the slow and the fast. on a sunday morning in south mumbai's business district. for more photos from this set, see the links in the previous post.
beings of the streets
watching the world go by
the in-between is sometimes the best place to catch all the action. shot on a sunday morning at d.n. road in south mumbai. view the entire set: on flickr or on facebook (no log-in is required for either)
monsoon mood
on a rainy day, four monsoons ago. shot with the nikon e7900 point and shoot in august 2006.
the moon at 50mm
i really want to get my hands on a zoom lens; but i'm going to have to wait till the end of the year. photo clicked on the oscar diamond terrace.
custodians of knowledge
the state central library in andheri/e was a pleasant surprise - neat, clean, air-conditioned reading rooms, a decent range of books, staff that's polite to talk too, green lawns accessible for outdoor reading and more. open to all, at no charge.
the reading room was filled with a whole lot of college students immersed in their exam books; but otherwise there didn't seem to be anyone using the library's collection. i think word about the library needs to spread around. article here.
the staff was quite accommodating and allowed me to snap some shots; some even willingly posed in front of veneer-clad, moulding-framed cabinets with tinted glass and shelves that are yet to groan under the weight of their contents.
study centre
a couple of days back i had posted about a study centre in girgaon. while the text was quite descriptive, the photograph wasn't. i found another photo of the same in my arhives and am posting it today. for a write-up, see the original post here.
desires and compulsions
a luxurious housing complex in madh makes its presence felt, over coconut trees and fishing boats in the brackish waters of the malad creek.
fifa times
with the FIFA world cup on, this bunch of young footballers have all the reasons to be euphoric.
love and the city
in this space-starved city, with teeming crowds on one hand and self-appointed moral police on another, the sea-faces offer some solace for those in love.
another photo from this evening here: love and longing.
housing block
a residential tower in versova, typical of most housing blocks in mumbai. other housing photos in mindless mumbai here.
polarised-lanterns
i recently bought a circlar-polariser and mounted it on the 18-55. for the next few days i forgot that there was a polariser attached to the lens and never remembered to use it while shooting. but last week i kept reminding myself to swivel the polariser before clicking. then one evening, i kept turning the filter trying to capture the ambient lighting of prithvi cafe. but to my frustration all the shots were turning out rather dark. i was in a hurry to leave and couldn't give it much thought then.
later that night i realised that its counter-productive to use a polariser in low light conditions. after cropping the portrait shot to a landscape-format, these chinese lanterns hanging in the cafe make for a decent shot. just shows how far i have to go with my photography.
for a quick run through about polarising filters for digital cameras, go to DPS here.
study-space
at a 'study centre' in a garden in south-central mumbai. now for those wondering what a study-centre is, the idea is thus: there are lots of students in this city who may not be privileged to have a study-conducive environment in their houses. the reasons could vary from dense living conditions (consider 6+ people living in a 225 sq ft tenement), noisy neighbours, lack of electricity etc.
this setup occupies the corner of the s.k.patil garden in girgaon. it's furnished with individual desks-and-chairs under a PVC-canopy with tubelights and fans. a separate adjacent pavillion provides a tiny space for a class or a group-discussion. in case the gate is locked up, one only needs to climb over the wall to get in. this photo was clicked on a rainy july evening, hence the spartan crowd. we learnt that its completely occupied in the exam-season.
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clicked with my old nikon point-and-shoot while studying the girgaon neighbourhood for a college project, in july 2008. girgaon is a neighbourhood in the inner-city precincts of mumbai. it's relatively well off when compared to other inner-city areas such as null bazaar and offers a microcosm of a particular way of living to document and study. more girgaon / girgaum photos on mindless mumbai: central mumbai skyline, and photos of chawls 1, 2, 3.
update: see a better photograph of this study-centre here.
in praise of haji ali
for all its fame, success, power and peace mumbai/mumbaikars often turn to the almighty in temples, churches, mosques and often a combination of all three. the haji ali dargah located on a little islet of the worli coast is popular with the devoted, cutting across religious lines. here sufi musicians perform qawali, a devotional form of music. the setting with views of the city skyline, the lapping waves and the soulful renderings make for an engaging performance.
by the sea
in this crowded, bustling metropolis, the sea-face offers some solitude. at bandra bandstand. right opposite the building of the previous post.
monstroussness in the sky
at bandra bandstand. see other photos in mindless mumbai tagged architecture or housing.
bright hues and coloured lights
clothes on the clothesline in harmony with diwali-lights and decorations. at khotachiwadi in south-central mumbai. khotachiwadi is a neighbourhood of the east indian community with a bunch of quaint old wooden houses. in mumbai's wadis and gaothans life seems to move at a pace very different from the bustling city that envelops them.
another pic of khotachiwadi in mindless mumbai here. and a set of photos on flickr / facebook
birthday wishes
political hoardings seem to be the most prominent signage in the cityscape. here, not one nor two nor three, but over half a dozen birthday wishes line an entire stretch of an interior road in dn nagar, andheri. perhaps the arrogant worm's happy birthday song would be the perfect accompaniment.
theme day: funny signs
this is the sign in the auto-rickhshaw's rear view mirror:
more
love
give
spean
i have no idea what it means. i had first posted this photo in january 2008 and a couple of people tried to decipher the meaning. view that post and its comments here and perhaps you can come up with a better explanation.
this post is for the june 2010 theme day: "funny signs" at city daily photo. click here to view theme-photos from cities across the globe
