Posts

Moving Back to India From USA - Part 1

   Introduction A very common question that arises in anyone living on H1B or student visa in the USA is that what happens when I come back to India. I have spent days discussing with my US friends about what to do and what not to do in case we go to India one day. Somehow I was very clear that I wanted to move back to India in case my H1B application does not get picked up in the lottery or maybe I was tired of all the restrictions imposed on me due to my visa. Here in this blog post, I am going to write down some of my experiences about moving back to India from the USA.  Be prepared for chaos In a very short sentence, there is chaos everywhere in the city. You will notice this as soon as you reach the airport arrival gate. Discipline in traffic is rare. It is absolutely normal to see trucks coming on the wrong side on a busy highway, SUVs driving on the wrong side in-office hours, etc. There is one very important thing to remember is that there is at least one virtual lane available
2 comments
Read more

Astrophotography India - Shoot Milky way using kit lens

Image
 Basics  Astrophotography is a fairly popular genre of digital photography. Advancement in digital photography has allowed photographers to capture beautiful night skies. In the early days I was quiet astonished to see milkyway photographs and always wanted to capture amazing night sky.  India is a bit tricky place to find a dark place in my opinion. In US, especially west coast has a lot of opportunities to photograph milkyway because low light pollution. India has lots and lots of town and villages which leaves very little room for such places. Such places are either a part of national park of restricted area. In the upcoming sections I will try to explain the process to capture milkyway. Process to capture star lapse is similar.  All images are captured by canon 18-55 kit lens with entry level DSLR body. Planning Scouting for a perfect photography place is a key for capturing milkyway. PhotoPills application can be very helpful to find the perfect location and preplan photoshoot. Th
Post a Comment
Location: Acadia National Park, Maine, USA
Read more

Snow Leopard: kibber wildlife sanctuary (Basics)

Image
Introduction  Snow leopard is a big cat living on high altitude mountain range of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Kazakhstan. I got motivation to see snow leopard after hearing stories from Vipulbhai and Catherine who run wildark . Unlike other photographers, I have taken this challenge without prior knowledge/experience of shooting big cats in wild (Tiger/Lion/Leopards). As a hobbyist wildlife photographer, I have always enjoyed observing new species and photographing them. After carefully considering various challenges, me and my friend Bhavya Joshi decided to take on this challenge to go on this expedition.     Places to snow leopard in India Ladakh Spiti valley Ladakh: Hemis national park located in Ladakh is considered to be one of the major hotspots for wild snow leopard sightings. Hemis national park is one of the largest parks in India. Due to its large area, sightings are relatively difficult. Spiti valley: Spiti valley has became a popular hotspot for snow leopards.
2 comments
Location: Kibber, Himachal Pradesh 172114, India
Read more

Birding and wildlife in Ladakh - Chapter 1

Image
Ladakh - The land of passes Ladakh is a remote region located on the north western part of trans Himalayan region. It lies between two mighty mountain ranges - great Himalayas and Karakorum. It is a cold desert having a short and pleasant summer while the winters here are extreme with temperatures dropping below -15 degree Celsius is quite common. It is the least populated area in the entire Indian subcontinent. Majority of ladakh inhabitants are Buddhist. In this article, I am going to share my experience around the eastern ladakh which includes wildlife hotspots like shey marshes, pangong-tso, Hanle, Puga and tsokar.  I am documenting my experience almost after a year from my visit so I am likely to miss out on some information. Wildlife in ladakh has adapted to extreme and harsh climate. In the summer months, wildlife is observed at high altitudes while during the winter months, wildlife can be observed at lower altitudes. There is a wide variety of wildlife found in this re
Post a Comment
Location: 194101
Read more

WES procedure for GTU(Gujarat Technological University) - CANADA

Image
WES WES is one of the important and time-consuming steps for immigration to countries like Canada. It is a required step for students and other visa categories. In this article, I am going to explain about the process to send WES verification parcel through GTU. For the student who can not go to the university, a few additional documents are required in order to complete the process.  Note (Mar 2021) The comment section suggests that there could be an option to send electronics documents directly. As I am also a student and wrote this blog so it gets easier for someone who wants to go through this process. Most of the things should be the same except sending the copy to WES.  Based on comment updated information can be found here . GTU Gujarat technological university has few processes set in place to tackle WES. If all the documents are present then the process is relatively seamless. Only catch in the process is the operational hours for the university. The official time fo
98 comments
Read more

Little Rann of Kutch: Paradise for bird watchers

Image
"Not So" Little Rann of Kutch Little rann of kutch, also known as LRK is one of the finest places in India for observing and photographing raptors. LRK is a salt marsh covering an area of 4954 square km. Despite being an arid and featureless land, LRK has an impressive mixture of habitats which includes flat land, desert grasslands, scrubs, lakes, and marshes. LRK is the last refuge of the Indian wild ass (Khur). In a true sense, it is "not so" little rann of kutch.  LRK always have something to offer. In LRK, you may end up getting a lot or nothing at all. LRK holds a very special place in the heart and it is one of my favorite places to visit.  Best time to visit LRK November to February is the best time to visit little rann of kutch. December and January are generally considered as peak season time for birders and tourists. March is the time to visit LRK to photograph mammals. Reaching LRK The easiest way to reach LRK is by road f
Post a Comment
Location: Bajana, Gujarat 382745, India
Read more