I hope those files don’t contain anything important:
Captured in Bengaluru market.
Author Archive
Storage nightmare Leave a comment
Bengaluru Impressions Leave a comment
Captured during an afternoon stroll through one of Bengaluru’s many scenic markets. Click on any image to see in slideshow format.
French countryside Leave a comment
Captured in the early morning just before landing at Charles de Gaulle airport outside of Paris. I can almost smell the croissants that a bakery down there probably is serving up right now.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
A no-photo post from India 2 comments
You came here to see photos, I know. But let me tell you what you’d miss if you saw my latest pictures from India, where I am now:
Before I took up photography, I used a journal to record my impressions of the faraway places I visited on business: Rio, Singapore, Taipei, Caracas. But like many of us, I’ve succumbed to the immediate gratification of a snapshot taken with a phone.
Unfortunately, pictures don’t do India justice. They may convey the shimmering colors of women’s silk saris, or the deep azures, vermillions and magentas of ceremonial powders displayed in such perfect cones that one doesn’t dare disturb them through a mere purchase.
But pictures can’t convey the constant honking of cars, cabs, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, and the ubiquitous yellow-and-green autos (aka tuktuks, everywhere else) as they all jockey for better positions on crowded boulevards or as they wind their way through streets so narrow that pedestrians have to escape into store entryways to make room.
Pictures don’t transmit the shouts and hawks of vendors in the market as they invite attention to their wares with melodic bellowing or urge buyers to make up their mind with the staccato-like hectoring of ‘balla-balla-balla-balla’.
Pictures don’t portray the close proximity of people, the constant brushes against others as you try to pass on too-narrow sidewalks or enter too-narrow doorways.
Pictures don’t let you smell the mix of spices, rotting fruit, exhaust fumes and wet asphalt, the fragrance of burnt nuts and corn-on-the-cob wafting in clouds above the rolling food carts that meander through traffic, the aroma of fresh flowers being weighed using hand-held brass scales, the occasional whiff of cow manure, the bouquet of spicy coffee served in paper espresso cups from corner stalls no bigger than a coat closet.
Pictures don’t let you feel the invisible dust that covers your skin as soon as you step outside, or the cool air wafting out of stores fortunate enough to have a fan, or the heat that stings your skin as soon as the sun breaks through the monsoon clouds.
Pictures don’t convey the drizzle that threatens to turn into a monsoon downpour that never comes, or the screech of a bird that is so jarring because it is so rare, or the dogs slinking through the throngs of people looking for scraps of food and getting no affection, or the thousands of smiles flashed at you in the hope of a bit of charity.
Pictures don’t let you feel the flakyness of a barota dipped in masala sauce, or the crispness of a roti served with an assortment of chutneys, or the softness of a slightly charred naan combined with butter chicken.
Pictures don’t convey the near-misses between cars inches apart in heavy traffic, or the flow of traffic around pedestrians crossing the street without any sign of hurry or panic, or of commuters boarding a bus that has already pulled away from its stop, its doors left open to allow stragglers to jump aboard before picking up speed, or the haggling that precedes the boarding of any conveyance.
All that is lost with photography. What’s also lost is our attention span — we see something, we snap a picture, we move on. Gone are the days of quiet contemplation triggered by a desire to ‘remember the moment.’ Our memory has been outsourced to photo storage in the cloud.
I don’t recall the few pictures I took so many years ago in Rio, Buenos Aires or Provence, but my recollections are nevertheless vivid, indelibly stored in my mind through the act of writing them down. So if you want lasting memories of your travels, maybe it’s time to put down the camera and pick up a pen?
Morning in Guanella Canyon Leave a comment
Captured these while driving toward Guanella Pass in Colorado. I was most excited about the moose sighting. 🙂
Morning over the Flatirons Leave a comment
Here’s another shot – this one more panoramic.
Flatiron view 3 comments
Enjoying the view on a beautiful morning in Boulder, CO.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
DC Metro Impressions Leave a comment
A fine example of man-spreading:
Shot with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
DC Metro Impressions Leave a comment
Rare sighting!
A millennial a)reading a book, and b) a classic (The Count of Monte Christo) and c)in public. All is not lost.
Shot with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
DC Sartorial Style 2 comments
Washington, DC is a place where tie clips are still a thing, where bow ties are still worn in seriousness, and where men still wear fedoras.
Captured on DC Metro with iPhone.
Look up! 2 comments
Or you might miss sight like these window washers high above K Street in DC.
Shot on iPhone
Backyard beauties Leave a comment
Shot on iPhone,
Edited with Snapseed
Sunrise glow 5 comments
Morning light captured on Hilton Head.
Captured with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
21 Cormorans Leave a comment
Captured with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Sunrise on Mars Leave a comment
Just kidding – it’s just a beach scene.
Still life with leaves Leave a comment
Beach impressions, part II Leave a comment
Beach abstraction Leave a comment
Shot with iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Beach approach 6 comments
On Hilton Head:
Inside Ed Ruscha Leave a comment
Captured at the Glenstone Museum.
iPhone, Hipstamatic
Flowers Galore 3 comments
Flower garlands at Mysore’s Devaraja Market.
Flower buds for sale 2 comments
Captured at Dewaraja Market in Mysore:
Devaraja Vegetable Market Leave a comment
Captured during my last trip to India, in Mysore. Click on any pic to see them in large format.
Bananas in Bangalore Leave a comment
Every kid wants candy Leave a comment
Including this one at the Bangalore station, before departure:
Indian countryside 1 comment
As seen out the door of the train I took to Mysore. Unlike trains in the US or Europe, in India one can open the doors while the train is moving and get some fresh air (and better pictures than through a smudged train window).
On the Indian Railway Leave a comment
The train to Mysore was as exotic as I had expected – although not so cramped as to require sitting on the roof, as one often sees in movies about India. This trip was rather civilized, I had a comfortable seat in a sleeper car where I could stretch out while vendors came by throughout, selling chai tea or snacks.
All aboard! Leave a comment
Captured at the Bangalore train station:
Bangalore Station Leave a comment
Captured while waiting for my train to Mysore:
Devaraja Market Leave a comment
I’m starting to go through my pictures from my most recent trip to India, here’s the first one, from Mysore’s Devaraja Market:
Canon 7D, 40mm lens
ISO 250
f/4, 1/400 sec
Scooters rule Leave a comment
Certainly in Bangalore, where traffic is famously congested.
iPhone, Hipstamatic
Traffic in Bangalore Leave a comment
Seems chaotic but is actually quite beautiful — everything flows like water. I just wish the photos could convey the ceaseless honking.
At the starting line:
And they’re off:
My ride:
Winter Sculpture Walk Leave a comment
Took my team to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden for some creative inspiration – glad we picked a 60-degree winter day!
Winter Wonderland 2 comments
Last night it snowed lightly and I captured these images before the snow melted.
iPhone, Hipstamatic app
Happy MLK Day! Leave a comment
Winter reflection 2 comments
iPhone, Hipstamatic app
Loving leaves… Leave a comment
… is easy when you’re not the one having to rake them…
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
End of Fall Leave a comment
Fall is almost gone, just a few leaves remain (for me to take).
iPhone, unedited
First fall colors 3 comments
Captured on Halloween, behind our house. No retouching necessary. 🙂
Office after dark Leave a comment
Seen in New York from my hotel window.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Street Art in Philadelphia Leave a comment
More murals from my trip to Philadelphia. Click on any image to see them in slideshow format.
iPhone, Hipstamatic
Morning Meadow Leave a comment
Captured during a morning walk across a meadow.
3 Versions of Commuter Bliss Leave a comment
However you may define it: shared experience, place of work, or gaming break.
Backyard life in the city Leave a comment
Captured in Fishtown, Philadelphia:
Ronald consoles a lonely traveler Leave a comment
Captured at Burlington, VT airport.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Everyone negotiates… Leave a comment
… the subway differently. Some bury themselves in their phones, some in their books.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Verdant Vermont Leave a comment
Enjoying the last of Vermont’s summer color before returning to work. 
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Break time Leave a comment
Taking a break with Mario during a morning walk through the Vermont woods:
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
Spiderwebs 3 comments
Captured these webs on today’s morning walk in Vermont.
iPhone, edited with Snapseed
A quiet spot in Vermont 2 comments
Loved coming across this little pond with a small dock and bench to relax on.
Snapshots For Sore Eyes 