MOVE IT 2016

MOVE IT was the glorious celebration of dance and performing arts in London. About 22,000 dancers and dance enthusiasts participated in this event spread across three days, on the 18th, 19th and 20th of March 2016. Dancers had the opportunity to showcase their performances on the main stage, take part in various dance classes and discover new dance career options, one can even shop all their dance wear and needs at the event itself. It seemed like a little world of dancers and anything and everything to do with dance.

When I first walked into the venue, ExCel London, I stood there just absorbing everything around me. Thousands of dancers under one roof and their passion and energy was beyond anything. Being a professional dancer, I could understand and relate to the heights of passion prevailing in that room and the orderly chaos. It was quite evident from the energy, that for every performer present there, in that very moment, dance was everything, dance was what was driving them, dance was their way of existence and dancing was life.

Every single person there had a story to share varying from sad and painful to fun and silly, a story that the rest of us could learn from.

The arena was filled with people of all ages, not just watching but performing as well. The commitment each of them had for dance was inspiring.

Fighting my way through the enthusiastic crowd I managed to reach the media area. I jumped here and there between photographers, trying to find a place with the right angle until I found a nice spot to capture the action on stage. Performances after performances were so amazing, that sometimes I stood there frozen in awe, just staring at the dance forgetting to take photographs. The impeccable performances made me want to capture the action both through the lens and live with my eyes. The energy and enthusiasm was absolutely exhilarating and maddening. I didn't want to leave the place, I was contemplating whether to miss my flight to Edinburgh late that evening or stay back.

I made up my mind to leave, but not before capturing as many photographs as I could before I left. Though I left very hesitantly, the thought of the landscapes in Edinburgh and Lake District brought back my lost energy. In a few hours, I was en route to the capital of Scotland.

Next blog  post coming soon...

The Highlands of Scotland!

My first trip in the United Kingdom in 2016 was to this tiny little town called Inverness on the Highlands of Scotland. This place really takes you by surprise by what it can offer you. I was lucky enough to experience the best of the place and its people. All the five days in Inverness was so different and unique from one another. I got to experience the sun, the rain, the sleet and the snow on the last day of my trip which was literally the icing on the cake. Travelling helps you realize and understand everything different from you and that contributes to your growth as a person. It surely did to me. I'm taking back so much from this place and its people. When I travel and meet people from different walks of life I not only experience a completely new culture but also learn new things about myself that I never knew existed in me. Inverness will always have a special place in my heart, for the love and affection of the people and the mind-boggling landscapes.

RIVER NESS

I happened to stay in a house by the river bank, its backyard light is seen reflected on the river in this photograph. After a long tiring journey from London, I thought I would retire to bed, but the serene sight of this river took all the tiredness away.

FORT WILLIAM

This place is known to be one of the wildest landscapes in Scotland. I took the first bus out from Inverness at 5:20 am for a two-hour travel to Fort William. The clouds looked gloomy which made me wonder if I would get any photographs at all.

I walked by the river that led me to the Glen Nevis visitors centre. A lady at the desk directed me to a spot with spectacular view at the top of Cow hill. The Cow hill trek was quite an experience, fighting the cold wind and the steep path.

CULLODEN BATTLEFIELD

The Culloden battle was the last hand-to-hand battle, between the Jacobites and the government in 1746. The battlefield now is a place of pilgrimage for people from Scotland and throughout the world. The history and the extensive area of empty land leaves you with a chill.

Far away is the Memorial Cairn

GLEN LIATH, INVERFARIGAIG

I was lucky to meet the Hope family, who were kind enough to take me around Inverness and show me the beautiful landscapes. The first time I experienced snowfall was here. The sleet didn't stop me from managing to photograph the vast landscapes covered with snow. Even with 8 layers of clothing on me, I couldn't feel neither my toes nor my fingers. Both I and my camera were cold, looking for some warmth.

There was a beautiful cafe right in the middle of the mountains called the Camerons. Just as a hot bowl of Scottish lentil soup was placed on the table, the sun peeped out a little. Of course, I was confused, if I should run out to catch the sun or to have the hot bowl of delicious soup. You can guess what I would have done. :P

After a lovely lunch at the cafe, we were off to the Foyers fall.

LOCHNESS

Very many years ago the earths crust fractured and moved which resulted in the formation of the Great Glen of which Lochness is a part. It is also the origin of the famous lochness monster. The day I was leaving for London I spent the evening watching the sun go down right in between the Great Glen. It was the perfect end to the perfect trip.

As a photographer, the photographs from my trip to Inverness were more than just capturing with the right exposure. Weathering out the extreme conditions to get my camera to see what I see was definitely a challenge.

The Highlands of Scotland is undoubtedly a must visit place. When you are there, you feel like you are at the end of the world and the people there make you feel alive.

More pictures to come.

Stay tuned and happy clicking. :)

London Fashion Weekend, Feb 2016

Last Friday, I had the opportunity to photograph two shows at the London Fashion Weekend. The event was held at the beautiful Saatchi Gallery. We had a small briefing by Canon company, telling us what we must and must not do at the fashion event. One might think that it's pretty simple to shoot a ramp walk, but it's not. The change in lighting setups and fast movement by the models make it quite a challenge. Well at the same time, what differentiates you from the photographer sitting beside you in the same photographers pit is something to think about. Catching the right moment and angle of the legs of the model and dress is important. Photographers are expected to post-process and mail the photographs during the short period between shows. These are my pictures at my first ever fashion event. I had to place myself on the spot with the right view in the photographer's pit with 50 others and stay there for the whole show. This was such a new experience for me, opening up creativity through restricted time and movement.

I'd like to thank Canon and London College of Communication, the University of the Arts London for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

Have a great weekend. Keep clicking!

My morning walk through Durham.

It's a very funny story and my friends always say these kinds of things happens only to me. So I decided to give myself a treat, a weekend getaway to Newcastle, alone. This was the first time I ever did something like that. I've always travelled with family, friends or Arumugam anna, my driver. I took the night bus from Victoria coach station at 11 pm. I was supposed to reach Newcastle the following morning at 5:45. As everybody would guess I was half asleep on the bus and got off one stop earlier, Durham. Unfortunate for me, it was one of the coldest weekends in the UK. Not even a couple of layers could beat the cold. I must admit, I wanted to go back to my cozy bed in London but the first bus out wasn't for at least another two hours. I stayed at the bus coach station till 6:30 in the morning and then decided to explore the town having already got down there. I walked through the streets of this beautiful little town just as the sun said 'Good Morning'.

The morning sunlight and the empty streets made me succumbed to its beauty. I almost forgot that I hadn't reached my destination yet. As I gazed through the streets, the cold didn't hurt anymore and thought to myself these are moments I would like to seize.

Durham was an unexpected halt, my next blog post will feature my actual planned journey to Newcastle.

Stay tuned.

Happy clicking! :)