If you need to experience a stark contrast from your current city farmer state. I suggest you head to the hilly Himalayan region. Take long breakfast breaks on cafes, lined along the pavement. Sip on chrysanthemum tea, eat carrot cakes and watch locals and tourists go about their daily business. Share your table with bewildering guests with no common language knowledge and make mad hand sign conversations or just be the trigger pressing human taking pictures of everything. You’ll come back with a penchant for long lazy breakfast hours.

The land of smiling happy people is the mental postcard of Himachal Pradesh I have carried back with me. Surrounded by the snow caped mountains of Himalays, the place has to be experienced and swell words does not help in being articulate. This is the closest I have been to the snows and the sight is cathartic.

I had been dreaming of Himachal for months now. After going through tons of blogs and pictures and articles, I couldn’t resist but make a trip to the hilly region. McLeod Ganj was the destination this time around.

McLeod in pictures from my phone. Detailed posts about what to do and where to go to follow soon after I empty my memory card.

I recently attended a photography lighting workshop. A lovely grand old man spoke about lights and how to utilize it favorably at all hours. How to work the light angels et al. It was a Saturday well spent. The assignment at the end of the class  before I begin the next set of advance classes was to put all the studio education to practical purpose. Photographing open spaces and people happens to be my favorite thing. Hence I choose the city theme. So for the past three weeks I have been taking at-least one picture every single day on my way to work, pleasure. Suddenly the weather gods have become quite peaceful in Bangalore. The sky always has a pleasant shade. I put together a small compilation of what I have been seeing through the lens over the weeks. I am in love with assignment, wondering if I should extend the photo diary assignment without the limitations of a theme.

Olive and wine red have become my go-to colors lately. It’s Spiffy and everything in that color for some reason looks so rad. Wore this to brunch at Le Christal, my new favorite brunch and tea place at Lavelle Road. Good food, ideal for tea tasting in the evening while you watch the sun go down. Plus if people watching is your thing then this will be your new hangout as well. Go try.

(Wearing: Shirt, Shoes, sunglasses- Zara Trousers- Mango, Clutch- Flea Market find)

Dear Summer,

I write to you from the depths of a shoe closet where I sit wrapped in butter paper. I am quite young and have not really seen the world. Can you please be a little less harsh so I can walk around without suffocating the person wearing me. (For those who don’t believe in global warming, we will deal with this once I am outside) I am no gum boots hence cannot walk around during the monsoons. The slush does not help my health. I was listening to Vegabond- Wolfmother this morning and they sing about living free and walking around all day long, precisely my thoughts. All I ask is please don’t make me do things against my will.

Yours sincerely,

Red Boots