My Third Eye

Palawan - The last frontier of the Philippines

2015-01-27T18:21:00.000+05:30

This is a guest post from TravelTours.in.

Palawan happens to be the largest island of Philippines and considered to be the most beautiful one in the world making it an integral part of Philippines tourism. Although it is not yet touted as the most desirable tourist destination, its popularity is slowly and gradually on the rise. The ideal time to pay this island a visit is between October and May and is an hour and a half away from Manila by air.

It has picturesque sandy beaches with emerald green water, green lush mountains which have their bases in the water and small fishing villages spread across the island. However, the biggest reason for visiting this island is to see the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a Unesco World Heritage Site, which is now considered to be one of the world’s seven best natural wonders. The reason why it has been declared a wonder is because of the vast limestone and karst deposits found in the complex cave catacomb surrounding the river. A Miocene age fossil was also discovered in the cave system which added to its wonderment. Tourists can enjoy this wonder of the world by kayaking into the caves and enjoying the sights of crystal and limestone formations. Without a tour of Puerto Princesa, any Philippines holiday is incomplete.

Besides this main activity, Palawan Island is also famous for deep sea diving. One of the key attractions is to dive from the Coron Bay. It is considered to be the best site for diving because of the high water visibility of about 20 meters and the beautiful rock formations and wrecks which can be seen, while snorkeling. Diving at Tubbataha Reefs also makes up for an interesting experience as it is one of the most beautiful coral reefs in the region and has an extensive marine life for the viewing of the tourists.

Exploring El Nido Marine Reserve is also a day’s activity at Palawan Island. It is the country’s largest wildlife preservation site and consists of rainforests, sandy beaches, coral reefs, and cliffs with limestone deposits. Visiting the Honday Bay also gives the chance to further interact with the aquatic wildlife. There are islets surrounding this bay, which makes it an ideal spot for swimming and snorkeling. The experience is worthwhile primarily because of the great visibility that the clear water offers, allowing the visitor to see and truly appreciate the ocean depth.If you are tired of exploring the water life that Palawan Island has to offer, tourists can always take a day or two to see some of the key landmarks. One such landmark is the Plaza Cuartel, which is a ruin that has been restored to commemorate the memories of the soldiers who lost their lives during World War II. Palawan also boasts of having a Crocodile Farm, which has been developed to further the cause of conserving wildlife. Religious monuments like Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral are also famous because of their architectural uniqueness and warrant a definite visit.

Despite not being one of the most popular tourist destinations, a number of luxury hotels are available which give a five star treatment to their guests. Delicious cuisines and all world-class facilities are easily available on the island to make the travel experience, truly magical.

If you happen to have visited this destination, do leave your views and memories in the comments below.

Dynamic landscapes of Lavasa - valley, mountains and river

2015-01-24T16:43:00.000+05:30

I had absolutely fallen in love with the landscapes of Lavasa. The main reason being the various vantage points while getting to and moving around Lavasa.

So the series continues with a few more shots of the valley and mountains. The flowing river and dramatic clouds add to the dynamism of the landscape, to which, I hope I've done some justice.

Now, let's try create a bit of drama through HDR.

And here's the original for reference.

Worth hearing your comments and feedback for the HDR effort.

Aerial view of Lavasa - hills, valley, civilisation and river

2015-01-08T15:15:00.000+05:30

There is little doubt in Lavasa being a serene and picturesque hill station with a lot of it natural beauty still intact. Here are a few aerial views depicting the hills, the valley, civilisation and and the river along with the dam.

An HDR aerial shot of the main town and waterfront

The Picturesque Pawna Lake

2015-01-05T17:29:00.001+05:30

Pawna Lake, alternatively spelt as Pawana, Pavana, Pavna is located on a slightly off-beat route from Lonavla towards Paud. The lake is because of the Pawna Dam, which acts as a reservoir and hydro plant.

Nestled between the mountains, the view is simply breathtaking and serene! The drive is wonderful during the monsoons and the roads are largely pretty good.

Once you've enjoyed the tranquility out here, the Lohagarh fort isn't very far or like us, you could continue on your way to Pune/Lavasa.

Portraits of a little village boy - Age of Innocence

2015-01-03T18:01:00.002+05:30

En route to Lavasa, we stopped by for bhutta (corn cob). At the shop accompanying his father, was a little village boy Bala. His innocence stood out and we took out a Minion, I think, from the car's dash and handed it over to him.

He became the centre of attention amongst the others day and clearly his joy knew no bounds. That age of innocence where little things give immense happiness.

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The Lonely Tree in Solitude

2015-01-02T18:31:00.000+05:30

Day 2 of Project365 continues with a landscape shot from Lavasa. Anything standing out, always catches one's eye, and so did this lonely tree in solitude. Accompanying it for a change was a pleasant cloud cover.

I also pondered what it would be to be staying in those little houses seen in the background on the foothills.

Lavasa Waterfront at Twilight

2015-01-01T16:27:00.001+05:30

After a long hiatus, I return for Project 365, where either I'll upload or take a photo each day. So, we restart from where we left, Lavasa, a beautiful hill station nestled in Maharashtra.

Here are three shots of the Lavasa Waterfront, which is the promenade, around the twilight hour. Let's have your pick off the three shots.

Included are parts of the Dasvino Club

A close-up

The dense cloud cover as the shot dates back to the monsoons

I'd love to know your personal favourite off the three and also if you've got any suggestions on the shots.

Movember - The Begining

2014-10-30T14:58:00.002+05:30

The noble hairy journey that changes the face of men's health, starts with an even hairier one. Know more about Movember and how you can donate on Movember - The Movement and Me.

Alternatively, you can quickly join us here.

Spread the good word...

A Paddy Field

2013-08-16T11:18:00.001+05:30

A Paddy Field

En route Lavasa, we came across this small paddy (I hope I've got this right) field with a bunch of farmers. The sight was quite pleasing for us to see but certainly quite a task to be doing in those conditions.

The old-school manual way of ploughing a field using bullocks

I certainly have tried my hands at this; have you ever tried manual ploughing?

A dense cloud cover

2013-08-09T17:16:00.000+05:30

A Dense Cloud Cover

Hill stations offer tranquility and scenic views and one such view is a dense cloud cover that literally gives a 'walk in the clouds' feel.

Doesn't it?

For those who love soaking up to a downpour, it's all just begun!

Travel and Photos

2013-08-07T16:29:00.000+05:30

Travel and Photos

Travel and photos; the return. It's been almost a year and a half since I have unwillingly been away with this blog and my fellow blogger friends. I've also, sadly, not been able to spend enough time with my camera and on my travels.

But then, the time seemed to have come when this aloofness has started to hit me. And here I am continuing where I left to share and learn.

It's the peak of monsoons here in Mumbai, India, so what better way to start with the current feel and mood!

As always, feedback appreciated and criticism welcomed.

Both shots, en route Lavasa

And I do sincerely hope to be here regularly and respond to comments and email; and of course, kick start Saturday Sareenity very soon!

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Saturday Sareenity - Weekly Challenge 9

2012-03-11T14:14:00.000+05:30

Ran a little late again this week but, welcome to Saturday Sareenity; a weekly meme where you can submit any photo that you think symbolises something calm and serene. It could be nature, landscape, critters, children; absolutely anything.

Based on the voting, we'll have a 'Featured Photo of the Week' in the following week's challenge.

In addition, you can still participate if you don't have a photo that qualifies for symbolising 'calm and serene', but then it cannot qualify for being the featured photo, even if it gets the most votes.

And yes, please do link back to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity.

The voting was a little low last week but there is a clear winner from last week. And it is Carole's Creative Corner - Serene Scene.

This shot has come all the way from Australia and the shot speaks for itself. The stillness of the water, the reflections and the tones in the sky, all just make such a perfect setting don't they?

Congrats, and feel free to grab your 'Featured' button!

And now for this week's challenge.

For those who are new, here are a few simple rules to play by:

Do link the permalink of the blog post that you're submitting and not you're blog URL
Please do try visit fellow participants; should help in discovering other good photography blogs and in learning
You can submit your entries Fri-Tue and then come back to vote Tue-Thus
It would be nice if you could follow
By contributing to the meme, you give me permission to use the submitted photo on my site and even feature it if its the top pick of the week
You must link up to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity for others to join and I'd appreciate it if you can add the button

PS: 'Sareen' is my last name and hence the creative liberty of spelling serene :).

Cheers!

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Voting for Saturday Sareenity

2012-03-07T19:16:00.000+05:30

Well, the eight round of Saturday Sareenity has now moved to the voting stage. If you missed out on contributing your entry, you can certainly join in the voting.

Vote for your favourite entries now! You can vote for up to three entries.

And yes, wishing everyone a very Happy and Colourful Holi!

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Saturday Sareenity - Weekly Challenge 8

2012-03-02T18:46:00.000+05:30

Ouch! My sincere apologies to everyone at Saturday Sareenity for an unsaid week long (actually two) break and not being able to participate myself. Work's been chaotic, but good, which is satisfying! Sometimes, passions and hobbies take a back seat, don't they?

So, without wasting anymore time, welcome to Saturday Sareenity; a weekly meme where you can submit any photo that you think symbolises something calm and serene. It could be nature, landscape, critters, children; absolutely anything.

Based on the voting, we'll have a 'Featured Photo of the Week' in the following week's challenge.

And yes, please do link back to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity.

This week, well I was simply shoddy not being able to drop by or conduct! So, without much delay, the winner from last week is Marit's - Skjell, which I'm guessing means shells.

This shot is from Norway and one look and you know if probably the most beautiful and creative interpretation of shooting a shell!

Congrats, and feel free to grab your 'Featured' button!

Also, thank you for contributing on the voting feedback...we'll be voting for three favourite entries!

And now for this week's challenge.

For those who are new, here are a few simple rules to play by:

Do link the permalink of the blog post that you're submitting and not you're blog URL
Please do try visit fellow participants; should help in discovering other good photography blogs and in learning
You can submit your entries Fri-Tue and then come back to vote Tue-Thus
It would be nice if you could follow
By contributing to the meme, you give me permission to use the submitted photo on my site and even feature it if its the top pick of the week
You must link up to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity for others to join and I'd appreciate it if you can add the button

PS: 'Sareen' is my last name and hence the creative liberty of spelling serene :).

Cheers!

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Voting for Saturday Sareenity

2012-02-22T12:06:00.000+05:30

Well, the seventh round of Saturday Sareenity has now moved to the voting stage. If you missed out on contributing your entry, you can certainly join in the voting.

Vote for your favourite entries now! You can vote for up to three entries.

(Comments disabled for this post; please post your comments on the above post)

Saturday Sareenity - Weekly Challenge 7

2012-02-17T18:45:00.000+05:30

Welcome to Saturday Sareenity, a weekly meme where you can submit any photo that you think symbolises something calm and serene. It could be nature, landscape, critters, children; absolutely anything.

Based on the voting, we'll have a 'Featured Photo of the Week' in the following week's challenge.

And yes, please do link back to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity.

This week was great - the quality of photos coming in were absolutely breathtaking. There were at least 5-6 shots that I absolutely fell in love with and could easily by classified as stunning by all means! And the others too were lovely and serene in their own right.

This meant that voting was very tough; even I had a very had time picking and casting three votes. But the good part was that as many as 11 entries got voted, which means that not only was voting turnout good but also that it was really hard to choose a favourite; we all have our preferences given the mood we are in don't we?

Anyways, without much ado, the winner from last week is LadyFi's - Frozen Lilac.

This shot is from Sweden and shot...well, I wonder if I really have to say anything about it?

Congrats, and feel free to grab your 'Featured' button!

I do have a little question; how does everyone prefer voting? Do you prefer voting for just one entry or are happy to vote for 3? Or would you like to vote for 5 entries and want to see the top 3 featured? I'd appreciate your feedback on this.

And now for this week's challenge.

For those who are new, here are a few simple rules to play by:

Do link the permalink of the blog post that you're submitting and not you're blog URL
Please do try visit fellow participants; should help in discovering other good photography blogs and in learning
You can submit your entries Fri-Tue and then come back to vote Tue-Thus
It would be nice if you could follow
By contributing to the meme, you give me permission to use the submitted photo on my site and even feature it if its the top pick of the week
You must link up to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity for others to join and I'd appreciate it if you can add the button

PS: 'Sareen' is my last name and hence the creative liberty of spelling serene :).

Cheers!

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Miss England...You Beauty...Science Museum, London

2012-02-16T11:37:00.000+05:30

Miss England...You Beauty!!!

Well, may be most would have missed out on this beauty - Miss England. Not sure if she ever took part for a pageant, but surely would have been a front-runner in an applicable category ;)

For her age, she's still very well maintained ;)

Vintage - somethings just get better with age!

Well, all this on a light note, this was an absolute fantastic speed sports boat that I got to see up so close.

On another note, I'd really like thank everyone who keep visiting and commenting; really appreciate all your feedback! I've been a tad busy off late and very poor at responding and visiting back...you are all such lovely people to bear with me :)

And I do sincerely hope to get back on track...soon!

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Voting for Saturday Sareenity

2012-02-15T14:45:00.000+05:30

Well, the sixth round of Saturday Sareenity has now moved to the voting stage. If you missed out on contributing your entry, you can certainly join in the voting.

Vote for your favourite entries now! You can vote for up to three entries.

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Scavenger Hunt - Week 12th February

2012-02-13T20:17:00.001+05:30

This is an entry for the Scavenger Hunt - Week 12th February.The five submissions were for Facial Feature, Shadow, Spicy, Gold and Fabric.

Here is my interpretation and entry for the Scavenger Hunt.

1.Facial Feature
You'll get it aplenty in a bride

2.Shadow
Follow me...

3.Spicy
Fiery!!!

4.Gold
Chuuda and Kalere of an Indian bride

5.Fabric
Batek Fabric Art - traditional to Malaysia

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Saturday Sareenity - Weekly Challenge 6

2012-02-10T18:06:00.000+05:30

Based on the voting, we'll have a 'Featured Photo of the Week' in the following week's challenge.

And yes, please do link back to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity.

It is very encouraging to see such great participation over the past couple of weeks. There were just too many great entries this week and I thought the voting will go right down to the wire! This week though, for a change, there are no ties - we have a clear winner in Tito Eric's - Stardust.

This shot is from Panglao Island, Philippines, and to me is simply majestic.

Congrats, and feel free to grab your 'Featured' button!

And now for this week's challenge.

For those who are new, here are a few simple rules to play by:

Do link the permalink of the blog post that you're submitting and not you're blog URL
Please do try visit fellow participants; should help in discovering other good photography blogs and in learning
You can submit your entries Fri-Tue and then come back to vote Tue-Thus
It would be nice if you could follow
By contributing to the meme, you give me permission to use the submitted photo on my site and even feature it if its the top pick of the week
You must link up to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity for others to join and I'd appreciate it if you can add the button

PS: 'Sareen' is my last name and hence the creative liberty of spelling serene :).

Cheers!

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Voting for Saturday Sareenity

2012-02-08T12:37:00.000+05:30

Well, the fifth round of Saturday Sareenity has now moved to the voting stage. If you missed out on contributing your entry, you can certainly join in the voting.

Vote for your favourite entries now! You can vote for up to three entries.

(Comments disabled for this post; please post your comments on the above post)

Scavenger Hunt - Week 5th February

2012-02-07T15:20:00.000+05:30

This is a very late entry for the Scavenger Hunt - Week 5th February. Though the encouraging part was taking out the camera and shooting after a while. I am not happy with all the work but surely happy about the fact that I could think and shoot in the very limited time that I managed.

The five submissions were for Strike a Pose, Footwear, Hobby, Shiny and Colour me Green.

Here is my interpretation and entry for the Scavenger Hunt.

1.Strike a Pose
Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Twirl; a little doll created by paper quilling. Well, this could have made it through to Hobby as well :)
Also, this is the first use of the macro extension tube, and I like the results.

2.Footwear
Traditional colourful Indian footwear - Mojri or Mojari

3.Hobby
This one got me thinking; travel or photography? So I settled for something that gets going in both!

4.Shiny
A cookie box...ooo...shiny!

5.Colour me Green
A little Bamboo Shoot plant

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The 2012 Calendars

2012-02-06T19:26:00.000+05:30

The 2012 Calendars

Hey, I've been struggling managing time with work and blogs, even photography. The London series is near completion with just a few more bits from the museum and then I wanted to take a break from travel shots. But I just haven't managed to go out enough to get some other good shots, despite getting some new camera kit.

In the meanwhile, I thought I'll use Saru's idea - I've create two calendars for 2012 with very little markups. Just in case you're interested, please check them and feel free to forward it to someone who you think might me interested. Also, I'd love to hear your feedback on them. You can even e-mail me on sareenityphotos@gmail.com.

Cheers and hope to be regular with posts and visits!

The Seasons

World Travels

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Saturday Sareenity - Weekly Challenge 5

2012-02-04T17:34:00.000+05:30

My sincere apologies on the delay this week. I've been occupied with work, erratic with blogging and very slow to respond to comments and visit back. Apologies again and please bear with me; I hope to respond and drop by to see your work soon.

Though rest assured, I'll visit all participants on Saturday Sareenity!

So, welcome to Saturday Sareenity, a weekly meme where you can submit any photo that you think symbolises something calm and serene. It could be nature, landscape, critters, children; absolutely anything.

Based on the voting, we'll have a 'Featured Photo of the Week' in the following week's challenge.

And yes, please do link back to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity.

I'm delighted to know that this meme is getting popular and there have been some great participation over the past couple of weeks. This week we had a three way tie between Sivinden, Marit and Pieces of Sunshine. Each of these for me are winners this week - the serenity and wonderful reflections is Sivinden's shot Linjer, the wonderful colours of morning and snow in Marit's shot Morgenstemning and the beautifully documented shots of cocoon to butterfly in Pieces of Sunshine's shot Discovery.

However, I'll still have the hard task of having the Featured Photo of the week. And this week's pick, because we have three winners, from last week's challenge; is Marit's entry - Morgenstemning.

Congrats, and feel free to grab your 'Featured' button!

And please do check out the other two winning entries as well.

And now for this week's challenge.

For those who are new, here are a few simple rules to play by:

Do link the permalink of the blog post that you're submitting and not you're blog URL
Please do try visit fellow participants; should help in discovering other good photography blogs and in learning
You can submit your entries Fri-Tue and then come back to vote Tue-Thus
It would be nice if you could follow
By contributing to the meme, you give me permission to use the submitted photo on my site and even feature it if its the top pick of the week
You must link up to My Third Eye or Saturday Sareenity for others to join and I'd appreciate it if you can add the button

PS: 'Sareen' is my last name and hence the creative liberty of spelling serene :).

Cheers!

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Vintage Ford - Science Museum, London

2012-02-01T18:24:00.000+05:30

A Vintage Ford at the Science Museum, London

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