Strathnairnability

It has been a couple of months since I moved to Strathnairn. It is an uber quiet suburb with fewer than a thousand residents. And no, unlike Bhutan, it is not the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else. Apart from my immediate neighbours and a Bhutanese friend who lives a few blocks away, I know no one else. People here just keep to themselves. As strange as that might sound, I have grown used to it. I will tell you that you must have an ounce of Strathnairnability to do that, really. Looking back, I have never really been a people person anyway.

Back to the Strathnairn scene, I take an evening stroll, and I am instantly filled with the urge to take my phone out and go click, click, click. And that is exactly what I did.

If the houses are Strathnairn’s soul, then Paddy’s Park must be its heart. Its sheer existence is a feast for the eyes. The photos prove it.

Oh, and I have been saying for a while now that Strathnairn has the best sunsets. I cannot speak for the sunrises though. By the time I am up, the sun is already high, staring down at me with a knowing smirk.

So here I present some of the photos I captured. They were colour corrected and graded on Lightroom Mobile.

Inside Paddy's Park

'Tashi was here.'

Food for the body and Strathnairn for the soul.

There was this darkling sky, and then sun just peekaboo'd.

Trees are always close to my heart because they remind me that no matter where
I branch out, I must remember my roots. 

Paddy’s pause

Strathnairn is too young to be an empty-nester, but it wears its quiet well.

A spark from Paddy's Park. 

One thing that lives rent-free in my head is the bridge metaphor. We are all just a bridge: between moments, between people, between versions of ourselves.

I overheard a voice go, "I will shower you with the sun."

The following photos were taken a few days later with my camera.

A clandestine rendezvous, not so clandestine.

We always need a bit more room, don't we?

The path curved, the light lingered, and everything felt just spacious enough.
Eventually. Or did it?

"Well, all is well that ends well," sighed the sun at the end of the day.

Gear: Sony A7CII & Sony FE16-25mm F2.8G

Photos from Bhutan

Some random photos from Bhutan. I took my gear out and gave it a try. Each frame felt like a small step forward. I still carry the conviction that there is a long way to go before I can take photos with real confidence. But maybe that is part of the process. Learning to see. Learning to wait. Learning to keep going.

Paro Taktshang

Punakha Dzong

Traditional Bridge, Punakha Dzong

Wangdue Phodrang Dzong

Miniature Buddhist Mask

Gear: Sony A7CII with Sony FE 28-60mm and edited on Adobe Lightroom (Macbook version). 

Lights, Lines, and Life

Light, shadows, and the silent stories in between — a visual diary from Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, and beyond.

Lights, Lines, and Life is now live:

Mobile Photo Gallery

Aerial View of Crown Plaza from the High Gates Building, Canberra

Giving Photography a Serious Thought

Now that I am taken interest in photography, I have rummaged through my old photos and here they are. I took all these photos using my old phone, a Huawei Nova 3e between 2018 and 2021.

In the meantime, I still take photos using my iPhone while I gather my thoughts on how to take this hobby of mine a step or two further. There are a lot of things I need to consider right from determining my photography goals. Once done with this, it will be easier for me to focus on the type of gear I need to buy and also, the type of training I would need.

All it takes is a pair of keen eyes to spot beauty such as this. 

Can you spot Chimi Lhakhang, the famous temple of fertility?
Find out more about this temple on: Punakha Dzongkhag website 

Clouds plant a soft peck on these Wangkha hills. 

I wonder if these chilly drops of water prick into the spine of this blossom, awakening in her some longingness, some sensuality.

There is a reason why no external forces could impregnate Bhutan. Thanks to these brave sentinels.

The human-traffic controller in the heart of the capital city. 

Bumthang, where you find a piece of Switzerland in Bhutan. 

So they ask me if I am a beach boy or a mountain man!

A BW capture of Zangtopelri, Wangchhu. 

Sunsets in Sarpang remind me of some slow-burn Hollywood flick.

Of clouds and prayer flags; and of Bumthang.

Wangchhu town always gives me a bit of The Giver (by Lois Lowry) feel. You'd know it if you'd been there!

Chendebji Chhorten
It's associated with a lot of stories, particularly of the demoness that troubled the commuters in the past. 
Check this link for more: Atlas Obscura 

Tsha Tsha in Chhoekhor, Bumthang
Find out more about this on this Facebook feed: Bhutan Tours

Butter lamps at Jampel Lhakhang in Bumthang. My father passed away there and this is offered in his name, in conjunction with the Buddhist norms.

Kenchösum Lhakhang in Bumthang
I see it, the photo's too grainy. 

Have you ever thought about how a mother must have felt when she is asked to choose one favourite from her children? I have heaps of similar photos and it is equally hard for me to select just a handful for the post. Perhaps, all beginners experience this pain.