May 27, 2010

Blogadda Contest: Travel Photos

For once, there is a contest in the cyber space that I can participate in. Blogadda announced a contest for travel photos. Travel Photos! I am like a kid on Diwali or Holi or Id or Christmas or whatever festival you celebrate. Which one should I put, which one should I discard? I have at least 20 photos that I want to put here and yet, I can only put 5 of them. Decisions, decisions! Anyway, here goes my list:

TulipPAris_203 The spring of 2008 I went for a Euro trip with friends. This is one of the shot from my first view of Eiffel tower in Paris during a Seine river cruise. We all (tourists) were clicking profusely, after all it’s Eiffel tower. Stepping back from my vantage point, I realized that there is no human factor in numerous picture of Eiffel tower I had just clicked. So this presented as a perfect opportunity: a friend clicking the picture of Eiffel tower. This remains my best shot of Eiffel tower that I took on that trip, even though the Eiffel tower is blurred and is in the background.  The fascination of man with the monuments.

Disney_041-1  The summer of 2008 I did an internship in Southern California. In two months I was there, I went to Disneyland 5 times (it was 2 hours drive from my place), although every time with a different set of friends. This statue of Mickey and Walt Disney caught my eyes the first time I was there but I simply couldn’t get the right angle or right way to click the picture. And then there were so many other exciting things to take picture of, so I let it go. In all the subsequent visits, I stole moments from my friends and tried again. However I didn’t click a single picture of this statue till my last visit, when finally I found exactly right angle to click this picture: Disney palace behind the statue of Walt Disney holding hand of Mickey Mouse and showing/dreaming a world. It summarizes the world of Disney, doesn’t it?

By the time I clicked this picture, I knew Disneyland like back of my hand now: all the rides, the different princesses, Disney characters and where they will appear, their “houses”, the parades….oh well, let me summarize by saying: it was a fun summer.   Kern_211-1 Yet another shot from my fun summer in Southern California. This is Lake Isabella in Sierra mountains, again 2 hours drive from the place I was staying, though in completely different direction than Disneyland. I published this picture on my photoblog titled: “Welcome to Paradise: Speed limit is 15 mph”. Honestly, doesn’t this look like paradise? IMG_1841-1 This is a shot from Lake Tahoe in  Northern California. The water is so clear that you can literally see the bottom of the lake. Can you see the shadow of the duck and the shadow of the ripples it created at the bottom of the lake? Yep, it’s that clear!

Even though you can’t tell this by the photograph, it was freezing cold when I was there (I  was on a ski trip organized by the department: No, I can’t ski and yes, I hate skiing- two things I realized on that trip). And as I sat there on the ramp that went in the lake, I wondered how do the ducks survive in that cold water. I knew if I accidentally fell in that lake, I will have hypothermia, and there that duck was, happily swimming in the lake. Have you ever felt insignificant while admiring the nature? Then you know how I felt, sitting there, observing that duck swimming in that ice cold lake.

Keradu temple-1 Okay, the last one is from the time I was in India and was working. I had to travel to Rajasthan for the field work quite often. This photo is from one of those field trips. It is a shot of the Keradu temples in Rajasthan. Unlike, Khajuraho temples, these are not very well known. When I visited them for the first time in 2004, we were the only tourist in the place. The watchman was out on the lunch break, so we had to open the bolt of gates ourselves and let ourselves in. It didn’t feel like any toursity place I have been in India, where its hard to escape the crowd and take any picture.

Although these temples form an archaeological site and are supposed to be well conserved, I just wish that Indian government/Rajasthan government took a better care of these artifacts than they were doing in 2004 (am not sure about the present condition of the temples). They were build in 1000 AD and later, approximately the same time as Khajuraho temples. They are beautiful.  If you ever visit West Rajasthan (may be while visiting Jaislmer or Jodhpur), do drop in at this place. It’s in Barmer district.

That’s all from my corner. Hope you like them. For more photographs visit my photoblog, Aperture.

The contest is sponsored by Pringoo.com and Blogadda.

42 comments:

  1. Hi Richa, great photos ! Liked no.4 & 5. good luck with the contest ! :)

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  2. Very nice selection of pictures :)
    The Eiffel tower pic with your friend has actually come very well :)
    My favorite is the shot by Lake Isabella :)

    Best wishes for the contest :)

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  3. Enjoyed your pictures Richa :)
    Good luck.

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  4. Beautiful beautiful pictures...each one is better tan the other :)
    Lake tahoe, the old temple, disney world.... great

    All the Best for the contest ( that's how i landed here )

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  5. Richa, those are lovely shots. I am amazed at the clarity of the water and your camera captured it so beautifully though Lake Isabella is what made me say wow!
    Good luck for the contest!!

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  6. Beautiful pictures Richa.
    I loved the 3rd and last ones the most!

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  7. All your pictures are lovely, but some how my favorite picture is Speed Limit :)
    All the very best for the contest.

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  8. Thanks Pan! Glad you liked them :)

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  9. Thanks Chatterbox!

    The Eiffel tower is one of my favorite shot of any monument so I had to put it up there..
    Lake Isabella was a great place to visit. I could have spend hours watching that beauty..

    Thanks!

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  10. Amazing pics! Loved the Lake Tahoe one the most...beautiful! You could sell these as wallpapers!

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  11. Thanks LB! And welcome to the blog. Glad you liked the picture. This is the first time I am seriously participating in a contest. Am sort of nervous with few butterflies in the stomach. Best wishes always helps :)

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  12. Thank you Sandhya! Glad you liked the photos.

    Lake Tahoe is amazing that way. The clarity of the water is really amazing. And, of course, Lake Isabella is some sight, especially you land up there on a partly cloudy day like I did. Clouds make their own texture...

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  13. Thanks Azad! BTW, I am a great fan of your blog 'Rage!'. Have been following it for a while though never commented. Keep the good posts coming :)

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  14. Thanks Vivek! All the very best to you too... :)

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  15. Wallpapers!! Wow, now I am on the seventh sky or the ninth cloud or whatever is the highest place is up there...You just made my day, er, night! Thanks so much, dear.
    Am grinning ear to ear.

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  16. Your pictures are truly amazing Richa! The Speed Limit 15 mph is paradise redefined! The one with Walt Disney, well now we know your 5 trips were worth it for this one picture. Excellent angle which brings out everything that disneyland stands for!

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  17. Beautiful shots. Very lovely set of international and India images. My Travel Photos

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  18. Picture of the Lake Tahoe is amazing! :)

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  19. Hey...you have got a nice blog here. I love the 15 mile speed limit pic as all the others...all the best for the contest. btw looks like u r in and arnd bay area. all the best with u r thesis too.

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  20. Great pics...the outstanding one is the Tahoe lake...loved the clear water and the ripples and ofcourse the swan :)

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  21. Thanks Nishant! Glad you liked the photos. Thanks for visiting the photoblog as well..

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  22. Thanks Rajesh! Your travel photos are great as well. All the best for the contest!

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  23. Thanks Vishwa! So you are in bay area as well. A lot of people from bay area are participating. I think I have seen at least 3 Golden Gate pics till now. Am glad I didn't post one as well..

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  24. Thanks Megha! However, it's a duck and not swan..but its easy to mistake them. Glad you like the picture. Its one of my favorites as well..

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  25. yea...am working in berkeley for a startup. yeah. I wanted to post one of the Golden gate bridge covered in the fog. But then somehow forgot. Thank god i forgot. :D

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  26. I vote Lake Tahoe and the one shot in Rajasthan. The last one is a gem, you could sell it to a travel book writer :)

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  27. I saw that ad too, and thought about entering but kinda can't be bothered :)) Great pics, Richa...

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  28. Superb pics! I loved the 5th one! Gud luck for the contest :)

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  29. Great photos, Richa! Especially like the one of Lake Isabella. Good luck

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  30. Thanks G3! Just one question: Are you planning to write a travel book in near future? :)

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  31. Thanks Braja! For once, I participated in an online blogging contest. I am really bad at being creative on command otherwise. but posting some pics was easy enough!

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  32. Heh! fate is on your side...

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  33. Hi Richa,

    Thanks to Blogadda that we can see so many good posts and images. Your images are truly awesome. Wish you all the best.
    Regards
    Neloy

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  34. Great shots. Great ideas as well. You know how to give life to a photo..Wonderfully done and all the best for the contest!!

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  35. Agreed Neloy! Loved your pics too and have added Sikkim in one of my to-visit place (Ladakh was already there).

    All the best for the contest!

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  36. Thanks Subu! I try my best :).

    Loved your pics as well especially the last one, the one with the lady praying. Cool composition..

    All the best for the contest!

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