My photo 'Vagator Beach of Goa' was placed 100th out of 250 entries in the international challenge "I do like to be beside the seaside" hosted by dpreview.com
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Hi Everyone,
we are working on a public voting procedure for judging the images apart from the Judges vote. This system should be in place in a couple of months. The following are the images received under the category, "Nature at its best".
It is wonderful to see such beautiful images.
Please be patient as we will shortly declare the results.
Keep your shutters clicking untill then for our future themes.
Thank You.
Important Note:
1) we will disqualify all images which DO NOT adhere to the size limit i.e. 1 MB
2) Images without Caption will be automatically disqualified
3) Images which are not labelled as per rules eg: 01-Caption-Name of sender, will also be disqualified.
4) For your assistance, we will shortly post an article on "How to resize your images using Photoshop" Here are the images in no particular order:
we are working on a public voting procedure for judging the images apart from the Judges vote. This system should be in place in a couple of months. The following are the images received under the category, "Nature at its best".
It is wonderful to see such beautiful images.
Please be patient as we will shortly declare the results.
Keep your shutters clicking untill then for our future themes.
Thank You.
Important Note:
1) we will disqualify all images which DO NOT adhere to the size limit i.e. 1 MB
2) Images without Caption will be automatically disqualified
3) Images which are not labelled as per rules eg: 01-Caption-Name of sender, will also be disqualified.
4) For your assistance, we will shortly post an article on "How to resize your images using Photoshop" Here are the images in no particular order:
Friday, April 10, 2009
Photo Theme for April-May-June Period
Hi Everyone,
The theme for the period 11 April to 11 May 2009 is
" Street Photography"
Show us your photography skills in photographing people or situations without their knowledge.
The theme for the period 12 May to 11 June 2009 is
" Portraits"
Let your imagination run wild and send us your intepretations of a portrait. Your photographs should focus on a single subject.
Happy Clicking!
The theme for the period 11 April to 11 May 2009 is
" Street Photography"
Show us your photography skills in photographing people or situations without their knowledge.
The theme for the period 12 May to 11 June 2009 is
" Portraits"
Let your imagination run wild and send us your intepretations of a portrait. Your photographs should focus on a single subject.
Happy Clicking!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Jaycees Photographer of the Year Contest 2009-2010
Junior Chamber International Panjim brings before you an exclusive contest for all those who are creatively inclined.
Over the last few years, we have started noticing a trend; it started slowly but has steadily gained momentum. Now expressions are more vibrant through photos! Yes as the oft quoted saying goes, “A picture does, often speak a thousand words”. It is our endeavour to appreciate and encourage such creativity and through our contest, you can win yourself some great prizes. Every month Jaycees Panjim will award 3 of the best pictures uploaded onto our platform. The contest will reward the best in creative, original photography talent.So grab your camera and set out on a photographic journey! Capture fascinating moments in everyday life or even an aspect of your city that you love the most. Whether it is a breathtaking moment from your travels around the world or a picture taken in your backyard, if your picture speaks a thousand words you could be a winner! The primary motto of this contest is to appreciate the vast talent of the creative minds.
We are pleased to announce the Jaycees Photographer of the Year Contest which will run from march 2009 to february 2010. The contest comprises of 12 themes, one each for a month. The participants will have to send their entries online.
The pressnote sent to all Local newspapers is reproduced below:
Jaycees Panaji introduces 1st online Photo Contest in association with heartbeatgoa.com. Every month 3 of the best pictures will be uploaded on the website for all to see. The competition is open for all individuals across the planet aged 18 years and above. There is no entry fee. The selected entries will be published in an upcoming Goan magazine and on the web. There will be an Amazing prize for the Grand Prize Winner who will be crowned, “ Jaycees-Photographer of the year 2009-2010”. The competition runs from March 2009 to February 2010. The Grand Prize winner will be overall winner among the 12 winners. Images could be either digital or scanned film image (min 300 dpi). The images should be sent to jayceespanjim@gmail.com. The topic for March is “ Nature at its best”. Contest ends 31st march, midnight. The winning entries will be selected by popular vote and by Judges. For further details, write to the above email or visit juliusdare2do.blogspot.com
Theme for March 2009:"Nature at its best"
BRIEF: what we are looking for is how well you have captured the harmonious relation between nature and its surrounding environs.
Your photos could also include how people help in preseving nature thus making this planet a beautiful place to be. Send us your intepretations of the theme.
How to submit your images:
Images can be shot digital or on film cameras. The scanned images should be minimum 300dpi . There is no upper limit for sending the images. The images should conform to the theme. The images should be appropriately resized, not to exceed 1 mb in size. The images have to be appropriately labelled i.e. S.No-Caption-Name of sender. For eg: in case you are sending two images. Then, the images can be labelled as follows. 01-Nice sunset-John fernandes
02-Beautiful waters-John Fernandes etc.
Where to send: The images can be sent at jayceespanjim@gmail.com
Rules and Regulations:
1) The images submitted should not have been previously published in any media or otherwise.
2) Photographs may be either captured in film or digital media. But all submissions are to be made online. Photographers who use film may scan their photographs and submit them online.
3)Photographs can be edited in a digital image editing program to the extent that only minor image adjustment is permitted, such as cropping, sharpening, contrast, and levels. The photo must not be otherwise greatly manipulated.
4)Objects should not be added or removed in order to enhance the shot.
No composite images. However, images with multiple exposures allowed.
5) All entries for this month’s competition should reach jayceespanjim@gmail.com by 11.59pm on 31st March 2009.
6) You will be asked to provide us with the original camera file/ negative/ transparency if you win the competition. No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
7) The copyright of the image lies with the photographer. Jaycees reserve the right to use the image with due credit to the photographer.
8) Your entry must be entirely your own original work, not defame anybody nor breach any copyright. In case you win a prize, you will be asked to certify that the images are your own in writing.
9) There should not be any content which is socially objectionable
10) All photographs will be judged on the basis of content, composition, sensitivity and style (see tips for photography below). We’re looking for creativity and that certain x-factor which makes a photo extraordinary.
11)The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
12) Panjim Jaycees and their sponsor partners and their relatives are not eligible to participate.
13) No prizes will be awarded if the entries are below the required standard.
Tips for a great image:
Photography Tips
How To Select Your Images
The judging panel will bring together the talents of professionals working in many different areas of photography. There are, of course, photographers but also picture editors, picture buyers, photojournalists, digital imaging experts, printers, retouchers and lecturers in photography.
We also include at least one lay judge who will be assessing images purely on their WOW factor. Each judge has their own approach to judging and each may look for slightly different things but this diversity of talents on the judging panel gives a balance to the judging process.
They do, though, all have two things in common; a love of photography and an eye for a great image.
Here is a list of things that one can keep in mind of them, in no particular order of importance:
Sharp focus
Use of light
Viewpoint
Accurate exposure with good balance between shadow and
highlight detail
Strong composition
Creativity
Originality
Good colour balance and tonal range
Use of colour
Use of depth of field and shutter speed
Use of shape and form
Themes linking the images Subtlety
Thoughtful picture selection
Following the brief
Dynamism or movement
Interpretation of the category theme
Atmosphere Engagement
An interesting subject Capturing the moment That WOW factor
Editing and selecting your own photographs is difficult but choosing the right images for each category is crucial to winning a prize. Think about your selection carefully and if in doubt, ask someone else's opinion.
It is important to pay attention to the technical attributes of your images. They MUST be in sharp focus, correctly exposed with good shadow and highlight details where required and properly colour balanced if they are to stand any chance of competing for a prize.
Focus: It doesn't matter how good an image is, if it isn't in focus it won't win. If your original transparency, negative or digital file is sharp then make sure that any prints that you make to enter are good quality and equally sharp. You're wasting your time and money producing a poor print from a good quality original, and with high quality printing so readily available either from a photo lab or your own desktop there is no excuse for doing so. There's a difference between `out of focus' and blur caused by a combination of movement and a slow shutter speed
Exposure: Unless you are trying to achieve a special effect, exposure should be well balanced with good detail in both shadow and highlight areas. It is very easy to spot a badly exposed image and the judges will be looking for this.
Colour Balance: With good film or digital cameras, and readily available filters, there is no excuse for submitting badly colour balanced images.
Composition is a key element of every great photograph. It is a major part of the impact which an image has when viewed so pay attention to this when you're taking a photograph. Occasionally it's not possible to achieve the strongest composition in camera
Composition: The rule of thirds exists for good reason but it's a guide not a hard and fast rule. In many cases the strongest composition can be achieved by following it, but knowing when and how to break it can be the difference between a good and a great photograph.
Cropping: This is effectively a second chance to strengthen the composition of your images. Not every photograph can be taken with the strongest composition so crop your images carefully where the best composition has not been achieved in camera, or simply isn't the same shape as the full frame mage. Good composition and careful cropping are vital tools in achieving maximum impact from an image.
Category Themes: Each category in the competition has a theme and these are designed to cover different aspects of photography from landscapes to people, from luxury to adventure and so on. These categories change each year. The clues to what the judges are looking for are all there in the category descriptions.
Follow the brief: If there's one difference between the amateur and professional entries, it's that the pros tend to be better at selecting the images.
If you can, shoot your images to fit the brief. Don't just choose random images that are good either.
Be creative with your image selection - choose different and original images.
Portraits are another good example. We see lot of sombre, expressionless portraits. Some are very powerful, but most would be much more interesting had the photographers engaged with their subjects or their cultures.
Best, not favourite: This section should put you well on the way to choosing your images for this year's entry but take time to really assess your images when you're compiling your entry. Many people choose their favourite images not their best ones. This is easily done because particular photographs carry memories with them. For example it was taken just before the most glorious sunset, or the meal that evening was incredible, or your partner told you they love you. That's fantastic but these memories probably aren't in your photograph even though you attach them to it when you look at a particular image. The judges don't have the benefit of these experiences when they assess your entry and, in the cold light of day, they may be your favourite but not your best photographs.
A good tip, if you're not sure about a particular image, is to ask someone else's opinion. It could be the difference between winning and coming nowhere.
Over the last few years, we have started noticing a trend; it started slowly but has steadily gained momentum. Now expressions are more vibrant through photos! Yes as the oft quoted saying goes, “A picture does, often speak a thousand words”. It is our endeavour to appreciate and encourage such creativity and through our contest, you can win yourself some great prizes. Every month Jaycees Panjim will award 3 of the best pictures uploaded onto our platform. The contest will reward the best in creative, original photography talent.So grab your camera and set out on a photographic journey! Capture fascinating moments in everyday life or even an aspect of your city that you love the most. Whether it is a breathtaking moment from your travels around the world or a picture taken in your backyard, if your picture speaks a thousand words you could be a winner! The primary motto of this contest is to appreciate the vast talent of the creative minds.
We are pleased to announce the Jaycees Photographer of the Year Contest which will run from march 2009 to february 2010. The contest comprises of 12 themes, one each for a month. The participants will have to send their entries online.
The pressnote sent to all Local newspapers is reproduced below:
Jaycees Panaji introduces 1st online Photo Contest in association with heartbeatgoa.com. Every month 3 of the best pictures will be uploaded on the website for all to see. The competition is open for all individuals across the planet aged 18 years and above. There is no entry fee. The selected entries will be published in an upcoming Goan magazine and on the web. There will be an Amazing prize for the Grand Prize Winner who will be crowned, “ Jaycees-Photographer of the year 2009-2010”. The competition runs from March 2009 to February 2010. The Grand Prize winner will be overall winner among the 12 winners. Images could be either digital or scanned film image (min 300 dpi). The images should be sent to jayceespanjim@gmail.com. The topic for March is “ Nature at its best”. Contest ends 31st march, midnight. The winning entries will be selected by popular vote and by Judges. For further details, write to the above email or visit juliusdare2do.blogspot.com
Theme for March 2009:"Nature at its best"
BRIEF: what we are looking for is how well you have captured the harmonious relation between nature and its surrounding environs.
Your photos could also include how people help in preseving nature thus making this planet a beautiful place to be. Send us your intepretations of the theme.
How to submit your images:
Images can be shot digital or on film cameras. The scanned images should be minimum 300dpi . There is no upper limit for sending the images. The images should conform to the theme. The images should be appropriately resized, not to exceed 1 mb in size. The images have to be appropriately labelled i.e. S.No-Caption-Name of sender. For eg: in case you are sending two images. Then, the images can be labelled as follows. 01-Nice sunset-John fernandes
02-Beautiful waters-John Fernandes etc.
Where to send: The images can be sent at jayceespanjim@gmail.com
Rules and Regulations:
1) The images submitted should not have been previously published in any media or otherwise.
2) Photographs may be either captured in film or digital media. But all submissions are to be made online. Photographers who use film may scan their photographs and submit them online.
3)Photographs can be edited in a digital image editing program to the extent that only minor image adjustment is permitted, such as cropping, sharpening, contrast, and levels. The photo must not be otherwise greatly manipulated.
4)Objects should not be added or removed in order to enhance the shot.
No composite images. However, images with multiple exposures allowed.
5) All entries for this month’s competition should reach jayceespanjim@gmail.com by 11.59pm on 31st March 2009.
6) You will be asked to provide us with the original camera file/ negative/ transparency if you win the competition. No responsibility is accepted for ineligible entries or entries made fraudulently.
7) The copyright of the image lies with the photographer. Jaycees reserve the right to use the image with due credit to the photographer.
8) Your entry must be entirely your own original work, not defame anybody nor breach any copyright. In case you win a prize, you will be asked to certify that the images are your own in writing.
9) There should not be any content which is socially objectionable
10) All photographs will be judged on the basis of content, composition, sensitivity and style (see tips for photography below). We’re looking for creativity and that certain x-factor which makes a photo extraordinary.
11)The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
12) Panjim Jaycees and their sponsor partners and their relatives are not eligible to participate.
13) No prizes will be awarded if the entries are below the required standard.
Tips for a great image:
Photography Tips
How To Select Your Images
The judging panel will bring together the talents of professionals working in many different areas of photography. There are, of course, photographers but also picture editors, picture buyers, photojournalists, digital imaging experts, printers, retouchers and lecturers in photography.
We also include at least one lay judge who will be assessing images purely on their WOW factor. Each judge has their own approach to judging and each may look for slightly different things but this diversity of talents on the judging panel gives a balance to the judging process.
They do, though, all have two things in common; a love of photography and an eye for a great image.
Here is a list of things that one can keep in mind of them, in no particular order of importance:
Sharp focus
Use of light
Viewpoint
Accurate exposure with good balance between shadow and
highlight detail
Strong composition
Creativity
Originality
Good colour balance and tonal range
Use of colour
Use of depth of field and shutter speed
Use of shape and form
Themes linking the images Subtlety
Thoughtful picture selection
Following the brief
Dynamism or movement
Interpretation of the category theme
Atmosphere Engagement
An interesting subject Capturing the moment That WOW factor
Editing and selecting your own photographs is difficult but choosing the right images for each category is crucial to winning a prize. Think about your selection carefully and if in doubt, ask someone else's opinion.
It is important to pay attention to the technical attributes of your images. They MUST be in sharp focus, correctly exposed with good shadow and highlight details where required and properly colour balanced if they are to stand any chance of competing for a prize.
Focus: It doesn't matter how good an image is, if it isn't in focus it won't win. If your original transparency, negative or digital file is sharp then make sure that any prints that you make to enter are good quality and equally sharp. You're wasting your time and money producing a poor print from a good quality original, and with high quality printing so readily available either from a photo lab or your own desktop there is no excuse for doing so. There's a difference between `out of focus' and blur caused by a combination of movement and a slow shutter speed
Exposure: Unless you are trying to achieve a special effect, exposure should be well balanced with good detail in both shadow and highlight areas. It is very easy to spot a badly exposed image and the judges will be looking for this.
Colour Balance: With good film or digital cameras, and readily available filters, there is no excuse for submitting badly colour balanced images.
Composition is a key element of every great photograph. It is a major part of the impact which an image has when viewed so pay attention to this when you're taking a photograph. Occasionally it's not possible to achieve the strongest composition in camera
Composition: The rule of thirds exists for good reason but it's a guide not a hard and fast rule. In many cases the strongest composition can be achieved by following it, but knowing when and how to break it can be the difference between a good and a great photograph.
Cropping: This is effectively a second chance to strengthen the composition of your images. Not every photograph can be taken with the strongest composition so crop your images carefully where the best composition has not been achieved in camera, or simply isn't the same shape as the full frame mage. Good composition and careful cropping are vital tools in achieving maximum impact from an image.
Category Themes: Each category in the competition has a theme and these are designed to cover different aspects of photography from landscapes to people, from luxury to adventure and so on. These categories change each year. The clues to what the judges are looking for are all there in the category descriptions.
Follow the brief: If there's one difference between the amateur and professional entries, it's that the pros tend to be better at selecting the images.
If you can, shoot your images to fit the brief. Don't just choose random images that are good either.
Be creative with your image selection - choose different and original images.
Portraits are another good example. We see lot of sombre, expressionless portraits. Some are very powerful, but most would be much more interesting had the photographers engaged with their subjects or their cultures.
Best, not favourite: This section should put you well on the way to choosing your images for this year's entry but take time to really assess your images when you're compiling your entry. Many people choose their favourite images not their best ones. This is easily done because particular photographs carry memories with them. For example it was taken just before the most glorious sunset, or the meal that evening was incredible, or your partner told you they love you. That's fantastic but these memories probably aren't in your photograph even though you attach them to it when you look at a particular image. The judges don't have the benefit of these experiences when they assess your entry and, in the cold light of day, they may be your favourite but not your best photographs.
A good tip, if you're not sure about a particular image, is to ask someone else's opinion. It could be the difference between winning and coming nowhere.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Bikers dream Paradise-Part I
This was one of my dream destination for an adventure that turned out to be mind blowing. The Planning: One fine morning me and one of my daring fellow explorer Himesh decided to check out the rough route to this Waterfalls which is called as "DudhSagar" -Ocean of milk and ranks fifth highest waterfalls in the country. Another, equally enthusiastic expeditioner Savio could not make it.
Our Gear: My F2 Fiero bike which I now call "The WarHorse". A Canon Rebel-xti which my Bro Lino gifted me and which performs like a Volcano. Our rain suits, Helmet, An Umbrella, A hat, A tripod, A bottle of water and of course, Rock Determinantion.
The Journey upto Kulem Railway station:
We started from Panaji, when the clock struck 9:45am. The weather was just perfect. We headed to Ponda via the recently done Old Goa bypass. We reached Ponda in fairly good time after taking a shortcut at Priol. From Ponda, we proceeded along NH4A en route to Belgaum. We had to reach Usgao. and we took our first Halt at Molem. Here we had light snacks and juice for the Bike and then proceeded towards Kulem. On the way, we were greeted with a horde of Cows. Himesh had to forcibly stop them for me to get a nice picture.
Ultimately, we reached Kulem Station. and had to cross the manned gate, which was showing a red signal, waiting for a passing train. We had to wait for a while 
until the Gates were opened. Immediately we crossed and took to the jungle. Initially, we had to take the bike up a steep slope full of stones. and and then the road smoothened up a bit. Here we encountered our first hurdle, a mud puddle. Not deep but quite slippery and almost a feet deep. Unable to gauge we had our first and the only fall of the adventure. Where I had let go the bike and water filled up in the silencor, But i managed to remove the water and had my bike roaring with life. There were who ferried you across but for a price running several hundered per person. The exact figure is not known. Also, the fall gave us a vital clue as to how these narrow paths have to be tackled. From then on Himesh who was riding pillion would always get off the bike whenever the need arose to prevent a slip. Bag and baggage our total load was around 300 kgs including the Bike. Here's a picture which shows our path which I now call Expr
ess Highway.There were plenty of dangerous situations where a small tilt of balance could land us either in a ditch or a chilly water tens of feet down. We had to ride very cautiously. and whenever the bike got struck, Himesh and me had to apply our strength to get it across. A perfect example of team work in actual practice. More than once we thought of turning back but the adventure spirit would not cow down. On the way we found that the people who work in the fields and do other work walk a distance of 20 km back home everyday. No wonder the pristine air and the walk keeps them fit and healthy. Two of them even tried to help us get the bike across the tracks at a particular place. we also met a Railway employee who was on his daily round of checking the tracks on foot with his loyal dog. He directed us to take the route below the tunnel. This was the most challenging hurdle of all. Once we reached 46-000 the marks beside the tracks we had to take my bike in the stream and through a 10 meter long tunnel gushing with 2 feet deep water.
we literally had to think twice before attempting this feet. What if my bike got struck? what if the tyres burst? what if the bike refuses to start if the cold water enters the silencor? what if there are snakes or other unknown danger? these were some fears tormenting us. Take a look at this bridge where we took a short
break. There were lots of inconveniences for instance we had to wear the raincoats for 75 percent of the time. We were drenched to the feet. Here are some more pictures as we prepare the bike to go ahead. 
My WarHorse
which endured the worst of conditions.
Here is a picture of amazing streams.
which you will find throughout the sanctuary. Along with dense vegetation. The cold water seems to take away our tiredness and reassure us that things will be fine. Take a look at the patterns the forest displays.
I will complete our journey in the second part. Until then send your comments and feedback.
Here is a picture of amazing streams.
which you will find throughout the sanctuary. Along with dense vegetation. The cold water seems to take away our tiredness and reassure us that things will be fine. Take a look at the patterns the forest displays.
I will complete our journey in the second part. Until then send your comments and feedback.
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