ramya's photo journal

Category: Still life

  • A Dream called Real

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    Mulling on some blurring lines from my here-and-now.

    {The photographs above were captured on a Holgaroid on FujiFp 100 C instant film}

  • Of Ocean, Land and Sky

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    “Is not the pastness of the past the more profound, the more legendary, the more immediately it falls before the present ?”

    ~ Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain

    So much to say, yet nothing flows. Funny, the last couple of weeks of photographing by the/in the ocean seem so long gone. It was on assignment and just in a matter of days I had gone from being completely terrestrial to a mermaid (well, sort of :) deep in the turquoise waters of the Indian ocean. Even touched some clouds, in the process, I might add. In all honesty, some milestones happened and fears overcome. I realized I liked not belonging anywhere but to be everywhere.

    When I'm ready, I'll share more from the earth-water-sky days ! :) Be back shortly with another edition of the super long-pending San Francisco and Seattle foodie moments.

  • Blues and Random Thoughts.

    “Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again”

    – L Frank Baum

    …and wonder at how fresh those citrus hues look against the blues

    …or catch the tingling aroma of street food and watch how it colours the air with it’s steam

    and then stop to greet this patiently waiting basket…

    and the dispersed petals about to join the winds of change.

    It’s ironic that I have so much to say here, but feel completely blank once I start a new post. It’s not a rut for sure, but a blankness that comes with being overwhelmed by life’s potpourri in general – but in a good way. That heavy, heady blend of  joy, confidence, sadness, love, creative flow, and fear.

    So. on another note, I was surprised to see how many images of blue had found their way into my computer. Mostly from strolls in the mountain markets while scouring for fresh produce – sights and smells thereof. Like the fiery reds of the Indian summer, I like to think that these blues correspond with the Indian winter, which, I am savouring completely at the moment.

  • Fallen Angels

    Was mediating on these and the beauty of falling, decaying, and being born again.

  • iphone Journal : A Cup of Tea.

    Thought I should have a little column on the blog to share some iphone captures.

  • All You Need Is Sunshine

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    That was a quick note to myself the other day when I brought home these gorgeous California Clementines from the Farmer’s market. Thought it was worth sharing here.The words and the Clementines, both :) Hope everyone’s having a beautiful, sunshine filled Summer/Spring.

  • The Road Not Taken

    A friend gifted me something really, really special the other day. It was this little metal box that seemed to have travelled distances and well. I loved it even before I could see what was inside. Felt like it held many stories, adventures and lifetimes. I opened to find a beautiful antique compass. The etching on the inside of the lid is a poem that is well known to us all and a true guiding light. I suspect there are few and far between who might have not dwelled on it. And what a truly thoughtful home to place it in. This exquisite compass to lead the path ahead.
    Thought it would be nice to revisit the gem with you all and make an emulsion transfer of the image with the Fuji peel apart film I am currently addicted to. Read on !

    The Road Not Taken

    Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
    And sorry I could not travel both
    And be one traveler, long I stood
    And looked down one as far as I could
    To where it bent in the undergrowth;

    Then took the other, as just as fair,
    And having perhaps the better claim
    Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
    Though as for that the passing there
    Had worn them really about the same,

    And both that morning equally lay
    In leaves no step had trodden black.
    Oh, I marked the first for another day!
    Yet knowing how way leads on to way
    I doubted if I should ever come back.

    I shall be telling this with a sigh
    Somewhere ages and ages hence:
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference.

    Robert Frost

    As you see, my blog has a new look – I have designed and put it all together with lots of love. It also has a name ! daydreams and footsteps. I felt it nicely summed up the things I like to share and talk about. My website will be moving as well. It has a new face, cleaner divisions, tighter edits and better interface making it more manageable for me as well. All these changes and facelifts will come together soon. And an online store is also in the making as is a bi-monthly content rich newsletter with lots of content around creativity, fine art photography resources, techniques, artist interviews and much more, all carefully put together/written by me. Hope the blog is pleasing on your eyes for now :) I'm still fixing odds and ends as we speak. Do chime in if you have any thoughts/ideas/feedback.

  • A Walk in the Garden

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    Many nature walks have happened in the recent past and thought I'd do a quick post to share a few moments from there. I was walking in my mother's lovingly tended garden last Sunday and felt so comforted. I am going to make my own oasis of a wild, secret garden to escape into with my dogs and lots of books, where time cannot get the better of me.

     

  • These Days of Mine

     
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    making the most of my days . . .
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    . . . even as time eludes me
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    leaving me behind . . .
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    . . . more often than not
     
    Some experiments with my Diana and a Fuji Instax back. Baby steps as you can see. It's absolutely refreshing to be getting back to photography where less is more, process is pleasure and the results are mostly surprises life throws back at you. There are some more experiments to be shared though. Soon enough.

     

  • Life in the Stillness

    "My quest, through the magic of light and shadow, is to isolate, to simplify and to give emphasis to form with the greatest clarity. To indicate the ideal
     proportion, to reveal sculptural mass and the dominating spirit is my goal." 
     
     
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    Working with still life is really a kind of meditation. Playing in the landscape of  light, shadow and the simple forms does something to calm the nerves. Perhaps it is the silent life in the stillness of these things.

     

  • Risen

    “For anyone, man or woman, who has faith in me, I, the Lotus Born, have never departed — I sleep on their threshold.” 

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    the padma clutch, a rachana reddy creation
    The lotus rises through the murky waters of ponds and lakes yet,when it blooms, it floats upon the surface, its petals shining and untainted by the mud from which it emerged. In the scriptural language and sacred poetry of Hinduism and Buddhism, the lotus perfectly embodies the soul, rising up through the murkiness of worldly experience until it reaches the surface of the spiritual realm and blooms, vibrant and pure, free from all taint and attachment.
    — o —

    My sister Rachana, a budding couture fashion accessories designer,  adopted the gracious lotus flower as one of her primary inspirations for her debut collection which was recently unveiled. Crafted painstakingly with wood and silk, her designs reveal a quiet Indian elegance beneath the striking colors and clean designs. I had the pleasure to watch her through this journey and also photograph her exquisite creations. On the day of the shoot, were lucky to have some gorgeous light post a north east monsoon shower. To learn more about Rachana and her work, please do stop by at www.rachanareddy.com