Thursday, April 14, 2005

Goan sea

I love Goa. I studied in Bombay for four years and planned on visiting it many times, but never did. After my final year exams I, along with two others, even booked tickets to Goa but had to back out because of a severe injury.

Finally, in 2002, I managed to visit the place with Emily. I instantly fell in love with the place, for the following reasons:

i) Natural beauty
ii) King's beer (Rs. 20 for a pint)
iii) Laidback lifestyle
iv) King's beer (Rs. 20 for a pint)
v) Great beaches with parties going on till late into the night
vi) King's beer (Rs. 20 for a pint)

You get the drift, don't you?

These are some of my favourite pictures of the Goan sea, shot over the four visits I have made thus far.

Goan fishing boat

This boat was just floating in the backwaters. I love the blue hues of sea water, and the shape of the boat. Shot on March 12th, 2002.



Island off Palolem beach

During low tide, one can actually walk to the island. Shot on February 14th, 2004, around dusk.



Fishermen come home at dusk

We were sitting in Ciaran's shack at Palolem beach and witnessed a beautiful sunset. I happened to have my camera handy. Shot on December 23rd, 2002.



Deck chairs at Majorda beach

I like this photo for its warmth, though my wife thinks it is a very average shot. She finds it emotionless, but I love the waves in the background. Shot on December 21st, 2002.



Fishing boat on Majorda beach

I went jogging early morning on Majorda beach and noticed these beautiful boats. Finished the run, came back, grabbed my camera, and went back to the beach for some shots. Most people don't like this shot, but I am partial towards it, maybe because I don't see the shot -- I see the place in its totality. Shot on December 21st, 2002.

18 Comments:

At 1:02 AM, Blogger Vignesh said...

Great pics man ! I've been wanting to go to Goa forever too... missed a few opportunities in college and am regretting it now.. hmm.. better not to stray down that line of thought for too long ;)

Anyhoo... that pic of the empty chairs.. I sorta see its emptyness as being filled with emotion... I see things that aren't there. Sorry, Em.

 
At 2:53 AM, Blogger Varun Singh said...

Very nice pics!
I've finally started the photoblog, check it out at http://photoblog-vasingh.blogspot.com .Please to leave some comments too. :)

 
At 5:39 AM, Blogger anumita said...

Lovely pics. Goa is paradise!

 
At 6:31 AM, Blogger Anurag said...

Vignesh: Thanks. You should proceed to Goa as soon as you can. Even as I write this, the place is getting commercialized. Get the real experience while you can. Also, that's exactly how I feel about the pic of deck chairs...

Varun: Thanks to you too. I will visit your blog soon. Promise.

Anumita: Thanks. Goa is, indeed, heaven. Cheers.

 
At 7:16 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

dil chahta hai kabhi na beeten
chamkeele din

decent photos. do you shoot different photos for "memories" and "display"?

personally i like pictures which show things as they appear naturally instead of being filtered/shadowed. that is a subset of my philosophy of keeping things real. i have yet to come across landscaped land which looks better than a unmaintained field. possibly the landscapers are immature.

given that i like the chairs because they are most real.

did you want to capture the boat (in the water) itself or the fact that it was just floating there? i would love a closer shot of that boat.

 
At 7:22 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

by the way when i say photos of things as they appear naturally i dont mean like the ones on varun's blog (sorry varun). i do like good angles, perspective, emotion in the shot.

 
At 7:41 AM, Blogger Senthil said...

Hey, nice pics! I liked the boat on the beach the best - the blue tarpaulin made all the difference, methinks.

 
At 8:40 AM, Blogger Anurag said...

munna: I am a serious amateur. I never shoot for memories. I only take pictures because I want to display the beauty of things the way I see them. It is a drawback because I can't take shots at, say, birthdays and parties. I know that is a limitation, but that's the way it is. Also, I think Varun's pics are quite good. He has the technique right (composition, choosing the right subjects etc.) and with time his exposure and presentation will improve. Also, chairs are no more natural than the rest of the shots. The most natural shot is of the fishermen talking beside their boat, because I had less than two minutes to shoot before the sun set. Same with all other boat shots. I shot the floating boat because the reflection looks beautiful and the water was so blue.

Senthil: I agree. I think the blue of the tarpaulin is so close to the overall hue of the pic that is seems like a painting (though not a very good one).

elf: Thanks. You must go to Goa, Merc or not. Merc is an incentive on such a trip, not the requisite. You know, if you can arrange a car, the drive from Mumbai to Goa is terrific. Like munna says, an unmaintained field can be much better than an arranged scene, and there are many unmanicured field on the way.

 
At 9:40 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

in the context of the pics by natural i mean natural light and natural color, "what you see is what you get".

i think my issue is that when i look at the pics i go: "nice shot" instead of "beautiful place/thing".

i shall now go into a deeper state of meditation to contemplate this.

oommm...

 
At 9:44 AM, Blogger Anurag said...

munna: Well, different people have different needs. :) These pics are all as they appear in prints. I have not used any filters here, and the lighting in all of them is natural. The only thing I did was to use Kodak Supra 100 film, which had extremely warm colours.

I'll try to post more emotive of my pictures, and see whether you like any.

Ooom is a nice idea. Oooooohhhhhhhmmmmmm.

 
At 10:19 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

upon deeper contemplation i managed to reach my inner being.
the issue is exactly what you said, different people have different needs.

its a question of entertainment and expectations.

"things bathed in the orange light of the sun" is very boring because everywhere you look there is a picture of that. so unless i see something very extraordinary there i would never like such a pic anymore.

the boat in the water is beautiful and i want to see every detail of it however the resolution of the picture wont let me see that and i am angry. plus you commented that it was "just lying there" conjuring up images in my mind of a world where things are simple and people dont have to put boundries and "mine" around everything. however, the shot is not about that. and i am even more angry :D

haree oooaammm

 
At 5:27 PM, Blogger eM said...

Brilliant pics.
I go to Goa all the time--spent a couple of New Years there as well... it's an excellent place, and if you know it well, there are nice little pockets of isolation where Big Bad Tourist Traps haven't set up shop yet. :)

 
At 9:25 PM, Blogger Anurag said...

eM: You are absolutely right about pockets free of tourists. Goa is so laid back, you feel like vacations go on forever.

* dreams about the next Goa trip*

 
At 4:26 AM, Blogger Mandar said...

Truly, Goa is paradise. I had been there a coupla months back, to attend a conference. I didn't get to do too much of the "hangin'-out" thing. But, we did have a cruise-dinner on Mandovi. That was fabulous! Also, the roads in Goa.... fantabulous, thanks to that International Film Festival! And hey! the best of all.... the King's beer, as u say, and also, the Kaju-Feni!!!! :-)

 
At 8:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey lovely pics!! And when goa gets too much there's always karwar.....

 
At 1:12 PM, Blogger Mint Chutney said...

You are indeed multi-talented Anurag!

We are going to Goa in December and I can't wait.

 
At 7:58 PM, Blogger Cee Kay said...

Nice Pics!! But you know that already, don't you? :))

 
At 10:04 PM, Blogger Anurag said...

Satya: I have a very basic camera body - Canon EOS Rebel. But I have three terrific lenses. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, it is the lenses which count.

Mandar: Roads in Goa have always been good. I don't think they did anything special for the film fest apart from parties on beaches. Goa is the best governed state I have been to.

Swinging Scab: I've heard so much about Karwar. I think I must go there soon.

Mint C: Thanks, even though I know you are just saying it. :)) December is a great time to be in Goa. Avoid the touristy beaches, though. They can be a let down.

gettingthere: No, I don't. Tell me. :))

 

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