It was a spectacular scene. The big river was lined on one side with palm trees. The trees were leaning over the river so as to catch the sunlight. The water below had taken on a greenish colour due to the greenery. The sky was partly cloudy and the sunlight mellow. I composed the photo with the coconut trees taking up left side of the frame.

Location

Kariyankode River flows by Cheruvathur town in Malabar. There are two bridges spanning the river – one for trains and the other for road transport. The river can be seen while travelling between Kannur and Kasargod in Kerala.

Technical Data

I used my Canon EOS 550D camera in aperture priority mode. Although the sky was partly cloudy, the light was good. I was therefore able to employ a shutter speed of 1/1600 sec. Aperture was f/8.0. Exposure bias was -2 EV.

Bekal Fort overlooks the Arabian Sea. The 300 year-old fort is spread over 40 acres and is perhaps the largest in Kerala.

The views of Arabian Sea from the fort are spectacular. The tall Watch Tower offers superb views of the coast. There is a beach right below the fort. I could see many eagles, including the white-bellied sea eagle, hover above the beach.Visitors however are not allowed to enter the sea as the spot is not considered safe for swimming.

Archeological Survey of India maintains the fort. They have built lawns and gardens which are well tended. But I could find few trees or shades inside the fort.

The fort is beautiful during monsoons. A.R. Rahman’s hit song Tu Hi Re was picturised here. Click here to watch the video from Mani Ratnam’s Bollywood movie Bombay.

The nearest railway station, for express trains, is Kanhangad (12 km). Bekal Fort (1.8 km) is the closest station for local trains. Kasargod railway station is nearly 16 km away. The fort can be seen during train trips between Kanhangad and Kasargod. Entry timings are from 8 am to 5 pm. There is an entry fee of Rs. 5 per head. Digital and video cameras attract a fee of Rs 25. The fort closes at 6 pm.

The fort offers many photo opportunities. I have used my Canon DSLR camera for the photos. As the sun was bright, I was able to use high shutter speeds. Aperture was maintained at f/8.0. Exposure program was Manual.

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It was extraordinary to see a pathway carpeted with colourful flowers. Trees lined both the sides. The colours were stunning.  It was wonderful to experience this beautiful garden.

Location

The location is Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, South Holland. It is open for two months in spring every year, from mid March to mid May. I was there in May and the flowers were in full bloom. The gardens attract a large number of visitors from around the world.

Technical Data

I used my Canon EOS 550D camera in manual mode, with the aperture at f/7.1 and shutter speed at 1/20 seconds. I had to make several adjustments in the settings to get the tones and light right.

The tulips in red, pink and white sloped down to the lake. The scene was absolutely breathtaking. Across the lake, a clump of trees made a cool shaded space. It was a partly cloudy day in May. The light kept changing as the sun was moving in and out of clouds.

Location

I shot this beautiful image in Keukenhof Gardens in Netherlands. The garden is spread over a few acres and is open to public only during spring time. Many people from across the world visit the place every year.

Camera Info

I used my Canon EOS 550D for this shot. Aperture was kept at f/8.0 to maintain a good depth of field. As the sun was out, a shutter speed of 1/250 sec. could be used.

Click here to view the photo in my Flickr photostream.