Since our first days in Tahiti, I had been obsessed with getting a perfect picture of the abandoned hotel at Tahara’a. But in the blink of an eye, time had passed, and our two-month stay was coming to an end. And a combination of temperamental weather and other holiday occupations limited the time I could allocate to photography.
Eventually I got two pleasing photos of the hotel.
One is taken from the hills of Arue in the afternoon light, and the other, from Lafayette Beach on an early morning.
The hotel has had many names over the years, but I like “Hotel Tahara’a” the most.
In Tahiti you feel like you can capture a great photo by just pointing your camera in any direction and pressing the shutter button. But for these ones, I had to climb up the steep hillside of Arue.
Yesterday morning driving from Arue along the northern coast and down the eastern coast to Taravao took us exactly 50 minutes. We were headed for Faratea — situated just before the town of Taravao if coming down the east coast — where local motor clubs had organised a drag racing day event.
Route from Arue to Taravao
With forty participating drivers and many cars on display, the event promised to be interesting, but we could watch only a few runs before we had to return to Arue.
Like earlier, we drove along the eastern coast and, even at a leisurely pace, were still able to make good time for our next engagement in Papeete.
Yesterday we walked around Papeete to see the colourful murals decorating many of the buildings in the capital. We had noticed them on a quick tour on the night when we landed in Tahiti.
Growing up in Mauritius where more than half of the population are of Indian descent and being used to Indo-Mauritian customs give you a sense of familiarity with India. Countless travel shows and documentaries, and the ability to google any information you need about the country further reinforce the sentiment. My trip to Hyderabad and New Delhi earlier this month taught me that India was much more than I had imagined.
When you’re there, India is about having spicy dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; it is about being bewildered by the cacophonous and chaotic flow of cars, motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, and pedestrians, and wondering how anyone managed to navigate that; and, it is about watching your Indian hosts use English to converse because India is so vast that they do not even speak the same language and that it will never be possible for you — a foreigner — to know India fully.
But India was not all new experiences. The hospitality, especially, was reminiscent of life in Mauritius: the casual way the hotel receptionist offered to walk three miles to the mall after her shift to make a purchase for me, the fact that our hosts kept turning up at 1.30 p.m. when we had agreed to meet at 12.30 p.m., and when we became worried about missing our flight because they insisted on making a detour for us to visit Taj Mahal followed by a night tour of New Delhi and a stop at the famous Haldiram’s for aloo paratha and butter milk.
I take a photo opportunity with a Jalebi sign in Haldiram’s for Priscilla, who loves “Lion”, a film in which the smell of fresh made Jalebi sets events in motion.We visit Haldiram’s during a tour of New Delhi to taste its renowned butter milk. Even that late in the night, the restaurant was serving an endless queue of patrons.The Taj Mahal meets the hype, especially seen in the morning sunlight.We enjoy some aloo pharata during a stop at a service station.
Red Arrows at the Farnborough International Airshow 2014
As I copied files off the D200, I realised that I had not used the Nikon since January. The keepers make me glad that I forced myself to shoot the Farnborough Airshow 2014 fly-bys.
This photo was taken with the D200 and a vintage manual Sirius 70-210mm f/4-5.6. I had to check the metering frequently because the light kept changing. The trick, I found, was to spot-meter on the clouds at +2 EV — as per the zone system — and to let the exposure take care of itself in the rest of the frame.
Airbus A380 fly-by at Farnborough International Airshow 2012
I am impressed with Photo Ninja. It fixed this picture, which was under-exposed by about 2 EV. It also removed much of the noise that was produced when recovering the shadow details.
Close-up of love padlocks on Tumski Bridge, Wroclaw
I had never thought of Poland as a great tourist destination. But after spending five days in Wroclaw, I’m ready to go back. The city has beautiful landmarks, great food, and amazing people.
Here is a close-up picture of the love padlocks on Most Tumski—a most original expression of love and friendship.
