Cuppa by the Fire Photo

Photographer’s Note

I dreamt in the night about visions of the first rays of the sun striking the Taj Mahal, seen from the vantage point from the other bank of River Yamuna. I was raring to go, come morning!!

Woke up in the morning with the visions of my dreams still swimming in my head & had taken a car from the Hotel at 6 in the morning. As I stepped out, I just couldn’t see a thing. Everywhere it was white, as if a thick curtain has fallen from the heavens....thick fog. I cursed! The visibility in the fog was a mere 6 feet, and my aspirations to go to the other side of Yamuna & catch a glimpse of sunrise on the Taj Mahal from the other bank was fast melting. Braving the white wall like fog, I did reach the destination, but with visibility barely improving, the hope of getting the vision of the famed Taj Mahal & the effect the first rays of the sun on it was rapidly fading into the thick blanket of fog.

So I decided to wait...entered into the small shack of a tea shop & requested for some tea. The faint light was breaking through the fog....20 minutes to go for sunrise. It was chilly, not cold, & inside the shack, locals were enjoying their cup (or glass) of tea around the fire. I decided to take my first shots of the day here. I was carrying a tripod, but there was no place to keep it. So jacked up the ISO to 1600...and taking a deep breath, I clicked....

penny12, besnard, pastadog, Gerrit, Dpbours, danos, sagar, jhm, Floydian, Kielia, plimrn, dip, carper, pierrefonds, jafadabret, josepmarin, Emile, bukitgolfb301, ChrisJ, pauloog, CLODO, Didi, Atousa, avene, rigoletto has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

penny12 (132) 2009-05-28 2:06

Very good shot with good lightening. Interesting theme!
Well done!
Penny

besnard (30446) 2009-05-28 2:09

Bonjour Angsuman
Une superbe cliché nocturne d'une scène que l'on croirait sortie d'un livre.
Bravo et merci pour le partage.
Nicole

yquem46 (7820) 2009-05-28 2:22

namaste Angshu
definitely not razor sharp but does not matter too much in this quite "moody" shot !
To be liked for its warm colors and above all the general atmosphere
Best regards
patrick

pastadog (12821) 2009-05-28 2:29

It's always a delight to read your notes, Angshu, even in this small font size TE has adopted, and especially when you include your personal experiences related to the shot. I like the warm colors of the shot, and the compo showing good expressions; I like those partially blurred faces, they add some mysterious mood, also how you caught those hands and feet. So I like it very much and I'm really glad to see how you pursue this "people" direction in your photos. Regards, Daniel

Gerrit (35591) 2009-05-28 2:44

Hi Angshu,
The high POV provides a funny distortion.
The colors and definition are really Rembrandtesc.
Great work.
Regards, gerrit

Dpbours (218) 2009-05-28 3:08

Hi Angshu,

The two men in the light clothes look a bit moved in the compo. Then again, I surely see the limitations you had here when taking the photograph :-).
Nice moment captured.

Greetings,
Dennis

Morac (20190) 2009-05-28 3:37

Hi Angsuman
A beautiful night shot: a real movie scene.
Bravo and thank you for sharing.
Best regards
Marc

danos (32116) 2009-05-28 7:34

Hi Angshu,
perfect and this night scene that is captured under very low and difficult lighting conditions.I like the gathering of the men around the fire,as their expressions that looks like a paint of a great painter.Well done.

Regards,Danos

sagar (2307) 2009-05-28 8:15

Hi Angshumanda,
Given the fact that it was shot at that high an ISO, the result is outstanding, producing a melodramatic effect. Great work in light and shade.
Regards,
Sagarneel.

jasmis (50044) 2009-05-28 9:43

Superb dreamy atmosphere, amazing light, important note.
Regards my dear friend.

jhm (82155) 2009-05-28 11:27

Hello Angshu,

A very difficult picture for take, you did excellent with the light and people.
Very impressive with intricate detail and wonderful warm colours
Sharpness and clarity are superb and good presentation.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

Floydian (30970) 2009-05-28 11:59

Hi Angshu,

Seeing this it looks like a painting...something 18th century with warm golden light. And although not perfect sharp, it has that certain mood inside which i like to see here. A mysterious 3 pair of eyes looking at you...very intriging, very good.

Regards,

Henk

Kielia (8367) 2009-05-28 12:30

Hi Angshuman,
I can really understand why you had to capture this moment, because it looks like just another vision! The expressions on the faces of the men and their hands are fascinating. An image with an amazing atmosphere!
Warm regards
Harriet

plimrn (19592) 2009-05-28 16:55

Hi Angshu,
What an amazing work!! It looks like illustrations I have seen of biblical events - it's as if events from 2000+ years ago have come to life.
HLJ, Pat

PS Thanks for asking about Larry. His test results are SO good that making a decision to proceed with recommended further treatment is difficult.

dip (12520) 2009-05-29 0:41

Hi Angshu!
a nice photo with excellent lighting management and beautiful colors,
very good captured and composed,
Greetings,
Dimitris.

carper (64464) 2009-05-29 2:07

marvelous atmosphere here by the fire,
good pov fantastic evening shot, good one my friend.
have a good day.
regard jaap

John_F_Kennedy (31087) 2009-05-29 2:29

Excellent and beautiful image. A perfect light!!! Wonderful colours too. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

pierrefonds (26039) 2009-05-29 5:21

Hi Angshuman,

You have captured well the wondering expression of the people why you took a picture of them. The light of the fire help to illuminate the scene. Well done account of the harsh condition of lighting. Have a nice day.

Pierre

jafadabret (39263) 2009-05-29 6:44

Bonjour Angshu.
Il y a des jours où il faut se résoudre à tenir compte de la réalité et de la météo. Tu as tout de même réalisé une très belle photo. Le feu est au centre de la composition c'est lui qui fournit la lumière et la chaleur pour cette rencontre.
Beau travail !
Jacques

josepmarin (33755) 2009-05-29 8:56

Hi Angshuman,
A great atmosphere caught in this capture, in a night scene perfectly executed. I like its warm and golden hues, and the superb game of light and shades.
Excellent composition, very spontaneous and full of life.
Friendly regards,
Josep

Graal (57571) 2009-05-29 11:12

Hi Angshuman,
amazing scenery and portraits by fire. Nice game of lights and shadows. 1/8 sec. and good quality of photo. Fine shot. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

Emile (19869) 2009-05-29 14:15

Hola Angshuman.
Excellent moment to capture this wonderful shot with the three men drinking tea inside the small shack, there is good light from the fire reflected on them. A difficult picture to take having to use a long exposure without a tripod, but you did a very good work.
Wish you a nice weekend.
Best regards.

marietom (31796) 2009-05-29 16:17

hello Angshu,

magnifique atmosphère, on a envie de les rejoindre.
Bonne soirée
Marie

bukitgolfb301 (4556) 2009-05-29 18:06

Hello my dear Prof. Angshu

Very strong and impressive portrait !
Their each different expression is marvelous.
Strong image and atmosphere.
Congratulation on your supper job as usual.
Best regards and thanks for sharing!
Takero

ChrisJ (69941) 2009-05-29 19:02

Namaste Angshu

A well managed low light level exposure around the campfire with good sharpness & shadow detail. Superb graphism & framing. Tfs!

pauloog (6354) 2009-05-30 1:18

Hello Angshu,
Not perfectly sharp with a hand held shutter time of 1/8 but what an atmosphere!
Warm colours and deep shadows make thsi a very special and beautiful photo.
Regards,
Paul

wolf38 (12626) 2009-05-30 8:33

Hello Angshuman. Titles, photo and text complement each other in the best way. The photo is impressing in subtle way. Also technically outstanding realizes. Compliment. Best regards, Wolfgang.

CLODO (4078) 2009-05-30 23:18

Hi Angshu
Splendid picture with the available low light, sharp although taken without tripod. It(s a biblic scene
thank you for sharing
CLODO

Didi (35920) 2009-05-31 7:24

Hello Angshu
I had similar meeting with Egyptians Peasants around the fire drinking tea.
Very nice scene with hard contrast.
Best regards

Waylim (10717) 2009-05-31 14:05

Life take an interesting turn, it's not always workout the way we planned. Some times it work out for the best.
I like this very simple daily life shot of the local doing and living their life. Life goes on, even when the sun don't shine it first light on the Taj Mahal. Not bad quality without tripod. It really give the essence of the reality, how it would looks like. It's like being there in person.
Way

Atousa (3434) 2009-06-03 7:27

Salam Angshu,

I like the partial lighting on their faces n the small part of the wall which have created a mysterious atmosphere..its a distinct shot with nice compo n warm colours..interesting note as well!
Best regards, Atousa

Bluejeans (31963) 2009-06-03 11:24

Ola Angshuman ,
Esta tua foto com estes homens em volta desta fogueira esta magnifica , gostei muito dos tons quentes, eles tem um ar misteriosos , parecem tirados do filme Ali Baba e os 40 ladrões :), parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

avene (10930) 2009-06-05 21:43

I keep discovering these treasures that I've missed for some reason or another :) love this one, I can almost feel the contrast between the chill of the morning in the dark, and warmth of the fire by the light. great, really great.

cheers,
Kristine

Urs (2680) 2009-06-11 21:33

Dear Angshuman

That's again an excellent shot with a clear message, it is cold let's have some Chai. I really like the shot, the expression on the faces and the brilliantly captured atmosphre. Great DOF.

Best regards
Urs

rigoletto (26084) 2009-07-09 13:35

When it comes to my Baroque delight, this one is definitively a winner for me. I could easily write down a collection of praisal words, but the photo already speaks for itself, speaking with words of light and shade...
Compliments,
Deniz

tomescuc (2837) 2009-07-15 10:39

Great work, Angshu. Light wonderfully tamed. my compliments,
Cristian

sultana (1062) 2009-07-17 12:00

Namaste Angshuman,

The expression of men face are impressive.Their position explain many things with your note.I like your stil,your photos inspire my view.Thank you for sharing.Well done.
sultan