| Nik's Photography

Welcome!

The site is being updated, meanwhile feel free to visit my blog posts!

Kodaikanal Photography

Hello guys, here's the loot I collected from my visit at Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India:

Valleys of Kodaikanal

Waterfalls in Kodaikanal

Lake Kodai

Coakers Walk

Pillar Rocks

Click here to see the list of stuff I've covered from Ooty!
Oh and do not forget to relish some Amritsar, while you're at it.

All photos are clicked by Nikhil Bijai.

Read More 0 comments

Camera cover sketch and Painting

From the diary of a given-up photographer:

The physical attraction of a plain black cover of a Sony Cybershot DSC W90 (yes you read it right a DSC W90!) may not exactly burn the photography genes in you as compared to that of a black glamorous DSLR Camera (which looks more like a sports bag). Yet, the aging camera cover pulls me through memories of of the thick and thin that we together as a photography team had gone through

On the digital camera front, this old camera is more like the Kodak roll camera, compared to all the smile-shutter and hybrids out there. But, I can assure you one thing. This little beast has never given up on me. Never! Right from the time I had brought it back three years back from a store that we all in Mumbai know as Alfa from Vile-Parle West. Photography has never been the same for me ever since.

Coming back to the vibes from this plain old camera cover, lying there in front of my 21 inch AOC Monitor, zipped tight. ”The camera’s full! Get all the photos into the goddamned PC!” my mom had yelled a few minutes back. And yet, it was lying there. Mist filled memories.. perhaps like the ones by agent from Call of Duty Black Ops, being pulled time and again back through his life.. Well. Our story runs deep. Each photo says a story worth imbuing an entire novel full with ink. But then again.. that is the beauty of a photo. It portrays a million words in one flash of sight. Like those waterfalls in Kodaikanal, or even in the Hotel Leela these memories flashed by me in a fraction of second.

So, there it was.. and I wondered, one day even you might get replaced. To make that moment picture perfect, I decided to pay homage to it, in the most iridescent way possible (not by obviously photographing it). Yes. You got it right, in the form of an artwork. Here it goes:

camera cover sketch painting

Retouching Photography:

The past one year has been obscenely dull, where in I quite literally quit all my hobbies and other passions (photography topping the list) because the mere act of working 9 hours in an office consumed me and made me feel used up by the time I reached home. Soon enough I realized something need to be done. The plain hypocrisy dominating my life had to stop. It was time to prove my self proclamation of being an art & music man to be true. Piano mastery doesn’t come natural to any man. Same holds true for the art of painting. And that is no different for photography either. But only when one practice is does he realizes his potent being touched, nourished and loved. One thread to follow would be carrying of space art in the direction where it was heading a few years back.. Towards heaven.

Diego Forlan has become what he is by a multitude of practice and sheer mad determination. So shall Nikhil Bijai. Photographer, Artist, Pianist, Song writer amongst a million other things.

Seepz lake

Seepz lake is a picturesque lake developed and maintained by the companies residing inside the SEEPZ commercial complex, Mumbai. The lake provides a much a place to relax and enjoy for employees working in the surrounding companies and stress ridden offices. Seepz lake houses a host of fishes regularly fed by the employees and the caretaker. The far end of the lake boasts a variety of bird species unexpected in such parts of mumbai, that dwell in trees and near the water. The Seepz lake has been recently renovated with donated artworks and sculptures from neighboring companies.

The scenery around the seepz lake provides quite a stress buster for people obsessed with work and trying to find peace in a world full of noise and pollution. The lake is probably the only remaining lake in Mumbai, free from much pollution and maintained in a professional manner. The surrounding flora and fauna are a delight for an average nature lover and also for a nature photographer.

Friends and even lone vagabonds are seen threading around the well kept round about, circling the entire lake and enjoying the picturesque view of the delightful SEEPZ Lake.

More about SEEPZ:

Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ) is a Special Economic Zone in Mumbai, India. Situated in the Andheri East area, it is subjected to liberal economic laws as compared to the rest of India to promote rapid economic growth using tax and business incentives and attract foreign investment and technology. Seepz was created in 1973 and was seen as export processing zone. Since then many other SEZ’s have been created in rest of India. SEEPZ mainly houses Electronic Hardware Manufacturing Companies, Software Companies and jewellery exporters of India. More than 40 percent of India’s total jewelry exports ($2,222.31 million) out of $5,210.69 million during year 2006-2007 came from units within SEEPZ. Despite its name, it is not located near the suburb of Santacruz, rather it is located closer to Andheri that lies further north.

Golden Temple - Amritsar

The Golden Temple

The Golden Temple of Amritsar is undoubtedly one of India’s finest and most revered temples. Situated at the heart of vibrant and prosperous state of Punjab, this Sikh Gurdwara is more famously known as the Harmandir Sahib in the Sikh Community. The grandeur of the Golden Temple lies in the fact that it was constructed atop a wonderful lake.

History of the Golden Temple

As the story goes, Gautama Buddha himself used to frequent the spot where the Golden Temple exists today, during his time back then, contemplating on life and enjoying the serene and peaceful beauty of Amritsar. Later, another sage came by this spot, who lived by this very lake and meditated for hours and days together. This priest went on to create another Religion altogether. He was called Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion. Followers of Guru Nanak continued to visit the site, and over decades, it became the sacred shrine of the Sikhs. Guru Ram Dass, the fourth guru, enlarged the lake, and the fifth guru, Guru Arjan, overlooked the construction of The Golden Temple. The construction of The Golden Temple was finally complete in 1600.

The Golden Temple faced numerous attacks during it’s time. The Gurdwara was constantly under fire from the moslems. The Sikh Gurus and the Sikhs in general have done a courageous job of protecting their shrine through all the thick and thin. The Golden temple was rebuilt a number of times under the guidance of the different Sikh Gurus, and now it stands tall and proud with an almost 90% Golden exterior that shines flamboyantly all day and night signifying the love and valor bestowed upon it by the Sikhs of India.