The golden beach.

 Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 20mm, F 7.1, ISO 100, Single Exposure

It was a beautiful evening at the beach in Club med resort, my daughter had just ran to the swing while I was about to shoot the sunset and for a while I had to take my take my eyes off the view finder and looked at the set which just became so perfect when she stood there. It was a such a strong silhouette and I couldn't see her face standing against the bright sun.

Enjoy!

My Beloved.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 46mm, F 5.6, ISO 200, Single Exposure

Enjoy!

Sunset over the Rocks, Pitipana, Negombo, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 28mm, F 11, ISO 100, 3 Exposures.

I had a challenging day at the beach when I prepared to compose the shot. Time to time waves came washing in and I had to keep my conscious to protect the gear. I had a tough time settling the tripod too, as the waves sunk the tripod in to the sand when they washed in. Now just when I thought I had dealt with the last of my troubles, I saw my slippers drifting away, again I had to run after it with an extended tripod. I was all wet, but lucky enough to keep it all together in one piece and made my peace with this shot. :-)

Enjoy!

Sunset at Katunayake, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 25mm, F 4.5, ISO 100, 3 Exposures.

Well there's a story to every photograph right? and this one goes out to my desktop. Last week I was watching some video tutorials on photography, apart from the tutorials I noticed something really cool about all of it, which it was that they all had a desktop wall paper from their own portfolio. For me it just made a great deal of sense and I liked it. So since  that day I wanted to make my own desktop wall paper. I usually I like dark backgrounds with something related to nature and simple. So I did some work and this is what I came up with and also the end of story.

Now I have some things else also  I wanted to share with you all. I have started a project to expand and broaden my blog and photography based on the feedback's I received. One thing most people highlighted is to share often  and I am gonna put a lot of effort to keep things posted more frequently. from my own idea I'm also gonna expand with the categories like wildlife, portraits and many more.....and YES! its all going to be HDR's. :-)

So I hope you guys keep coming back and bringing back more people and enjoy my work.  Thank you all for your lovely comments and constructive comments.

Enjoy!

Fishing in Maldives.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures.

Blue sky, Blue seas,Sound of the sea vessels and Golden rays of sunlight, this is the sights and sound of my beautiful home. Yes! Yes! and yeaaaaah!. This is Maldives people. Last weekend I had an opportunity to fly back home to spend sometime with my loving family.

As I was fed up with "TRYING" to fish in Srilanka, me and my good old colleagues decided to go out  on a fishing trip and show what it is like "fishing in Maldives", since then I had the thought  of posting something from my trip

The vessel we are on board in Maldivian language is called "DHONI" and its powered by a modern engine. In earlier days they used to have large sails and few of them still exists. Sea vessels are still considered a major way of transport in Maldives. Fisheries is the major source of income to the country and tourism also plays a major role.

I had a great time fishing and enjoying my vacation and if anyone wants to visit or go fishing in the Maldives, I would be glad to help you out.

(Lft: Leeman,Sham, Athu, Yazdhan, Yousuf, Umar, Niushad and Shunan)

Enjoy!

Sunset, Koachikade, Negombo, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 11, ISO 100, 3 Exposures.

So me and my two good friends set out to fish in Srilanka, oh! and if I didn't mention fishing as a hobby in my profile it isn't complete. Well I am a hobbyist fisherman too. What people mostly called as an angler. We have done good fishing trips in the Maldives,(My beautiful home)  where population is out numbered by the variety of fishes that live. So here we are trying to fish in Srilanka, first we went to the bridge and did some casting, but we only caught a few catfishes, smaller ones of just half a kilo or less. So then we decided to find something bigger and better which we could hold from both of our hands, run out our lines and bend our rods. 

Now here we are, Koachikade in Negombo, the  kind of the place we thought we would find one, We spoke to the locals and everybody says there are larger ones up to 5, 10 and even 20kilo's!!!!. What a boast!!!! :-P. The truth is on this particular day we didn't catch any and neither did any one else at the beach. But for me this journey was successful in one way. I got this shot just after the sun went down, waited till the colors became more vivid and then click, click and click...I got this shot. Lots of details on the foreground and bright beautiful colors in the sky. This is what I would call a "Beauty spot" in Srilanka. Locals say the sunset is this beautiful every day. Wow!!!!...........simply amazing isn't it? I'm a happy photographer among frustrated fisherman's . Hehehehe.

Enjoy!

Calton Cafe', Seeduwa, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 35mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

I've posted this shot bit earlier in my Flickr stream and always had a thought about when I will share it here. This is CALTON CAFE, just next to where I live in Srilanka. My friends and I, we used to spend lazy afternoons and tiring evening ends here sipping coffee, some short eats. This probably one of  the best times of my day. The staffs here are really easy going guys unlike most people I have met in some cafe's 

I have made a major mistake in this shot which was the obvious reason for keeping this shot unposted and you'll probably know why, and for those who do not, its my shadow in the ground standing at the back of the camera. I tried a bit to correct it and finally gave up. But still I am happy how the processing has turned out.

Enjoy!

Cloud Forest, Horton Plains, Nuwara Eliya, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 21mm, F 11, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

From my recent trip to Nuwara Eliya: The visit  to Horton Plains, the largest remaining tract of "Cloud Forest" in Srilanka was the most coolest experience I ever had.The weather changed rapidly and in a matter of minutes I found myself standing in the mist and fog. WOW!!!!!!!!!!

This shot was taken a few Km's from the mountain and as you can see at that time also, its being covered with clouds.

Horton Plains is, another great place to visit in Srilanka. It would be simply an amazing phenomena you would experience.

      

(BckLft- Ahmed Sham,Mohammed,Irfan,Hamid,Shunan,Yousuf,Leeman and Ali Sham.)

(Frnt- Yousuf,Hamid,Mohammed,Irfan,Shunan,Leeman,Ali Sham and Ahmed Sham)

Enjoy!

Tea Gardens, Nuwara Eliya, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

A few days back me and my friends took a trip to the coldest and the highest place in Srilanka. The town of Nuwara Eliya, famous for its tea and botanical gardens with vastly stretched mountains, water falls, rivers, lakes and other vegetation fields. It's a place interested in history as the influence of British can very much be seen and is famously nick named as "Little England" of Srilanka as it basically carries the same climate in some way.

December and January are the coldest time in Nuwara Eliya, for me and my friends apart from the beauty of Nuwara Eliya the round trip journey through the freezing cold night was a mere thrill. At times we would meet chunks of mountain slides along the path and when we look outside we could see the lights of the houses in a much lower level and realise our height, and shout out the worst thing that could happen. On our way we also stopped when the wind starts to blow and remove our shirts to facing the wind just to feel the pure coldness. 

We had a great time travelling and exploring the town and I suggest for those who haven't,if your looking for something different and exciting a trip to Nuwara Eliya is definitely one you should try.

Nuwara Eliya is truly natures unimaginable beauty.

This photo is dedicated to my friends. 

(left- Leeman,Shunan,Irfan,Mohammed,Hamid,Yousuf,Ali Sham and Ahmed Sham)

Enjoy!

Fallen Leaves.

  

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 55mm, F 5.7, ISO 100, Single Exposure

Sometimes it can be very hard to find the proper set and the subject in our minds. On the other hand its funny how and why we miss the simple and intriguing patterns formed in our nature. This is a pattern of leaves that has been lying in my yard for a very long time. Thought I would share this to let friends know that there are simple and amazing patterns around the nature and you don't always need to travel far to get a good photo, just turn your heads side to side and a bit up and down, they are there waiting for a shot to be taken.

Enjoy!

Kymco - 150cc.

 

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 35mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

Enjoy!

Visiting Galle Fort, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 10, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

Couple of week back I took a trek to the Portuguese/Dutch fort of Galle, a city situated in the southwest of Srilanka, which was built around 18th century. It has welcomed travellers for so many years and is an evident of a great history .It is an example of European architecture and an interaction between the lifestyle,culture and tradition of the two continents.

The population here is about a hundred thousand majority of whom are of Sinhalese ethnicity, although it is also famously known for its increased foreign population.The main occupation is Fishing and Tourism. The food here is amazing with variety of spices and a taste that could not be refused to try for a second time. People here are very friendly and shows great respect to the visitors and resembles the pride of the nation . It has gained its respect and love by giving and showing others its beauty and still attracts a lot of  people around the world. 

Galle is prominent for its sea and on the 2004 Tsunami it was devastated massively and the rebuilding and conservation of its heritage is still going on.

I would like to thank my friend Gaurava and his loving family for the great stay and all the nice food. It was a great pleasure and a happiness to meet such wonderful people. See you again! : )

Enjoy!

Silent Weaver.

HDR

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 40mm, F 4.8, ISO 100, Single Exposure

This is Jeffrey and he is a mute. Despite this Jeffrey is very skilled in weaving fishing nets.He is regarded as the master weaver in his area. He learned to weave the fishing net by himself when he was very young. He is one of the few people who is truly capable of, and continues this art and fine piece of work.Jeffrey is by nature very simple and humble person. The age of machines has truly affected his work and on his own way he says " i don't give a damn".  Silently he keeps on weaving all day long.

Few words on the processing, this is a single image HDR or rather known as "PSEUDO HDR". I wanted to take multiple shots on his pose but it was very difficult to communicate with him. Its tone mapped in Photomatix and enhancement is done using Topaz Detail which is a photoshop plug-in and it is very cool. The best thing  is, its very easy to use and you can see the effects in real time.

Enjoy!

Fullmoon Garden Hotel, Seeduwa, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

I consider myself as a student of photography and and I never want to out grow it. For me the excitement of learning photography at the very beginning gave me such a joy, still in every shot  take or  while post-processing  I try to find a way to learn something.

So today I have learned a new technique in post processing and what you see above is called a "DUAL HDR" which means that the images has been tone mapped twice separately. The first time I merged and tone mapped, considered everything except for the sky. On the second run I considered the sky only leaving the rest. Now this has left me with two images that in one with a good sky and an other with the rest of the image Then I have mixed the two images in one (either one is fine) replacing the sky by masking in Photoshop.

Do what you love and love what you do ~ Chris Walker.

Enjoy!

Unfinished, Lioncity, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55, 30mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

It has been a long time since I have last photographed, Final exams for the year had hit me hard, kept me away from the things I love and mostly away from my camera.I had to kill myself to refrain a re-sit. oh! and I hate re-exams, Sometimes they're much worse kinda nightmare and feels like they're more harder than the first attempt. Anyhow that's over and i am free. not only free,  but passed all of them winning zero re-sits.

Back to business!!

I have noticed this old "unfinished" place for quite sometime. Thought it might be a good subject for a HDR, though it didn't look visually very dynamic.So i went inside took a good look around the place and this was the best composition I could get. what do you think? I could blame the mosquitoes that were biting every inch of me if this is bad. But I like the input after a long time.

enjoy!

Sama Chethiya, Rumassala, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 22mm, F 8, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

This is Sama Chethiya in Rumassala, Srilanka. It was build by the Japanese people as a good will to the people of this area.

Sama Chethiya is located in a hillock and when i stood there i could see the whole southern coastal area and harbor.The most prominent feature about Rumassala is a mythical 'fall'. Actually this place is part of a village called Unawatuna and people here interprets that Unawatuna derives from ‘Onna-wetuna’ (There, it fell). It was quiet strange for me to believe this story, but let me continue with what i have gathered about the myth.

Its derived from the Indian theme Ramayana and Ravana who had a battle in which Ramayana's brother Lakshman was fatally injured and little hope was there to save his life, only if one could fetch certain herbs from the Himalayas.This mission was undertaken by Hanuman (Monkey God) and by the time he found the place, he had forgotten the names of the herbs he was suppose to fetch, so he took the chunk of the mountain  on his shoulders all the way to India and when the medics took the necessary herbs Hanuman threw the chunk and it fell to this area of Srilanka and came to be named Rumassala. Ru-mas-sala, could be translated as ‘Beautiful Rock’. Incidentally, its present name ‘Buona Vista’, seems an echo of the original meaning, since ‘Buona Vista’ implies, ‘Beautiful Sight’.

I had a great time listening to this story and had a good laugh about the reason Hanuman actually did forget the list of herbs. Anyhow i hope you enjoy reading this. As much as i enjoyed listening to the story i have enjoyed processing it too. I have accentuated the saturation and added bit of darkness to the image to bring about the power and the feel behind the story.

enjoy!

Not An Advertisement.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 44mm, F 5.7, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

Practicing  how to shoot for HDR's and around the area where i currently live there's none. so was thinking and saw this old empty pack . and how it stood there caught my eye, thought this was a good one. and after processing i found out that the table texture came out really well and i also got a bit of effective old age style i was trying to achieve. so here it is friends. Comment and let me know what i can improve, and if anybody has any tutorials on HDR's or Basic photography, share with me and thank you in advance.

enjoy!

Dawn of Nuwara-Eliya, Srilanka.

Canon EOS 1000D, EF-S 18-55mm, 18mm, F 22, ISO 100, 

This is a shot from my  trip to the beautiful town of Nuwara Eliya in Srilanka. I got my first DSLR couple of days before the trip was organised and was lucky i got sometime to get familiar with the cam. We were there for two days so i did a bit of study about time when the sun would rise and this shot was taken on the second morning after a little bit of hard attempts. I was happy with the results and the time i waited was finally paid off.

This photo is dedicated to my loving family because they love dawns.

Please feel free to comment on the photos, and follow me on my journey of photography.