Saturday, July 16, 2005

Videography

I have a liking for videography. The interest in this hobby started way back in 1997 ( first ,interest in the Digital camera and then Video camera) . It was when my office purchased a Digital Camera for general office use and I being responsible for 16 Spare Parts Warehouses all over India started using this to take some photo's of these WH's to show to our directors the improvements being done. At the same time , i took some photos of family members or important places I visited during my tours to these WH's.

This was appreciated in the office as well as in the family circle. Then came the camcorder. My office had one and with the experience i had in the digital camera, I got the nod unanimously to use this camcorder at the AL's official functions (in which I took part). I was the honorary videographer in many functions which included dealer conferences both in India and overseas !!

i used this during our Singapore trip ( myself, Girija, Sudha and Subha)in 2001 and we have three cassettes of very good memories of that wonderful trip.

Seeing the photos and videos that I took , our ED ( Mktg ) nominated me as the chairperson of the photography club that he formed. ( It was another matter that the club ceased to exist when that ED ( M) resigned shortly afterwards !! ).

I finally had the chance of owning one myself when I purchased the Sony Handycam from Japan ( courtesy Ashok ) in Dec 2003. Ashok handed over that to me in the last week of Dec 2003 and the first video that I took from this handycam was the New year eve celebration at Sudha's apartment on 31st Dec in which one year old Dhanush took part in the fancy dress parade( not competition ). He was dressed as a Murugan and it was fantastic. From that time onwards, there was no stopping for my heriocs with the camera. Fortunately for me, function after function came in quick succession and my Handy cam was very busy and I gained good experience.

Some of the important events that have gone into this camera are
The growing of Dhanush ( still continuing )
Arvind Poonal
Arvind nichayathartham
Ashok Kalyanam
Arvind Kalyanam
Priya Nichayathartham
Priya Kalyanam
Sudha's house making( shot over a period of 10 months )
Sudha's Grahapravesam
Janani Nichayathartham
Hari's Seemantham
Subha's Marriage reception at Pune
Sudhan's nichayathartham
Raja Uncle's office functions


As I get more and more experience, I find it more interesting and also I am learning to use the various options available in the camera- like fader, memory mix ,backlight setting etc.etc.

It is really a fun. Try using it. You will love it !

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Autos in Chennai

It is really a mystery as to why any Govt in Tamilnadu is not able to control the Autos in Chennai. They are just about 50000 in nos and if a Govt cannot control this small number, how can they claim to have control over the whole state of more than 5 Cr people ? Or is it that they do not want to control ? If it is so, why ?

Whenever I go out of Chennai, I am at peace while travelling in Autos, be it Bangalore, Pune, or Hyd . There you can get into any auto, at any place, any time , get down at any place you want, you are not charged more. Oh, in Chennai, the Auto meters are all " Soodu vachha meters" - to those who do not know Tamil- "tampered meters". No two autos will show the same fare for a fixed distance , but they all will show about 200 to 300 % more than the normal fare !!

And if you want to engage an Auto in the morning, the driver will ask you for "extra" saying that he will not get any passenger for the return trip. And this will be the excuse , whenever you travel or wherever you travel. They want Extra , that is all.

Of course, because of all these problems, for the last two years or so, no person living in Chennai will agree to pay the fare based on meter reading. He will bargain , but most of the times , end up paying a higher amount that what is due.

Now , with the raise in petrol fare, we are in for trouble once again. We all know that an Auto will run about 20/25 Kms for a litre of Petrol. So for an increase of Rs 3 per litre of petrol , the increase in running cost will be only 15 paise per KM. but the autos will demand an increase of atleast two, if not three rupees per KM.

So, if I was paying Rs 70 to T Nagar ( a distance of 9 Kms )till now, I may have to pay now Rs 85 or 90 from now onwards .

It is really a pity that the Govt is silent on this issue . It is the duty of the Govt to fix reasonable fare and see that the Autos follow the system. When will we get a functioning Govt in Chennai ?