My ‘bless me’ image was selected to be on the cover for Issue 12 - Spring 2008 edition of ‘Wet Ink’ Magazine from Australia. ‘Wet Ink’ is a magazine that’s dedicated to publishing new and exciting writing.

You can order your copy online here. Thanks Simon Lownsborough for selecting my image.

On Sep 11 2008; I got a email from Photoshelter Collection informing that they are closing down.. this came to me as a very sad news..

I was on PhotoShelter from their start.. and believed they understood photographers.. I guess the business did not work out the way they wanted and was not sustainable.

I still believe they dared to do something different .. something that needs to be appreciated and commended.. thank you PhotoShelter for that.. and I wish you all the best for your future.

Here is the email I got from them..

Dear Friends,
We’re contacting you today with some unfortunate news - we will be closing The PhotoShelter Collection, effective October 10, 2008. Going forward, our team will refocus heavily on enhancing our original product, The PhotoShelter Personal Archive, which several thousand photographers use for bulletproof storage and online image sales directly to their own clients. Our financial position remains solid and we look forward to working with the photography community for years to come.

More details about timing and the implications for contributors can be found in a personal statement on our corporate blog, and this FAQ document.

Just one year ago, we started the Collection with a mission to “change the image marketplace for good.” Since then, we’ve amassed a remarkable global community. We’ve built a unique position in the industry fueled by integrity and a true passion for photography. We’ve held our commitment to fair treatment of photographers with a 70/30 split of every transaction, opened up your access to information through our School of Stock and symposium events, and gave every photographer - regardless of one’s network, location, or level of expertise - a fair shot at selling your work to the industry’s top buyers.

However, our approach was insufficient to change buyer behavior on a grand scale and generate revenues quickly enough to satisfy our goals for this product line. While image buyers worldwide appreciated our new approach, the size of our image selection and the incumbent player’s entrenched subscription relationships were a persistent challenge. As a result, we saw few strategic options for the Collection that would allow us to stay true to our commitment to a better deal for photographers and our desire to change the industry.

Despite today’s decision, we remain committed to using technology to advance both the art and business of photography. Our team’s energy and innovative resources will ensure that the Personal Archive remains the best online solution to help independent photographers write their own success stories. If you are not yet a Personal Archive subscriber, we hope you will continue your relationship with the PhotoShelter community through that product.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to our global community of contributors. We’ve enjoyed a full year of seeing your exceptional images cross our desks, developed warm relationships with many of you through PhotoShelter events, and shared in your excitement when you’ve achieved sales through our marketplace.

We’re looking forward to chatting more with you in person and demonstrating some new Personal Archive enhancements at October’s PhotoPlus International Conference.

With gratitude,

Allen Murabayashi

CEO

And here is the link for their Press Release. Another interesting read you may want to go through.

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On Sep 11 2008; I got a email from Photoshelter Collection informing that they are closing down.. this came to me as a very sad news..

I was on PhotoShelter from their start.. and believed they understood photographers.. I guess the business did not work out the way they wanted and was not sustainable.

I still believe they dared to do something different .. something that needs to be appreciated and commended.. thank you PhotoShelter for that.. and I wish you all the best for your future.

Here is the email I got from them..

Dear Friends,
We’re contacting you today with some unfortunate news - we will be closing The PhotoShelter Collection, effective October 10, 2008. Going forward, our team will refocus heavily on enhancing our original product, The PhotoShelter Personal Archive, which several thousand photographers use for bulletproof storage and online image sales directly to their own clients. Our financial position remains solid and we look forward to working with the photography community for years to come.

More details about timing and the implications for contributors can be found in a personal statement on our corporate blog, and this FAQ document.

Just one year ago, we started the Collection with a mission to “change the image marketplace for good.” Since then, we’ve amassed a remarkable global community. We’ve built a unique position in the industry fueled by integrity and a true passion for photography. We’ve held our commitment to fair treatment of photographers with a 70/30 split of every transaction, opened up your access to information through our School of Stock and symposium events, and gave every photographer - regardless of one’s network, location, or level of expertise - a fair shot at selling your work to the industry’s top buyers.

However, our approach was insufficient to change buyer behavior on a grand scale and generate revenues quickly enough to satisfy our goals for this product line. While image buyers worldwide appreciated our new approach, the size of our image selection and the incumbent player’s entrenched subscription relationships were a persistent challenge. As a result, we saw few strategic options for the Collection that would allow us to stay true to our commitment to a better deal for photographers and our desire to change the industry.

Despite today’s decision, we remain committed to using technology to advance both the art and business of photography. Our team’s energy and innovative resources will ensure that the Personal Archive remains the best online solution to help independent photographers write their own success stories. If you are not yet a Personal Archive subscriber, we hope you will continue your relationship with the PhotoShelter community through that product.

We want to express our deepest gratitude to our global community of contributors. We’ve enjoyed a full year of seeing your exceptional images cross our desks, developed warm relationships with many of you through PhotoShelter events, and shared in your excitement when you’ve achieved sales through our marketplace.

We’re looking forward to chatting more with you in person and demonstrating some new Personal Archive enhancements at October’s PhotoPlus International Conference.

With gratitude,

Allen Murabayashi

CEO

And here is the link for their Press Release. Another interesting read you may want to go through.

]]> http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/2008/09/13/photoshelter-collection-is-closing/feed/ http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/2008/08/27/love-of-the-small/ http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/2008/08/27/love-of-the-small/#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:59:05 +0000 akshath http://blog.akshathkumarshetty.com/?p=68

I have been a big fan of tiny/small gadgets mainly the small computer (Subnotebook).. and smaller they get more sexy they look to me.

For those who did not get what I meant by Subnotebook in the first paragraphs.. A subnotebook is a small and lightweight portable computer, with most of the features of a standard laptop computer but smaller.  Subnotebook are also known as “ultraportable” and “minilaptop”, while Intel has coined “netbook”. The term “ultra-mobile PC” (”UMPC”) is also used, although this is the name of a platform of small form-factor tablet PCs (see UMPC).

Subnotebook shot to lime light in 2007 with the launch of ASUS EEE PC; its success caught most hardware manufactures off guard. And within a shot span of time all other manufactures started releasing UMPC computing products like Acer Aspire One, HP 2133 Mini, MSI Wind PC and others being on their way out..

After much deliberation on which subnotebook to order I recently ordered my Asus EEE PC 901 Linux edition from Amazon. I also got it to India with my friend who happened to be coming back around the same time. I have been playing around with it for a week now; and I am absolutely loving it. I uninstalled the Xandros Linux that came with it and installed the Ubuntu-EEE (Ubuntu optimized for the Asus Eee PC) within two days of using it. The startup speed and battery backup is amazing. And I am getting used to the multi-touch features and the small keyboard. Shall soon post a detailed review.. till then you can view this Youtube video..

Also I just came across this nice little computer called ‘Space Cube‘ - claims to be the smallest PC in the world and it measures a mere 2.1″ x 2.1″ x 1.8″. That according to me is ultra cool ! Its hard drive is actually a 64MB SDRAM card, and it is equipped with a LAN port, USB connectivity, and a monitor connector as well. It’s an offshoot of the Space Systems Research Group of the University of Dundee.I can see amateur robotics and rocket and other engineering groups being interested in devices like this and it can open a can of possibilities for them.

If you have found any such interesting gadgets do sound off in the comments..

Be a proud Indian.. go celebrate Independence Day with fellow country men. Hearty congratulations to Abhinav Bindra on becoming India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist at Beijing 2008. Thank you for making all of us proud. Shot last year at MG Road, Bangalore, India.

One of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway’s steam engine under goes its daily servicing after its trip at Coonur Railway Yard. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is one of the oldest mountain railways in India. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a UNESCO - World Heritage Site as of 2005. This railway links Coonoor to the town of Mettupalayam at the foot hills of Nilgiri Mountain. Coonoor was the original termination point of this railway, before the line was extended to Ooty. Shot at Coonoor Station, Tamil Nadu, India. (more info)

All photographs displayed here are copyright protected (All right reserved) and I own the copyright (unless other wise stated). You may only use it in its original form for personal use on your computer. The images should not be reproduced, published, transmitted in any forum (even via e-mails/or upload to Orkut/or any other networking sites) or in print or in any other physical or electronic forum either in part or in whole without the explicit written consent from the copyright owner. Legal action will be initiated against any individual, organisation, institution, agency, publishing house, etc. who violate the Copyright laws including but not limited to those mentioned here and use the image for any commercial/non-commercial purposes. If you would like to use any of the photograph displayed here commercially or would like to use for any other use please do contact me.

Kambala or Kambla is a famous rural sport, prominent in districts of Udupi and Mangalore in the state of Karnataka in India. Kambala is also known to be held in few northern parts of Kerala like Kasargod.  Kambala is a traditional buffalo race in muddy waters, held from December till March on weekends (sat/sun) every year.

(Click on play button to watch the photo video)

Kambala is a race between pairs of bullocks, which are rode by a human. The bullocks are tied together with a wooden shaft over their neck. These bullocks are typically dedicated bullocks of the family for the Kambala and are pride of the family.

More pics and details after the jump…

The race is conducted typically on an unused rice field in muddy water. The length of the race is usually about 100 or 200 meters. The race are classified based on the age of the bullocks; and this is determined by counting the number of tooth that has fallen. Winners are paid rewards in cash or kind.

Locals in this area look forward for these events yearly and are a great get together for the family and friends. These races happen at break neck speeds and are a treat to watchers eyes and are very popular among everyone from aged people to city going to youths.

Popular Kmbala include Kadri Kambala, Koti Chennaya Kambala, Jaya-Vijaya, Surya Chandra, Kantabare Boodabare, Lava Kusha, Katpady Arasa Kambala and Kaup Arasa Kambala.

Below is a brief photo documentary of the sport/art/passion what is known as Kambala. You may click on the image to view it large (will display inline).

My Flickr set for Kambal photographs may be viewed here.

Most kambalas are held under the banner of Kambala Samithi and the rest are held under the support of temples and political support.

The above collage is a result of photographs taken from my two kambala trips to Puttur - ‘Koti Chennaya Kambala ‘ and B.C.Road ‘Jaya Vijaya Kambala’.

– Update (based on few comments) July 02, 2008 19.16 IST –

About the animals and their treatment: There is always two sides to a story on any thing. Here I have not tried to hide any thing.. this is more of emotions I felt watching Kambala and I have tried to capture the same with my camera and share with you all.

Please do note that Kambala is a very old traditional sport/art of the people of south India. It is their only entertainment and it is their passion of the people around these places. Most of these raiders and people own these bulls are farmers and look after these bulls as their family or how people in cities look after their pets.  These bulls are very well taken care of.. in some case more than the once that are used for farming or manual labor.

I personally have seen races in these Kambala where the rider is very hesitant on hitting or hurting these bulls.. I can very clearly remember one young pair where bulls were just walking and the rider just used to try and scare them by just acting/patting one there back.. I think he was even softer then most moms would pat on their kids.   And there are definitely few exception and it hurt me.. some people don’t understand animals or care for them. It is these people that need to be educated.  These exception are there every where as in life.

There will always some times be bad treatment of animals when ever humans interact with animals in any place. One can talk about people pets at home to domestic helps or animals being used to transport goods to animals being used in agriculture or in sports or in entertainment.

Most people in there ignorance or trying to boost there own ego end up harming animals.. especially the wild once.. I can recall a recent incident on my trip to one of the national parks.. people used to stop on the highway and feed the animals like langur or deer. This makes these animals think every one passing by may give food and they end up getting killed by speeding vehicles or by poachers.

I think most of us .. at least me care about animals and respect the work Menaka does for animals.
—-

Related post by Suruchi (fellow photographer) can be viewed here.

All photographs displayed here are copyright protected (All right reserved) and I own the copyright (unless other wise stated). You may only use it in its original form for personal use on your computer. The images should not be reproduced, published, transmitted in any forum (even via e-mails/or upload to Orkut/or any other networking sites) or in print or in any other physical or electronic forum either in part or in whole without the explicit written consent from the copyright owner. Legal action will be initiated against any individual, organisation, institution, agency, publishing house, etc. who violate the Copyright laws including but not limited to those mentioned here and use the image for any commercial/non-commercial purposes. If you would like to use any of the photograph displayed here commercially or would like to use for any other use please do contact me.

I have a good news; one of my images was recently licensed (RM) by Deborah for use on her blog at www.lifeinthefastlane.ca; below is a screen shot of the blog featuring my image. The original image can be viewed here (or here). This was shot on a moving train on my trip to Gokarna with my BWS gang. The model featured here is Shreelesh; he is one of my good photographer friend and partner in crime in most of the photography trips we go.

This image was sold in par with market rates and has been licensed for online use for 2 years for the blog under RM license. I would like to request the same to everyone don’t under sell your work and make it difficult for other pro photographers out there and never give images for free or for credit or for publicity unless they are a non-for-profit entity like a NGO.

Deborah has a very nice blog; do make sure you check it out at http://www.lifeinthefastlane.ca

Note: There are 3 images in total for the header which rotate, mine being one of them. If you don’t see it rotate, hit refresh in your browser.

With the release of Firefox 3 on June 17, 2008; Mozilla want to set a Guinness World Record for the most software downloaded in 24 hours. You can pledge your support here;

As per the official release Firefox 3 hash more than 15,000 improvements and this version is more faster, safer and smarter than before.

So spread the word around and get ready to get it on June 17

FF3 will be available 10:33 PM of 17 July 2008 in INDIA

Link to download Firefox 3

Take a Tour of Firefox 3

I recently did a shoot with Reshma Gopinath. She is a professional dancer from Bangalore. She also teaches dance to children at her home. Below are a few shots that have been compiled to video using animoto.com