"Your First 10000 Photographs are your worst" -Henri Cartier-Bresson

This tittle statement Is given by Sir Henri And it is a great Photographer.here's a short Intro:

                          French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35 mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and conceived of photography as capturing a decisive moment. His work has influenced many photographers.

He Said that if you start photography then Your first 10000 Photograph showcases your worst work ever. The point of that statement was that photography ought to be an art that is perfected with practice, hard work and repetition. It takes time before a photographer feels as one with their camera. Over time though you eventually learn your camera backwards and forwards, the two of you are old friends and you handle it with the skill of an expert.

But I say that your 100000 Photos Are your worst...

As this quote by sir henri Was given few decades ago, But in today's modern world to say that your first 100,000 photos are your worst. Maybe it really ought to be your first 1,000,000 photos are your worst, because of the digitalisation. And i am doing photography from more than 4 years and i totaly understood that experience is the only teacher which teaches you this subject.. So this are my few photographs from the past when i had started it as a part of my hobby. 

Clicked with mobile device.

 My love affair with photography began early when I was given my first camera, a Nokia N70 Mobile  at the age of 13 years.When I really became most interested in photography though was at the age of 17 when my parents bought me my first SLR. It was a Canon 600d with dual kit lens and a zoom lens. And yet with the cool Dslr's I was taking the worst photos without any composition, nothing great in the image, no subject no proper lighting nothing....

 These are some of my worst photos from dslr. They just  look ugly and improper. But after all i didn't leave my passion for my love and i continued the journey. This post is specially for the beginners who are new in this field and they don't make it to that level. In photography  learning will be very slow, only thing you require is patience. Patience is the key to success in photography. As i have told you that Now  you people look me as a photographer is the result of practice experimentation and hard work of 4 years continuously. 

Thank you..

Photographing Fireworks On Diwali....

This above photo is of steelwool and i am mentioning exif data if you want that type of shot from your setup:

Exif data:
shutter speed: 10 secs
aperture: f/14
iso:125
focal length: 18mm without IS {image stabilization}

Steps For Photographing Fireworks:

There are many crucial steps that one should keep in mind when photographing fireworks, and some people are very enthusiastic about capturing fireworks in the  festival of Diwali. But many of them they don't know how to capture it.

 Diwali or just having fun with fireworks, it's always tempting to take pictures of the fireworks exploding in air. After all, a good fireworks show is an amazing spectacle, and you've probably got a camera on you anyway. But when you just point the camera and shoot the photo of crackers busting in the air it end's up with graininess, blurriness, or under/overexposure.

Here are the steps you'll need to work through to photograph fireworks:

• Start by using a Tripod: First and foremost thing is to get your camera on a sturdy tripod. otherwise you will end up with a blurry shot.

• Use a Remote Release: If you have a remote release cable for your camera then use it accordingly and set the timer and let the remote do it for you.

• Frame Your Shot: The important thing is to frame your shot to create a frame.Look through the viewfinder during the first few bursts and figure out where the action is. Point your camera at that spot and leave it there. 

• Choose the best Focal Length: Always use a smaller focal length like 18mm 10mm or 6mm to get more fireworks and objects or structure in your frame which enhances the picture.

• Select the right Aperture: Always use larger f/ numbers means smaller apertures. Set the aperture in the f5.6 to f16 range. F8 is usually a good bet, but if you're shooting with ISO 200 film you may want to kick it up to f16.

• Get your Shutter Speed Right: Shutter speed is the most important character in the game, as you have to set it in bulb mode or in long exposure number like 10sec 20sec 30sec etc. so to capture much more fire trails and a perfect exposure.

• Set your Focus: Set the focus to infinity. You're generally far enough away from fireworks that you can adjust the lens focus to infinity and leave it there. If you want to get a closeup of a small part of the burst, you may need to adjust the focus as you zoom in.

• Switch off your Flash: The main thing is to switch off your flash in the camera it will ruin the photo completely, advisable is to keep your flash down.

• Switch off your image stabilisation: to switch off your image stabilization in tour lenses. image stabilization {is}  in canon lenses and vr {vibration reduction} in nikon lenses. 

                                                                     Thank you..

Natural and real looking HDR Image with Photomatix pro 5

Real Looking HDR images with Photomatix Pro 5:

I Have seen Many photographers who have many good photos but they don't know how to process the HDR image which is quite real looking and gives a realistic feel to the viewer. Many believe that HDR means over-contrasted, over-saturated, over-sharpened photos. But in reality, HDR is really just blending multiple images together.  And today i am providing a good new tool to process HDR in very realistic way. which will not look very over-saturated or over-contrasted nor over-sharpened. 

This tool is Photomatix Pro 5 For windows That will perfectly help you in your work of processing the multiple exposures. The Above image is processed with photomatix in total 9 exposures are blended to get the perfectly balanced image no over-sharpened no over-saturation nothing. A more Realistic more natural feel of the image is intact. Plus the images are taken at interval of five secs for the motion effects of clouds in the image. the clouds look way more dense and dramatic in HDR and thanks to this almighty software...

 I have process the images in photomatix pro 5.5 and i got the above processed photo which is a very realistic image. so Every photographer should try this software to blend the multiple exposures in a smooth way and very naturally.

 then brought the 6 images into Photomatix Pro, and the Default option gave me a dark, yet detailed image that I could start with. While I could’ve used Lightroom’s Photo-Merge option, I wanted a little more control over the outcome of my image.

With the image still dark, I brought up the Micro-smoothing slider  as well. This made the sky smoother and less dramatic.

Finally, the green leaves were just too green for me, so I bumped up the Black Point slider so these were darker. I also increased the Smooth Highlights and White Point measurements to make the clouds pop just a bit more, and to make them a more even throughout the photograph.

So this is the story of post processing this image into a beautiful image and a very realistic looking HDR image too.

                                                                        Thank you.

Palar Dhuna Seasonal Waterfall....

Introduction:

Palar Dhuna is a seasonal waterfall, as it only flows in rainy season. As kutch is very arid region and the area is mainly covered by the sands and the hot deserts. But let me tell you guyz that this desert has also a unique capabilities which no other desert in the world has.

Great Rann of kutch:

The Great Rann of Kutch is a seasonal Salty Marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch,District of Gujarat India.  It is about  (2,897.78 sq mi) in size and is reputed to be one of the largest salt deserts in the world. This area has been inhabited by the pure kutchi people. We will talk about this desert in detail in our Upcoming blog, specially for the White Desert and its related Information.

Waterfall:

And Boooom.... This is what looks a real powerfull waterfall. But the sad part about this place is its "Seasonal" otherwise there is nothing that great in this place. as you can see in the above 1st picture.
In the Rainy Saeson this place really blooms up just like a flower after the rainy shower. The greenery just pops up everywhere.

So from above two pictures you can tottaly see that in rainy season this place comes to life.

Behind The Scenes: 

More About Place:

In Geography And Geology, a cliff is a vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as Erosion due to the processes of erosion and Weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, and along Rivers Cliffs are usually formed by Rock that is resistant to erosion and Whethering. include Sandstones, Limestone Chalk. Igneous rocks such as Granite is extracted often form cliffs.

This is the cliff from Palardhuna site. There Are enormous cliffs like this due to erosion by running water and igneous rocks. this type big and huge cliffs are everywhere in palardhuna. This shot is taken from the bottom. This are the very old structure Formed by the corrosion and erosion of rocks due to water.

This is the view at the bottom in the basin of the waterfall,where the water is accumulated after falling from the cliff. There is a forest with full of grass and there are big molten rocks as seen in the picture above. It is a full rocky area and its very much pleasing and relaxing there.

Overall Review:

You Should Visit the place its very much natural and there is peace and gives the perfect feel of the forest as well. This is the best place for the picnics and short adventurous Trips with friends and family.

                                                                         
                                                                      Thank You...

Dubai in Frame..... Dubai diaries

                                                    DUBAI IN FRAME....

Dubai is a cosmopolitan city with a widely diverse population of people from many different backgrounds. There is much to do here. the city has a vibrant night life, a plethora of restaurants, that feature cuisines from different parts of the world, art exhibits from aspiring local artists as well as reputable international artists as well as many entertainment options including concerts and fashion shows. 

I have visited dubai this year and was a exotic experience for me, super exotic i must say. This photo is taken at the basement of The Great Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa, a tower of steel and glass, offers many attractions. It is possible to ride to the top in an express elevator and look down on Dubai from what is currently the tallest building in the world. The tower is surrounded by water and at certain times, the musical fountains erupt in a dramatic display. 

It was a tempting site to enjoy the Great Fountain in the lap of BURJ KHALIFA. The Fountain is also a great wonder to gaze at. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 25 colored projectors, it is 275 m (902 ft) long and shoots water up to 500 ft (152.4 m) into the air accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music. I have experienced the contemporary Arabic music and it was the out of the world feeling, which i can't describe in words.

We all are very well Versed with the Brand of Giorgio Armani. This is the most expensive brand in fashion, clothing etc. In Burj Khalifa Armani Runs the most luxurious hotel and Restaurant, which is very exclusive in the world. There is only one in the world. If you want to visit Grand Armani then you have to visit Dubai, it is that Exclusive.

The Dirham  (Code: AED) is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. The ISO 4217 code (currency abbreviation) for the United Arab Emirates Dirham is AED.  Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 fils (فلس). Likewise in india the Code is use as Rupees And further subdivided into Paisa's. This is a Sample of Dirham Note. They have denomination in notes as well as coins too.The Dirham is superior currency in terms of indian currency. The value of 1 Dirham is around 18.5 to 19 rupees for Indian rupees. Which Means we have to give 18.5 rupees to get 1 Dirham.

Thank you....

Secret To Autumn Photography.....

[Sunday, ‎November ‎29, ‎2015, ‏‎4:25:31 PM]

Secret to Autmn Photography is the Time at which you can capture this type of images. Autumn is a particular season in which the autumn photography is done. The colour of leaves, trees, and the environment is tottaly different. The colour of leaves is orangish and so of grass. I have captured this image at around 4 p.m in the afternoon as sun was behind me and the reflection of trees in the water was exact. 

Autumn season (from October to November): From the beginning of October, monsoon begins to recede from this country and consequently rainfall becomes frequent. So this period is also called the season of return Monsoon. Though the rainy season is no longer there, yet, due to the cyclone coming from the Bay of Bengal, occasionally violent storms and rainfall are observed.

It was a wonderful experience, this was my first photo of autumn season, and now in the next part of photostory the different photos are there of same location. The composition is also strong as the full frame is filled by the different position of the tree, i must say tilted trees. the reflection of the trees in the water is also perfect. plus the colors of trees and the leaves and the grass are orangish, which gives the perfect feeling of autumn season.

It is processed in Adobe Photoshop CS6 with saturation masks to increase the depthness, contrast and saturation. 

EXIF DATA:

Shutter Speed: 1/500
Aperture:  f/7
iso: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Metering: Evaluative 

PHOTOSTORY:

This is the second photo of the same location with the same autumn effect as red soil and orangish leaves. The withered Trees without no leaves is the perfect sign of autumn as all the leaves are shed off.

The tree you see in the picture is of same location but its i have captured it because the branch in the picture is the single branch of the tree. from the single branch there are many different big big trunk like structures because its a very old and a big tree. 

This is a banyan tree which is very wide spreaded tree next to the check dam. The dam also consist of different varieties of flora fauna and animals. such as crocodile and different kinds of birds.

Thank you....

Rethink the Composition, Plus Photostory.....

Hello peoples.....

INTRODUCTION:

First Of all the glimpses of the above image which i captured in mandvi, after the sun went down. This is a LONG EXPOSURE and those who want to capture this type of images i will give the exif data of this image so you can know that how to take this type of shots.

As i have kept the tittle as "rethink the composition" you guyz will think that, ohh how this tittle is suggestive in context of this image, as when i first went there i thought that there is no photograph here that i can capture. But then i calmly sit there on the rocks and started thinking that this is a cool place there should be something to capture here.

Finally I came up with an idea of taking long exposure just after sunset. I tried many different Angles and Composition And finally i came across this image my last attempt as sun already went down and if i was late then i might have been missed the shot because of the darkness.

For me this image is like an imaginary dreamscape as the fogy type of effects on rocks and the light orangish effect in the sky and a boat waiting for departure and the leading lines formed by the black rocks through out the image which balances the composition of the whole image.

EXIF DATA:
Camera model: Canon 70D
Lenses Used: Canon 18-55mm
Shutter speed: 2 sec
F-stop/ Aperture: F/18
ISO : 100
Focal lenght:18mm

Note: For taking long exposures you need a tripod stand for the camera.

Now i am thinking about to change my blogging techniques, now i will not  post much content and i will put more photos in the structure of a PHOTOSTORY.  So now you will see the photos related to the place and behind the scenes of my trips and my excursion in a concept of a photostory. hope you guyz will like it and feel free to share your suggestions and critics in the comment section below. It will help me to create more user friendly experience for the readers.

Photo-story:

Palla's gull{on the outskirts of beach}

Eurasian Curlew.....

Boat And The Watchtower...

Behind The Scenes of Shooting The main Image, i.e  long exposure image.With my buddy....

Thank you......

Photographing Monsoon......

This photo is taken at the river Known as "KHARI RIVER" or in local language it is known as khari nadi, where "Nadi" means River.

Khari River is a river in Western India in Gujarat whose origin is Near Matana Madh village. Its basin has a maximum length of 50 km. The total catchment area of the basin is 113 square kilometres (44 sq mi).

This photo particularly is of khari river basin which is situated near airport of Bhuj-Kutch. Where there is different types of flora and fauna around it. As you can see in the picture above that it is clicked in  monsoon season. There is the mesmerising effect of clouds. The effect of the water which is transparent at the bottom of the image and sky is reflected in the water, and in the background there is a mountain. Which creates a perfect and heavy compositional image, which guides the viewer perfectly throughout the image, and gives the perfect feel of the monsoon season.

As i told there is a mountain in the background, this mountain is home for the "BLUE ROCK PIGEON" thousands of the pigeons also known as rock dove resides in the hole type of structure in this mountain. Also there are various species commonly found as "BAYA WEAVER" and "INDIAN ROBIN" around the basin of khari river.

Here is a pic which describes some facts about the famous nest of baya weaver.. and here we go.....

so this picture describes the huge hardwork done by the bird to build his home and it is absolutely a masterpiece. Hardwork always pays off. 

when i took this photo at first instance i was not able to understand the composition properly, but then when i was looking at the archives I came across this photo and i was like, whoaaa is this picture clicked by me or what?.... Then i was able to understand the photo and the feel of the image as a picture of monsoon season. from my point of view it is surely a picture which describes the season, actually the whole season of monsoon as grass is growing everywhere, there are clouds, dark black clouds in the sky which gives indication of the rain and the water which is flowing throughout the image. A perfect image..............

Thank you..

Mysterious orange light @ Bhujiya hills....

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAILb59J7gX/?taken-by=taher_hajiwala

Location:
Bhujia Hill or Bhujiyo Dungar is a hill located in the outskirts of the town of Bhuj in the district of kutch, gujarat, India.

This hill's height is approx, 170 meters, and situated in the centre of the city "BHUJ". As many of  the citizen of bhuj also dosen't know the history of this place. so i will first talk about some history of it. so let's begin.....

History:
Kutch was ruled by the Naga  chieftains in past. We also called them "Naga Sadhu" in our local language. There Was a king of this kingdom of bhuj known as "bhujanga" the last cheiftains or in simple language the last ruler of the dynasty. The hill where he lived later came to known as Bhujia Hill and the town at the foothill as Bhuj. Bhujang was later worshiped by the people as snake god, Bhujanga, and a temple was constructed in his reverence.

Bhujiya fort was constructed for the defense of the city by Jadeja Chiefs. Rao Godji I started the construction in 1715 which ended during the rule of Desalhji I in 1741.

My Experiences:
1. The most exotic and unusal experience is the experiencing the mysterious orange light over the bhujiya hills as you can see in above picture.I was lucky enough to get this wonderful shot. actually the scene was that we had a visit to bhujiya hills for doing photography, at the end when we left and come down, i surprisingly notice that the orange light had became more dense and dark. i said my friend oh oh oh wait a second buddy, i just want to shoot the last picture and then will leave. It was the time of sunset and this light only appeared for some minutes or so. I am lucky that I got some time to frame and to click the shot. This was a mesmerising experience for me. 

2. That Day actually I was very disappointed because we reach the bhujiya hill at around five o'clock in evening and the sunset time was around 7 0'clock, already there was very less time to explore the place as the hills and the walls of hills are spread in the large area. And the worst thing was that i don't got any good shot of anything there. so as a result I was very disappointed. But the Ending was a "Happy Ending": I got this shot of bhujiya hill and orange light from beneath the hill. Yay..... At last i returned home with a smiling face and a fabulous click in my camera.

3.This click is from my archives from 2015. I thought that this story is worth sharing because this type of things everyone's is not experiencing. 

4. I have seen the "Sunrise and Sunset" on the top of the bhujiya hill. both are just amazing and they both have different scenes and feel of the moment. In morning there is soft background music of chirps of birds everywhere and the sun is rising from the horizon. Whoaaaa.. what a beautiful view. same goes with the sunset, as when you watch sunset, the chirps of birds goes slowly in the silence and every bird returns home after that and the sun is setting in the horizon. My perosnal views are that as when sun rises everything is filled with energy and confident, so there is complete package of enjoyment in the morning gazing sunrise. I suggest every reader that sometimes you must wake up early and have this wonderful experience.

Thank you.

Secret To Better Photography.... Desert Safari @Dubai

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGM7laOp7vt/?taken-by=taher_hajiwala

Al Faya Desert

Drive time: (from Dubai) 50 mins

Location: Sharjah/Al Malaiha road.

Riding along the Sharjah-Kalba Road, towards the east-coast, it will lead you to a spectacular desert of ruby sand: Al Faya Desert. Both amateurs and skilled drivers favour it due to its dunes. As a matter of fact, the popular opinion is that one can find the biggest dunes to ride down here, and hence is known under the local name of “Big Fall” also.

First of all i will talk about the photo which i have taken there. There is something special in this image as it is not a image which could be directly clicked by pointing your camera, it needs further processing in Adobe Photoshop. I will explain the technique how to get more ambient and perfect images.Sometimes you have very strong compositional image but its lacks that perfect tone and ambient light, it looks very dull and weak image. So here is the Solution for this, and here we go..... 

This is the SECRET behind   making a good photograph. Here I have taken 6 [six] photographs of different Exposure as you can see it above, I have blended this 6 different images into one single image using photoshop, and a blending technique known as "rapid if" blending method. If you didn't know about the method just check out youtube for the same. I will provide the link if  you are intrested to learn.https://youtu.be/jM2I5mls1vA Many of us actually don't know these photoshop secrets and also the capabilities of our D-SLR's that they can actually take 3-6-9 different exposure according to their specifications.

Now I will share my experiences from desert safari in dubai. The desert is a place where there is nothing great to see but, it is famous for many things. The following things which I have done during desert trip:

1. Desert Safari: Awesome experience the pro drivers with HUMMER and a LAND CRUSER just makes you crazy. Rolling and Rumbling over the big sand dunes is just an immersive experience. Seriously sometimes it is damm crazy. And the most beautiful things of all is that you are lucky if you get's the first seat besides the driver. Its like every moment you will feel like that,  dats it I am going to fall right through the wind-sheild.[lol]
2. Sunset: The sunset is like a whole new thing in the desert. When the sun is setting down there is a whole new view of the desert and sand dunes. The pattern of the sand dunes casting their own shadows which creates a dramatized scene which is insanely crazy.
3. Party: Now it is the time for Parties... at the middle of the desert there is a place where there some tents and a stage for the performances. I personally enjoyed the fire show and belly Dance. You are given with every type of food there to enjoy it in the middle of the desert.
4. Camel Ride: As we all know that the camel is the king of deserts. I very much enjoyed the camel ride. it is not a normal ride, here camels literally they run very fast you just have to hold on tight. 
   
5. Adrenaline Junkies:
6. Adrenaline Junkies: These are called Buggy's in the local language.These are not ordinary buggies, they are customized with big wheels and NOS system is installed in it and which has a speed of approx: 178-180 miles per hour. It has a massive engine to meet its requirment of sand duning.

So this was my experience of the Dubai, actually i enjoyed the trip to desert, there was a perception in my mind about the deserts that what's enjoyable things in desert? finally I am telling you guys that I have cleared it and enjoyed alot in the desert.

THANK YOU!

Photographing the Canyon's @Africa

Hell's Gate National Park lies south of Lake Naivasha in Kenya, north west of Nairobi. Hell's Gate National Park is named after a narrow break in the cliffs.Hells Gate is a part of the Rift valley which is a famous spot in African Continent.

I have photographed this picture in Febuary 2016. It is very difficult because of the lighting conditions. As there are cliffs around up' and Down's so light and shadows can't let you take the perfect photograph. I actually blended 6 different exposure to get the above results using luminosity masks. Further processed in light-room for the better results.

I was Amazed by this place as it is spread over the area of 70 square kms  full of this rock formations and endless forest area of 100 kms.

Named for the intense geothermal activity within its boundaries, the Hell's Gate National Park is a remarkable quarter of the Great Rift Valley. Spectacular scenery including the towering cliffs, water-gouged gorges, stark rock towers, scrub clad volcanoes and belching plumes of geothermal steam make it one of the most atmospheric Parks in Africa. Hell’s Gate is an ideal venue for a day trip from Nairobi where, in addition to the bio-diversity that includes raptors, visitors can enjoy mountain biking, rock climbing. 

There are many hot springs and gysers flowing between the clifs and mountains. It was too hot that i had nearly had my hand burned(lol). "It is that much hot that u can directly make tea out of it" :the guide said. Its temperature is about 88 degrees celcius.

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Hell's Gate is full of great canyon's mountain like structures and formed out of the rocks and further unevenly corroded by the water and environment around it. It is also a kind of national park in which is the home for some herbivorous animals like ZEBRA, MASAI GIRAFFE, WORTH HOG'S, AFRICAN BUFFALOES, IMPALA'S etc... 

However, the park has historically been an important home for the rare lammergeyer vultures. There are over 103 species of birds in the park, including vultures, Verreaux's eagles, augur buzzard, and swifts. Hyraxes, Thomson's gazelle, hyena, and baboons are also common. I have seen about 35-40 species of birds and animals in-together. The park is also home to serval and small numbers ofklipspringer antelope and Chanler's mountain reedbuck as i have seen it.

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Hell's Gate National Park covers an area of 68.25 square kilometers (26 sq mi), with all the natural things like mountains, cliffs, forests, animals, rock canyons so you can enjoy this place at its best. my experience is very good with this place i had taken many good photographs of animals and canyons. There is only one back-point or cons that is it lacks the wild animals in the park, only herbivours animals are found here. overall it is a good place to visit near Nairobi.

The surprising thing about the hell's gate is that it is a FLASH FLOOD Area. Flash flood areas means if in-case rainfall occurs then there are 99% chances of the flood in the area every-time. So people always avoids the rainy season to visit hells gate park.

A  flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain, and this area is a basin type of area which is a cause of flash floods.