Category Archives: Photography

2009 in Pictures – September

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September was great, like any other month in 2009!
Went to Gatlinburg, and the Smoky Mountains (again)…

Met Bumblebee! This was completely unexpected and I could not believe my luck! The car that I have loved and admired was right there in front of me! Yes the same car which was in Transformers-1. The yellow black Chevy Chamero!






Also went to Six Flags, the amusement park I used to drive by frequently, and even came back from the gates ones because it was too cold!


Bought a whole lot of movies… by the end of 2009, ended up with more than 100 movies, and all handpicked!

Also went to Chicago yet again… The Bean looks amazing when the lights come on!!!

30on30 Again!!!!

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However this time around, its Paromita who is celebrating her birthday by trying to do something for the society!
Her initiative Deepdana is aimed at raising Rs. 30000 in 30 days, by selling some of her selected photography work!
Paromita is a photographer of immense talent, and this intent of giving something back to the not so privileged, definitely warrants for a lot of support! Please do visit the initiative website, please do spread the word, please do connect back with her to contribute!
Everything helps!!!
I am personally very happy that even though I was not able to do anything special for my birthday this year, 30on30 had an impact which is more than just the collection of Rs. 79000. Paromita is doing a 30on30 this year, and who knows there would be 10 more people who do more 30th year celebrations by trying to do something for the world! Makes all the effort absolutely worth it!!! Thank you and congratulations Paromita for keeping 30on30 alive!

2009 in Pictures – August

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Been away from CKD for a very long time… and irrespective of how much I want to, I just have not been able to get time to get online!!!
The EDGE on the iPhone does not help either!
But here I am… with a post that has been waiting to be published for almost about a month now! Enjoy the pictures of last August…
It was a beautiful month in Milwaukee.. I also went to Minneapolis and had a great weekend there…
Saw movies on a home projection system back to back!!!
Went with office friends to a cabin some 2.5 hours away from Milwaukee up north, and led my team to a victory in the games we played over two days, the highlights being me eating bitter gourd, and finished about 24 golgappas in just below 3 minutes!!!
Life has been great lately! I struggle at times with the new profile that I am in now with MTS, and at the same time I thoroughly enjoy the learning that I get almost everyday! I finish my day promising myself that I will do better the next day!
Its very new for me.. the whole TELCO thing, and how a company totally working in India, works!!! but that’s an interesting topic for the next post (whenever that comes)
For now let’s be silent in honor of the long silence on Chai ki Dukaan, and just enjoy how the month of August in 2009 was!!!


























2009 in Pictures – July

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After a gap of almost 2 months I am getting back to posting the rest of 2009 In Pictures now… This time around lets see how July was in 2009… It was full of loads of excitement, summers had arrived, festivals were on the charts, flowers were blooming, and traveling to new places was planned…
Let’s go to July 2009 then!!!! Enjoy! (pssst…this post has a lot of photographs… be patient while scrolling down! I would not like it if you miss some pictures!)
July started with a flight to Atlanta! Aditya was there from India on a project and I felt this was just the right opportunity to fly down south and enjoy some mountains. I was really excited because this was the first time I was going to see mountains in the US… Did I say I love mountains? I do!!!
Smokies! here I come!

Reached Atlanta late in the evening and the Sun Gods were still waiting to welcome me at the airport!
Adi was driving a Pontiac G6! and I had another reason to celebrate because of this fact! I had been trying to rent out a G6 for a long time now, and it happened when I was least expecting 🙂 lovely!
The GPS I was carrying was giving a lot of trouble, it used to get lost, or take us to places where we not really were going to! but we still managed to drive all the way to Smokies with some help from the road signs! Figured that if you keep your eyes, open you might not need a GPS afterall!

The first pit stop was creekside after we crossed the small town of Cherokee in the state of North Carolina! Amazing beautiful road, covered with greenest of green trees, with a small creek flowing next to the road! Perfect mood for an amazing drive!

And needless to say there were a whole lot of bikers enjoying the warm weather on their Harleys on that road!

Below is the east side view from Chingman’s dome, the highest point in the Smokies… Its an artificially built cement view point to give visitors a 360 degree view of the Smokies. I can only imagine how crowded it would get if it was India, more because of the smalltime shopkeepers, of which all I missed was a Chai-Wala… Sigh!

The western view has the state boundary of NC and Tennessee, like you see in the picture below…

The access to Clingman’s Dome below!

And finally the beautiful Smokies!!!! Pictures can capture only a part of how beautiful these were… but to be honest, nothing in this world is as beautiful as the Himalayas!!! Call be prejudiced! but that’s how it is! simple!

It was the 4th of July when I was in Atlanta and all towns, big or small on our way had fireworks going on… We drove past two, but decided to stop at the third one and enjoy the show…

And did not do much the other two days I was in Atlanta… the most eventful thing being, that I saw Transformers2 on IMAX (huge is an understatement for that screen) and ICE Age 3 back to back!

Back in Milwaukee, it was time for Festivals and Fairs…
Bestille Days and Great Circus Parade were scheduled over the next few weeks… This is when staying in the heart of downtown, and next to the lake was making more sense than anything else 🙂
Bastille days is a 4 day french festival which is celebrated every year in Milwaukee downtown at the Cathedral Square lawns! Perfect time to enjoy some exotic wine and food… Me being a vegetarian and a non-wine drinker, made myself happy with elaborate helpings of Egyptian Rice, Greek salads and fresh lemonade while walking around and enjoying some brilliant music performances in the evenings!
The photographs below are a mix of Great Circus Parade and Bastille Days!

Beautiful father son combo 🙂 Saw many dads wearing the same stuff as their boys! sweet!

Family planning is something that has not been introduced to some in the US I guess…

And I am sure this horse’s mom had an affair with some Dalmatian!

Fairs and festivals are one place where I see some family values being displayed in the US… most of my time otherwise was spent noticing the teenagers and youth, which did not seem to be moving in any direction but everywhere! It was a very nice refreshing change to see families together at these festivals… but it was mostly kids and parents, or old people.. the young guns were not many in number around these… Considered boring I guess, by them!

There was an actual circus happening too! and it was really interesting to see how kids in the US react to Camels and Elephants 😛

India still means something very different when it comes to Circus.. check out the face and India… I would love to look for someone who looks like this in India now 🙂

Another good thing about social gathering’s in the US is that people of all age (minus the ones I mentioned) fully enjoy themselves!!! They drink, they dance, they laugh!!! it was fun to observe!!

My favorite couple in the US… Deepali and Gaurav…

My parking lot and collectibles I acquired over time…

Bindiya had handed over Ganeshji to me when I went to UK for the first time in 2007… they have been with me since! I am sure he is enjoying the mid-western weather in summers!

And the month ended with an absolutely brilliant and mind boggling sky show at Lake Front…

The adrenaline rush when a jet flies just about 100 ft above your head is indescribable… How kids cry after that is a different story altogether!

So that’s how July of 2009 was… Did you read anything or just saw the pictures?

Important Announcements!!!

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I am happy to launch two important websites today!!!!
1. www.sopaan.org : This is the website that is dedicated to my social responsibility initiative and is supported by a group of friends who are as serious about doing some for the society as I am… Initially this would be focussed at raising funds for grass-root level initiatives, and sharing information about various NGOs that are in existence and have a similar mindset. A lot on Sopaan is still under construction or review, and I would keep working on it while its open to everyone to view. Please do feel free to leave comments, share ideas and thoughts, or give me some feedback.
2. www.AndPictures.net :Photography for me has never been about a picture only, infact its the places, the people, and the moment which is of primary importance for me “and pictures” come later… This website would serve as my online portfolio and is a step towards professional photography.
I have been able to do this because of the amazing support that has been extended to me from everyone around. I do not dream to make it big, but I do dream to make an impact in whatever capacity I can with time!!!!
In addition to that, let me also invite you all to a group exhibition that I am a part of.. The exhibition opens on 4th of March in India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. Please do make it convenient to attend.

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They say Charity begins at home… and I say Change does too!Chai ki Dukaan being like a home to me and a few others that I know and some that I don’t, felt like just the right place to talk about a few important things that are shaping up in the next few months!

I hope some of you remember the 30on30 campaign. For the benefit of those who do not remember or need a quick refresh here are a few highlights of 30on30

1. In Mar-Apr’09, some of my photographs were put up on sale via a blog.
Details at http://30-on-30.blogspot.com/
2. The initial aim was to raise Rs. 30000 in 30 days via the sale of these photographs
3. The campaign worked well and there were about 2500 people who visited the campaign page during these 30 days
4. We managed a total of Rs. 79000 by the end of the campaign5. We gave that money to ASK-Sankalp who promised that this would be used properly in the initiatives at Sankalp, which is a unit based out of Moradabad, UP focused on Child Rights and Education

This really encouraged me and a few more, and we thought of doing something which would be our contribution to society and change, in a more systematic and continuous way! Some of us talked at length about what could we do, and more importantly how! The good part being that none of us were skeptical about the results, or the approach or if we should do something or not!

There are lot of ideas, there is a lot to do, and there is a need of people who can support us! So if you are willing, or know someone who is willing to spend about 5-6 hours a week (dedicatedly) on some initiatives related to social issues please read on…

1. If you are just willing to spend time and spread a word about what we are doing, GREAT! we would keep you posted and look forward to your support
2. If you have a special skill like web-design, content management and editing, financial and legal knowledge, we would love to hear from you
3. If you feel you’d like to be a part of such team and can give more time than just a few hours and connect with us for a longer time, please hold on…

Give us sometime while we work some details. The intention is to keep things simple, our energies focused and mindsets positive!

Game for it?

p.s. feel free to write to Prashant @ prashantbhardwaj[at]gmail[dot]com in case you’d like to know more at this point of time, or just write a comment here!

2009 in Pictures – May

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May is expected to bring Spring season! it did.. though it was pretty cold and unusually cold for that time of the year, it did not stop the flowers from blooming, it did not stop the birds from coming out and singing, and it did not stop me from going to Holland, Michigan to enjoy the Tulip Festival.
I had rented a Nissan Altima for this trip, and I loved driving it… had not driven a car so smooth and so responsive yet! Totally totally loved it… and had just the right company in Joy along with me… Pritam, Sunil and Golu joined us from Minneapolis later in the evening after we checked into our motel near Holland!
Photography would have been a challenge for sure, because I do not know what to do when I am supposed to take pictures of flowers… I personally came back satisfied with the pictures I took that weekend though! enjoy the moments and some photographs from Holland below… This might just be one of the most colorful months of 2009!

The right set of people makes a trip so much better! I am so grateful to have good travel companions all the time (I also take credit in that though! I chose who I travel with, most of the time)
Artist’s tables are one of the most interesting things that I know of… they shout out loud of creativity!
I have also been fascinated by wheels and rims for a long time… but I do not have a liking for such loud rims! I like them subtle… like Radha!
Holland in addition to the Tulips, is also famous for wooden shoes! And yes, you can wear them!
I also drove a Jeep Commander… Big SuV… loads of space! and Jeep 🙂
We managed to find a lovely local Italian restaurant for lunch and then a decent Indian restaurant for Dinner… had to rush and drive fast to reach the Indian one in the night before it closed, but we did manage…
Another very interesting thing we did in Holland was go on a Sand dunes safari… it was a crazy sand ride with adventurous twists and turns in a 1979 dodge truck!
The Big Red light house in Holland… This place was exactly opposite to Milwaukee on the other side of Lake Michigan…
We also managed to check out a local market in Holland before we headed back to Milwaukee.


I love huskies! Period! This one had such beautiful blue eyes!

Also visited a winery on our way out of Holland… Experienced a bit different US there… very quiet, non-concrete, natural America… lovely it was!
And more flowers near home!
The third car I drove in the month of May was a Mazda 6. Radical design, but another beauty to drive! I had rented it to get Ma Pa from the Chicago airport! Cannot explain that feeling in words… going to an airport to pick up mom dad after their first ever flight! very precious memory!
In May itself, I drove to Minneapolis and Chicago with Mom Dad!
This is a view from the 14th floor apartment in Minneapolis… my home away from home in America… the famous or rather infamous 1409!
See you with some pictures from June soon!

2009 in Pictures – April

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The biggest thing about April 2009 was 30on30… It was a personal achievement which brought immense satisfaction to me, and I am glad that the thought worked so well! April was also about some warm days, more rain, less snow, and some cold days too…

My birthday was celebrated by cutting an Apple pie instead of a cake because the gang from MSP could not find a cake shop on their way to Milwaukee on my birthday… it was nice to have friends on birthday night, though birthdays usually are no big deal for me…
We thought of going to 6-flags, the amusement park about an hour south of Milwaukee, but it was too cold to get on the rides and we had to come back, much to disappointment of Deepak who wanted to go inside… Later in the year, we did manage to get to the park and enjoy a few rides…
We also visited the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee that weekend… For those who did not know, Milwaukee is famous for its beer as well! At one point of time, it used to have the largest number of breweries in the US.
After the free tour, you get to taste the 3 key beers that Miller makes at this brewery!
I also got my flash in April… the macro lens and the flash unit were my birthday presents to myself… I suck at using flash in photographs, and have to learn how to use it… one item on my to-do list for 2010…
Talking of places to visit, I also spent a few days at the Milwaukee Art Museum in April…
April 10th was cold for sure… but there were really warms days in April too… the picture says it all I guess!
Rain and the macro lens… good combination if you know how to use it well… My first attempt and much below average, still does not stop me from posting a few pictures I liked from that evening…
This brings me to the end of a wonderful first quarter of the new year! The other months’ pictures can be seen here if you have not seen them already…
See you later with some pictures from May!

2009 in Pictures – February

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Its going to take quite a bit of effort to select the images, edit them for CKD and post them here, but I am willing to make that effort… I hope you are going to make an effort to browse those images as well…
If you missed it, photographs from January can be accessed by clicking here (Opens in a new window)
February was a month of a few firsts… and a few seconds and some thirds as well 🙂
After the freezing months of December and January, Feb brought a bit of sunshine and nice weather to Milwaukee… good enough to get out of the cosy comfort of your apartment and walk around… during one such walks, I went to the Milwaukee Art Museum too…

An artwork in the museum…

Warm morning sunlight….


The ice started melting as well because the temperature went above the freezing point after about 2 months… hence the beautiful reflections on the path above and the road below…

The building with the christmas cap is my office!

Puddles also were formed at places because of the snow melting, giving the kid in me an opportunity to play around the water…
The sun was really shining bright and gave me some interesting photographs to click…
I also went to Minneapolis on Valentine’s day….

Took some interesting portraits of friends in MSP… this one is Lakhan…. the bored pilot 🙂

One of the most interesting and remarkable firsts in February was walking on a frozen lake, and driving on it… Scary and very exciting! This is Pritam’s new SUV at Medicine Lake…


Another first…. a frozen Waterfall!

Miss Sapna… not too interested in the camera!


A valentine’s day is not complete without a few roses! innit?


Now back to Milwaukee, and the frozen lake Michigan…

People enjoying ice fishing on Lake Michigan, and downtown Milwaukee in the background…

A closeup of how the frozen water looks like…

Deepali and Gaurav trying to walk on ice…
February turned out to a fun filled month… I started traveling out of Milwaukee, I also got myself a film camera… some results from that camera a little later….
See you with March Photographs!