day 136

This definitely is not one of my best images, but it is surely an interesting one. Long after the dust has settled on this one, I will absolutely remember the adrenaline-thumping-joy, clicking this image.

It was at the nth minute that I got to know about `Photographers Prepare for a Moment in May' movement.

A message from a friend on facebook, Ramesh Menon the spirit and soul behind the group Passionate Photographers, prompted me to take this photograph.

It said: Be part of a global photography initiative.

Inviting members to carry your cameras and take a photograph at 7pm (19 hrs) Dubai time today, Sunday, 2nd May 2010 in the evening and then upload at the given link.. good luck guys.. and i hope all of your pics appear in NY Times.Be part of a global photography initiative.

(http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/about-3/?WT.mc_id=LE-SM-E-FB-SM-EV-AMI-040810-NYT-NA&WT.mc_ev=click)

I checked the link and it said that I have 3.5 minutes before the BIG MOMENT.

Sunday evening. I am at my laziest best. I had just logged on to check my mails and lo behold i see this message.

What followed was a sweet scramble that made my mother think for a moment - `Did my daughter loose it, for good, this time!'

What followed was a mad rush of a sequence of actions:
Grab camera.
Look around for a theme and photograph.
It cannot be anything, but something that makes sense.
Rush to the balcony. (One place that never lets me down and my window to the world and the sky above)
Sundown. Dark outside, except for the light seeping through windows and doors of homes across the landscape.
Then I spot the red light atop the mobile tower.
Something triggers in my brain box.
Urban landscape, dotted with mobile towers. Saying something about the progress the country as made and the way it has changed the skyscapes of our city.
Quickly try and take a picture.
Then realise you need a tripod, because it is dark outside, which means slower and longer shutter speed. (too much adrenaline is making the brain have hiccups)
Rush back inside to grab the tripod.
Eyes fall on the computer screen.
There is just one minute left.
Make a mad dash to the balcony.
Upset Jinju in the process.
She is angry because I disturbed her watching her favourite serial on Asianet (yes, that is not a dog, but a human in a lot of dog fur)
She barks and tries to block my way.
I whack her. A little pat, which does not even disturb the fur on her body but upsets my mom pretty fast.
Now I have very little time left.
Will I be able to make it?
Will I be able to click a picture at the same time as thousands of photographers around world?
screw the camera on the tripod. (i mean screw in a nice way)
focus, check the shutter speed and the aperture, put it on timer and press click.
Right on time.

And then wait to see the outcome. Not the best. But suddenly it hit me, I was part of something that involved scores of people across the world. And that makes the picture look good to me. It's a funny feeling. But it is nice-funny.

Just the thought of people across the globe raising their cameras at the precise moment and clicking that one photograph that captures their attention at that precise moment was fascinating to me.

Then I pondered, why did I have to rush through all this madness to take that picture at the prescribe time. Nobody was watching me. I could've cheated right? Maybe I could've clicked the photograph 5 minutes later. But I didn't, why?

Well, could be the result of mob mentality....lol

But on a serious note, I think we tend to be more honest when the responsibility and the onus is on us. You cannot cheat your conscience. It is as simple as that.