Dawn in Munnar, a photo from Kerala, South

Photographer's Note

‘Kerala - Dawn in Munnar’

Situated at around 1.600 metres high in the Western Ghats mountain range Munnar had in the beginning of January an afternoon temperature of about 25°C.
At night, however, the temperature dropped to slightly below freezing.

I was told that this cold night temperature was only the case during a limited number of days per year.
The hotel manager told me also that I was fortunately to have my reservation. The fact that it froze slightly at night was announced through the news in India. On such days, Indians from the south come to Munnar in large numbers. They really love the cold climate.

On my sunrise tour I left the hotel at 6 am.
For me it seemed bitterly cold. Why was it that cold on the few days that I was there? I love a warm climate.

The driver of the hotel brought me to a place a few kilometers further. There was a path to a mountain top where I would see the sun rise over the tea fields. On the other side of the top I could just walk down and from there take another way back to Munnar. Very easy to find, I was assured.

Of course it was not that obvious and there were several other paths on the mountainside. I sometimes had to guess which way was the right one. Just two times I was able to find someone I could ask for directions.

The sunrise itself wasn’t a big deal. However, it became very beautiful afterwards when the sunrays coloured the tea plantations.

The funny thing was that during the ride in the dark the driver excitedly pointed out places with frost on the grass and the vegetation telling me ‘Look there: snow’.
This kind of weather was very unusual for him. I said it wasn’t snow but frost. But he didn’t know frost. For him the white spots certainly were snow.
And I was hoping to feel the warm sunshine soon :)

I still have dozens of photos of the tea plantations in all shapes and on all sorts of hills but too much will probably be boring.

Fis2, bukitgolfb301, ikeharel, papagolf21, pajaran, jemaflor, holmertz, Royaldevon, jhm, ChrisJ, COSTANTINO, macjake, dale54, jean113, PiotrF has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Tue (68350) 2019-08-11 13:12

Hallo Paul,
Wat een schitterend ochtendlicht op deze glooiende heuvels. De groene tinten zijn prachtig en het contrast met de donkere kant is ook erg geslaagd. De bomen in de voorgrond geven een mooi omlijsting. Het was het vroege opstaan wel waard.
Lars

Fis2 (138627) 2019-08-11 13:17

Witaj Paul!
Wponderful place, view is impressive.
Excellent colors and light.
I love it.
Very well done.
Good evening.
Krzysztof

bukitgolfb301 (52315) 2019-08-11 18:45

Hi Bonjour dear Paul

Wow I do not know this place and not yet been there.
Kelala's image is the beautiful sea and Coconut trees, but this image is seeming like a high land plants are also so doifferent. You seem to discover so frontee ares there.

All the best and have a good day! Takero

papagolf21 (141931) 2019-08-11 23:10

Bonjour, cher Paul,
Vous nous présentez un autre monde avec ces paysages grandioses cultivés ou non.
La forme des cultures de thé est amusante avec ces représentations géométriques.
Les images sont très belles.
Amitiés.
Philippe

jemaflor (123547) 2019-08-11 23:37

Salut Paul,
Belle présentation de ce paysage avec en avant-plan ces arbres, cela ajoute un bon effet de profondeur plongeante à l'image, Superbe cette lumière qui valorise les tonalités vertes dominantes pour ce paysage.

holmertz (80678) 2019-08-12 0:32

Hello Paul,
I am not fond of cold nights or mornings when I am in countries that are supposed to be always hot. It has happened a few times. But the sun always rises and the heat returns. This is a nice view of the hill covered with tea bushes. Is there any explanation of the circles made in a few places? No alien activity I suppose? There's a lovely light and haze and nice branches in the foreground. I like the dark line of the path leading to the top. The WS photos are also nice. Do you have any idea why the bushes have been planted in two different patterns on WS #2?
Best regards,
Gert

Royaldevon (62319) 2019-08-12 1:46

Hello Paul,

Your notes, along with the photographs, confirm the fun and learning experiences you had on this holiday! I did sympathise regarding the cold weather. Did you have warm clothing to cope with these freezing temperatures?

Your photographs are all so very different but useful in helping to paint the picture of what you saw. It must be very difficult to decide which to have as a main post!

I like the early morning beauty of this shot, as the low sun paints relief with the shadows and you use the f/g branches as a natural frame. The flower f/g and the sight of the small houses up the hillside give great interest to your w/s.

Have a lovely day,
Bev :-)

Silvio1953 (187105) 2019-08-12 3:12

Ciao Paul, fascinating landscape, wonderful natural colors, excellent clarity and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

dta (94548) 2019-08-12 3:29

Bonjour Paul ,
Magnifiques jeux de lumières sur ce merveilleux paysage de collines plantées de thé .
Amicalement

jhm (187997) 2019-08-12 7:00

Dag Paul,

De geel gouden kleuren maken van uw foto een super beeld.
Zelf hier is een beetje mist te zien wat zelfs echt iets positief bijdraagt.
Schitterende foto Paul.
Mooi panorama over het gebergte, bedankt.

Groeten uit Oost-Vlaanderen,
John

rychem (65475) 2019-08-12 7:39

A very nice view from above, I like the green hill illuminated with a low light, beautiful photo
regards Ryszard

ikeharel (96776) 2019-08-12 8:48

Hello Paul,
Seeing the three photos, I must say my own preferences would be with the WS#2 to be posted as main picture, merely my humble thoughts.
The morning walk should give you different light conditions, but at the hour taken, sun was up and shin8ing already.
The outcome with the morning mist added several tones and shadows on the slopes, which beautifully shown.
My best regards,
Ike

mesutilgim (113418) 2019-08-12 10:56

Hello Paul,
Another nice and interesting capture in your gallery.
Photographycally perfect with good sharpness and many interesting details. Many good and usefull notes.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

pajaran (88844) 2019-08-12 12:05

Pozdrav.
Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Dobar rad sa lepim fotografijama u radionici, lepo pokazano, dobra perspektiva i kontrast, lepe boje, dobro uhvacen trenutak.
Lepa zelena brda i drvece, lepa polja caja.
Zelim vam sve najbolje u novoj nedelji koja je pocela.
Paja.

Greeting.
Nice view and moment, interesting and good text ...
Good work with beautiful photos in the workshop, beautifully demonstrated, good perspective and contrast, beautiful colors, well captured moment.
Beautiful green hills and trees, beautiful fields of tea.
I wish you all the best in the new week that has begun.

ChrisJ (149390) 2019-08-12 20:53

Hallo Paul,

Agreed. The lighting here is exceptional. Good color, sharpness and saturation. The fg vegetation acts as a nice frame and adds depth and layering. Tfs!

COSTANTINO (90444) 2019-08-12 22:14

Hello dear Paul and have a nice time
and a happy time
a photo dedicated to the Nature with
natural framing situated at around
1600 meters high in the western ghats
mountain range
excellent colors and lighting
a nice view of the hill covered
by tea bushes
welldone
regards
Costantino

macjake (90261) 2019-08-12 23:42

Hi Paul
I'll try some home made chocolates :)
but I wonder if they're all melted from the heat? haha
Very interesting read! wonderful note. You picked the wrong days I guess, as it was a bit cold. So funny to hear the man being excited about "snow" haha. he should come visit Eastern Canada! and of course it wasn't so easy to find as you pointed out in the note, but in the end you came away with a fantastic photo here, the lighting is brilliantly warm and glowing. super! cheers
Craig

Nicou (184356) 2019-08-13 1:11

Hello

Ces collines aux formes ronde quel effet et ces traces des cultures sur la première de ces champs de thé avec la végétation en premie rplan quelle vue et ensemble excellent
Bravo et amitié
Nciou

dale54 (15362) 2019-08-13 8:58

good evening and hello to you paul...the light-shadows are so wonderful in this scene,lovely soft lite light too! tfs dale

emka (136646) 2019-08-13 23:21

hello paul, Fascinating note. Strange that such big differences in temperature one can experience in India. But I experienced it in South Africa. The nights (in the tents) were really cold. And also in Petra was white and very cold when I was there. Wonderful early morning picture, the light is marvelous. The most interesting is the round pattern on the left side. The pattern on the WS2 is really interesting and a bit mysterious.

Kind regards Malgo

mkamionka (51322) 2019-08-15 2:53

Hi Paul,
you are right very much depends on the point of view.
The view is beautiful and was certainly worth to wake up early.
Quite often the sunrise or sunset themselves are not that photogenic but the shoulder times before or after sunset or sunrise have much more interesting light.
This photo is a great evidence for it, the light is sublime.
Great effect with subtle mist getting more pronounced further in the distance -some trees are nicely providing silhouettes to stand out of the mist in the back.
Great reportage,
M

Miguel82 (32129) 2019-08-15 13:21

Paul, wonderful green landscape spotted in the Western ghats in Munnar. The landscape is made of tea plantations and forest fragments. You have captured perfectly the end of afternoon light adding golden hues to the photo.

PiotrF (38552) 2019-08-18 13:55

Hello Paul
A amazing landscape from Kerala.
I like beautiful light here, nice colours and great composition.
Thank you for informative note.
Fine presentation
Regards
Piotr