A Moment for a Lifetime

Happy 68th Republic Day to India! May there be many more happy and successful years ahead as they continue to grow progress as a superpower in this world.

"Modern-Day History" is a photo of the Red Fort in Delhi, taken in early February 2016 when I was there on a business trip. Usually bustling with tourists, the fort was closed on this particular day, giving it a charm of exclusivity--the kind that I imagined it having back when it was still inhabited by kings. The guards at the gate prevented us from going inside, leaving me alongside hundreds of other tourists straining to get a look over the wall at this beautiful and (for the moment) secluded and untouchable monument. I could not help letting my mind wander to the past, placing myself among the thronging crowds outside the palace gates, eager to catch a glimpse of the royal monarch. Truly a bit of modern day history.

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"Hello! Is It Me You're Looking For?" This photo was shot at the Danube Delta in Romania when we were on a boat tour there in the summer of 2015. We made port at one of the many landfalls there and went to get some supplies for our overnight stay on the river. As we were walking over to some shops in this small village, this goat began to follow us. Actually, follow is too tame a word to use. The goat well nigh accosted us with its extreme curiosity. It kept walking around with us, nudging against us, and even nibbling on our clothes. It seemed to think that we had come all that way just for his entertainment. I shot this photo seconds before he nearly took a bite out of my lens. Lionel Ritchie was playing on the radio when I was sorting through my pictures later and I almost fell over laughing when the song "Hello" came on just as I was looking at this picture. "Hello! Is it me you're looking for?"

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"We Shall Remember" is a photo of the ruins of a N**i Gas Chamber in the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps in Poland. I shot this during an emotional tour of the camps in the Autumn of 2015. It's eerie to imagine that this almost peaceful looking ruin is the site of the murder of over 1.6 million people. A quote on a plaque outside the ruin reads: "Those who pay no attention to remembering history are doomed to repeat it." We shall remember!

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"Sky on Fire" was shot at Cavelossem Beach in Goa, India during a trip there in the spring of 2014. This particular day, there had been a thunderstorm for most of the day, so I had to stay indoors. The rain had subsided, but the clouds were still heavy on the horizon when I decided to go down to the beach for some fresh air in the early evening. If you know me, I hate being in the house all day, ha! I wasn't expecting any great photographs, but I'm lucky that I had my camera on me, as the storm clouds created the perfect canvas on which the sun proceeded to paint a epic masterpiece which I was lucky to capture on camera. May it take your breath away the same way it did mine!

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A "Drop into the Abyss" was shot in the Niligiris Mountain Range in India, near Kodaikkanal in the spring of 2015. The mountain was over 7000 feet high and there was one point here where it dropped off 5000 feet into the valley below. This particular day there was a heavy fog; the clouds were thick and it was hard to see much. An unaware person may have simply walked into the abyss without knowing about it. I too walked dangerously close to the edge without much thought--until a breeze parted the clouds momentarily, and I saw myself staring down 5000 feet into the canyon below. The moment both terrified me and left me exhilarated. By the time I got out my camera, the clouds had closed back in, but part of the cliff's face was still visible.

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One of my favourite shots of recent times, "The Matriarch's Herd" was shot in the winter of 2015 at Bandipur Tiger Reserve. We were driving through the forest at around 11 am, when we caught sight of a herd of wild elephants right near the overhang of the road. It was a rare sight indeed. We were hesitant to approach, as wild elephants can be extremely unpredictable--especially so when they have young calves in the herd. But our desire for the perfect shot soon outweighed the fear of what may happen and we slowly inched our car towards the elephants until we were 10 feet from them. The other elephants obliviously went about their eating. Only the sagely matriarch watched our passing intently, never taking its eyes off us. It's an experience that I won't forget for many years. I was so happy I got it on film.

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"Port Days in Portland" was shot at the harbour in Portland, Maine during my trip to the USA in 2015. A couple of the guys and I had gone to a restaurant on the pier to celebrate one of our colleague's birthdays. It seemed a pretty dicey idea at the time, as it had been raining through the morning. However, in Maine they have a saying, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." Sure enough, by the time we arrived the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared and we enjoyed our lunch to this peaceful view of boats at anchor.

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"Essex Memories" was shot in Essex, England in the autumn of 2014. I had the wonderful privilege of staying on a country estate in a beautiful grand manor. The grand old manor was located up on a hill and the view from the first floor patio was breathtaking! I spend many an hour on that patio during my trip there and you could often see me there reclining on a lounge chair, lost in a book. Whenever I happened to look up, I was always taken aback by the stunning beauty that greeted my eyes. This particular evening I had my camera with me, and I am so glad that I did!

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"The Citadel" was shot at the Citadel in Budapest in the summer of 2015. Situated on the banks of the Danube River, the Citadel is a magnificent structure carved into the side of a mountain. But that's not all. Inside the mountain, through a network of caves, is a beautiful cathedral. Also seen in the picture is the Cross that marks the cathedral underneath and the "Lady of Liberty" statute that crowns the Liberty Square at the top of the hill.

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"A Mother's Patience" was shot at the San Diego Zoo in the summer of 2013. Walking by this cage, I observed the baby monkey swinging happily on the mother's tail while she sat patiently on the tree branch. This continued for about 15 minutes. Yet not once did the mother get upset or lose patience. Instead, she turned it into a game and began swinging her tail back and forth for the baby to catch. I had to capture the moment on film, and here it it.

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"I'll Be Back!" This photo was shot in early 2014 at Palolem Beach in Goa, India. For those who haven't been there, please put it on your bucket list. The beach is flanked on both sides by hills that extend far out into the sea, making the beach virtually a flat and paradisical lagoon. The sunset behind the hills is one of the most beautiful things you'll ever see. It's almost like the sun whispers to you after its glorious display, "I'll be back tomorrow!"

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