Local trains in Mumbai carry more than 7.24 million passengers every day. The passenger density is unparalleled in any city railway system. The entire route is electrified and there are trains running every 3-4 minutes during peak hours.
Churchgate-FastLocation
The shot was taken in Vasai. The train was headed to Churchgate which is the last station in Western Railway on South Mumbai side. At the other end is Virar. Services in Western Railway have been now extended from Virar to Dahanu.
Technical Data
Shutter speed was 1/500 sec. at f/3.3. Focal length was 9.3 mm at an ISO speed of 100.
You can see the photo on my photostream in Flickr.
Startled DeerAt first I did not see the deer amidst the greenery of the forest. It was well camouflaged in the shadows, with the spots on its coat appearing like specks of sunlight. The deer was probably as startled as we were when we came face to face. It was looking straight at the camera and I was able to click some photos.
Location
The location was Wayanad in Kerala. We were travelling from Thirunelly to Mananthawadi. There was thick forest on both sides of the road. It was 9 in the morning. The sun was up and the light was good. The car was moving slowly when we came up on the deer.
Camera Data
I used a Sony DSC-W35 camera. Shutter speed was 1/320 sec and it helped to get a sharp image. Aperture was set to f/3.2 at a focal length of 7.2 mm. No flash was used.
This is one of the most viewed photos in my Flickr photostream, with more than 11,000 views. You can view it here.
Photo BreakI came across a group of young workers laying a new power line. It was close to sunset. I was carrying my camera. They asked me to take their photo and I agreed. So they briefly stopped their work and posed for me. Some were carrying electrical insulators. After I took the shot, I showed it to them on the LCD screen of my Canon EOS 550D. They seemed happy and went back to work.
This photo will be published next month in the Winter 2014 issue of New Labor Forum, a magazine published in New York, USA.
Location
The image was captured near the salt pans of Vasai. The area was without electricity and running water. Many acres of land can be seen with hardly any human habitation.
Technical Data
The camera was in aperture priority mode with an aperture setting of f/8 so as to get a good depth of field. Shutter speed was 1/32 sec and focal length 18 mm.
Queen of the NightQueen of the Night blooms at night. By next day morning, the flower would have withered. Furthermore, the flowers bloom only once a year. The short life means that the flowers cannot be photographed if one is not ready at the right time.
When a Queen of the Night started to open in my garden, I kept a watch. At around 10 at night, the petals had opened up. But the light was low and I could hardly make out the flower in the darkness.
A flash did not produce the desired result. I then used an LED light. It was directed upwards at the flower. Exposure was f/4.5 at 1/50 sec. ISO rating was 400. Subject distance was 380 mm. I made several shots and then photomerged them together in Photoshop.
Electric Locomotive Ghaziabad WAP-5 #30017 Hauling August Kranti Rajadhani ExpressIndian Railways uses a class of electric locomotives called WAP-5. The WAP-5 series of locomotives haul the premium trains on Indian Railways like the Mumbai Rajdhani Express, Bhopal Shatabdi Express, Lucknow Shatabdi Express, Thiruvananthapuram Rajdhani, Prayagraj Express, etc. The Bhopal Shatabdi hauled by a WAP-5 travels at 150 km/h (93 mph) in the New Delhi – Agra Cantt section.
The first 10 locomotives were imported from ABB in Switzerland in 1995. They are supposed to be a variant of the Swiss Lok 2000 (Design Concept) and German DB Class 120 (Mechanical Chasis). Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) started production in 2000. It was designed to haul 18 coach passenger trains at 162 km/h (101 mph). It is the first 3-phase locomotive in India.
Other key features of the locomotive are the provision of taps from the main transformers for Head end power (HEP or Hotel Load), pantry loads, flexible gear coupling, wheel-mounted disc brakes, and a potential for speed enhancement to 225 km/h (140 mph). Braking systems include regenerative braking (160 kN), loco disc brakes, automatic train air brakes, and a charged spring parking brake. MU operation possible with a maximum of two locos. At trials, a WAP-5 has been tested up to 185 km/h (115 mph).
Around 60 of these locomotives have been put to service as of January 2013.
@ Wikipedia
