Friday, January 08, 2021

Margazhi Kolam 26

 This sikku kolam was inspired by a FB post. I practiced it in my notebook yesterday, because it looked complicated. But, once I started, the pattern was very easy to dissect, understand and replicate.

This is an infinite design. You start small and keep adding more dots and keep expanding. So, I started with 5 x 5 grid, expanded to 7 dots in the corners. Then kept on adding layers after layers, because I was not very sure of the space availability. This is one of the big kolams I drew. This is on our apartment corridor. So, there is not enough space to draw more layers. How I wish I could have kept on drawing as long as I wanted to.
After I completed the kolam, I felt happy and satisfied. My little finger was paining a bit, because it is kept tucked in all through out. But, when I took the picture, I noticed that many strokes were not neat and unstable. I must not say I am not really very satisfied with the outcome. I wish to improve my strokes in the coming days.
I got up late today due to a persistent headache since yesterday. I did not want to miss putting the kolam and I knew this would take a long time for me. So, I had to miss the morning satsang today. This one took me a little less than an hour to complete. I felt a sense of calm and was thinking about the pattern, about the kolam, about the designer, and in between there were many scattered moving in and around various people and thoughts. At the end, I noticed that my headache is gone. Isn't this mieditation by all means?


Thursday, December 17, 2020

Design Origami Star

When I visualized a star, I could see a hexagon as the base shape. So, first made a regular hexagon from a square piece of paper. Then, started folding. But, I couldn't exactly replicate what I visualized. So, decided to just go with the flow and keep folding wherever and however I felt would make it appear like a star.

This is the first design I came up with. It looks more like a snowflake than a star. The hexagon was not cut precisely. So, the folding was not perfect. Still I like it, since it is the first one I made.


The second design was a very simple mini star photo frame. This was also folded by me without seeing any video. But, it definitely resembles a model that I had made long time back with an octagon. So, I think that design was there in my memory and I recreated it with a hexagon.


The third model I wanted to make using tessellation. I have been experimenting quite a bit with tessellations. (Tessellations are repeated geometric patterns). I have literally fallen in love with tessellations. I just love the paper when it retains its memory of where I folded and it is like the paper listens to me. And, as I fold, I simply love the sound of the paper when it pops or when I bring them together.
Here again, I used hexagon as a base and made triangle tessellations. Then, made a hexagonal twist in the centre and folded to bring about the shape of a star. I know it doesn't look like a star. I am not happy with the output. But, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I felt it deserves to be seen by all. I am sure I am going to work on making it better, sometime sooner.


The fourth design also I created using a hexagon base. The folds are simple and it is based on the first design I made. I folded it better and add one extra fold to give it that star look. So, the snowflake got transformed into a star. The central part was able to hold a passport size photo within its fold. So, kept a photo there.
Then, mounted this fourth design on the first design and the corner were nicely snuggling inside the snow flake. I liked the final outcome.










Thursday, October 15, 2009

Photography schools in Chennai

Photography schools in Chennai

AMBITIONS4 - www.ambitions4.com .. Run by Photographer K.L.Raja Ponsingh.

Madras Photographic Society in 1856, ...
www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/ mp/2003/04/09/stories/2003040900150300.htm

International School of Photography C-7/143, Safdarjung Development Area, ... Adyar, Chennai-600020

Light & Life Academy - Asia's Finest Photography School. ... Rajiv Menon, Film Director & Cinematographer, Chennai. | One Year Course | Workshop | Campus ...
www.llacademy.com

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Photography Tips - I [Understanding shutter speed]

Understanding shutter speed

Important information about shutter speed - A Quick Glance:

Shutter speed --> Length of time the shutter is kept open.

Fast shutter speed --> Less light falls on the sensor. Use flash or natural (sun) light to ensure your images don't turn out too dark or underexposed.
Slow shutter speed --> More light falls on the sensor. Great for low light situation, but not for moving subject where you want to freeze the action. When slow shutter speed is selected, select a low ISO value, as low as 100.

Shutter priority [Tv Mode - Time Value] allows the photographer to choose a shutter speed, then the digital camera automatically sets the aperture to suit.

Fast shutter speed ...................................Slow shutter speed
1/4000, 1/2000, 1/1000, 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1 second
--> Doubles amount of light ...........Halves amount of light <-- Each standard increment either doubles the amount of light (longer time) or halves the amount of light (shorter time). A typical shutter speed for photographs taken in sunlight is 1/125th of a second.

When to use fast shutter speed?
1. When capturing water flow, if you want to capture every bead of water. For example, use 1/60 of a sec.

When to use slow shutter speed?
1. If you want to blur running water, to show an impression as if it is a continuous stream of water, use slow shutter speed like 1/4 of a sec.
2. To freeze fast-moving subjects, for example at sporting events.
3. To take photographs of car light trails, use a shutter speed of 30 seconds.

Best photography tips for taking pictures of car light trails at night
* Set your digital SLR camera to shutter priority. This is important for all night photography. Shutter priority allows you to set a slow shutter speed so enough light is let in to the sensor. If you don't do this, you will end up with a black image or one that only displays circles of light.

* Use a 30 second shutter speed or more. The slower the speed, the more light you'll see in your photograph.

* Because your taking the photograph with a slow shutter speed, you can now afford to use the lowest ISO setting possible. Therefore set your ISO to 100 (if your digital camera goes that low) to ensure the best quality photo with no grainy pixels or noise as it's also known.

* Sit your digital camera on a tripod to miminize the effects of camera shake. The sturdier the tripod the better. If you don't have a tripod handy, then sitting the camera on a nearby object would also work. As long as your not hand holding the camera.

* Use a camera remote to take the photograph. This stops blurred images that are usually a result of camera shake. Sometimes pressing your cameras shutter button can cause a small shift in the camera when you release it. In normal circumstances this isn't a problem. However, for night photography on slow shutter speed it can be the difference between a blurred photo or a sharp one.

* Wait for a night where there is no wind. This is especially important if your tripod isn't very sturdy. The slightest shake in your tripod can cause motion blur.

* Before you take the photograph, set your lens to automatic focus and focus on a far away object like the sky for example. You do this by pressing your shutter button half way down until you see a red dot flashing on the sky or far off object. Then turn off your automatic focus so it doesn't change from there on. Your now ready to take a perfectly focussed photograph. I have heard many photographers go to the scene they are going to shoot during the day and focus their lens before returning at night. However this seems rather tedious to me.

* Take more than one photograph. This is particularly important if you're not intending to return to the same spot again. I recently did some night photography taking 3 images of car light trails. Even though I didn't change the camera settings between shots, one photograph turned out much sharper than the other two. This is probably due to camera shake caused by wind as the weather wasn't the best that particular night.

Check out the wikepedia reference here.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Riding a bike

I have had a passion to ride a bike.......it has been in my dreams for a long time...

Why I had such a dream???

It was just to explore many of the following questions and many more...
Is it really that difficult to ride a bike...??
Can't girls ride a bike...??
Is there any super power that is required to ride a bike...???
Will it not be possible for me to ride a bike...??? (considering my small stature.. :-D)....

The answer for all this is a simple NO

It can be easily achieved, if you have the following.............

The belief in yourself...(If you believe you can, you can!)..This is very true...
It is just a matter of self-confidence...

I should say a big "THANKS!" to Shankar...
Had it not been for him, I doubt if I would have ever attempted riding a bike...now, I can ride a Hero Honda Splendor, pretty much confident..but, never tried on the main roads...I have still not the confidence on Bangalore roads and Bangalore traffic...Thou I have confidence in myself, it is not that easy to create confidence on Bangalore roads and Bangalore traffic,.....No jokes here.....

When I was in my school, my sister got a TVS champ...I tried few times riding it... I guess it was in my very second or third attempt that I got skid by the sand that was piled up on the road, where some construction was going on...I was left unhurt...and my sis was hurt a little in her leg...

After that, I never attempted...and when I again wanted to learn, I had problems with my shoulder, that my Doctor advised not to ride a bike...:(..So, never had the chance to ride a bike..I thot I will never ever ride a bike....

But now, after marriage, we got a Splendor for him...and he taught me to ride it...it is not all that difficult...

March 2006:
We got a Hero Honda Splendor. After we got the new bike home, we were taking pictures of it. I am still laughing to myself on how my experience with the bike was, strating from the day we got the bike. First we took pictures with Shankar sitting on it, me on the pilloin seat. Then, I wanted to take a picture posing as if I am driving the bike. So, I sat on the bike. I was not even able to balance the weight. So, I had put the side stand and posed sitting on the bike. And, asked Shankar to take a picture such that the side stand is not seen.

Then, after few days, I wanted to try riding the bike. So, my first step towards this was, everyday we left for ofice, I took the bike out to the road. This way I started gaining confidence that I handle that heavy weight.

Then, after few days, I started to stand on the right side of the bike and kick-start the bike. After starting, I will give the bike to Shankar.

After few days, I started to sit on the bike and kick-start and then give the bike to Shankar. After this I gained better confidence.

Then, Shankar started to teach me to ride bike in the smaller roads in BTM layout.

October 2006:
With in a few months, I have become quite comfortable in riding even on main roads, on busy roads with full traffic..I can now ride in any weather, any location, any bad traffic, on a free road or wherever...all that I need to do now is to ride alone, without having Shankar in the pillion seat....and finally to get a license...