Photography

During IIT days I along with Rajiv Agarwal (of Gittak fame) were very actively pursuing photography. Later, with life following a beaten track of career this hobby became one of the many casualties.

My son, Samarth, has shown an eye for moments and situations which appear very ordinary on first sight but show a depth to a discerning eye. (By the way, all these pictures have been taken with a mobile cam).

Here are a few examples.

15 March 2009

I received an email from my son Samarth Bhatia. I am annexing this mail verbatim here:

PHoTOGRAPHY..In My Words
-Samarth Bhatia
This article is a collection of my thoughts. Zoom Out, Zoom In.
I am more comfortable with photography rather than writing. But this idea just, well, 'clicked'.
All of humanity is struggling to just zoom out of the problems that the world faces today. Specifics just make it harder.
Many of us have used digital cameras. The following is a passage of how things are, and how we look at them.
My best friend's father had recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He went to the hospital with a regularailment. I got the news of the illness one day. Four days later I got the news that it was terminal. 6 months was themaximum that the disease would allow the person to live.One week later, I go the news that a person I have known my whole life as my father's closest friend, the fatherof my sister's best friend, the best neighbor we had since i was about a year old, died. Of a heart atack. He wasn't even a heart patient.
Zoom out a little. I came to know of the last terrorist attacks in busy market places in Delhi. I called up all the people I cared about. They were all fine. I was relieved. The news continued, and it was shown that people died. Zoom out a bit more and its evident that the world is affected by terror today. I, and I suspect many of the readers, were relieved that their loved ones were alright, be it any city, any country. See how things seem to get more comfortable,not necessarily better, as we zoom out and see things in a bigger light?
Now how about zooming in a little. Let's say a parade. Brings out the best in every participant. Its a click on my camera.Going in further, the smile on a person's face, the posture of a dog relaxing on a pile of sand in a busy street. My personal favorite, the details on a well designed automobile. The dew drops on a flower.
I guess its for each one of us to zoom in to the things that matter most. And then, and only then, will the picture be good, and not just comfortable to look at, when we zoom out.

censorship - by Bhasker Desai

Against the announcement of this blog site I received a response from Bhasker which I quote here:

Great idea to interface on a blogshere!
Just one point: when u say this is a family space, what censorship are u hinting at apart from, ofcourse, no porn stuff?! It's sometimes difficult to pinpoint where ones plain sensibilities may become other's point of hurt, this I have experienced with my own close buddies like Chandi and Ranjan where my own non conventional use of words to tell the truth is lost in the mire inappropriateness of the lingo as perceived by the receivers!! After all to each one his own value system of right and wrong, my saying things upfront could be perhaps misconstrued as making terrible passes at the proper society!!
Your two bits on this please before I start jotting my mindless thoughts
Cheers..

My response to this is - NO THERE IS NO CENSORSHIP here only SENSORSHIP.

The other day I was with Hemkant Joshi (Our respective wives were on tour and we were celebrating the freedom) and the latest issue (at that time)- the assault on girls in a pub in Mangalore came up and the discussion drifted to whether there should be any LIMITS at all. If it is a free world and men and women are free to choose what to wear or not wear, can this freedom be extended to roaming around nude? If not, then what should be the limit (for example, should the skirt or shorts - worn by women or men, be at least 6 inches long)?

Of course, there was no answer. Except, after 3 pegs each, when Joshi came down to see me off, he commented "If it is a complete stranger, shorter the skirt better it is"

So, here we are, with our morality and SENSORSHIP. Any comments?

A blog site for IITD 1976 batch

Before the last reunion dinner (Dec'08, at Friends Club, New Delhi) I had mooted the idea of a web site (rather a portel) of 1976 batch - an exclusive space for networking, sharing ideas, locating lost friends, and generally providing a platform - not just for the batchmates but also their families. The idea was discussed with Narendra Jalan, Hemkant Joshi and Bawa, and all of them were enthusiastic about it.

This blog site has been created as a first step towards the same objectives.
I shall soon be posting PHOTOGRAPHS of the December 2008 dinner at Friends Club on this blog site.

Meanwhile all the guys are welcome to post/send photographs covering their own life at IIT, and periods before and after that. Yes, it is going to be free for all. (A note of caution - this is a family space).