Heritage School Session End Celebrations

Session end was a two-day affair for some of us. On the 25^th Pushkar organised snacks for all those who had taught grades 11^th and 12^th. We had Khandvi, Piaz ki Kachori, and Rasgullas. Besides the delectable snacks, we had a reflection session too.

Session end celebrations concluded with a grand finale at the Crown Plaza on the 26^th of April,  with delectable gourmets and an amazing ambience that enthralled everyone. For me, it was an occasion for working on my pancake lens (40mm STM f-2.8). Everyone had prepared for this event as was evident from their change of couture, and a freshened-up visage – all so good for portraits!

Of course, once we started digging in, there was less to say and more to eat, the oohs and ahs came with each bite of a morsel that brought out the taste-buds singing! The smoked Salmon literally melted in the mouth and the fish in cream was simply out of the world. There were literally scores of us browsing through the cornucopia spread before us. The deserts, the canapes, the salads, the hummus, the tarts, the salami, the bacon, the olives, both black and green, the halwa (that I really didn’t have the space to consume), I could go on and on, but then, OK, back to the point!

This time there were about seventy-five of us and so there was more space for us, to explore the dishes. The visit to Crown Plaza was preceded with games and quizzes in the Physics Lab. The guess games were tough as we found it difficult to guess the right answer. The team tasks were typically tough and interesting too. I opted out of the task of threading the needle (what with my weak eyes) and instead opted to flip the paper-cup (which did not work out fine though Anubhav gave me permission to return to my team and pass the baton!).

The best thing of all? It was Garima’s birthday of course! So, we joked and asked her what she had planned for the day, and she jokingly told us that she invited us for lunch at the Crown Plaza in Gurgaon. When we asked her about the menu, she replied that it would be a surprise!

Fun with Macro Photography

A steady hand and an eye for the tiny is what makes Macro-photography fun. Unfortunately, very few of us have the right lenses or even the right settings to make Macro-photography fun. In many cases, getting as close as possible to the object and the correct f-stop setting along with the shutter speed will make all the difference.

This grasshopper decided to take a respite on the metal gate in front of my house and decided to take a shot. For the macro shots, I made use of the Canon kit lens IS II 18-55 mm lens so that I could get as close as possible to the grasshopper.

While telephoto zoom lenses might also be used to take Macro photographs, I have observed that wide-angle lenses or any lens that has a close focusing distance would be better for taking extreme close up snaps. That did not mean however that I stuck the lens right into the face of the bee in the next snap. I used the 18-55 mm lens in order to stay a safe distance from the bee below.

It goes without saying that the closer the lens is to the subject or object, the more the better. While using a tripod might add up to the quality, I somehow feel handicapped using a tripod as it limits movement. It would be great, though if you could use some kind of support to prevent excess camera shake.

While Macro Photography is interesting since it brings to the fore hidden features, there are times however when the dangers of getting too close to Arachnids might be a sobering thought. In some cases, spiders can leap at you and so, it might be prudent to keep your distance.

The Day I Learned about Vincent Van Gogh

The Art Fest in school that started on the 22nd of this month was a much-awaited event. The theme this year was impressionism. There was much to learn about Vincent Van Gogh and impressionism in fine arts. First and foremost, I was told that Vincent loved his bed so much that he incorporated it into his paintings. No doubt, his was a utilitarian accommodation! Vincent had to go through a lot of hardship and often times he had very little money with him.

There was a lot to learn about impressionism from the exhibits, the first picture on top creates the impression of limpid pools of water reflecting the space beyond, and it somehow creates the impression of depth and space. The illusion of depth and space seems to create a sense of the real world seen on canvass. One interesting observation by one of the Journalism students was that the quality of the exhibits had improved tremendously and that more senior level students had participated in the exhibition.

These shoes, yes you read it right! These shoes seem to be too ersatz to be true, but then you have them out there in the open, titled compassion. Compassion had no boots so his friend Empathy leant him a mismatched pair so that he could walk on the path of impressionism.

I wondered if this was a humidor, but then I guess it was the eyes that drew me close. The earthen tray in the background made for a great contrast.

If light could play a trick on the eyes, couldn't the eyes do the same to block out light? I guess these two jokers had a couple of tricks hidden inside their hats no doubt! It seemed as if the three ballerinas had something to laugh about!

As if that was enough, I spotted a few fairy tale figures creating a scene of domestic warmth, the ideal home with the fireplace lit.

Although I don't have much desire for crowd scenes, what perturbs one so much is the lack of connect between two people who have shut themselves off into there own cocoons. The exhibit in the photograph below brings out the sadness of not understanding ourselves!

If ever art were to present the human predicament in all its nuances, then, I guess it would not be wrong to suggest that it would contain, within itself the bitter and the sweet, harsh and mild, tender and brutal!

Today decided to take my journalism students to the art exhibit so that they could draft a report on the same. What I observed was something rather authentic. Their amusement and rapt attention was simply amazing!

The whole team learned that Vincent Van Gogh was ignored in is his life and that it was only after his death that he was recognised to be a prodigy no less. It was great to know that some of the Journalism students had themselves contributed to the exhibits and it was from them that we were able to glean some more information about impressionism.