the love, we never shared.
I dream for a feel, of your soul, for you baritone falling especially for me,
I dream of you.

IT never happened before, and never, with such vigour. Erstwhile, your absence made me overlook your presence in my life. But now, your absence triggers off a superfluous charging of brain cells, beyond my control. You will never say what’s in your mind, and never will I, and we will converse and stop, where my dreams will take over, and hopefully yours too…

I dream blue…

Macro lens attachment procedure.

Lack of funds and half a brain forced me to make my own macro attachment instead of buying one.
Here's what you need:

1. Magnifying lenses : 2. nos. 50mm dia and 1 no. 60mm dia. (preferably with metallic rims)
2. Electrical/cloth tape. I uses cloth tape
3. A UV filter (according to your lens dia)
3. A cutter
4. Some thermocol pieces
5. Feviquick or some permanent adhesive.
6. Music (very crucial), Snacks (equally important), and some patience.

Procedure:

I bought the concerned magnifying glasses, took of their plastic holds, and taped the smaller ones together to form a cylinder
Then, put it on the large lens, and packed the gap with thermocol.make sure no dust goes in-between the lenses.
pack off the entire thing with tape. Sealed!

turn the lens the other way, and the part where u see the thermocol, you can cover that part with black paper. The reason follows later.
I cut a black paper ring of that diameter and pasted it to the white part of the lens seen.

The next thing is to tape up the entire contraption on the exposed rim of the bigger lens. This is so that the whole thing can snugly fit the filter. it should look neat!
Once that is done, try just fixing this to the filter plainly.



Imp note: I used a 60mm lens, due to the fact that my 18-55 is 58mm dia. Hence... u need to choose a different lens according to your camera lens dia.





So, Once it fits perfectly, just glue and tape that to the filter permanently and make it homogeneous. Viola! u have a macro attachment!














Some results:
If u don't zoom in completely:

You will see the vignetting.
Hence the black paper... not that it might matter much.












Zoomed in completely:









I used this combination of lenses after a lot of trial and error, and found this to be the best. I can go very close to the object and still focus. The DoF is awesome and shallow! And it cost me about Rs. 500 (including food, transport etc)

If any suggestions or improvements, please feel free to contact me at:
Draconianrain@gmail.com

And after all these efforts, I got to know that the Macro kit is dirt cheap... just a little more than what it cost me to make this...
This is bulky and ugly... so don't use this... get your own Macro kits, everyone!

Sharpening needed...
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

Politics
Overpopulation
Hypocrisy
Corruption
Communal-ism
Quotas
Pollution
Underworld
Crimes
Rapes
Exploitation
Poverty
HIV
Extremism
Riots
Taxes
Terrorism
Individualism
Bollywood
Commercialization
Globalisation
Stock market
Dowry
Female Foeticide
Light skin syndrome
MTV
Cricket
Flyovers
Casts
Punjabi Kitsch
Ekta Kapoor
Miss world(s)
Cola
Remakes
God-men
God-women
Blind faith
Ignorance
Malls and Multiplexes
Small cars
Eve teasing
Curbed sex education
Drugs
MNCs
Remixes
Booze
Indian Idol
----------------------We've come a long way...
I could never be more depressed...
But why do I think of all these things? Like most of the country, I can be happy too, and rejoice today.
After all... Ignorance is bliss... And we are blissfully Ignorant.

I finally got it!! A brand new Canon 400D! Yay!
It was my mom's graduation gift for me!!!
This will go down in history as the day I finally owned a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera!!!

INCOMPLETE... Dead or alive

INCOMPLETE...
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

How does one cope with the passing away of a loved one? This question has been hounding me for a long time. Why do we sometimes revel in the ache? Almost as we enjoy it. We want it. It’s because pain is good. We pity on our own self, and take vulgar pleasure from it. The twinge that I fell so deep within me, is so necessary now, that I will not be able to live if devoid of it. Why are we never satisfied? Why do we keep wanting more. Loss is inevitable, then why do we hope against hope?
Anguish is something very individual. My way of expressing it differs from others, but does that make me less compassionate? I lost many people I loved so intensely, one still exists, but distanced. I feel extremely sad about the one who exists. I fondly remember ones who don’t. The have moved on, leaving us behind, and so must I.
To someone who didn’t exist for me a while back, why do I feel such pain? Why do I feel so incomplete? He is there, behind a glass wall, I can see him, talk to him, I feel an extreme affection for him, but I am refrained from expressing it. Such is my dilemma. The dead have gone and left me with good memories, and the living are distancing themselves, causing an excruciating agony, that is growing, and not healing with time.
I am incomplete, and will remain so, till I convene with those who have left me for good. But then I will still remain incomplete since the living will keep haunting me, when I am dead.

RETRO LAMBRETTA!

RETRO LAMBRETTA!
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

One look at my grandfather’s old lambretta and you would know why he doesn’t believe in locking it… at our stilt parking, or on any roadside parking, etc… He is confident no one would dare to touch it… many a times; he has left (not intentionally) a few important documents and things in the storage compartment of his scooter, unlocked… and till date, nothing has disappeared from there.
The scrap merchants have their eye on such things… but the thing that works to my grandfather’s advantage is that it’s much too heavy. The money for the scrap from this scooter is not worth all the effort to haul it all the way to the scrap yard.
Well, one fine summer afternoon, my grandfather unknowingly parked in a no parking zone, and had his lambretta lifted by the police. Now, the police have guts… Can’t really blame them… they have the manpower, and they need money. So, since he did not bother too much about the safety of his lambretta, being in the very capable hands of the police, he went to rescue his scooter, not the same day but the next day…
The police were relieved to see the owner of the old lambretta claiming it as his own and taking it away after paying the requisite fine… The reason: The last time they whisked away two such old lambrettas from no parking zones, the owners of the relevant scooters never came to claim up and collect the bikes, let alone pay fine… and those two scooters still remain where they are… with the police… not worth the effort to sell off to scrap, and not worth using…

I HAVE STAR TRAILS!

I HAVE STAR TRAILS!
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

It was due for a long time... finally i did it!

The first Star trail shot I tried!
75 mins exposure on 26th May 0200Hrs!
AWESOME for a first timer like me...
Thanks Shutterbug Pooja for letting me experiment with her Nikon FM2! You are the best!
This going to get better for sure... !
MEGHANA'S RECIPE FOR STAR TRAIL SUCCESS AS FOLLOWS:

Ingredients:
1 Manual Film SLR
1 ISO 100 film
1 Tripod (don't worry if you don't have one. Like me, you can improvise)
1 MP3 player
1 Alarm clock ( a mobile will do)

Prepration:
Load and set up the camera on the tripod, (lens facing skywards, and a few hours after moonset or before moonrise is good!)
f /11 Exposure time: anywhere between 5 minutes to 5 hours. (If 5 hours, then you need to be really away from civilization...)
Set up your alarm, put on your headphones and ENJOY!

NOTE: No matter how well you plan, how well you set up your camera, LUCK is something beyond our control! (an airplane crossed sometime during exposure in this shot... )

Sounds of India!

Venue: ILC hall, Verite, Auroville.
Date: 6th Sept 2006
Time: 5.30 PM. Broadcast on Auroville Radio.
The first performance I gave in Auroville.

Harshad: Keyboard
Abhi: tabla
Meghana: Guitar

https://soundcloud.com/anahgem/sounds-of-india-part-2

my GUITAR speaks to ME

my GUITAR speaks to ME
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

My guitar talks to me,
My friend, he says,
I will desert you never.
Be with you forever,
Honestly…

My guitar sings to me,
Of a blissful subsist, so sweet,
The reverberation lingers,
On the tips of my fingers,
And so, I feel utterly free…

My guitar gives to me,
A subdue but expressive resonance,
A profound and soulful pulsation,
A near surreal sensation,
And a welcome diversion from reality.

My guitar travels with me,
He doesn’t grieve,
Doesn’t mope doesn’t cry,
Loves me so to move by,
And my grief is just a distant memory.

Such is he, the love of my life,
The music he makes, the passion in which I lie
The divine slender strings, The luxurious form,
The touch, so delicate, so mellow and warm.
Such is my love… And he speaks to me…
-----------------------------------------------DR (05/06/07)

COME... lets GO...

COME... lets GO...
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain

A sudden though left me wondering, and I penned down a few words...

COME ... lets GO...
Lets go to a place where we can be,
As lucid as water, as vivid as sun,
As soaring as the trees, and equally free…

Lets go to a place where we can hear,
The bird natter, the sea-waves chatter,
The zephyr in my ear, so very clear…!

Lets go to a place where we can see,
The sun ascend, the moon glimmer
The stars so zealous, all for me…

Lets go to a place where we can sense,
The sunlight so tepid, the rain drop so chaste,
Sheer bliss and a love so intense…

Lets go to a place where we can speak,
About each other, the humanity,
To make our vista brilliant, not bleak…
--------------------------------------------DR(29.5.07)

I went to the Moon one day...

Lunar Dreams 02.05.07 8 PM
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

I wrote this 5-6 yrs back. I had nothing better to do and since I dreamed of the moon everyday, I wrote a poem about why I should come back to Good 'ol earth!!

I went to the moon one day,
And I saw a little Alien trying to scare me away.

I went near it to talk,
But I seemed to give it a big shock.

The alien took out its Pogo stick,
And went away without any hick…


So, I went hopping mad to mars,
Where I saw a busy street with lots of cars.

All filled up with little Martians,
Dressed up in clothes of the latest fashions.

But without any designer tags,
They all looked like old, work out rags…


That drove me crazy to Saturn!
I was impressed with its lunar patterns.

But it made my head go round and round and round,
Until I fell on to the ground.

I sat up and looked up at the sky…
Oh! Why did it seem so blank and dry?


I was swept off my feet to Earth,
It is after all the place of my birth.

I left it in search of Humanity,
Love and honesty.

People came up to me to speak,
And for my advice to seek.

They welcomed me with open arms,
And protected me from all harms.

I am sorry I left this green planet,
I shouldn’t have been caught in this vicious net.

‘Cause I have just discovered,
There is so much love and humanity here ...still uncovered

------------------------------------------------------------------Meghana Kulkarni

I wrote this one for Harshad while we were in Auroville:

For Harshad (Haytad!!)

The games we play and the games you let me play,

Are at times irksome to you,

But exhilarating and playful to me,

I am a simple, naïve and hollow being,

And the kindly, but astute soul, are thee.

You know, but pretend ignorant,

Letting me feel vanity for the moment,

Even now you know,

But since so kind you are,

Quietly for the good, you let it go.

I am harmless, you think,

A cat without claws, how right you are,

But never show what’s in your mind,

You let my juvenile achievements pass,

That’s how you are, compassionate and kind.

I trouble you with my childlike mediocrities,

And feel superior,

To you, in some ways,

But you let me be stupid and happy,

Living blissfully, in a hazy daze...

It’s a lost cause to admit that I lose,

To you, a superior life than me,

You know that, but cannot comprehend,

How you abide my ways,

And live with all sanity I lost, but still defend.

This is another amateur prank,

I hope you will forget it,

And remember me as funny and poor,

Stupid and naive, but someone who wanted to learn from you,

And to be wise and sound and sure.

Keep forgiving me for being what I am,

The games I play and all that you do not like,

For everything I said that did injure,

Today, I have the strength and the courage to regret,

And to say this, all my lost courage I conjure…

I am so rich…

Lunar Dreams 24.04.07 1900 Hrs
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

Have you ever set up a telescope, hoping to see the moon, exactly half, already above the horizon, with, still a bit of daylight around? Have you ever seen through the telescope to see the magnificent moon floating in the inky blue sky? Have you ever seen the moon’s craters, on the bright, shining lunar skin? I bet you have…
But have you ever seen, while watching the same moon, a bird, appearing suddenly out of the blackness, cross paths between the telescope and the moon, seen as a dark silhouette to it’s bright surface, with wings, waxing and waning like the moon, flying across and disappearing back into the blackness it came from.

And I know, that I’m truly a witness to one or nature’s countless, rare wonders. I know, that I am so rich with such experiences, many of which, I am the sole witness to. I know, that my problems are not real problems at all. I know, that my sorrow is not real sorrow. What I consider imperative, is not significant at all. There is more to life that the material, and the social. Vital, is what we never think about. The real ‘good’ is not good at all.
What I do is just a diminutive part of my obligation I must fulfil.
We all look at clichéd and forlorn perception of life no matter how different it seems, and what it means to us, but when do we understand it’s more than just that.
In the understanding of this phenomenal gift of nature, lies the key to our very existence, and I pray for this very miracle to happen to each one of us. To liberate us from the passé, hackneyed and tried, into the beautifully stunning world we stay in, but never live in…

DraconianRAIN

DraconianRAIN
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

It rains and it rains. And it rains too. And when it rains… it rains. The rains reign over my mind these days. The reigning good weather, the sudden freshness, the intoxicating smell of the damp earth, the insects flying about, looking for shelter… It’s a whole new bright world! And especially if it comes in midst of the warmest weather the city has seen.
The day is left to gather all the rain clouds in the surrounds, and the evening actually unleashes them on us.
Enthralled by the weather, we step out to recover, and enjoy the gentle fury of the heavens. It’s a time to reconcile, to remember the past, to relive all our past moments and relax in the warm friendship in the midst of the cool breeze. The three of us, we stroll about aimlessly, discussing our life and where it’s leading us to. We discuss about our friends, the past, our future, our classmates, experiences, and all things, which are simply just flowing, but don’t realise the intensity of our feelings towards them. We realise only much later. Getting drenched is the last bit of worry for us, as there are more important things to ponder and converse. For the hour and half we are together, our minds are one, our differences departed, and our thoughts pure and warm as can be. The clouds vary the intensity of their downpour, but does that deter us from an intense debate? No. For there is nothing more important that the three of us, for the three of us at that particular time. This time makes us forget about the worldly banalities and complexities and gives us the sublime feeling of a blissful existence. That prompts us to repeat the experience everyday, but the clouds disagree. What are they, but a welcome respite from our everyday routine, refreshment for the mind, body and soul? An occurrence, if repeated continually, would not remain enjoyable anymore…
I will ever cherish these moments I spent with my friends, because come tomorrow, I might never get a chance to enjoy like this, what I get so effortlessly now, because this might just become the luxury I cannot afford in the future…

STAY... And help me to END the day

STAY... And help me to END the day
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

The Moon was yellow as it rose out from the horizon today. through the hazy city sky, it glowed warmly. But went cold as it rose further, with all the compassion dying out and and the cool moon rays lighting up the night.
She stood there in the evening of her life, asking for the moon to stay warm and compassionate, and to celebrate her life and whatever was left.
She was curious. gazing at the moon to reveal its mysteries, as the sky turned to black. And hence I remember:
STAY... And help me to END the day
Stay and help me to end the day.
And of you don't mind,
We'll break a bottle of wine.

Stick around and maybe we'll put one down,
'cause I wanna find what lies behind those eyes.

Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.

I rise, looking through my morning eyes,
Surprised to find you by my side.
Rack my brain to try to remember your name
To find the words to tell you goodbye.

Morning dues.
Newborn day.
Midnight blue turn to gray.
Midnight blue burning gold.
A yellow moon is growing cold.
------------------------------ Pink Floyd (Obscured By Clouds)

Lunar dreams

It was on my mind for a quiet a while to photograph all phases of the moon. It's certainly an amazing feeling to observe the moon from here. And it makes me want to go to the moon and explore. It would look like a cold, desolate place with no one else around.
I might not even like it there. But I would certainly like the earth as seen from there! The other side is always greener, isn't it?
Well, The series started from the 4th of March 2007 at 2130 hrs. IST. That was the night after the eclipse. Technically, the eclipse started on 4th March 2007 at 0230 Hrs IST. The moon looked totally fresh and glowing after the first full eclipse in almost 3 yrs! And ready to be photographed, and looked at.
The next night, the moon rose a little late, and it came up clear above all trees and buildings in the horizon at 2230 hrs. So, there I was on my terrace, romancing the moon again... How I just wait for the Moonrise...!
The moon started receding a little from the top, slow and shy, and I kept capturing it as it rose every day, for the next five days, anticipating it's augmented beauty every next night! It is truly one of the most dramatic sights, as the moon recedes, and disappears.
And what makes it even more captivating is the return to its original beauty. Full and bright, enchanting one and all, it goes on displaying the wonderful sight. Mother Earth got envious of all the attention to it’s satellite, and she sent a stratum of clouds to impede my vision of the moon. But it was no use. It shone brightly, between the skeletal layer of low clouds, giving me a near-perfect image of the moon. The sun still smiled on it’s children, benevolently yielding it intensity.
And with that, it completes half of its chapter, one that it reads over and over again, every month, posturing for me, while it was at it, and for countless others, around the world. I’m just one small microbe in this pool full of organisms, much superior than I. I’m waiting to evolve, to proliferate myself into different spheres of astral knowledge.
Countless generations of human beings have been witness to this wonder of nature. A wonder of time, gravity, light, and movement. But it takes more than an ordinary human being to understand it all. I wish I was one of the few who could. I wish I was one of the few to stand on the moon, walk, run and explore on it. See the earth from it and not feel the sheer agony for not being able to do so.

And consequently, as I reconcile in my limited understanding, and close my tired eyes for the day, I dream… my LUNAR DREAMS

the short journey towards LOVE... and OUT of it...

Laxmi road, PUNE
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

It was twilight when I caught the bus from my Fatima Nagar, in the company of more than 50 strangers and (thankfully) my MP3 player. Travelling though the labyrinths of the old town, its sights, sounds and smells, I felt a total loss of my worldly consciousness and I drifted towards a state of extreme bliss. I felt a mildly familiar sense of euphoria at having discovered something so unique, so strange, and yet, so familiar.
The streets were calling, in all of their mocking glory, but it all passed away too fast for me, and I realised I was dreaming, for the very route I had travelled many a times before, had suddenly become a stranger to me, and I didn’t know where I was going, and what beheld my attention on every turn. But I was mesmerised, and don’t remember many a stretch in between, like a void. I don’t know how I got to the next turn; I lost myself in this temporary haze. I was thinking of the bliss I lived in mindlessly in the past, the liberating nirvana I felt during that very small interlude with no worries and complete freedom. I was transported into a world where I believed. In a world where this strange feeling called love –exists. With no rules, no conditions and no melancholy.
I could get used to this. But it was not to be.
A terrific jolt shook me to the point of infraction, and I awoke to find myself out of this reverie into reality, and I had nothing to do, but wait for my stop.
I got off the bus and as I started walking towards home, it started raining. It was the first rain of the year, and I was there to experience. But that walk, although short and familiar, was the most profound and intense walk I have ever taken.
And I am stronger and wiser now, for I loved and lost, than to have never loved at all…

YELLOW leaves

YELLOW leaves
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

This yellow will not last forever on the leaves. but i will make it last forever. It was a beautiful day today. I'm glad I went with Kinnari. many a times I learn from situations which dont technically teach me anything. They teach me about myself, about what I am and what I can be.
The beautiful yellow attracted me instantly towards them. It was as if they wanted to be seen, to be appreciated. And I obliged. There's only these leaves that are clear, the rest of the tree and sky is totally uncertain. I don't know what it it. I cannot see it well. I dont know whats beyond. But I see the leaves clearly. Thats what I want to see. I have a clear understanding of myself today. I don't know about tomorrow. And I have stopped expecting and anticipating. I cannot take the dejection.
I am just riding the waves, doing just enough to float, but still in the ocean, not knowing where land is, just going along. I just need to see an albatross, and I'll find the inspiration. These young yellow leaves are my inspiration to keep going. I'll sight land someday.

Yours truly - Line art!!

Yours truly - Line art!!
Originally uploaded by DraconianRain.

I'm not like this. But this is how i would like to be. Like an image, like a perfect person without flaws. But can I be...?
It's truly a misleading image. This is not the real me. But what is the real me? How can I bring out the real me through an illustration?
I tried this for the first time yestarday, pretty successfully! this is how I did it:

1. Open an image in photoshop
2. Create a new layer (line layer) without fill.
3. trace the image using the pen tool (right click and click stroke path. Make sure to change the brush settings before that)
4. delete the Original layer of picture.
5. Create new white layer below the line layer.
6. You can fill in colours using different layers!

It's as simple! Contact me for any clarifications...