Capturing Beautiful Pictures

You have probably looked at beautiful photographs in magazines, books, in websites ... or elsewhere so many times and if you were like most people, you thought: "I wish I could take a picture like that!" Well that's not just photographer's instinct, I know. But looking at these pictures didn't really help you to take better pictures.

Why not? Because you didn't know what to look for. You saw a beautiful picture. You felt that it was beautiful picture. But, you couldn't tell why it was beautiful. You couldn't tell what the photographer had done to produce a beautiful image. Perhaps, the magazine, book.. told you the name of the camera, its type and the lens the photographer used, perhaps the aperture and the film that photographer used. Well these are the technical details - but they didn't help you produce better pictures. And it's like knowing the names of the paints and brushes used by Leonardo da Vinchi but it won't help you to produce a painting as beautiful as the Mona Lisa.

The missing ingredient in the process is KNOWING, what to look for. And, perhaps that's the most important thing in capturing beautiful pictures. There are three simple guidelines of what to look for. The skill of seeing the beautiful pictures in the world around you, is what I say "the photographer's eye."

Let's me tell you these three simple guidelines:

1. A good photograph has a clear subject. (We sometime call this a theme.) It's about someone or something. It may even tell a story about that subject. But the subject is clear and unambiguous. Whoever looks at the picture immediately sees the subject.
   
2. A good photograph focuses attention on the subject. In other words, the viewer's eye is immediately drawn to the subject.
   
3. A good photograph simplifies. It includes only those elements that draw the eye to the subject, and it excludes or diminishes those elements that might draw the eye away from the subject.

By starting right now to think in terms of these three simple guidelines, you will find yourself looking at published photographs in a new way. More important, you will find yourself seeing the world around you in a new way. Most important, you will find yourself taking pictures in a new way. You will start to see the world through viewfinder with the eye of a photographer!

Now here is one very beautiful picture for you to check above three simple guidelines. ;)

That Beautiful Day

Fancifully, I woke up in a strange bedroom and it didn't take long for me to realize that I was in a luxurious accommodation of Himalayan Chalet at Nagarkot. I grabbed my rested wristwatch at the bedside table and it showed exact 5 o' clock early dawn. Memorable images of a day before start to flashback inside my mind and I wonder how life sometime makes living so interesting. It was that beautiful day, why I stayed there for a night. Wearing a childish smile on my face I sprung up leaving warm bed and peeked outside. It was still dark and foggy. Prior dusk I've planned to be on time at some good height to take pictures of Sunrise but it was too early to venture out. So, with sluggish heart I took shower. Water was soothingly warm enough to animate my taut muscles. For a moment I felt pity on my muscles because I never let them have enough rest and get fatty.

At 6 a.m. it was still foggy outside and there was no sign of Sun on the horizon any sooner. Anyway, I stuffed my camera and went out hoping to capture some beautiful shots of nature. Place was eccentrically deserted despite its good fame as a tourist destination and this is all because of one freakish shoot-out incident that took place at the Chundevi Temple of Chihan Danda, Nagarkot where an off-duty army men massacred 11 local lives in a wildest drunken spree, 6 months ago. It was a hideous story and its impact was disastrous to all tourism enterprises of Nagarkot. I hope time will heal that terror and things will get back to normal. Several roadside snack stalls are getting sprouted which I think is positive indicating that in coming days tourists will flock again.

As I walked further up hill wide varieties of melodious chirping of forest birds greeted me. I felt so fresh and instantly I became a part of nature. Grabbing that rare opportunity I sat at nearby dune and got involved in sighting those birds of beauty. Needless to tell, birds form an important part of Nepal's natural beauty and bird watching can be a very rewarding experience. Well I am not a keen bird watcher but that morning I've spent quite a lot of time watching birds and it fascinated me to become one. Being myself a vivid pigeon fancier, I can identify many species of bird like humming bird, black drongo, magpie, robin, spotted dove, scops owl, common myna, sparrow, parrot, barn swallow, rose-ringed parakeet, crow, Himalayan cuckoo etc including almost all sort of birds of prey yet that morning I've sighted many species which were very new to me. Some were exotically blue with a short tail and very frolic in character; some were brownish yellow with a white patch below their beak and long tail; some were in bright yellow and very secretive; some small birds have puffy headed and quite shy, some birds were even in a pair grooming each other, making me miss my Sunshine ;) Wow! I was delighted by this beauty that nature offers for those who takes times to enjoy Mother nature's incarnation. Mother nature has all the joys and miracles for us to watch and learn. I guess this is one big reason why National Geographic Channel and Animal Planet became my favorite channels. I also have heard lots of amusing stories from my wildlife photographer friends who often venture out to shoot wild birds. I wish I could tiptoe to this world of pure nature once in a while but sometime it becomes a far cry.

Now forget about Sunrise, which was nowhere to be seen so I gave up my wish to mark one more tick at my year's resolution list of watching sunrise once a month. Then I started to walk back to the Chalet. By then local villagers were already getting busy doing their usual morning chore. Women were digging fields preparing bed for maize crop and others were going out carrying dokos (big bamboo basket) in search of fodder for their cows and cattle. In each house's yard a colourful prayer flags tied to a tall bamboo boldly represent community of Tamang tribe and it makes the landscape very distinct. Far away cuckoo birds still singing in pleasure taking advantages of such a calm landscape.

Suddenly a loud noise from behind pulls my attention and as I turned back I saw large troops of army men jogging holding a rifle in their hands and a heavy pack on their backs. Anyone could easily guess how tough these drills might be by seeing drench cloths and sweaty faces of those lads. They were about a hundred in number and most of them seem fatigue. One among them carrying a red flag screamed, "Ek minate baki" (one minutes left). And I guess they were on routine drill that has to be done in a certain time frame. As for a photojournalist it was a good opportunity to take pictures but they already saw me holding camera. Generally people especially media are not allowed to take pictures of any security personal their activities due to security reason. Moreover they have this strict policy to stay out of media so even I approached them for consent they wouldn't allow me to do so. And once of my fellow photojournalist Prakash Mathema was manhandled by these security personal when he has published a picture of army men crossing Budi Rapti River at Chitwan carrying their wounded comrade. There have been many such cases where security personal treated media notoriously. That's why it's always thoughtful to study mood of the moment before taking pictures, than just follow the ethics of Photo Journalism. So, I just let the opportunity go by. Even after the troops passed me they kept continue making that commanding howl. Definitely the echo from those howl were pretty paradox to such a calm environment of Nagarkot.

As I got near the Himalayan Chalet, I met three school children waiting at the roadside and one of them was holding a beautiful 'Passion flower' (Ghadi phul in Nepali). Out of a curiosity I asked him why was he carrying a flower? And showing me saplings in a small blue plastic bucket which he brought from home, he answered he is going to plant these flower sapling at his school garden (Nyatapol English Boarding School) so he brought this flower to show his friends and teachers, as a flower someday those sapling bears. My O' my what a beautiful plan, I exclaimed silently in my excitement and his wisdom touched me and my heart smiled. We talked for long and I came to know a lot about him and his family. He was from near-by Tamang village and his name is Hira Bahadur Tamang studying in sixth grade. It takes an hour ride down to Bhaktapur to get his school and it became his routine every Sunday. To avoid this long route he stays in a rented room near his school with other local boys and visit home each weekend. This way he can have more time for his study rather than spending couple of hours each day. After few minutes later a local minibus rolled in and he hurriedly hopped in flashing a big smile on his face and bade me goodbye.

As the bus rolled down the hill, my mind filled with good vibes of Hira Bahadur's beautiful plan and deep down inside my heart I wished him good luck. I kept my eyes fixed on the bus until it became distant. As I turned back to walk, that small blue bucket was still there at the roadside. Oh Lord! Hira Bahadur's forgot to take that bucket with him. A cold cramp gripped me from inside and I didn't know what should I do. No vehicle was available so that I could follow the bus. I felt so bad and tried to imagine the sadness Hira Bahadur would feel by loosing those saplings. But thank God coincidently I have asked for his phone number, while talking to him. I planned to deliver those saplings myself to his school and make a call. I bet he would be so happy to have them back. Feeling of relief came as I have this way out to make Hira Bahadur's wish come true.

And it's like when you wish to achieve something genuinely good for all, the whole universe conspire you to achieve it. Few minutes later a school bus moved in with big banner "Nyatapol English Boarding School, Bhaktapur" on it. Cheerfully ran toward the bus and waved my hand to stop it. I explained the driver that one of his students forgot this bucket and told him that he planned to plant these flower saplings at his school garden. One of the teacher in the bus took it and I let him note down the boy's name and his grade. Then the bus cruised down the hill to Bhaktapur. I felt good.

After sipping a cup of warm tea back at the Hamalayan Chalet, I went out gain for a short hike with my FRIENDS who just took a bold step in their life and became the prominent figures of THAT BEAUTIFUL DAY. We took a short break at Sherpa Alpine Lodge enjoying a scenic landscape wrapped by the soft fog. It was almost 11:30 a.m. when I had lunch back at the Chalet. After taking thirty minutes rest we zoomed back to usual hustle bustle of Kathmandu.

Ironic ... not always.

A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...dontcha think
A little too ironic...and yeah I really do think...

It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought...it figures

Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you
Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out
Helping you out

Sabrina Lama beautifully sang this popular song by Alanis Morissette to entertain us at Romi's wedding. I bet everyone around including myself instantly fell in love with her captivating voice. She truly has gifted soul to sing and is so lively in singing Aruna Lama's melancholy songs. Many rounds of applause to Sabrina's lovely voice and the joy she sprinkled on us that night. And unlike Morissette's song, life can be more then just 'ironic'. You'll never know, what surprises life has in store for you.

Every wedding season I go this battlefield where I shoot bride and groom like a pro. Past couple of days holding weighty Nikon F50 and FM2 with telephoto lens and continuously focusing, composing, clicking more than 1000 frames at good timing eroded all my calories. Heaven knows I had a tough time. And suddenly life winked at me and surprised me so pleasingly. It was like being out in pitch-dark night, when suddenly comes a flash of lighting and you see the entire landscape clearly revealed. One moment I was completely alienated by weddings gala and next sheer moment I was hitched to my love's embrace making it hard to believe how beautiful life could be in no time. I felt like God is a director and he changed the set of my life in a perfect twist. Even Steven Spielberg would comes no match in ways God change sequences of our life so dramatically.

Just like that I was submersed by cacophony of weddings and suddenly she plucked me gently. And in an unforeseen instant this familiar shutterbug got transformed into a doting boyfriend. Far from those hustle bustle in a quiet cafe sipping fresh pineapple juice enjoying evening drizzle with her was much needed break for me. It was not less romantic than vacationing in Puket beach. She didn't know how happy I was to sit besides her warmth and let the time ticks away. Due to nature of her job, she needs to be on move all the time outside valley so we meet occasionally but whenever we can we value it as a special moment and celebrate our LOVE. I think there is much more to celebrate in life then to condemn. That's why I am happy for her and happy for love. You know, if I were to ask the Almighty for something, what would it be? Good health, Happy life for my Sunshine. I don't want anything for myself - Coz I have her.Sabrina singing various numbers.Romi posing with her family.Romi with her FRIENDS.

Deepa weds Sital

Please click here to see more pictures.

FRIEND

My degree of optimism is exceptionally high so I prefer to see brighter side of the Sun despite eclipse. This positive attitude helps me a lot to keep negative forces out at the bay but sometime things get too pushy and I need to be more critical on being an optimist. Being an optimist in real world is not an easy job. Every now and then times test my optimism and toughest thing I encounter is to convince myself, why am I so optimist regarding FRIENDSHIP? Lately this dispute within me outrageously mocking at my optimism and compel me to redefine this word "FRIEND".

Standing this far of my life, I came to realize that FRIENDSHIP doesn't just happen in one fine day. We choose our FRIENDS. And either consciously or unconsciously, we choose them on the basis of need and hunger. Let me stress in "of need and hunger". And how we cultivate FRIEND is a question of noble need and hunger. This cultivation we standardize affects how good we are at this art of FRIENDSHIP. Well I can boast that I have no lack of friends and this is not as if I buy them; they simply come my way because I am full of nectar for life and am so rich in giving. This is why FRIENDS swarm around me all the time. But not all who get attracted to my nectar comes naturally but selfishness too. Philosophically I feel good to possess this nectar but I know many out there in the swarm don't define FRIEND unconditionally like I do. Some are like horrible hornets in bee's skin and it hurts me when they sting my sentiments. I respect true FRIENDS and can go voluminous in defining them with decency but this time let me give you pessimistic definition of cheap FRIEND.

Parasite: definition of this word in Oxford dictionary is perfectly fit to define some FRIEND. A person always relies on or makes use of others and gives nothing in return. There are many FRIENDS around me to whom I can categorized as parasites and all they care is how to absorb me for their benefit. They selfishly enjoy my time, my energy, my skills and my resources without any courtesy. I always have a big heart in giving but they are like you give them an inch and they'll take you a mile. Some are even so callously self-centered. Moreover what annoy me most is that they ask for things as if it's my obligatory. I wonder how could people having this tag 'FRIENDS' get so mean that way.

Opportunist: FRIENDS like these can exploit any circumstances to gain immediate personal advantage rather than being guided by mutual consistent plans or principles. Sometime it is hard to predict FRIENDS like these who play disguising game so well. They can toss FRIEND and FRIENDSHIP in a trash can to win their personal goals. I know lots of FRIENDS around me assume that I don't have this clue of their true colors.

Money Minded: Lots of FRIENDS around me are so good at making 'FRIENDSHIP' a glorified word but when it comes to merry making time they become so materialistic and don't spare a single rupee. In contradiction I never falls short to spend my hard earned money to buy them happiness. And this is not because I have big buck but I believe those happy time I had with FRIENDS has more value than my money. And it hurts me when FRIENDS don't give a shit for my loyal definition of happiness. Behaviors like such dampened my feelings many times and I concentrate on being positive but it's not easy.

Sorry to spill my pessimism about FRIENDS but it is essential to vent my bitter thoughts at times otherwise I can't help being poisoned and get rotten. Despite my unstaggering optimism and good grace for FREINDSHIP I must take measures before my generosity becomes the culprit of my extinction. Certainly there are those FRIENDS that I must ditch and follow my survival instinct. True FRIENDS are like rarest gem and they are so rare in today's world of highly glamorized FRIENDSHIP.

Impression of Expression

Hey Jiten Mama what are you doing?
That's the camera . Oooooo I know what you up to.
Do I look Cute?
Cheeeeeeeeese.. Jiten Mama! Can I have a picture with you ?
Of course Dear ! Say cheeese.....

I guess I don't have to jot words how those sweet expression of babies can make anybody's day. Hope these pictures of my 5 months old cute cuddy niece Arya make your day.

Deepa Got Engaged With Shital

It was a rare excitement to make a beeline for Deepa's Engagement ceremony right after my 6 days trip to Dang, Butwal, Nepalgunj and Kailali. For a moment I had to wrestle hard between Photo Journalist Jiten and a Friend Jiten, to be there and I tell you, switching 'a whole me' to the engagement ceremony from those terror experiences of Maoist affected areas made me feel so strange. Ah! It was not less adrenaline than a riding a roller coaster. Due to this trip, I was worried for not being able to be there on such a special day of Deepa but now I am happy to attend even the ceremony was at tail end. I guess my unexpected presence must have put little extra smiles on her face that day.

I don't know how it feels to be 'ENGAGED' but it was so nice to see Deepa brimming with delight. I am happy for that and thank the Almighty, though I missed clicking tons of pictures. Anyway, Prabhat (one of my trainee) was there to replace me and here I would like to share some pictures he clicked. Let me CONGRATULATE whole heartedly to "Deepa and Shital" for the couple-hood and LOVE they just vowed.
"MERO PANI ENGAGEMENT HAI" (I still don't believe that I got engaged) Well that's how Deepa blabbed looking at her engagement pictures.
HAPPY TO ENGAGED AND HAPPY TO LOVE: Deepa with the whole bunch of friends.
BARSHA's RIGHT: Barsha always seem so fond of being photographed with Deepa.
CORDIAL WELCOME: Welcome Shital! not just into Deepa's life, also in our FRIENDSHIP.

Another Busy Day

Because of ongoing tussle between Maoist and the Government security of this capital city Kathmandu has beefed up to maximum point. Frequent security checks at any place at any time have been a usual chore. Forget about your convenience while you anticipate those checking procedure. And yes don't bother to raise any human right issue with these highly civilized men with guns cause you never know what moods they are in. Just a week ago, we nearly ended our confrontation with these disciplined security personal with a big brawl, when they tried to stop us playing football and evacuate that public ground for them to parade. Incident like such are mounting evidences for anyone to assume how loyal they are in protecting citizen's welfare. And obviously the trust and respect for them in the eye of commoner is getting eroded.

It's 26th of February Sunday, thirty minutes past 10 o' clock: Army security personals at the top terrace of recently opened business complex 'Kathmandu Mall' were disallowing people to view on 'Sanik Diwas' (Army Day) programmed being organized by Royal Nepal's Army at 'Tundikhel' (Public ground at the heart of Kathmandu). View from this huge and tall business complex's top is perfect to shoot pictures of the programme so with one of my photojournalist collogue, I went to this complex and approached those security personals revealing our Press identity and ask consent to take pictures. First few moments they were reluctant but later allowed us to shoot pictures, since we were press representative. We've clicked some good pictures of military arms displayed at the programme and that's why we were there for otherwise it is impossible to take photos of those war machines.

Well the day is also 'Maha Shivaratri' (One of the most important Hindu festivals in honour of Lord Shiva) and as always a day for me to scoop around Pashupati Nath temple to take fascinating pictures of Sadus and Yogis (Holy men). During festival tens of thousands of devotees and pilgrims from all over Nepal, India and other parts of the world converge at the Pashupati Nath temple complex. Vast numbers of people from all walks of life as well as providing a kaleidoscope of many different ethnic and tribal races of Nepal and India. Sadhus and Yogies, some covered in ash, some half clad, some entirely nude; their foreheads striated with many different and intriguing designs under many different types of hair-do offers a great insight into this very important religious event. Pilgrims in their distinct and colourful tribal costumes, vendors selling practically everything from Rudraksha beads, vermillion power, nuts to Coca Cola and local sweets make the place a paradise for photographer. The odd foreign tourist and the curious gawkers also form part of this vast collection of humanity. And it's not just me who flock to Pashupati Nath temple on the occasion but many national and international photojournalists too.

It was 2 pm when I reached and seas of people engulfed vicinity of the temple. As the euphoria of Maha Shivaratri takes up the mass, so does the fervor for marijuana. "The wonder drug" I should say and festival is pretty synonym to 'Marijuana day'. Shivaratri is the only day when the intake of marijuana (Ganja in Nepali) is legal in the country and you get to see Jogi bagas openly distributing it to the public, either by selling it for Rs. 20 per cigarette or giving out for free in the name of God. This is another exotic aspect of Shivaratri to observe. You know they consider marijuana as 'Prasad' (blessing) of Lord Shiva. There was strong smell of this wonder drug in the air and it certainly could make any non-smoker feel dizzy. Swarms of people drifting in marijuana high were seen more than pervious year and they could go in length telling in favor of Marijuana. But I know it's just lame excuses to puff the pot. Anyway, happy Shivaratri to all whoever celebrating it in any reason. At about 5 pm, I headed back to home.

My Nokia 7210 kept buzzing several times this day making me hitched to different worlds. It's about 6 pm and I was waiting there at Photo Concern (Photo Studio/Lab) with Prabin to collect blow-up picture of Sangeeta and Prabin, which Prabin secretly plan to hang in their room to surprise Sangeeta. My cell buzzed again and this time it was Ujwol (Friend) who was waiting for us (Friends) to arrive there at Sundhara Nanglo Bakery Cafe' as we planned to have small gathering to celebrate Deepa's (Friend) birthday. Ujwol was asking my whereabouts and what time am I joining him. After half an hour we joined them. Deepa was already there with Ujwol. We greeted this birthday girl with a hug and good wishes. Later Barsha, Rajan, Prakash, all joined us and we had a nice time.

It was almost half past 10 pm when I plunged into my cosy bed with Manjushree Thapa's book 'Forget Kathmandu". Just after a few flips I got landed to another world ...... DREAMING.

Incident That Moved Me

I often recall this particular incident that took place a year ago when I was coming back to Kathmandu from Bhaktapur in a local bus after paying visit to one of my friend. I don't use public transportation to go to places since I have a cycle and whenever I need to, I take it as an opportunity to watch people from different walks of life. But I know many won't take it that way and using public buses for daily purposes is not a pleasant experience here in Kathmandu. Mostly female passengers, who go through many awful experiences while using public buses. On that day the bus was packed with noisy hip-hop youngsters but luckily I got the seat. It looked like they were returning home after picnicking or might be some sort of gala time. Some of them were excessively boozed and so loud, which made the atmosphere inside the bus quite unfriendly. When the bus was about to move an elderly woman carrying an infant hopped in hurriedly and seeing this woman I thought, 'Oh God! She got the wrong bus'. For a moment I felt pity for her but instantly I made up my mind to leave my seat for her to sit. But before this woman reach near me one among those noisy youngsters stood up and let her sit at his seat. Good heaven! I couldn't believe my eyes for few moments because I didn't expect that those youngsters would be ever show such generosity to that woman. I was so happy inside and at the same time I felt little pang of guilt for underestimating those hip-hop youngsters. Incident like this move me a lot and I feel so good that still this earth don't lack men who respect women.

'Sex, Lies & Stereotypes'

Ok now stop raising your brows in surprise to see above title of my blog, it actually is title of the book by Dr. Gary W. Wood, which I've ended reading last week. It's a good book to kill numerous curiosities about 'Men and Women relationship' in social context. Little difficult to understand but you definitely get to see male and female in a very unique perspective. Hitching through writer's psychological tour, you even develop an urge to define men and women in a new way on your own like this Jiten ;). And may be you too start to ask, why not 'Pink' for boys and 'Blue' for girls. Sound interesting, rite?

Ok let me cite some vivid outlooks Dr. Gary W. Wood has emphasized in his book Sex, Lies & Stereotypes. If you take visit around your hometown, it's curious how you can start getting excited about things you normally take for granted. And these things didn't change overnight, it is your new perception of trying to see things through the eyes of someone else that changes your experience like when people see beautifully composed pictures of an ordinary thing through photographer's eyes. Beauty lies there and nobody sees it because we never try to see it. Blindfold of our society's stereotype filters is one reason. Exactly like various optical filters photographer use in photography. You can make sky look deep blue by using polarize filter.

By far the largest difference between men and women is the view we gain from gazing through different filters. The filters through which we view the world are based on a variety of personal factor: expectations within our culture, upbringing, individual tastes, motivations, life experiences and even moods. These factors combine to form our personal perceptual filters.

Dr. Wood very interestingly pulled an example how filters compel us to see things differently. Fancifully, we wonder that we would get up to watch the sunrise. Suitably inspired, we'd set the scene and map out the course of the book. As the day rolled by, we imagined watching the Sun course across the sky before seeing it sink beyond the horizon. What better inspiration could there be? After all, there is something quite magical about sunrises and sunsets. Except that the Sun never really sets, the Sun doesn't rise or move across the sky or set. The Earth turns! Everything else is just a perceptual illusion.

Sunsets and sunrises mean that the Sun moves round the Earth, but the fact is that the Earth moves round the Sun. We've known this universal truth for a few hundred years. The idea of sunrises and sunsets belongs to a view of the world that comes from the past, but is a far too romantic notion to let go. What we are really talking about is how it is possible to have different perceptions of the same thing, even something as fundamental as the nature of the universe. There is a strong parallel between our understanding of sunrises and sunsets and how we view the roles of women, men and relationships. It's a case of 'head' versus 'heart'. We know the science but crave the comfort of the romantic 'spin'.

Dr. Wood put forward another vital views saying that; we often talk about biology as if it has a consciousness and a sense of maleness or femaleness. But biologically we are the same species, and the similarities between men and women far outweigh the differences. Furthermore, the differences are more often quantitative and not qualitative. While our genitals may be the outward signs of our biological sex, we share a common origin and continue to share many of the same capacities and experiences.

The biological symbols for female (Venus) and for male (Mars) are perfect to explain the whole process of sex and gender. Stripping away the similarities in the symbols leaves us with the symbols of the true male and female differences. A bit of a detour: This brief review of human biology leads to the conclusion that women and men have many more similarities than differences. Our preference for black-and-white thinking distorts the perceptual filters with which we view women and men.

These views really do challenges us to question our assumptions and accept that there are grey areas in most people's gender identities. Men are from earth and women are from earth, it's high time we got over it. Popular psychology often states that it is our perception that creates our reality.

Well I am not a vicarious reader as you would expect but wide range of subjects tempts me to become one and tell you what, chemistry of MEN & WOMEN Relationship always excites me. Books like 'Man are from Mars, and women are from Venus' by John Gray, 'Why women can't read maps and Men don't listen' by Allan & Barbar, and 'Why Men hate Women' by Jukes are some nice books I have read on 'men and women' relationship. Book 'A Women's Worth' by Marianne Williamson is next in the row.

Days Slip By

No matter how mastery I think I am in 'time management' sometime somehow I still find list of undone things before I retire my day. I guess this is a similar story of many working people like me. I know 80 percent of our jobs depend on dealing with other person or people, so chances of undone jobs are always there. I tell you what, chasing days is such an uneasy state of bewilderment in life. Lately that's exactly how I've been through. It's like days governing me and I just let flow myself where it takes. Besides, my outgoing nature which allow me get involve in various activities at a time is also a reason why I tangle up in such situation often. I held myself responsible for this state. I know everyone lives a day consist of 24 hours. Not one second more or less. So instead of grumbling I must learn to live my day within 24 hours

Previous two weeks, I have devoted huge chunk my days for wedding photography. This season I have shot 4 weddings so far. Wedding photography is both respectable and tiresome job and needless to say, I do it for my friends and families because it's very special moment of their life. Shooting wedding ceremonies consume lots of time not because wedding procedures are long but because we Nepalis value our time poorly. In contrary we, Nepalis are so concern about 'Lagan' (the auspicious time) predicted by astrologer priest to perform those ritual of wedding ceremonies in perfect time but most of the time we just miss it. And still no one shows remorse about it. Common phrase 'Nepali Time' is an easy excuse people pull with much ease but I simply can't let it go that way because it not just spoil our worthy time and also disgrace our potentiality.

During those weddings I had restless days. I even had to skip my regular meals at home and sustain on those oily and spicy foods of wedding parties. I've jeopardized my health due to those foods and my unrest routine. I was in poor health and had a violent cough caused by dust allegoric and be under medication for few days. I agree that to some extend I also am bit more careless about my health, which I must not do. Anyway now I am back to my good health.

Back home political stunts, royal circuses, municipal election are some high and low dramas that have dominated all domain of Nepal. It is so agonizing to see Nepal's portrayal in the international media as a country that's spinning out of control. I don't want to write any of those misfortunes here in my blog at least. Instead let me share some pictures.

Photographing Children

Photographing children is quite difficult but enormously rewarding. I have photographed countless children and it is hard work, to being allowed into their world and gaining their trust. Once you do that and you get down to their level, then their world is yours. Yes of course, to photograph a child, you have to be a child yourself first and remember, there is a child in everyone's heart. Most difficult task I face while photographing children is that you just can't ask them to pose for you. That's why you must have heck lot of patience. If you don't, then forget about becoming a Child photographer. Interesting part of child photography is to wait for the wonderful expression on their sweet little faces and being ready to click the right frame at the right time. It's tremendous feeling when you are able to freeze their beautiful smile and innocent acts.

Sangita in Kathmandu

Sangita's unexpected visit back home surprised not just me but all friends. I must confess, it's a pleasant surprise and her visit came to us as a package full of merry time. It's so good to have her back home after a long time. She got a long break of 12 days plus festive holidays, so she grabbed the opportunity to visit home and have good times with friends and family. So sweet of her. By the way, there are lots of other sweet things she does and that's what make her so different from the rest.

Just before Christmas Eve we had a grand get-together at Road house Café in Thamel (Most happening tourist hub of Kathmandu). We had a wonderful evening and a blast of fun. We dined, wined and gobbled several round of mouth-watering pizzas. And yes if you ever visit Thamel, don't miss to drop in for wood fire pizzas and other superb menus at Roadhouse Cafe. I highly recommend the place. Of course, it's one of my favorite hangout. Okay here are some pictures to share those funs we recently had. Enjoy!!!!

Smiles for Life: Deepa, Sangita and Barsha never get tired to wear those beautiful smiles on their faces to pose for me and I love that. Indeed smile improve anyone's face value.
Close F R I E N D S: Lucky me indeed to have so many close friends who care a lot. Deepa, Sangita myself and Barsha.Toast for Happiness: Shalu and Sangita toasting for the goodtime. Sssssh! Don't tell anybody that now Shalu has developed quite a remarkable appetite for wine. Merry time before Merry Christmas: Sangita, Prakash and Barsha enjoying the good vibes.
Celebrate Life, Celebrate Friendship: Having a gala time at Roadhouse Cafe.
Long Live Our Friendship:No get-together would ever complete without a group snap. In the pictures: Binaya (Binita's hubby far left), Prakash, Ujwom, Shalu, Juna, Bikash, Barsha, Deepa, Binita (in front row in red), Batshala (Binita's daughter) Sangita, Sangeeta (Prabin's wife), Prabin, Shayeet (Shalu's son in red far right) and Aashish.

Who knows what tomorrow holds

'Kal Ho Naa Ho' is the title of a blockbuster Hindi Movie and a good one. It gives simple and true reason to live life to the fullest and that's what motivates me to scribble something about the movie. This movie is also special to me because my Sunshine's favorite actor Shah Rukh Khan starred it and she says that I am quite romantic like him. Ah!... I don't know whether I am or not but one thing that we do have in common is both of us admire Mother Teresa.

'Kal Ho Naa Ho' takes place in Manhattan, New York, and portrayed the story of Aman Mathur (Shah Rukh Khan), Rohit (Saif Ali Khan) and Naina Catherine Kapur's (Preity Zinta) Journey together. How they discover themselves, find the courage to love and come together to celebrate life. "Celebrate Life" which we frequently overlooked while pursuing our distant dreams. And this is what the film is all about.

Aman Mathur, who is a happy-go-lucky fellow who spreads happiness and believes in giving to others without demanding anything back. He brings his joyfulness and charming personality. But as is said that behind every smile there lies an unshed tears, so is the case with the film's protagonist Aman. He is a heart patient.

What would you do if your road in life is a heading for a dead-end? What would you do if you had to fight a fatal illness when you haven't yet lived your life to the fullest? What would you do if the love of your life is being snatched from you while you're sinking in the agony of your terminal ailment? Aman quenches all these questions in the movie bravely. Besides scripts are simple and warm your heart. I am pretty moved.

And then there is a character of a gorgeous girl Naina 23 from semi-Panjabi/semi -Christian family, who seems to be aging before her time. With the constant arguments and bickering in her family, she is completely distraught by the conditions, which surround her. In addition to this, she is bombarded with the responsibilities of taking care of her younger brother and sister, as well as helping her mother (Jennifer). Between all these burdens Naina never has time for herself. For her life is grey and dull - as it has been ever since her father passed away.

Then comes Aman like a whiff of fresh air, he moves into their tiny Indian neighborhoods to take it over. Helping others solves their problems and face life's little challenges. Aman pushes Naina into doing things that she would never dream of doing. He nags her till she learns to smile. He conspires with her friend Rohit (an eligible Manhattan Bachelor) to help her find happiness. Rohit is a jolly guy who has a golden heart but cannot impress upon girls.

The climax of the movie is highly emotional and completely justified, in keeping with the story of the film. On the whole Kal Ho Naa Ho is a healthy entertainer that will appeal to family crowds and viewers of all ages.

Who knows what tomorrow holds, what can we ask for? Life is a precious gift of God. Always make the most of it. Whatever long-term goals you have, start pursuing them today. What do we have to lose? Try to see the beauty of the world around you everytime you step outside. Try to smell the sweet fragrance the moving wind brings. Try to hear the soft sounds that Mother Nature bears. For this is life, the ultimate love.

Place your hand over your chest and feel your heartbeat. That is actually your life clock ticking, counting down the moments you have left. One day it will stop. That is 100 percent guaranteed, and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. So you can't afford to throw away a single precious second.

Lets Love.. Laugh.. Live.. who knows what tomorrow has in store for us?

My Painting

Yes I do paint. I love to paint. I do paint to amuse myself. I paint for people to show I care and love. I paint to value my free time. I even paint to grace romance with My Sunshine. (One good reason, rite?) There are rooms that hung up my paintings. Many people know me by my paintings and they say I am a good 'painter' but I don't consider myself eligible for that title. WHY NOT?? Well simply because, I don't create my painting but copy them. You may have different reason not to agree me. But that's how I feel. I feel flattered when people say that I am a good painter. Please make comment (I would be happy to know) if I am underestimating myself not accepting the title. By the way, you can Click here to view some sketches which I did to show 'Beauty of Women's Body.

Wedding Photography & Jiten

Winter is predictable season for wedding bells to chime here in Nepal. Hindi religion places a great importance on marriage and over 90% of Nepali populations marry. Wedding is once in a lifetime (I can say that on behalf of Hindu religion) and very memorable part of human life, which people certainly don’t afford to miss preserving it in any mean and that's where this Jiten go busy clicking.

Each year I shoot 5 to 6 weddings (mostly of my friends and relatives) and it's an honor to capture people's special moments like weddings or just any memorable moment of their life. I get enormous high when my photography brings happiness to people. This is one reason why I put my zeal on 'Wedding Photography' immensely (....there is a secret reason behind. Make a guess... wild guess, hehe.. of course weddings are great opportunities to see and meet many beautiful girls ;) . Now you know one of my secret reasons. Sssssh.. KEEP IT SECRET otherwise my Sunshine won't allow me to shoot another wedding.)

Few years back I've stopped counting how many weddings photography that I've done so far. My eyes get blur by the colour red (Nepali bride wears Red Sari for wedding ceremony). You know even a well known photo printing service center of Kathmandu 'Photo Concern' get amazed to see me brining them more than 30 rolls of film to develop and print in a week. All lab boys at the center who prints hundreds of rolls each day can distinguish my pictures. They are familiar the way I compose and frame pictures. This amuses me a lot. I've earned a good reputation in wedding photography. Today standing this far on my photography voyage I feel very proud to be a photographer and help people to see world with a different perspective.

BUT this is not to say that wedding photography is all fun trade to do (at least here in Nepal). I've seen countless high and low dramas of Nepali society by doing wedding photography. I sure do have many good and bad experiences, which I love to share someday here in my blog. Anyway, I take all these experiences as opportunities to know about cultural diversity of Nepalis people. I know I can be an anthropologist if it's about weddings ritual of Nepal. But for now let me shed some good advices on wedding photography for single people out there who are going to get married sooner or later.

WHEN SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR AND BOOK PHOTOGRAPHER FOR WEDDING?
As soon as your wedding ceremony and party date has been fixed. I recommend to book photographer 2-3 weeks in advance. The good photographers get booked for popular dates. Booking professional photographer for wedding is not in practice here in Nepal but I highly recommend having one. (If you don't have a friend like Jiten. Haha) To some extend hiring professional photographer is expensive. Thus most people prefer taking photos from autos cameras by relatives and friends. Of course, you will get photographs but quality of picture is not Professional quality as of professional camera (SLR).

WHY SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE RELATIVE DO IT INSTEAD OF A PRO?
Wedding photography is both an art and a science, requiring someone with the proper equipment and the right skills, plus the demeanor to be effective and creative under pressure. Besides it is almost impossible for your relative to be a guest and at the same time, concentrate on the technical details of photographing an entire day. That's why trust your once-in-a-lifetime wedding to a "pro-for-a-day" and you will have bad feelings for a lifetime. It is also my opinion that asking a guest to do the official photographs and no different from asking dinner guests to work for their meal. But you can encourage your close relative to bring cameras, but DO suggest that they enjoy themselves as guests. This certainly is a good idea to cover up some interesting happening around while pro is busy elsewhere but still no substitute for pro coverage. Another contemporary flair is to have disposable cameras handy and involve those fun loving guests in the coverage.

DO YOU NEED BOTH VIDEO AND PHOTOGRAPHY? IF GETTING VIDEO, DO YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE THE PHOTOGRAPHER ALL DAY?
The experience of watching a video is different from going through your wedding photo album. Most I know have no regrets about getting both. Many couples I know regret not getting a good video (one done by a pro, not by a friend). In some instances, couples get full video coverage and limited photography. Video captures the sound and motion of the day in a way that still photos just can't match. It is still not a substitute for professional photographs. If you can I don't miss covering quality video of the event as well. (Who know someday your offspring or may be your granny might wish to see it and you sure don't want to disappoint them.)

SHOULD THE DULAI (BRIDE) AND DULHA (GROOM) SEE EACH OTHER BEFORE THE WEDDING FOR PORTRAITS?
I bet this is yet not a trend for Nepali couple to have their portraits taken before weddings. But I highly suggest to go for it. It's such a beautiful idea and very romantic thing that you two should not miss and many Nepalis have started this new tradition. Moreover it is a wonderful opportunity for spontaneous, expressive pictures that really show your relationship. All you have to do is visit a good photo studio in your town or call your PRO photographer and arrange time to meet. And if you want lots of posed romantic portraits, there's no other way, unless you are willing to take time out from festivities for photos because on that very day of wedding everything go rush rush. In my personal experience many couple have regretted not getting together in advance for nice pictures and some moments alone.

HOW SHOULD YOU PRESERVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM?
Keep the album closed and flat; don't store it vertically. Keep it in a cool dry place. Don't expose the pictures to excessive UV from sunlight or fluorescents. Avoid abrasion. When kids arrive, store the album till they are old enough to respect it. Follow same rules for preserving negatives as well and be extra careful if weather is damp. Do check them sometime and keep them dry. And yes keep the photographer abreast of address changes so you'll get the negatives before he trashes them.

LASTLY, WHY IS PHOTOGRAPHY SO EXPENSIVE?
Most who ask this question are not aware of the myriad of costs borne by someone doing photography as a business, including equipment, developing films, cost of best quality printing and more. You would be surprised to know at how low the margin is on wedding photography. Besides, it not just photographs that you pay for, but the expertise and experience of a photographer too. Many pros call wedding work the most challenging of all and prefer other genres of the business.

Hope you definitely gain some insights regarding wedding photography going through my blog and yes feel free to ask me more regarding this issue.

Merry Moment Making Momo at Manandhar Niwas

After a long break I enjoyed eating Momo (Tibetan Cuisine) at Prakash's place (Prakash Manandhar) with the whole bunch of my FRIENDS. Winter is a perfect season to gorge delicious Momos and last Saturday I had more than just delicious Momo. Guess what! It's 'Philippino Macaroni Salad' prepared diligently by Karishma (Arpana Sharma) and it was so yummy. So nice of Karishma that she even taught me how to prepare it. Soon I will prepare it at home and surprise my Bhaujus (Sister-in-laws).

Besides all the fun and joy we all Friends had at Prakash's place, I felt more joy to see 'Ma' (Prakash's Mother) and 'Nini" (Prakash's aunt) enjoying and being part of our Friends Get-together. That's the best part. Here I have couple of pictures from the day . Enjoy.

Romantic Surprise

Recent trip to Pokhara was for an absolute 'Romantic Surprise' that one of my friend (Pabin) wanted to give his wife (Sangeeta). They got married on 22nd of January 2004 and are in full bloom of love. (See picture of these two lovebirds above). Last weekend Sangeeta was having a conference there at Fulbari Resort & Spa, Pokhara so we (Prabin and I) sneaked out on motorbike to Pokhara on a same day she left Kathmandu. I know this is no less romantic stunt than a Korean couple who, wanted to have their romantic portrait done at the top of Sarangkot hill at very moment of sunrise. (Read my previous blog regarding Korean couple).

Sangeeta had no slightest clue that her romantic hubby would ever emerge suddenly right there at the resort next to her. From the very beginning I was so curious to see how Sangeeta would react. I even planned to stay right behind Prabin to take pictures but I missed that moment due to unfavorable circumstance for pictures. She was trying to dial Prabin via her cell phone and got so surprise to find him sitting in chair next to her. Her instant reaction was, "Kasto Badmas Kam Nalaggne Manchhe" and she giggled merrily. Though I missed taking pictures, I do know how she had felt to see Prabin there and I am so happy for that.

Moment after that 'Romantic Surprise' many beautiful moments followed. Both Prabin and Sangeeta had a wonderful time together. I too enjoyed being there and taking pictures of these lovebirds. Long time ago somewhere I read, "There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness". May Cupid enrich the souls and delight the hearts of all lovebirds on earth.

A Thousand Words

Indeed "A picture speaks a thousand words" and sometime more than just a thousand words ever exist in human civilization. Only viewers can feel it. Being a Photo Journalist and photo fanatic my perspective always tries to go little further than normal viewers while composing picture. I think having a Photographer's eyes one can go beyond 'a thousand words'. 'Human parade' unfolds extraordinarily different way if you have a pair photographer's eye to see it. Simply, I can't express about it but I can feel it. Anyway don't bother changing your perspective on LIFE, if you don't have photographer's eyes.

Well I just want to share you a picture (above), which I've created with the help of Adobe Photo Shop 7. Digital technology has revolutionized photography world in great deal making many impossible things come true. This technology has opened many doors to creativity for creative people. Besides authenticity of a picture, it enables doing many amazing things. (Like picture above).

Let me quench your thirst to know, how I've created that picture. I planned a view of my room and fixed digital camera (Nikon Coolpix 5400) on tripod at one corner of my room. Exposure is set manually because I wanted to achieve exact warmth and sharpness in the picture I want it to be. By planting a camera on tripod at one place, now I can take any number of pictures having same view at the same angle. This way I took several pictures of myself in a different place of my room with different outfits. (By doing this I also have learnt to change dress in no time, he.. he..) After taking several shots, I uploaded all images in my PC and opened them all in a Photoshop7. Now making one base/main image I just copied each images and paste them in other new layers. I made ten layers for 10 Jiten. Selecting each layer I erased portion or image besides me, and doing this layer 1 is visible to layer 2. Using same process to all 9 layers, now I have all 9 Jiten in layer 10. To make a foolproof I have selected each layer and go in detail so that it can overlap exact place of base image. There are several tools in Photoshop you can use to manipulate images. After doing this I merged all 9 layers to the base layer and slightly change it tone and color using adjustment option. And final image is ready. Very simple.

Trip to Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wild Life Reserve

'Conflict and Conservation' is what I was assigned to photograph in my recent 9 days (26 Oct - 3 Nov, 2005) trip to Royal Chitwan National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve. Focus of this research trip was in finding out impact on wildlife and conservation, (especially National Parks and Wildlife Reserve) because of ongoing conflict between Maoist and the Government. Needless to say, it's a vital issue and mere 9 days was not ample time to go in depth but we did our best to reach to the roots. We were two (Reporter/Journalist Gopal Tiwari and I) in the team and we had no forecasted plan. Even we have had all necessary official documents and Press identity, we never know how things rolls up. We had to reach local communities and visit places where general people have no access. Moreover traveling outsides Kathmandu valley is a different story now. It is not easy as it used to be few years back. All these circumstances made this trip adventurous one and I got so many new experiences to cash in.

During the trip I witnessed how conflict directly and indirectly affected on Wildlife Conservation of Nepal. Nepal is rich in biodiversity and natural beauty because of its unique geographical location and variation in altitude. It has contributed remarkable to the conservation of global biodiversity. More than 19 percent of the country's landmass has been set aside for perpetual conservation purposes but it's very sad to see these treasure being destroyed because of the conflict.

Conservation activities, being cared out with people's participation, have been interrupted following the lunch of a Maoist insurgency and ensuing conflict since March 13, 1996. Maoist's destruction of physical infrastructure and growing human casualties as a result of the armed conflict, the authorities is charge of the protected areas started merging the affected guard posts and the sector offices with the respective headquarters. This precautionary step has left the field posts unattended. Similarly, the Royal Nepalese Army began reorganizing its guard posts to avoid possible destruction. The conservation staff and security personnel have abandoned the territory. Consequently, illegal hunting, collection of plants having medicinal value and deforestation have increased in some regions. On the other hand a positive gesture, the presence of the security forces and Maoist rebels in the jungle has discouraged smugglers and poachers. In addition, the Maoists have been expressing their commitment to bio-diversity conservation. However, they seem to be doing this for their own benefit and in contravention of the government laws.

This has led to an increase in the poaching of wild animals, deforestation and illegal trading in medicinal plants. The conflict has also indirectly influenced tourism and agriculture, pushing the country's economy on the brink.

Besides these findings, I have so many other memorable stories to cherish. One night during the trip we had to face one of the deadliest mosquitoes attack ever in life. Gosh! It felt like I had lost huge amount of my blood and it was so itchy. Inside Royal Chitwan National Park, while going to shoot pictures of Dhoba Post that was blown away by Maoist, we encountered with Rhino and we ran like hell. Rhino chased us more then 100 meters and thanks to an experienced local Tharu Men, who saved us. That was a 'close call' indeed. After taking rest across Reu River we approached other non-bushy route to reach the post.

On our jungle walk, we saw many wild animals, Rhesus monkey, Common langur, Sambhar, Hog deer, Chital, Wild boar, etc roaming freely and it was exciting. I even had this opportunity to stare an elusive Royal Bengal tiger by just half foot away, which was kept in an enclosure at the Kasara Headquarter. A short walk (1km.) from Kasara there is Gharial Breeding Center, Which is also home to the Mugger crocodile and a number of turtles. Visit to the Gharial breeding center with Cheese Kumar dai (a Game-scout) was very informative. We even made fun and laughed regarding his name 'Cheese'. Finding fresh tiger footmarks deep in the forest was scary but I didn't admit about it. Ha..ha.

Strolling through countless Tharu villages was a beautiful experience. Their living style and religious/cultural sure has so many ethical values to preserve. Tharu are the main indigenous ethnic group in Chitwan. They are well known for their resistance to malaria. Traditionally they are farmers and practice their own unique tribal religion. One thing I didn't like about Tharu Men is that they drink locally made wine (Rakshi) often and a lot.

We had hard time finding meals and once we had to sustain a whole day on 2 boiled eggs. All these experience taught me to be better prepared and what stuffs should I be equipped with while going on such trips. Needless to tell that traveling is the best way to learn many things. Still there are so many knowledge that I have gained about my Nepal, my Culture, my Village and lot more. I will be more than just happy to share whatever knowledge I gained wherever I go via this blogging. And yes of course will be uploading many pictures from this memorable trip there in my online photo album.

In the end let me say, small though it may be in size, Nepal nevertheless possesses a natural affluence that is truly spectacular. From the flatlands of the Terai in the south to the magnificent snow capped Himalayas in the north, the Kingdom harbors an amazing variety of flora and fauna, forming ecosystems that are remarkable, and some that are unique to this land. Lets not loose our hope to preserve it.