Nikon India Photwalk ~ Calcutta (Kolkata)

Nikon School India Photowalk

~ Calcutta (Kolkata) 28 October 2012 ~

The pujas are over and the winter chill has already set in and its ideal time for a photowalk in Calcutta (Kolkata). Nikon School India Kolkata photowalk was scheduled at 6:30 am on the 28 October 2012. The meeting point was Victoria Memorial North Gate.

Nikon School Photowalk Kolkata, Group Photo (Photo Courtsey: Anindo Basu)

Aksah, my colleague and fellow photo enthusiast, and I reached the venue just Victoria North Gate exactly at 6:30 am. Anindo Basu and Soumyajit Maitra of Nikkon India were already there and so were several fellow participants. The participants consisted of a interesting mix of photographers, starting from first timers to hard core veterans but each carried a Nikon DSLR, starting from low end and out of market models like D60 to the latest high end models of D800. Several participants carried a wide variety of lenses, including third party lenses.

Feeding of Pigeons, Maidan, Kolkata (Calcutta)

Photowalk leaders Anindo and Sumyajit decided to give a fifteen minutes grace, while the participants tried their hand on random shots at the Victoria Memorial Gate. It was was time to brush up photography knowledge and discussion ranged from elementary photography knowledge like (shutter speed, aperture and ISO) to advance techniques like bracketing, D – light setting and controlling white balance.

6:45 it was time to start and we began our shoot with flocks of pigeon just across the road. Anido advised us to shoot in shutter priority mode and capture the freeze and blur.  Occasionally men came to feed the pigeons adding an extra element to our photo frames.

Nikon India School Kolkata Photowalk Paricipants at Maidan (4 shot Panorama)

Next we moved inside the Maidan and Anindo advised us to shoot panoramas with human or moving elements in it. I have tried panoramas before but never tried it with moving elements. I tried out a panorama keeping my fellow participants of the Nikon India School in the frame.

Victoria Memorial, Calcutta (4 X 3 Matrix Panorama)

Our next stop was the Victoria Memorial, where Anindo explained the concept of bracketing and HDR. Sadly by outdated Nikon D60 does not have the option of bracketing and I have to restrict my self to standard shots. I tried some unusual angles of the Victoria Memorial and also tired my hands on some reflections. I also tried my hands on shooting Matrix Panorama.

But I was soon back to my usual self shooting the architectural details of the Victoria Memorial. I used my 70 – 300 mm telelense to capture the marble artwork on Victoria Memorial.

Closeup of Victoria Memorial Arch

Finally it was time for the group shot which was shot on the stairs of Victoria Memorial. We took a detour round the Victoria Memorial, with fellow participants trying their hands on wild – life photography (squirels and few aquatic birds).  We went out through the South Gate of Victoria Memorial, and walked all the way to the Haldiram for a mouth watering breakfast of hot kachuris and jilipis.

We returned with a good collection of photos, some valuable photographic tips and last but not least memories to last a life time.

A special thanks to Nikon School India for making the Kolkata (Calcutta) Photowalk a grand success. Also thanks to all my fellow participants.