NEX-3 and the Voigtlander Color Skopar 35 F2.5

I am still not over the fact that this beloved setup of mine is gone forever.

The Sony NEX-3 came out more than a decade (13 years!) ago. I was already a Sony digital user with Sony's first A100 DSLR from 2006. But the mirrorless usecase (and hence the future) was obvious to me so I sold my DSLR and got the Nex-3 with it's 18-55 kit lens.

The reason I came to Sony was that my friend Himanshu had a couple of Minolta lenses. So when I earned my first money and ran straight to the JJ Mehta camera shop we naturally gravitated towards the Minolta cameras. I got the Minolta Dynax 5. After a while Minolta got taken over by Konica and they rebranded as Konica-Minolta. After a while apparently Konica sold the camera division to Sony and Sony continued with the same Minolta A mount. Hence the Sony A100 with the A mount.

Coming back to this setup: the NEX-3 was a fantastic camera. Super light weight and compact - hardly larger than a serious point & shoot. But the lens was long and of average quality. So I went in search of used rangefinder lenses on the forums as the new E mount was adaptable to other mounts. I purchased this Voigtlander Color Skopar 35/2.5 lens from a stree photographer in New York city. This lens, even with the adapter, made the overall package exceptionally compact. People did not believe that it was an APS-C setup. The rendering of the lens was endearing and many of my best photos are clicked with it. I miss it.

The sun and the flag

The sun moves northwards inexorably...

Being stuck mostly indoors for the whole of the past year we have been forced to look closely at what we can see from our vantage. The world around is infinitely interesting if we choose to peer and ponder.

The 200-600 extends the reach to things usually too minute to notice. Like this flag against the setting sun...



Serious Observations of a Funny World

The Human Condition

The human population has exploded. The cities swell and compress periodically to accomodate the numbers. Expanding out the boundaries and compressing internal structures. There is the great force of survival at work. But like a virus or a parasite, we destroy what we encroach and live off. Parasite or a virus.

We have to evolve into a symbiotic species. Live with the life here. Else the earth will cure herself of this infection.

Dear Abhi

Goodbye 2018

A quiet year comes to an end. Slow motion towards the future. Watching the daughter grow.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Mumbra Hills

Oh so long ago we came here with Errol D'Douza to learn rock climbing. Me, Vivek and Shabbir. We started with the nursery at Kanheri. Then did the slab there at 34. Mumbra was harder – there were lots of loose rocks around.

It must have been sometime in '97 or '98. One early morning we travelled from Kurla by slow train to Mumbra station. We had to go towards the right - towards Kalva. The slums were not as widespread as now but we still had to navigate them. Errol told us of the Nutan (film actress of old) bungalow which was perched on a ridge. It was a famous landmark at that time. From our spot we could see the railway line below us and the water body beyond. Errol was a super fun person with amazing stories. He was also a kickass teacher.

A few years ago I went to stay at a friend's friend's place in Kalva. We reached very late and partied all night. In the morning when I woke up and looked out of the window, lo behold our old rock climbing spot right outside! The buildings have taken over now. Everywhere.

Ride

Ride into the rain – Ride.
Across the windy plain – Ride.
Through winding lanes and slanting hills – Ride.
Ride into the fading rain... Ride!

Rain clouds

Slowly but surely the monsoon creeps near. The clouds come down closer to the land. There is a fragrance in the air. Of the awakening earth.

Father

All senior people love the corner seat by the window. I think as we grow older we observe more. Life still remains mysterious, perhaps ?

The photo
Camera: Sony A6000
Lens: Sony Zeiss 24mm F 1.8

I loved the light coming from the window. He was so lost in his cell phone. The leading lines of the left wall all pointed to him.
Processed in Capture 1.

Lights

Lights, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

I do not enlighten those who are not eager to learn, nor arouse those who are not anxious to give an explanation themselves. If I have presented one corner of the square and they cannot come back to me with the other three, I should not go over the points again.
~Confucius

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Be Still

Be Still, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

To dream, we must be still.
To live, we must dream.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Sasurwadi

Sasurwadi, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

It is strange to pass through my city as a stranger. And I did literally pass through a tiny corner - Mulund check naka - on my way to my in laws in Kalyan. After a break, the first impression of this great city is dirt, stench, smoke, heat, sweat and a mind numbing shitload of people. And I am just coming over from a stone's throw away Pune.

I travelled in a local train after a while. I sat there on the proverbial fourth seat and watched the ebb of humanity around me. It was a curious experience. I felt like a researcher on an observation trip among some native population. In front of me was a Aagri couple from the rural community at Diwa. The guy wearing glasses with golden frames through which he meticulously scanned an entire newspaper. This left hand thumb nail was at least an inch long. His wife was wearing a large amount of gilt or gold - I could not tell - jewellery. Her green net saree had gold, silver, purple and yellow flowers on it. She was past forty but carried herself well.

Then on the backside was a young chap from some village from up north. He looked like a young Bacchan wannabe right out of some 70's movie. His super tight full shirt with two front pockets with triangular flaps and tight white trousers with shiny vertical stripes made his lean figure look leaner. The wore a band in his right ear and carried a focused mean look.

...

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Spirituality

Spirituality, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

“The mainspring of every race lies in its spirituality, and the death of that race begins the day that spirituality wanes and materialism gains ground”

~ Swami Vivekananda.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Earth

Earth, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

The original frontier.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Lost

The perspective from 3 feet above ground is different. The ants look bigger. The dogs, fearsome creatures. Looking around he saw nothing but definition-less foliage - indistinct and ominous. There seemed a few paths leading into different directions but all he could see were distant mountains raising above the mass of green on one side and a fading blue on the other. He sat on a thoughtful rock and contemplated about contemplating. Since quite some time he had been trudging on, believing that the path would lead someplace. But as time passed the thoughts became as indistinct as the swirling green around. What had been cool earlier was now warm and what was bitter was now acceptably tasteless. How we change ourselves when we are not sure nor comfortable with who we are. He looked at a distant peak and thought that he should have aimed for it since the start. At least he might have gone in one direction than the circles he seemed to be doing now. For a aimless soul like himself it would have been a reason, a tonic.

"Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood and probably will not themselves be realized." - Daniel Burnham

Danger

Danger, originally uploaded by _quasi.

440 VOLTS.

These boxes are everywhere, control valves for the electronic blood of the new life form which are our cities.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

Daily Elixer

Daily Elixer, originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

A proverbial glass half full of sweetness. Of optimism.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

why ...

On the road

Back to the blog. After a long while. Talking to myself. For the benefit of my reading in the future. What's the point of a diary which is public ?? Trying to reduce my insignificance in this world ? To go unheard and unseen would be so much less than to have the a hope of a chance of some random travelers seeing this. Or an even remoter hope of them understanding. But I digress ...

Does one really fall in love just like that ? Why do we do it ? Does it just happen ? I dont know, really... I think maybe one meets someone and there is some 'connection' ... some reason to warm to the person. That is just the ingredients there. You need a vessel too. The frame of mind to want to let the other person under your skin (like Jude was advised)... And then there needs to be the fire. The process of actually cooking. I think love only happens if you are willing to cook. It takes time to know someone. To trust someone. To let someone in your life. ....

Maybe. Maybe not.


Duh. 'nuff of this now.

The fast bus.

The fast bus., originally uploaded by quasi's mobile.

In the brittle april afternoon heat she flew down the long highway. Guided by the resolute hands and white hair of the mahoot. Deftly weaving around slow moving vile trucks. Charging down on the tum-tums. Hopping out of the way of the nimble dancers.

Serious Observations of a Funny World

The invitation

Wildflowers, by quasi


The Invitation:

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

by
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com/
(via Madhu Reddy)