Old souls of China

China, a country widely recognized as the economic superpower of the planet, has had to pay heavily to achieve the feat. The country's average age is increasing every year(mostly due to their one child policy). Also, the country has had such a rapid growth in terms of commerce that the cityscapes and lifestyle has changed drastically over the past few decades. As an observer, I felt the older generation has seen too much of a change to digest, and are somewhat lost in the bubble.

My love affair with the Fuji X100

So,almost 1.5 years ago, I first saw the X100 online and fell in love with it. I had to get the camera,somehow. Amazingly, I did get it in Oct'2011. Using this little gem of a camera was a refreshing experience- knowing that I have a fixed 23mm lens(APS-C Sensor which makes it equivalent to 35mm in Full frame format) with outstanding ISO performance and mind boggling image quality, it somewhat replaced my Nikon DSLR(at certain occasions). The Fuji X100 has been trusted by quite a few professionals and serious enthusiasts. Despite its slower than expected AF system, it does produce images that are quite unique. I have a 35mm f/1.4 on my D700, so I am quite familiar with the focal length. Having said that, this Fuji lets me come up with different kinds of frames which I wouldnt have composed with a DSLR. Add to it that retro look, the Fuji X100 makes for a tempting mistress of sorts. Here are some of my personal favorites with my X100.

Friends in B&W

Tazuin Z. Chowdhury, or Lyl as I call her, is a soul sister. This was at the serene Kattoli beach a few days back.

Nusrat Khusbu,my bad friend as I like to call her. Beleive it or not, the curtain was as red as a red apple!

Zuhair Hussain KHAN, who isn't a terrorist. This was taken during my last month in China, during one of our very frequent gatherings.

Ishrat Amin, one of the most popular wedding photographers of the country trusted me with her own portraits. Well, what can I say, I felt honored.

Vasudha Chowdhary, during one of our many photo expeditions in China. This was at an old factory/garage setting. Boy,the light was brilliant.

Jessica Islam Lia, writer/photographer. Taken during one of our very rare meetups in Dhaka.

Piumanga Leelaratne, from Srilanka, one of the very few persons I would have regretted about if I wasn't friends with. This was a rare occasion where she actually let me photograph her.

Uzma Alam, muse, angel, close to heart. This was one of our early dates. A photograph very dear to me personally.

Pooja Dhotah, or Poo as we called her. I remember how excited I was to shoot with my newly acquired 35mm f/1.4G. We have been spotting this location all winter.

Maksuda Lillah, a friend from school. That day I met her after quite a few years. What was funny was that we had never been that close as friends before the last time we met. But I guess through distance, we have seen each other grow up and somehow felt that we were going through similar motions in life.

Dooshav Jagarnath, or Doosh as we called him. If somebody told me I'd make friends with a badass rock punk who loves alchohol, I would have never beleived him. But then I am glad that Doosh changed it.

Abdul Basith, or Babbai as we called him comes from Hyderabad. This was one fine evening after i got my Sigma 85 1.4.

Himadu Warnakoolasurya, I am sure I missed out on her middle name. And that she's crying over the fact that she is so low down in the list,haha. Thats her!

Mohammed Abdi,or Mo Bank like he calls himself of facebook. Selfless soul. This was after one of our final exams in the fifth year, I can imagine why he was so happy.

Farah Aklima, who came to buy my 50mm f/1.8 lens 3 odd years earlier. This was the very first time we met in Cofi'11,chittagong.

The world of shadows

"Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other." -Carl Jung

Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it?
Henry David Thoreau

Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life.
Jean de La Fontaine

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.
Carl Sandburg

The very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
William Shakespeare

One can live in the shadow of an idea without grasping it.
Elizabeth Bowen

Time flies over us, but leaves it shadow behind.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

Language of the Eyes!

And you thought verbal language is the only mode of communication! I beleive eyes are the window to the human soul. Here are my personal favorites: