Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar » Saraswati

Candids in Vagator

Rajan P. Parrikar — Sat, 07 May 2011 06:56:18 +0000

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With its sweeping views of the Arabian Sea, the bluff at Vagator on Goa‘s northern coast is an atmospheric location. On a recent outing, I had the pleasure of recording the bliss experienced here during sundown by young and old alike. The first four images below are of my little niece Saraswati.

Taking it all in: Saraswati in Vagator
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Saraswati
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Frolic in Vagator
5D Mark II, 135L

Saraswati sulking next to her grandfather
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Lovebirds
5D Mark II, 135L

Contemplation
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

Point-and-shoot
5D Mark II, 135L

Golden light: my father Motilal Parrikar
5D Mark II, 135L

Dyrfjöll

Rajan P. Parrikar — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 04:39:12 +0000

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As soon as I got into Goa the other day, my little niece Saraswati showed me something that at once brought to my mind the magnificent sight of Dyrfjöll (“Door Mountain”) in east Iceland. This striking formation is encountered en route to Borgarfjörður Eystri, and looks like a wall with a slot punched through it. On this morning, the thick, low hanging cloud cover lent the scene an air of foreboding and mystery.

Dyrfjöll
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

The sight of the dearly departed tooth of my little niece Saraswati is what took me back to Dyrfjöll.

Dyrfjöll of the dental kind
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50mm f/2 Makro Planar

PS: I am currently without my colorimeter and have no way of assessing the accuracy of the display calibration on my Macbook Pro.

In Praise of 85L and 135L Lenses

Rajan P. Parrikar — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 07:14:41 +0000

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In the realm of Portraiture, two lenses in the Canon line-up – EF 85mm f/1.2 L II and EF 135mm f/2 L – have attained occult status for their superlative optical performance and for the creative possibilities they open.

The 85L II lens was primarily conceived as a portrait lens. Not the fastest autofocus arrow in Canon’s quiver, it is best deployed in controlled, deliberate situations. With its widest aperture of f/1.2, it is a delicate tool requiring of care & skill.

The 135L lens revels in tight head shots and its fast autofocus lends it an extra edge. Stopped down, it is a splendid candidate for landscape work in the medium telephoto region.

A couple of portraits of my little niece Saraswati, taken in Panjim, Goa, are offered below.

The first image taken with 85L II underscores its signal feature: ability to cull the essentials from a composition – in this instance, the eyes – with its wafer thin depth of field at f/1.2.

The second is a quick, spontaneous capture with the 135L at an outdoors event. Here I had no choice but to make do with the angle & character of the available light at that moment. Perhaps the soft shadows in this instance enhance the profile. You decide.

Close-up of Saraswati
5D, 85L II @ f/1.2

Portrait of Saraswati
5D, 135L @ f/2