Hakata Dontaku is a colorful festival in Fukuoka. Held during the Golden week every year on May 3rd and 4th, this festival showcases really colorful parades and floats, kids and elders in colorful costumes and traditional kimonos playing some traditional instruments or clapping with wooden spoons. Also, this parade includes an International float and Indian dances as well .You can see a video of the festival here

Two things which are most popular in Japan – One is the point card system wherein you can get some discounts or free gifts and the other is the gift wrappers, I just love the way the shop keepers wrap up each gift for you free of charge. Also, if you are taking any fragile items home, you can always ask the shop keeper to pack with packing material.

Marinoa City – Well this is like a all-in-all huge shopping mall or rather a shopping playground…. What I like about this place is you can get clothes whichever size and shape you maybe. (Let me tell you my sad story… I found it hard to find clothes for me because I was overweight and Japanese girls are really slim and trim … Until I discovered Marinoa City… So am happy happy now…). Please do give these shops a try (you may/may not like) – Axes Femme (I find their clothes a bit different from the other shops), Edwin (for jeans galore), Nittori (1 stop destination for all your home needs…), well you can just roam around and discover this place…
(Secret: Prices are lower during the sale season… but I always see sale whenever I go to this place…. Till now I have seen golden week sale, silver week sale, spring sale, winter sale, autumn sale …. but stuff is good during sale also … So go for it…)

Mina Tenjin – This is a 8 floor mall in the core of Tenjin which caters to probably a lot of things from Accessories to Casuals to Formals to Spa… and whole 2 floors of UniQlo

Underground Tenjin Plaza – Well I just love to walk along this place…. Really cool and certainly doesn’t look like Japan. It gives you the feeling of walking in a heritage building. The whole path has kind of cobbled stones feeling and a lot of architecture can be observed on the roofing. Very Good for Window Shopping and enjoying some good view of people loitering around with a hot Starbucks coffee.
Solaria Plaza, Iwataya and Marco – Well decorated and glamorous malls. Good for window shopping. These are located close to each other so you can get out of Marco, then go to Solaria Plaza and then to Iwataya behind it. Iwataya has a whole floor only for cosmetics and is sure nice to look at all the girls being decked up. In general the entire area is a shopping area, so you can take a stroll around.
Shintencho – Another area to spend your time (just behind Solaria Plaza). One shop caught my attention here though. Reimei sells a lot of home decoration articles likes vases, clocks of venetian glasses, tea sets, carpets, night lamps, decoration pieces (although on the costlier side) but worth a try if you are looking for something to take back home. (Well I did find some Indian stuff here and it seems the owner travels to India to get those stuff)

Canal City – What I like more about this place are the shows which are organized the year round. The mall shaped in a peculiar half-oval structure houses a theatre (3-D movies are also filmed here) as well as many shops. So, you could see a show, watch a movie and then shop about.

Hakata Station – Hakata is the old part of Fukuoka and particularly famous for Hakata Dolls – One of the major souvenirs to take back from Fukuoka.

Yodobashi – One stop for all electronic items. More popular is the point card which they issue. Each Item you buy gives you some points and you can either use them (which will be subtracted from the total amount) or add them to your second purchase.

Hawk’s Town – Well the main attractions here are the bowling alleys and the theatre. This place also houses some shops for clothes, a 100 yen shop seria, GAP, and the best I like here – Glass land. This place sells glass articles which are really sweet to look at.

And well that’s all about what you can see in Fukuoka. We will come back to you with more sights and sounds soon.

1. Wake up early.

The golden light of early morning is the best time to take pictures. Many things work in favour of the photographer when the sun is just coming out. The warm light makes the landscape look pretty. Fog diffuses the light and adds a magical effect. The low lighting brings out the textures of the subject and adds depth into the photograph. A photograph shot in the harsh afternoon sun can look dull and flat, but the same shot in the morning may look magical. If not in the morning, the next best time of the day is evening. Avoid the times when the sun is high.

Pic : Arun Bhat

2. Keep the sun behind you.

This is the most important and most obvious thing to keep in mind when taking pictures. If the sun is facing the camera, your subject will be in shadow, forming dark areas without details. With the sun behind you, your subject will have proper lighting and turns out better.

3. Put people in pictures.

Picture of a man standing on the top of a tall mountain can say a lot about the scale of the mountain. A lonely couple walking on a wide beach can say how empty and tranquil the beach is. A man worshiping in a temple can bring life and character to the temple. Always look for a chance to place people in your pictures.

Pic : Arun Bhat

4. Lookout for background clutter.

Have you ever noticed in pictures of Taj Mahal, that Taj is the only building seen in every one of those typical images? Imagine a few tall high rise buildings in the background of Taj, a chimney of a factory sticking out, and all possible urban construction behind Taj posing at the viewer. Would the picture look the same? Obviously not. Taj is a specially thought out monument, which was built on a high platform to block views of everything else behind. But most other places and monuments we see are not so. Lookout for an angle where you can eliminate the background clutter.

5. Shoot children.

You know it already – they have so much life, they can bring life to your pictures too. When you see willing kids, just make friends with them and take their pictures. You would make them happy too.

Pic : Arun Bhat

6. Shoot local people.

You will often come across people dressed traditionally, or in a unique manner. Lookout for the elderly people who have not shed the clothes of the olden days for today’s globally uniform dressing. Smiling people, wrinkles on the face of an old man in chai shop, people at work – they all can add beautifully to your travel experiences and memories. Get up close and talk to them, it always helps in getting good images.

Pic : Arun Bhat

7. Emphasize the main subject.

This tip is about getting pictures of you and/or your family in front of the a monument or scenery. We all want one such image don’t we? But who gets prominence in the frame? Should it be the structure of Taj Mahal or your spouse? You know the answer well. Frame your family to be a part of the big picture; don’t make them the big picture!

8. Research before you go.

This tip is for people who want to get serious with their camera. You have limited time and want to get the best out of it. Instead of running through the place and trying to get images in a hurry, sit back at home before you leave and try to find out what matters to you in your destination. Plan to spend more time with the subjects you like, once you are at the location. But then, if you are on a vacation and the camera is just a supplementary gear, you should really not get into the headaches of research. Let a holiday be a holiday, not a time for some intense work.

9. Get out in winter.

It is the time of the year when mornings and evenings are most colourful and magical. I know it could be really cold at places, but the efforts will be rewarded. Even in daytime, the skies tend to be clearer and the light would be a great deal more conducive for photography than rest of the year.

Pic : Arun Bhat

10. Leave wildlife alone.

This is not really a tip, but an advice to exercise discretion. You would have seen many mind blowing images of wildlife on the internet, television or magazines. Shooting wildlife requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and years of experience. Do not go out of your way to get wildlife shots on your holidays. An unguided attempt may often result in disturbing the wildlife, inadvertently putting them in danger or even destruction of their dwellings. Attempt wildlife only if you are keen to go far in the field, and start with some expert help. Of course, no harm trying to capture an animal or bird that comes easy on your path.

Happy clicking and travelling!

]]> http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/ten-tips-for-that-perfect-image/feed 15 http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/singapore-calling http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/singapore-calling#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:36:33 +0000 Vijay http://www.clubmahindrablog.com/?p=203 The very mention of Singapore brings memories of tall skyscrapers, clean roads, efficient administration and above all spectacular Mega malls with a glittering array of international brands for shopping plus of course tourist attractions. Today we see three different sites of Singapore – a reservoir park, a bird park and a museum.

The Mac Ritchie reservoir park:

The smallest nation is Southeast Asia has another side to it as well. One that is hard to imagine given that its only 707.1 sq kms.

Hard to imagine this in the heart of Singapore, yes this is indeed in Singapore. One of the main reservoirs of Singapore, it is a popular site for family outings and picnics as they provide a quiet respite to the hustle and bustle of city living. Over 100 hectare of primary forest flourishes around MacRitchie Reservoir. The best way to enjoy this is to go on the clearly marked walking trails that wind through it.
Ranging from distances of 3km to 11km, each of the five routes offersdifferent hiking experiences and unique views of the tranquil forest.

Photograph : Vijay

The Jurong Bird Park:Romancing with Flamingoes ! in Singapore.

Yes this is the Jurong BirdPark – a 20.2 hectare open-concept park. It is the largest in the Asia Pacific and the best in the world. Its collection of more than 9,000 birds from 600 species is among the largest in the world. Most surprising is that is in situated in heart of Singapore’s manufacturing belt – such a strong statement to the islands clear air drives and efficient factories.

The Park has four aviaries, among which is the world’s largest walk-in aviary with the tallest man-made waterfall for visitors to enjoy a close-up view of free-flying birds from Africa and South America.

Photograph : Vijay

The Asian Civilisation Museum

The Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) is the first museum in the region to present a broad yet integrated perspective of pan-Asian cultures and civilizations. The Asian Civilisations Museum’s flagship at Empress Place opened on 2 March 2003. Occupying over 14,000 square metres at the newly-restored Empress Place Building, it houses 11 galleries which showcase over 1300 artefacts from the Museum’s growing collections on the civilisations of China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and West Asia/ Islamic.

The piece de resistance a Chola Bronze – Uma Paramershwari idol. The aura of seeing the handiwork of the gifted artist over 1000 years ago, by the lost wax method and sheer mastery of craftsmanship will leave you spellbound. Two feet in height, the detailing so exquisite, the grace and calm of her face and love in the smile, the lovely locks of her hair falling into rolling tresses over her shoulders, the intricate ornaments on his neck, the grace of her poise, the gentle sway accentuating the narrow waist, the beautiful and elaborate work on his lower garments, her hands and fingers bring life to the figurine. More on my blog .

Photograph : Vijay