Small Comment...

There have been times when I used to dream about a good camera. My father was a social worker - he used to have many public meetings and stuff like that. He used to take me with him to click pictures. I had a small camera; it was a point and shoot film camera. I dont even remember the name of the camera. But I remember when I had a Yashica film camera - again not SLR - of my uncle. My father will get hold of my uncles camera at times and will let me take pictures with it. I think that model of Yashika was famous and later I have noticed the same camera in many hands. My old camera is there still at home full of fungus. But this time I had a nikon SLR in my hand, proud me!!

Long back when I was dreaming about onsite, being an engineer, holding a camera; I never thought I will be able to achieve any of these what I have now. I remind all the readers to take a moment to think about what you have more than what you dont have. I have a colleague in my office and her career aspirations are so strong and sometimes I feel it plays a demotivating role in her current role. I have learned (may be forcibly) to be happy with what I have. I have limited my dreams about career. What I am currently thinking is, doing the best in what you are doing will always fetch you what is best for you. I have always thought testing is the last place where I should be landing. But see I have ended up here, but then, now I think I am no more cribbing about it. But I am afraid of others prejudicing about it. So I am little embaressed to say I am a tester. But I feel it is rather a very responsible job, I know there are managers trusting on me. Do they have to trust the person who developed it? The winner gets the trust.

Do what you do with full heart - ya, that full heart always plays a big role - because only when you put full heart you can get motivated your self. I have lost trust in the people who should have motivated me, so I have evolved my self to get self motivated. The best lesson I have learned is Attitude is the only way for success and for failure. With a bad attitude no one can succeed. If you think all except you are bad, I don't think that will lead you to success. If you think doing the work good and whole heartedly will not bring you anything then, how can you be happy at work. You will always in your entire life will have the same attitude towards work, I don't think getting placed in Google even can resolve the problem.

I have learned to have attitude and flexibility towards work and I trust those who assign work to me. There is no way you can do better or feel better. I stopped complaining, I have learned that either those who hear them or the person who is telling should have self respect and stop complaining and try to find solutions of your own to be in a better world; after all my dream is a better thinking world :)

For My Friends..

I am in the mood of writing anything, feeling so heavy. I think i am full of so much thoughts now. I am thinking of all the people who has influenced me in the past. I started to get influenced after 10th I think. Thats when i had many friends and have gone into deep relations; which made me to learn life to a small extent. I keep thinking about all these, nowadays. I try to reason myself for being myself. ha ha... Its not crazy as some one said its called Quarter Life Crisis. This is when you feel, your self more; this is when you have more time to think about yourself. This is when you understand that your character has been moulded so stongly that, whether you like it or not, you have to live with it. You will feel you have not treated some people fairly in life. You will have self pity, you will feel angry for being you. If you dont feel all these; don't laugh at me. There are people to share the same feelings (those who came up with Quarter Life Crisis - being in twenties) with me.Today i was explaining to my new friend how emotional i become when i think about my couple of friends. I was thinking about those couple of friends after that.Ii liked the small pain in my heart and the smile on my face. Its so special to have people like that in your life. If you do not have some one whom you feel this way; i think you have been wasting your life. Some people in life make you mature enough that you will be able to empathise anyone. Those are the people who shapes the conscience in you. I am so thankful to god for them, and this blog is dedicated to my lovely caring friends; and I am missing them so badly. :(

Picture on this blog is one of my first pictures from my new 105mm Micro Nikkor lens; after a small rain out side my apartment. I have been searching for objects for my Macro lens. This week I should find some nice flowers. (Shall I go to Botanical Museum?)

That could be a Bomb!!

Yes here I am back to the writing...

Past weekend was fantastic; in all senses. (At least good comparing the other weekend I had) Where would I start, all the incidents are start able incidents. I can't say INCIDENT because they were all funny moments; which might get forgotten after some time. Incidents are those which remain long like some of my previous posts.

This weekend I was expecting to go out with one of my colleague and her friend; we have decided on the drink for the night too. That time Sandeep called me up and said he and Shanu are coming to DC. At first I thought, why didn't that happen the week before when I didn't have any plans. But then as my friends are more important to me (of course me for them) I have decided to go pick them up from the Union station. Oh god since I have started 1 hour early I was managed to reach union on time. This time my GPS suggested a crappy road, very shady one; though the sides of Potomac river. "Kuttakuriruttu" sigle lane traffic with no median. "Enikku pedi aayi" :P Thinking of that I was speeding little bit suddenly 2 flashes came out of no where. Those were from the DMV's radar triggered cameras; the front and back plates of the car in front were captured with good precision, automatically. The other dude will be expecting a notice with his car's photos. How else can you get a photo of you inside your car driving at 40m/h. It really does worth it. But since I was not interested in photos I have slowed my car down.

Let me fast forward the incidents
- Me - Car - Union station - Shanu - Sandeep - Drive - 2.30 hours - Charlottesville - Nishant - Sofa - oh forgot 'Beer' - Sofa - leep

Next day we were supposed to go to Nishant's department and then Monticello which is the house of Thomas Jefferson the 3rd precident of US and founder of UVA. We managed to see them and have a lunch at chinese. Later we took a nap to get ready for the Bowling and the dinner. We have invited more people for the bowling. Though it was my second time I managed to score 1st in the first game and 3rd in the second. May be that made me so happy to get drunk at Apple Bees. I hope atleast for some people (hope all of them) had a nice time hearing to me after 2 rounds of margarita.

When I have got the check which was reasonably small for 8 people at Apple Bees (124$) I got reminded of Golden Eye movie and James bond. The waitress gave me one pen and I was playing BOMB with that one, later she brought the other pen which me so suspicious with the influence of Margarita; I said "That could be a real bomb"

Time for another Piece of Glass

I am thinking of buying another lens to my camera kit. Right now i have 50mm f/1.8 and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR; i am planning to add 105mm f/2.8 micro VR. If i do that it will have a very hard impact to my purse also to my creative photography. All my lenses are state of the art optics from Nikkor, 50mm used to be a favourite portrait lens which is sharp and cheap same time. 18-200mm VR is one of the critically acclaimed wide-telephoto zoom lens; and 105mm is the best macro lens nikon has. So my kit will be complete with that - may be with one teleconverter too - any ways, i have almost decided to go for it. its gonna cost me 750$; ya thats the other hard part i was talking about. But hope i will be able to justify it with the photos i am going to take with it. My long term plans include a nikon D300 too. May be on my way back to india. :P.
But i am not so happy about the time i am spending with my camera, i should be able to spend more time with it. But i am happier than ever with the results. The percentage of good photos coming out is getting better. Ya Bryan Peterson book has helped in taking meter readings off the sky and about green color.
I have to plan a trip with my new lens next month for long weekend thats my plan. My strength of photography is the angle which i choose to click i guess. My angles and creativity comes out good - at times, which i believe is from the artist inside me. I feel so sad for loosing my painting skills long time back. Now i dont think i can take up the brush again; may be i can try buying a coloring book instead :p
For some sample picture from Micro-Nikkor AF-S 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED VR Click here