Green Valley
Lush Green Valley of Munnar
Lush Green Valley of Munnar
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Dec, 2013Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken on my way to the Munnar hill station. It is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams,1,600 m above sea level, this hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South of India. It is a town in the Western Ghats mountain range in India’s Kerala state. It is such a beautiful place in Kerala, which cannot be portrayed in a single canvas. Everything and anything here will make us excited. The hills, the mist, the valleys, the streams, the waterfalls, tea plantations, rare flora and fauna. The hills surrounding this scenic town are carpeted with tea bushes, spice plantations and greenery. The sprawling tea plantations, picture-book towns, winding lanes and by lanes of the town makes it a picture perfect place for any photographer. It is indeed a photographer's delight to descend in place that is ascending landscape of hill station.Time
I was on my way to the beautiful resort in the outskirt of Munnar and it was the mid noon, and the weather was warmly welcoming me as tourist to that lovely hill station, though the temperature had plummeted and it was cold as it was approaching high up in the hill station. I was loving the romance in the air for a creative mind to play its card...The beauty is not in the eye of the beholder; but here every eye holds the beauty. The curve and the slants of the valley was mesmerizing… The connection was what I was looking, it was missing in my city life and it was noon, the time that was breaking the morning and was starting it's journey towards the evening not the prefect time as it was clouded and getting dark but I was not defeated by force of dark cloud gathering is momentum to hit me, I wanted to face it and I confronted. Though my driver said not to stop and get down, I commanded him to stop and came out to gaze the sublime movement in the sky and the stop the movement of my vehicle though momentarily to absorb that moment of beauty unfolding the lap of nature...Lighting
Photography is a visual art form, but one should have a sense for it…particularly so, as the form suggest must have an eye for it. I took this statement lightly, not to undermine the role of light in photography, till I faced this colorful display of nature. I knew that light and darkness are two most important facets of photography. It was noon but no sunshine, it was clouded and the floating clouds on the sky was covering the green cover on the earth. There was beautiful contrast between the whitish blue clouds and the green carpet. the light was fading and I had to wait between the floating cloud to get that enough lighting to get that perfect shot. I waited and watched, patience I knew a vital virtue for a Photographer. The clouds gathered in the backdrop, but still wanted something more, my irresistible yearning persisted, and it was perfectly set for the clouds to make their mark in the background of the fading light.Equipment
Unfortunately I had my Camera packed, though always I keep my Canon with me while travelling and walking in such fascinating landscape, this was an exception. I thought I had enough time to do that when start our exploration of the place. But nature has different story to tell and I couldn't resist myself. I was desperate to capture that moment and I didn't have much time to get my Camera back into action and it was my Blackberry phone that came handy and I managed to take quick set of shots and this one came out the way I was experiencing the moment. Never underestimate the power of lens, and not necessarily it has to be in hands of big Camera, it could be there in smaller devices like mobile phones that can make your day, as it with you all the time and it just a click away...easy of use and seizing the moment is essence of good equipment.Inspiration
Photography is a moment & a memory captured permanently though is a deferment in time, and once that moment is over the memory remains in the captured image. The sky appeared so close but it was far, I was basking in the glory of beautiful nature, nurturing my senses. I wanted to show that distance in my proximity, the closeness of the shot made me feel a part of that canvas of nature. I could see a convergence of sky and earth on the midst of the green meadow, it was truly mesmerizing and I was yearning for a place and space to play my creative skill. I was there at the right place and at the right time, the moment was for me and I wanted to keep that moment for posterity.Editing
I always love the raw, the rustic and the real factor in capturing the photos...though the post processing many says cuts the rough edges and get the photo the dressing needs to make it presentable. The essence of art is in the heart of maintaining the true self, the true self of the picture that the nature had presented to us not the image that we make out a captured picture.In my camera bag
Canon EOS 600D with 18-55 mm IS II Lens. This camera provides is an lovely reflex, it can generate high quality images from high definition, with accuracy of colors and combination of realistic impression of what we see. Also, I always carry my Tripod Power TR 380. My photography jacket from National Geography, it gives me a sense of pride. As a photographer we need to carry our sense of pride along with the scene of joy, not to undermine the power of common sense which we miss out in the complexity of carry all the stuff in our bag and not the common sense in capturing photos...Feedback
Photography needs the eye but builds on the skill and as a photographer I always look for the place and palace to make the capture memorable. It is a photographer delight to be in a place to seize the moment of magic in digital form, a place which is a pride for the country and envy for the world. There are few places in this world and some visit in life that is once in lifetime opportunity which few of us only see it, live to feel it, and the first time visit to that place can only be once in life…Munnar is one such place in this world. There is a greater opportunity to connect the earth with the sky and if connected properly it appears as if there is a convergence of light and darkness. The subject we choose on the earth makes a difference when placed next to the object on the sky...the whitish blue cloud and the lush green nature of tea garden moon makes is magical, as there is a lingering mystery that glories in the black backdrop. By playing around with the colours of the sky, cloud and the colours of the earth, greenery one can create wonders with the pictures you want to capture through your lens.
