Guruvayoor Express

Easily, it could have been the worst train journeys, but for her Presence. The train was scheduled at midnight. After a long day in Ernakulam and its backwaters trip, we were all expecting the train at the station, but rain came before that. All of us were wet, and losing our patience by the time the train had arrived. To our surprise, the reserved compartments, where no way looking like that. There wasn't any space to enter in, forget finding our seats. Since it is only a 3 hours journey, I had booked for Seater chair, and all of them were occupied.

We had to literally drag people out of our seats to take ours. We were all certainly disgusted with the suffocation spread everywhere there. The people were everywhere, leaving out any scope of a circulation space. They are everywhere, on top of the luggage space, beside the toilets, above everything. As usual we had the our Monish man with a WL ticket, and we had to adjust within ourselves. Forget about others, we had to be Squeezed for our own space.

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Had no clue, how the travel came to end. Sruti was clearly pissed when we got down. She wasn't showing any cheer, nor others. Of course, I could see only her and attend that issue. I told, "Guys the next leg is starting here from Nagercoil station. Lets have some great time in his wedding today". No one was amused to hear a thing now. Sruti gave me that look, as I went to her. I hugged and told her, "Its over! It will be good from here". She smiled.

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Francis & Rashmi

One of the longest trips, and the most cherished ones. 3 bus trips, 2 train trips, one flight and etc etc kinds of travel. Started from Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Mumbai-Ernakulam-Nagercoil-Trivandrum-Kanyakumari-Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai-Ahmedabad, in the company of Archana, Rachit, Monish, Mohit and Sruti, of course.

Everything looked all set.
• Ahmedabad to Vadodra in Intercity bus
• Vadodra to Mumbai in Goa Sampark Kranti
• Mumbai to Ernakulam in Mangla Laskhwadeep
• Ernakulam to Nagercoil in Guruvayoor Express
• Nagercoil to Tirunelveli in Van
• Tirunelveli to Madurai in SETC bus
• Madurai to Chennai in SETC A/c bus
• Chennai to Ahmedabad in Spicejet

Best timed-Best company-Best Times-Best Prepared I should say. Had a grand background study, and I read on e-documents on wedding photography, bought polarisers (which I never used), had my first D-SLR out on a trip. Enjoyed shooting each and everything, and with your girlfriend what more interesting subjects one need.

Not just too many travel modes, but also Too many tickets, most of them waitlisted (!!!), esp monish's [;)]. After crossing Vadodra, reached panvel station at early morning in Goa Sampark kranti. The next train which carries Sruti & Archana from Delhi will reach by 9, and I had met Monish, Mohit & Rachit at Thane Station. The girls were fed up with the span of 24 hrs till here, and sweating all over. Gave us that look.

After the daytime travel, it was time to have our berths to get some sleep. After the tickets got cleared, still Monish ticket was found in waiting, and the victims were me and sruti. By the virtue of being thin and in-relationship, we had to share the berth. Any complaints!

Got down on at Ernakulam Town station at morning. In search of hotel room till evening train at 10. We got out of station looking for the room. All finalised. I went to station with Rachit to get remaining for the hotel. As Sruti and Archana came in the vicinity of the Hotel premise, they refused us any space there, and even informed the adjacent hotel to do the same. The pressure level was at its usual. After giving some ghaalis in mallu, we found another hotel.

Wedding Assignment and Preparations...

The dates were fixed on 30th January 2009, and for my luck, that particular week there wasn't any class scheduled. Yeah, this is the time for a break, with friends. Got ready for the trip, booked tickets. Geared up for the assignment, which was a purely exploratory object for me. I thought this could increase my pace. I thought I could look for a project in it. I thought I could shoot for friends from different regions and compile them all in a years' time. In the process there was a question pondered on my head quite constantly.

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The main question of the preparation was posed to one of an international wedding photographer who visited NID-G for a small workshop. The wedding Photographer showed her work, explained the way the operate, the money they charge. She looked like one of those accomplished photographers. She should be the right person ask this question. I asked her, "How could one light-up a dark-groom and a fair-bride standing beside each other"!!! Her eyebrows had a different answer.

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A First & A Last: November 2008

First:
Wedding to shoot. Of course I was not the main photographer in any sense. It is my friend's sisters' wedding at Nagercoil (almost Kanyakumari, the tip of India). All I had was my Sony H9 Digital Camera. I just did whatever I could. There wasn't any focus nor manual mode usage!!!

Last:
Kind of last few days there at home, before leaving to NID. One of the last few days I got to spend with my friends. All of them were there for once, after a long time of 5 years.

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I was running around with my camera in my pouch as usual. Someone from the family's side was asking me to shoot them, and in comes Ragu. He says,"He wont take all these, he is a professional Photographer"

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