The Half Dome

 

This is probably the most recognizable feature of Yosemite (Thank you Ansel Adams).

This picture is taken from the sentinel bridge with the Merced river in the foreground, it was taken at 5:18 in the evening when the Sun was only illuminating the tip of the dome, a very fleeting moment which was gone even before the clock hit 5:20.  Isn’t it incredible, imagine I would have missed it had I been just 5 minutes late!

The Mirror Lake

 

This is the Mirror Lake, it’s called that because of mirror like reflective quality of the still water (Thank you Sherlock ), you can actually see it better when it’s not frozen over like this, damn you snow . It’s a seasonal lake, I think the best time to see it would be between April and June when the snow has melted but the water is still there. It dries out completely in the summer.

It’s a 1.5 mile walk from Curry village for people who are interested in seeing it, it’s a really easy walk but because of slippery frozen snow becomes a little bit harder, I have the bruises to prove it , it’s totally worth it though.

I don’t think I have to sell Yosemite to anyone but if you go please please see this, it’s totally gorgeous!

The Covered Bridge

 

I went to Yosemite this weekend. Yaay! . But not so yaay were the photos I clicked, for some reason it was very difficult for me to get good photographs from this trip . I guess it’s all part of the learning process.

This is the picture of the Covered bridge in Wawona. One of the first things I saw on the day, it’s near the south entrance of the park right opposite the pioneer Yosemite history center.

I think it should be called under-covered bridge, it took me almost 45 minutes to find it .

I’ll be uploading some more pictures from the trip one by one.

A Crafty Weekend

I and my sister have been fond of crafts since childhood. Actually she was interested in it, I just followed like for most things.

We had a cubical decoration competition in office this Monday. We had picked a “Seasons” theme and as we had 4 desks at our disposal, we did Autumn, Winter, Rain and Spring. So I pretty much spent the entire last weekend painting and cutting things. Then I tried my hand at Origami. It is quite an interesting art and with all the tutorial videos available on the web, not so difficult to start off with. Of course being an expert in it would be a different cup of tea.

Here are a couple of tips which might be useful if you are planning to just start off:

1. Do not use a thick paper. Doesn’t help. You will end up with aching fingertips.

2. Use colored paper; one sided colored is also fine. However you will have to be extra careful about the folds or the white will show.

3. If colored paper is not available (it wasn’t for me at 2 in the morning) you could color it later, like I did, but the effect is somewhat reduced.

4. Keep the dimensions of the paper just so, the folds will fall into place much easier.

I am not going to be doing a step-by-step for things I made but I am posting the links which I used.

This is the butterfly that started it all and the tutorial

The flapping bird, its quite common so I’m sure many people know this one already. Tutorial

I made two kinds of frogs, we had lots of rain! Tutorial for the first one.

Tutorial for the second one.

And then there was the dragonfly. Which required quite some search.
Tutorial

So finally! With all the weekend preparation, we decorated our cubical. Got the first prize! So did everyone else in office. They were being unbiased and making everyone happy (I say they should have just given it to us!)

Spring

Winter

Autumn

Rain

Promise of Peace

 

I went hiking this Sunday and after climbing a big mountain with all my gear in tow (I’m one of those people who drag their tripod everywhere ) I needed this bench, I mean I really needed this bench .

I’m generally a big fan of  benches anyway but this bench is really special to me, especially my calf muscles but in all seriousness I think my reason for liking lonely benches is because of their promise of peace. Can’t you see yourself calming down by just being here?

PS: I went to the Coyote Hills Regional Park, one of the best views of the bay, hands down!

A Road less travelled

 

 

One of the things that most appeals to me in photography is the endless possibility of creating a picture. There can be 10 people taking a picture of one thing and if they do it right, all the 10 pictures can be entirely different from each other. Where else can you find such flexibility, but it also can be the most frustrating thing for a new photographer, the feeling of “it’s all been done”.

I took this picture on my walk this afternoon and I’m absolutely not claiming it to be very ground breaking (no pun intended ) but for me this is the kind of picture that makes me want to keep going and learn more.  Here’s to exploring new things and looking down once in a while!

A Silver Lining

 

(Click the picture for a slightly larger version)

It has been raining here since last Friday and I haven’t had an opportunity to go out and click much, but on Monday just as there was a 15 minute break in the rain I went out for a short walk with my umbrella.

Of course it rained again and I was completely soaked (because my $4 Walmart umbrella was no match for the strong Bay winds) but just for five minutes the sun came out and created this beautiful Rainbow which made the whole experience totally worth it! 

I *heart* Rainbows!!!

Standing on the Shore

As mentioned in my earlier post here, this was the second poem I had written.

Can you hear me?
I screamed.
There is an echo of pain;
It’s all around.

I am standing on the shore.
The waves reaching me.
Calling;
To take me away.

I remember.
Standing on the same shore.
Holding you hand
My steady support.

The waves called me then
As they do now.
You were there then,
I’ve gone too far now.

I don’t want to leave;
But I’ve left already;
All traces gone.
The waves will take me.

If I continue standing here
Will I have the courage?
To take, one step at a time,
To walk again a straight line.

Don’t Wait

I wrote a sequence of two poems recently (will be putting up the second one shortly), they are somewhat related, though finding the relation is completely left on you.

I think it is easier for me to write sad poems than the ones filled with a ray of sunshine. I guess heartbreaks bring out the writer in me.

Were you there?
When they came and hurt me.
My heart torn to never mend.
I think you were.

Standing on a different earth.
Waiting for my scream.
Waiting to rescue.
I didn’t.

I see you.
Looking up from your ground.
Your eyes so calm.
You continue waiting.

Why are you still there?
I will never understand.
I love you.
I hope you would move on.

A Rainy Sunday

 

 

A Rainy Sunday afternoon. A good book. Hot Tea. A fantastic time.

The book by the way is called The Perfect Murder, the husband has been annoying lately .