Photos: Playing Wii

I came home from work and found that the house was a tip, there were screams and grunts and shouts and squeals galore. Figured its either the kids murdering each other or something. Close enough, they were playing Wii.

You can see the look of concentration on somebody’s face.

And also on eldest cost centre’s face as well.

While somebody is peering around Dada to see what’s on the screen.

Photo: Christmas Tree with reflected ornaments

Woke up this Saturday morning and it was absolutely a filthy day as I peeked out of the back door. But then saw the reflection of the lights on the double glazed door (which accounts for the multiple reflections) and grabbed the camera, lol. The tree is a Christmas tree which somebody long time back planted at the back end of the neighbours garden. Made for an interesting sight…

Photos: Edges

While bumbling around, I was poking around in the bushes when my eyes went up and noticed the amazing pattern being made by the snow as it crept down from the corrugated roof. It had also started to warm up a bit so managed to take some photographs. Spent 1 hour there taking more than 400 photographs for these few to come out. This photography malarkey is very mind boggling, lol.

Photo Essay: Observing a quiet little stream through the snow

It was a bitterly cold day and it was snowing too that day. I decided to take off on a walk around the nearby park. Snow, both types, settled and falling, deadens the sounds of the world and it's eerily quiet. So, while walking, to actually hear a small tinkling brook was very surprising to me.

Not too much snow on the left.

Nor on the right. The right bank was more snowy as I think the trees saved the left bank from being snowed in, but it was surprising to see running water, I thought that it would have frozen over by now.


The banks were bitterly cold and snow was still falling. The tree trunk was leaning over and the snow was creeping over the trunk. Almost like it was trying to climb up the tree.


In an open space, both banks were covered, and in comparison to the white snow, the water looked very dark, very cold, very still, extremely shivery. I thought that I wouldn't like to fall into it.


Still, large flakes of snow would fall and circular waves would form around the fallen snow flakes. For a moment I thought there were fish, but no, it was only snow. I am sure the fish were happily sleeping or moved to a warmer place.


Heading back to town over a small bridge which is overshadowed by snow laden boughs and trees. It was very quiet indeed, and if you listened carefully, you could almost hear the susurration of the snow flakes and the faint babble and tinkle of the stream running over the cold pebbles of the stream bed. Makes one go all ruminative and thoughtful. So as usual, went off to tbs to discuss this. She said that that the pictures reminded her of Robert Frost’s fire and ice poem, and I was reminded of this poem by Langston Hughes

It was that lonely day, folks,
When I walked all by myself,
***
Then I went down in the valley
And I crossed an icy stream,
And the water I was crossing
Was no water in a dream,
And the shoes that I was wearing
No protection for that stream.
Then I stood out on a prairie
And, as far as I could see,
Wasn't anybody on the prarie [sic]
That looked like me.

Langston is talking about the utter loneliness of being a black man in white America, something like the black dark stream in the middle of the snow. Mind you, I was hit by an irrelevant thought, given the rise of Hispanics, he will need to think about the brown colour as well now, but I digress.

I also found another poem about this theme by Joachim Gasquet and I am putting just the first piece down here.

Why do we live?
O my body, my eyes, my mouth,
Why do we live?
To breathe day’s farewell in the darkening south,
To bring to the quest of a virgin’s drouth,
The draught we can give;
To train in the dark of an icy stream
The branch of a dark laurel,
While dimly we watch, in the depths of our dream,
Virgin caressed by shades auroral;
To ride a savage horse,
To breast a torrent’s course…

Full slide show '>here.

Photos: Snow Trees

While walking around in Pinner Park, there were some wonderful scenic sights over the trees. Here are some of the more eye catching sights. See the full slide show for the full list of 32 photos.

this was more like a bucket full of snow on top of the tree.

whiskery branches but with not that much snow.

Red berries and snow, lovely combination.

A tree which obviously could not take the load and cracked off. It almost looks like a chair from this angle.

The puffs of powdery snow on this branch makes it almost look like its cotton puffs.

Taken from below.

Picture Postcard pine trees.

Only one side of the trunk gets the snow.

Another tree which could not take the load I guess.

The primer painted fence makes an improbable splash of colour against the dark mossy green trunks and white snow laden branches.

Another tree on its side, the branches make it look like its a squid or something.

  

Very interesting patterns of snow on the shrubs.

Some of the evergreens didn't seem to attract snow to that extent.

And yet again another fallen tree. There seems to be a damn epidemic of the fallen trees around the park.



Same tree, another view.

 

The branches of this tree were all upward pointing, almost like beckoning you to it. Very interesting patterns.

Another view of the same tree on the right.

 

Another tree, but this time on the side of the road.

This tree was looking like it was two trees, with one stuck on top of another. The bottom with the straight branches and the top with the very jagged branches.

Almost like a face on the trunk.

Yellow snow, avoid eating this snow :)

Very miserable looking tree, all wet and bedraggled, lol.

Snow falling across a hole in a tree.

Proud fruit or flowers on a tree.



A fir tree next to our house. One of the Christmas trees I guess.

Photo: Across a snowy field

I took this photograph of distant houses and trees across a snow covered field, with the snow absolutely chucking down and a leaden sky.

picture perfect postcard type, lol. Click on the photo to get the full resolution.

Photo Essay: Sunset at Covent Garden

Went to see Avatar the other day. I wasn't impressed with the movie, it was trying too hard to make a point and was a strange mixture of "Dancing with Wolves", "The last Samurai" and "Alien". Anyway, while ambling back to the car after having an excellent pork belly lunch, we had to walk through Covent Garden. Usually in the winter days, you don't get to see the sun and for a plant life like me, without the sun, I wilt. But thankfully the sun broke through just before sunset and I grabbed my camera to prove that the sun does shine in London. Here are some photographs with some commentary around that short visit.

The sun rays highlighted the massively decorated window balcony top and windows while leaving the doors in the dark. Elvis has left the building?


Only the top corner of this block of flats was highlighted with the rays. I was reminded of the times when I was back in India and saw this kind of sunset. When you are inside the house and you see this kind of light come through, it makes you feel all warm. It's a soft light, subtly illuminating the room and its contents, lighting them up with a gentle glow, a tired response to the bright sunny day that has gone now and a quiet promise of a lovely night to come.
 

Now I tried to take both the buildings in one shot. This did not come out as well, I am afraid, but felt that the perspective was interesting, full of angles, lines and shadows.

 
Two faces with the windows. This one is a bit lopsided


Why the long face?

Sort of reminded me of a ship with portholes, specially with the fading sunlight highlighting the circular windows. Titanic anyone?


The crest is that of the royal family I think, but the sunset on it was pretty much self explanatory. Not much left of the empire now other than some sheep inhabiting islands and some offshore centres…

But the flag still flies proudly on the building against a grey backdrop.


The top of Covent Garden silhouetted against the setting sun and glowering encroaching clouds 


The sun now shone through the Covent Garden centre and the positioning of the highlight was amazing,  as it highlighted the sign and the show. Pretty lucky, eh? Talking about luck, you might have heard about the lucky quote by Napoleon. "I do not want a good General, I want a lucky one". I think photographers also have to be lucky, specially the outdoor ones. Inside a studio you can rely on technology, lighting, cameras and models and and and, but outside you frequently have to rely on luck. On a brand new amateur n00b of a photographer like me whose enthusiasm far overreaches skill, I find myself relying on luck far too often.
 
Then we have this old Edwardian townhouse again highlighted by the sun.

 

Finally we have a gently smoking chimney. This is on the top of the Metropolitan Underground Transport Museum. The smoke (or was that steam) was far too gentle, almost apologetic,  coming out in wisps and being visible only against the blue grey background because it was highlighted by the sun. 
  
Camera details: Canon 500D, no flash, Sigma 18-200mm lens, no post production fixes other than some cropping.

Full slide show here.