Bird in flight

Bird in flight, originally uploaded by sunilmalhotra.

I’ve always had a fascination for ‘framing’ birds and animals in motion. It’s tricky and if you get it right, far more dramatic than the real thing. Composition you can correct, lighting too to an extent … colours, Viva la Photoshopping! Timing however is a different matter and so is focus.

I got lucky on this occasion! Love the challenge of shooting birds in flight. Had to trash several photos of birds with clipped wings … literally. )

Nature’s art is perfection.

Goa has makings of paradise. Nature’s own country.

What do Birth control and Literacy have to do with Climate Change

Image via Wikipedia

Now that you’ve fallen prey to my catchy title, don’t be fooled - the connections are not so remote as they appear at first glance. For those who have guessed, don’t spoil the fun.

Going by all known accounts, research information and the seemingly urgent political summits on the horizon – no points for guessing – climate change is being caused and accelerated only by one single species, humankind. So if stricter birth laws could be enforced, less human beings would be allowed to come into our planet and therefore would do less damage. (This would not hold if you included investment bankers and Nobel economists as being a part of humankind).

Here’s a sample from my proposed enactment -
“The Birth Control and Literacy for Climate Change Act, 2009″.

Article 12: Whereas the minority religions of the world seek to remove all obstacles (including, but not limited to, the outdated institution of marriage) for bringing into this world;
(a) by conscious,  unconscious or accidental act of momental ecstasy, and

(b) performed between two or more persons of same (Section 377 of IPC) or opposite sexes; and  

(c) through physical or artifical means,

such an occurence may be permitted a maximum of 2 times in the lifetime of each of the persons involved, jointly or severally without exception.

And as for my literacy angle, it’s simple enuff … really!

Paulo Coelho’s Counterpoint to my take on Climate change

Over the weekend, my wife was reading my last blog post [Climate Change Bollywood Ishtyle] and, at the same time, Paulo Coelho‘s – The Winner Stands Alone. I suspect she may have been hoping against hope that his literary talent will rub off on me through her! And guess what, she suddenly found herself reading about his take on climate change. Synchronicity? Disbelievingly I listened as she read out the following lines that, Coelho – through one of the central characters [Hamid] – professes. His take is quite the antithesis [counterpoint] of my view. It cannot be too good for my ego to even consider such a course but there’s something in there that’s worth a closer look. I have reproduced the lines here …

I know this sounds crazy guys, but I can’t help agreeing with him. Sorry Mr. Ego, you’ll have to eat humble pie this time!!

Nature’s best

Nature’s best,

Confluence of the mighty Indus river and the Zanskar in Ladakh, India. 24 Km west of Leh town, it is a spectacular drive to Nimu where the two rivers meet.

 

Nothing comes close to the experience of holidaying in the Himalayas. Not even work.

It takes all your senses and more to take in the beauty, grandeur, scale, topology, UV, sunlight, cold, n, n, n, … if at all. I’m still reeling from the sheer confusion of it all.