On a cool Saturday morning last weekend, we decided to do some shooting at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. Not to worry, folks. No criminal activities were indulged in here. And no insects were harmed in the process either.
For those who are not from Bangalore, Lalbagh is a rather interesting place in the mornings. The place is filled with people even as early as six — exercising, praying, shaking legs and arms, making loud breathing sounds, dancing, sitting around, walking and even, praying.
So armed with our equipments — cameras, lenses, tripods — we set off for Lalbagh. Shankar, for some reason, decided to don full full jungle regalia as if we were going to a wildlife sanctuary. We spent a good four hours (you don’t realize how time flies when you’re having fun and it’s so true!) taking pictures.
When Kaushik, who I shall now call the ‘insect mating specialist’ (and here’s proof for you too!) found 2 insects making out, Shankar was excited since he could now exercise his macro lens, jazzy tripod and flash. They spent well over 2 hours photographing the co-joined bugs : I am not kidding!
Sabir and I wandered around a bit and found other interesting sights ahead. An old ruined structure, where we spent a good hour taking pictures of a bicycle. What I like about this hobby is that one gets so completely immersed in it that nothing else matters at that moment. No worries, no frivolous domestic errands, no pressing problems to bother you : just you and your equipment and of course, a few willing (and not so willing sometimes) subjects.
I sat down finally on a bench to take a break when a a woman cutting grass on the lawns came and sat beside me on the bench and began a Kannada conversation with me. I didn’t fully understand her of course, but I did get the drift. She was asking for money for no known reason! I decided it was time to leave then. But not without a filling breakfast of rather yummy dosas and idlis at MTR nearby. A morning well-spent.
great photos which camera do you use?
Posted by joe | December 22, 2005, 7:46 pmAmazing. I don’t know makes you so very simple photos look yet so very very interesting PLUS impressive. Great morning work indeed.
Posted by Kapil | December 22, 2005, 11:59 pmvery good photographs indeed.…captured the mood of winter morning perfectly.…keep it coming
Posted by ss | December 23, 2005, 9:43 amAmazing Photos! Too good.
Posted by Arjun Prabhu | December 23, 2005, 3:33 pmmy first trip to Lalbagh was this wednesday.…not lemme c the pics
Posted by Mehak | December 23, 2005, 4:14 pmlovely pics…ohh MTR is one place i have to go.…n its famous esp for breakfasts…that’s wat i’ve heard…
Posted by Mehak | December 23, 2005, 4:18 pmLovely pics! And you know what, I KNOW that bench you have snapped! :) And the last pic — with the bicycle is a lot like the cover pic of Gurcharan Das’ book “The Elephant Paradigm” :)
Posted by Shruthi | December 23, 2005, 5:26 pmdear Anita,
landed at your site thanks to the mention by Desipundit. So enjoyed the photos — and promptly (first the confession, then the permission-request) wrote a poem based on one of them & assembled on my blog. This sometime-custom (borrowing a photo-image from somebody’s blog & finding my way into a poem through pondering the image) is a kind of literary exercise I’ve sporadically employed.
Here’s formerly & properly (though mildly after-the-fact, but the thing of course can be deep-sixed) requesting permission for the noted borrowing, viewable here:
http://kirwani.blogspot.com/2005/12/bench-in-bangalore-photo-ditty.html
(or maybe that should be given as: here)
cheers & hat-tips,
d.i.
Posted by david raphael israel | December 24, 2005, 6:44 pmp.s. erratum
for: formerly
read: formally
;-) d.i.
Posted by david raphael israel | December 24, 2005, 7:00 pmFirst time commenting here.Nice template and your pics are great.Which cam do u use?Nice blog you have in here..:)
Posted by Sailaja | December 26, 2005, 12:25 pmHi
Lovely photos of lalbagh
I think I must have been jogging some where
in lalbagh at that time
because I am there every morning
Posted by indiacorporatewatch | December 26, 2005, 4:34 pmclassic image!! inspires me to get up early in the morning :)
Posted by kosukadi | December 26, 2005, 8:31 pmhi anita
Lovely ones !!
Posted by saaya | December 27, 2005, 3:23 pmhi
the first snap was a beauty…
cheers !!
Posted by Shalini | December 28, 2005, 12:40 pmAwesome pics Anita..
Posted by tony | December 28, 2005, 4:44 pmnice pic, capturing nature’s beauty?
Posted by Amrita | December 28, 2005, 6:08 pmHi,
I had come across one of your article sometime back, probably in rediff — an article on your travelling to Guwahati. This is the first time I had actually get to see your blog. It is nice. Specially, the photographs. They are really nice. Keep it up.
Posted by Rupankar | December 29, 2005, 2:42 pmHi Anita — slightly off-topic — just wanted to wish you a Happy New Year. All the best!
Posted by Jag | December 29, 2005, 7:20 pmNice Photograph!
Posted by Arun Karuppaswamy | December 31, 2005, 8:54 pmAnita,
You should come on the LalBagh Walk organized by BangaloreWalks. It will give you a totally different perspective on this amazing place, and I daresay we can show you several interesting things in the park that you would never have noticed on your own. The walks are conducted every Sat & Sun morning from 7 to 10am, and end with a great MTR breakfast (without the wait!). Check http://www.bangalorewalks.com for details and testimonials. I highly recommend it!
Arun
Posted by Arun Pai | January 1, 2006, 8:30 pmWow! Superb pic!!
Posted by Jo | January 9, 2006, 11:32 pmgreat photos! I’m from Bangalore (but transpalanted in Delhi) and looking at the lalbagh photos really took me back. I have a few photos on my link.
Posted by Srinivas | January 14, 2006, 4:49 pmAmazing photography done. You can visit this blog for a wonderful experience.
Posted by john | January 18, 2006, 3:39 pmBeautiful photographs– perfect for a rainy morning, a daydreaming drizzle type of morning…my eyes seeth what makes my heart soar. :)
Posted by Brandy | June 24, 2006, 6:47 pmHello! Good Site! Thanks you! acknriqwuaey
Posted by hgbtuyammc | June 21, 2007, 3:57 pmThe bicycle pic is beautiful. If you are based in Bangalore, can I meet you?
–Su
http://bangalorebuzzz.blogspot.com/
Posted by Suzanna | September 20, 2007, 10:01 pmIn your second paragraph, the last sentence mentions praying twice. You may need an editor. Lol but good job.
Posted by Kerri | December 13, 2008, 6:09 pm