Self Portrait .. again...

Day 30.. Self Portrait .. again..!

On Day 1 when i started the challenge .. I admit I clicked at least 10 pics.. fretted over which one was the real me.. as if all the rest were not!

Its been  a month.. and this one I decided will have to be a single take..

A sort of test.. for me.. how much do i accept myself?!Can I  just be.. without trying to gloss over ...

Its gonna take a while in the real sense.. but this shot is for this test..
Do I pass..? Do I care..? No? May be ?!

I am getting there.. alright...!

Black and white....

Day 29..

Black and White..

The other day.. I was solemn.. lost in thought.. working away at something..

with these plants in the balcony for a view...

I was looking at them ..not seeing.. just then a  whiff of breeze blew and the leaves fluttered about..

as if mocking at me.. why so serious..?
Lighten up  buddy..

Its Ok.. loosen up will you... ?!!
Yeah..  A moment to remember . when suddenly the heavy weight pressing on me.. seemed to lift off..just like that...

Just be.. they tell me.. in black and white...:-)

Flowers..

Day 28..Flowers..

Purple blossoms...in a mucky pond..

They are born to bloom  and blossom.. wherever they are..

From a distance...

Day 27.. From a distance..

This solitary tree overlooks my balcony.. There is a construction site right next door and along side the site is a colony of construction workers..

A hardy lot these.. Each time i look at  them.. i am amazed at their resilience, spirit, sense of action and the capacity to go on  with so little..and the ability to get rooted and make a life where ever they are..

This tree is a focal point of their lives.. I see children playing around.. women chatting .. enjoy a few moments of breather.. men sitting around.. vendors hawking stuff..

Something permanent in their transient home... cannot miss the paradox...

But it is a shade that hugs...

Give me a sign..

Day 26.. Close up

Many a time  as i am caught up ..or lost..i have this urge to pause .. press in the brakes ..take stock.. look around.. listen to  myself..soak in the solitude ..and seek a sign..

And they show up.. these little signs .. as if the cosmos is tuned in to your thoughts..

It is an amazing gift.. you can give yourself.. the gift of mindfulness.. where every moment is lived deliberately..with awareness, with awe and gratitude...

As i am still miles away from  the moment to moment aware state of being.. these pauses do me good..reminding me to smell the roses.. take in the beauty of life..and be cued on to the signs..

I got one the other day.. on a long walk with a lovely soul.. a peacock feather.. exquisite and on my way..
theres' a close up.. right here..

I get the sign , Krishna...:-)

Something Pink

Day 25.. Something Pink...

Pretty Pink.. these flowers..
The branch that holds them is even more pretty..
Laden and yielding..
Not stiff and straight..
Accepting, growing and flowering ..

Let me rest..

Day 24 Animal..

I am tired..
Can I curl up and rest for a while?
Can I just be with myself for a wee bit?
Can i shut my eyes and drift into dreamland?

Sunflare..

Day 23.. Sunflare..

Cloud cast afternoon..
He takes centrestage...

Hands

Day 22.. Hands..

Want to grow ...

and stay grounded...!

Faceless self portrait

Day 21.. Faceless self protrait..


In Wonder..One with nature..
In Rapture..

Bokeh

Day 20.. Bokeh..

Bokeh , in Japanese and photography , i figure is the blur...

The aesthetic quality of the blur in the out of focus areas of an image.. even as i struggle to get the blur..
I find bokeh a wonderful metaphor for life..

As long as you focus on things that are important to you, it does not matter if the rest blur away!

Something Orange..

Day 19.. Something orange..

My tea mugs.. The cup that cheers in cheery orange and loving people for company!

Makes my day!

Shoes

Day 18.. Shoes

A hardy pair.. for all the miles i need to walk!

Technology

Day 17 Technology..

A humble piece of technology that has shaved away at the number of hours a woman would spend at the kitchen and made life a wee bit easier for her..!

Cheers to that!

Glow...

Day  16 Glow..

This Glow is about the Divine..

As He shines in all his glory..

In each and every being..

Inside and out..
In the prosaic and the mundane..
In the profound and the magnificent..

He is the light.. with in and every where...

Silhouette

Day 15.. Sky caste with clouds ..

The earth and its beings.. in anticipation ..

Of getting drenched, washed and renewed..

By the out pour!

The magic of monsoons....

Eyes

Day 14.. Eyes..

My Babys' eyes.. deep and dreamy!

Laugh on happy eyes....

and keep dreaming my baby..may all your happy dreams come true..

Me with 13 things..

Day 13.. Me with 13 things..

Me .. At my desk.. I counted there are more than 13 things on my pin board..

Stuff  i care about.. pictures of my babies when they were young..drawings my kiddos make..stuff i have doodled , coloured, gifted trinkets and all the like..

one of it..is my  portrait P did when she was about 5.. me balancing.. like in a dance move.. It is so me.. goofy.. but attempting a  swan like balance!..

Yeah.. thats's me with 13 things!

Sunset

Day 12 Sunset..

Caught Him... bidding adieu for the day.. After a days' job well done...
Spreading light and hope..

What a Job  and how well done..!

Thank you, Bright Star, You light me up!

Something blue..

Day 11 Something blue..

What else but a stretch of blue sky..

Soul Soothing!

Let me lie on a bed of green with the infinite blue above for cover..

The rest , is just alright!

Being for the joy of it....Like it , a whole lot!

A childhood memory

Day 10.. Child hood memory..

This one I like..
They were many flashes from the past.. enduring images..all that has made me.. makes me..
This one is my favorite..
summer vacation..Curled up with a famous five.. .. dog eared old copy from a local library..a young me..lost in the adventures of 4 and a dog..

Ah,comforting!

Someone I Love..

Day 9 .. Someone  I Love...
Sanjay.. my best half!
Thank you Sanjay, for being in my life.. !

A bad habit

Day 8.. A Bad Habit..

While we are taking about  "a" bad habit, the first one that pops up  is my need to keep reading and to get completely sucked in , once i get started on a book

To an extent i resent the need to re-surface to reality!

The magic of the written word is my vice..and am a hopeless book worm!

Fruit!

Day 6.. Fruit(s)
First up, I am hardly a fruit person.. growing up ,  i would dodge all attempts my folks would make to make  me eat fruits..The picture of my dad cutting up tiny wedges of apple , calling it ' pumpkin" to make me eat is fresh in my eyes..

Well,  now i am befriending them , more aware of eating healthy!

This one is for you Appa, lets ' keep the doctors at bay!

Tapestry

Day 6 From a low angle..

This is a detail of a beautiful hand woven rug in my home.

This one is very special for me.. One of the first things i picked up about 12 years back, while setting up my own home.

I have moved  6 houses in  the past 12 years across 3 cities and this lovely carpet fits in just fine in every home!

Colourful, cheerful and full of warmth.. the magic of hand woven tapestry!

Roam every where..

Day 5..From a high angle..
I love to roam..
This shot is about driving past green fields and wild flowers.. with wind on my face on a sun lit day....

Its also about a  wish .. that i drive soon.. so i can roam .. on my own.. every where!

Won't that be nice now!