Happy New Year!

Murals on Wall

Shot in Tende, France with Canon EOS 400D with Canon EF-S 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS USM.

Photo of the Day

Cote D'Azur, Nice

Canon EOS 400D with Canon EF-S 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS USM Lens. Exposure of 1/400s at F/11, ISO 400.

Photo of the Day

Small World

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F/4-5.6 IS USM, 85mm

1/2500s @ F/5.6, ISO 400

Ants on a flower shot while I was trekking up to Via Ferrata at Tende, France. I did not realize that the trekking path led up to Via Ferrata, just saw a path from Tende town and started walking without having any idea where it went.

Via Ferrata is a mountain climbing route that is equipped with fixed cables & ladders. They seem to be quite popular in Europe, though I first came to know about them when I stumbled across one while exploring Tende. I could not attempt it because I did not have safety harness etc and the signs were very clear reagarding usage of safety equipment, nor were there anyone around to assist me.

Photo of the Day

Flight about to land at Nice Airport
22 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/320s @ F10, ISO 400

People on the Plage watching a flight about to land at the Nice Cote d'Azur airport and a yacht in the sea.

Photo of the Day

Para sailing off Nice coast
21 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/640s @ F14, ISO 400

Several adventure groups offer various water sport options along the Promenade des Angles in Nice.

Photo of the Day

Sidewalk cafe in Cours Saleya
21 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 75 mm
1/100s @ F8, ISO 400

The Cours Saleya is a pedestrian street in Nice lined with quaint shops and terraced cafes and restaurants. Tuesday to Sunday there is a fruit, vegetable and flower market, on Monday there is an antiques fair and on summer evenings you have arts and crafts fair.

Photo of the Day

Evening light on trees
21 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 27 mm
1/125s @ F5.6, ISO 100

Past 8 PM and light is still sufficient to shoot at ISO 100! Was on my way to catch a performance at the Fete de la Musique in Cagnes sur Mer when I saw the evening sun throw a golden light on the trees.

Photo of the Day

Potted plant against wallpaper
20 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 48mm
1/4s @ F4.5, ISO 400

Potted plant with wallpaper in the background under indoor light at the Hotel Splendid, Cagnes sur Mer. The plant was at the top of a staircase, was well lit from light from lower right also.

Photo of the Day

Flower and buds
20 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/400s @ F5.6, ISO 400

Flower in Tende shot near the Musee Des Merveilles. The Musee Des Merveilles hosts several artifacts from the Vallee Des Merveilles amongst others. The Vallee Des Merveilles (Valley of Marvels) is situated at the heart of National Mercantour Park and has over 40,000 symbolic rock engravings.

Photo of the Day

Diving into the Mediterranean
21 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/200s @ F8, ISO 100

Found these kids diving off a rocky ledge into the Mediterranean sea near the Nice port. This is one of the many interesting photos that I got of them, will post the remaining ones later. Maybe I should have used a higher ISO to result in a faster shutter and stop motion, however, I do like the slight motion blur especially around the fingers.

Photo of the Day

Artist performing at Fete de la Musique
21 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/60 s @ F5.6, ISO 1600

Every year, on the 21st of June, France celebrates the Fete de la Musique. On this day, which also happens to be the summer solstice and the longest day in the northern hemisphere, any artist is allowed to play on the street for free. It is also free for the audience. First organized in France in the year 1982, now it is a worldwide phenomenon and celebrated in over hundred cities around the world.

I caught this band performing French and English songs next to the beach at Cagnes-sur-Mer. There were lots of other bands and DJs performing in Nice and its surroundings.

Photo of the Day

Ruins of the Castle of the Lascaris
20 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 29 mm
1/400s @ F/14.0, ISO 400

Part of the wall of the former main turret of the Castle of the Lascaris in Tende, France. The castle was built in the 14th century as protection against the attacks from the Count of Provence, Charles d'Anjou. All that remains of the castle now is a circular tower converted into a clock tower in the 19th century and this ruined wall. The Castle of Tende was destroyed in 1692 by the troops of Louis XIV who sent Marshall Catinat to destroy all the fortified sites that might cast a shadow on his authority.

Photo of the Day

Villefranche-sur-Mer
15 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-4.5, 27 mm
1/400s @ F/14, ISO 400

Villefranche-sur-Mer is a French commune overlooking the Mediterranean Sea around 20 minutes by train from Nice accessible on the Nice-Monaco-Menton-Ventimiglia train line. The beach is at very short distance from the station whose tracks can be seen in the lower right corner of the picture. It is also easily accessible by car or bus from Nice.

Photo of the Day

Blue Bulbs
14 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85 mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/400s @ F/6.3, ISO 400

Cropping the image to give a more pleasing composition can dramatically alter the feel of a photograph. This is one area where a sensor with high resolution helps, even after cropping you are left with enough pixels to make a quality image.

Photo of the Day

Motorcycle stunt man
14 Jun 2008

Canon EOS 400D, Canon EF-S 17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 136 mm
1/2000s @ F/5.6, ISO 400

Found this young man practicing stunts on his motorbike near Saint Laurent du Var in Nice on the French Riviera. He would accelerate and then brake sharply to do both front and back wheeling. The little kid was riding by on her bike and stopped to watch the show.

Would have preferred a longer lens to work with, and regret not attempting a panning shot to induce motion blur in the background. Was standing on a rock and shooting over a chain fence to get this shot, there were lots of obstructions including a basketball fixture in the way.

France & Italy

Nice diary

• Lufthansa flight from Bangalore to Frankfurt over-booked. Free upgrade to business class for me!


• They had given me the normal economy class boarding pass at check-in, and switched the ticket during boarding and told me there is a seat change. I told the guy I had asked for an aisle seat and now they were giving me a window seat. He replied that it was a business class upgrade; do I want to decline it? I grabbed the ticket and fled before he could say anything else. The unrestricted view from the business class window seat was amazing. And free champagne – unfortunately I don’t drink.


• French are obsessive about their bread, water and wine


• Extremely lucky to have a great bunch of colleagues in Nice, they ensured that I visited a new place every evening, ate at a different restaurant every night and guided me so that I could visit maximum places in and around Nice


• Two Lamborghinis and a red Ferrari parked outside the Carlton in Cannes. All with Saudi number plates. Apparently, the oil rich sheiks like to bring their cars along on vacation


• Out clubbing almost ever night and back to the hotel not before 3 AM. Up again at 7 AM for work (in theory, at least)


• Visited two Salsa clubs in Nice – WOW! Danced Salsa with a French mademoiselle, she said “Merci” or “Mercy” at the end of the dance, not sure which was it


• Salsa dancers in Nice club (Barrio’s) were amazing. Especially the ladies. They would do multiple turns in a couple of basics effortlessly


• French dance Salsa with closed hold. I learnt it with open hold. System incompatibility!


• Dinner in France is longer than an Indian marriage – start at 8 PM, finish at 11 PM. Every day!


• The French Riviera coast is simply too beautiful. The train ride from Saint Laurent du Var to Vintimillie is absolutely breathtaking


• Paris metro is too good. I took a 3 day pass and would have taken around 50 metro rides in 3 days


• Paris is too crowded during summer – average waiting time at Eiffel was half an hour for a ticket. So I walked up till second stage since the queue for that was smaller


• Stupid people standing in front of priceless paintings at Muses Louvre & Musee d’Orsay and having their pictures taken while showing a “V” sign!


• Bought books for close to 100 Euros – one from every museum in Paris


• Liked Musee d’Orsay better than Musee Louvre


• Went to Italy to have ice-cream (apparently, they make the best ice-cream). There they call it gelato. It’s glace in French


• Pizza in France is amazing. Couldn’t have it from Italy because of lack of time. Only thin crust pizza available. Apparently thick crust & stuffed crust are Pizza Hut innovations


• Saw many people play “Petanque” – a French ball game played with steel balls which is kind of similar to the game of marbles played in India.


• Rs 150 for half a liter of water!


• Ate scorpion fish. Remember reading somewhere that they are poisonous… But survived nevertheless


• If you are vegetarian and you see “Fruits de la Mer” on a French menu under Pizza – it means “Fruits of the sea”. A Pizza with clams & oysters & shrimp as topping


• Very few American or Japanese cars on road. Most cars are French or German

France

Monte Carlo


F1 & other souvenir in Monte Carlo


Lamp post in Monte Carlo


Monte Carlo harbor


Statue on a street in Vintimillie, Italy


Saint Paul de Vence, Cote d'Azur


Graveyard on Saint Paul de Vence, Cote d'Azur


Cote d'Azur


Flight about to land on Nice airport


Picturesque window sill in Montmartre


Basilica of Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart)



Basilica of Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart)


View from Eiffel


View of Paris from Eiffel


View of Paris from Eiffel


View of Paris from Eiffel


Musee d'Orsay - A former train station now converted into a museum. Amazing collection of Impressionist art.


Clock in Musee d'Orsay


Garden of Chateau de Versailles


Statue in Chateau de Versailles


Flower from garden of Chateau de Versailles


Flower from garden of Chateau de Versailles


Promenade, Nice


Hotel situated on the Promenade


A "discovered" structure


Cote d'Azur beach


Cote d'Azur beach



Boats on the Cote d'Azur