Six years of life

I did not have a car when I started this blog. I also did not have a DSLR. In fact I was not even sure I had an interest in photography. I would just click photographs from the camera in my mobile phone. The objective was to capture Delhi and its changing face and the moments.

It has been six years since the first post. I, now, drive my car to different parts of the city. Mount my DSLR and click photographs. I do not post on this blog as often as I would like to. My love for the city is still all-consuming but my expression of that love has altered. I now have a keen interest in photography and travel to other places in the country with the gusto which was early reserved for just Delhi.

I think Delhi Photo Diary (with a spelling mistake in the url) played a big role in adding little traits to my personality over the last six years. It ensured I met lot of new people, invested in exploring the city a little more and most importantly learnt a little more about myself during the journey.

I might blog more this year. Or I just might become a fleeting presence in the World Wide Web. I don't know what the future holds and no longer try to find the unknown. But if anyone visits the blog and sees this post, I'd like to tell them that the journey so far has been one of the most important ones of my life. And just by visiting the blog and staying here for a few minutes they too have become a part of my life. And for that I would like to thank them.

Here is a photo of the Tree of Life I spotted a few moons ago at the Design Fair at Dastakar Haat in Meharauli.

 

I dedicate this photo to all those who have altered my life in the last six years. You have made it a lot more fun and exciting. Thanks!

Also, Happy Birthday, Delhi Photo Diary (DPD)!

P.S: I have decided to go back to the roots of this blog. I will be posting photographs taken from my camera phone for some time. Minus the minutes spent on Photoshop. Because I feel the need to unlearn and relearn.

Hindustan Times: Delhi Blog of the Week

I'll be turning 30, the big three O, over the weekend. I don't think the celebrations could have started in a better way. 

Delhi Photo Diary has been featured as the Hindustan Times Delhi Blog of the Week. It's a full circle moment for me since in the early days of my career I had been an intern with the organization. To be featured on its pages has brought a big smile to my face.

Thanks to all of you, who have been with me since March of 2008, exploring Delhi through my words and photographs. 

To Read, Click on the photo, and then enlarge :-)

Fifth Birthday Celebration Contest Result!

Firstly, thanks for participating. It was a pleasure to see people taking time out and sending entries. Also, I was glad to know that others love their cities as much as I love mine!

Deciding the winner was not an easy task (wonder how others do it). So I decided to pull in the services of my mother and asked her to tell me which photograph she liked best.

As they say the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, she also loved more than one photograph.

The joint-winners of the first DPD contest are... drum roll please...

Winners: 

Kshiteej Sumant (from Pheonix) and Vivek Arya (from Haridwaar)

Honorable Mentions: 

Niranjan Dandekar (from Pune)Ankita Kaul (New Delhi)Meet Kaur (Jodhpur)

There was one photograph by Trisha that would have won hands down. However, the condition of the contest was to like the DPD page on Facebook. Her entry cannot be considered for the contest because she did not like the page.

The winners will receive their prize, a Flipkart voucher worth 1,000/- (given by CupoNation) in their mail boxes.

Hope to see you with more pictures of my city soon.

Thanks again for participating. This was fun!

Continue to post on the Facebook page of DPD!

Fifth Birthday Celebration Contest

Five years!

Yes! DPD is five today. Five years of capturing my city through different cameras. I started the blog by capturing my city scape through the lens of my phone camera. Then, the love for my city graduated to the love for the art of photography. I think growth and love need to be celebrated.

So, I invite you to participate in the first ever DPD contest.

The prize is a Flipkart gift voucher worth rupees 500. Now the prize is a Flipkart gift voucher worth rupees 1,000 by CupoNation. So put on your thinking caps and think harder.

Participating is a piece of cake.

1.       Take out a few moments and like the DPD page on Facebook.

2.       Post one photograph from your city (clicked by you) on the page.

3.       Write 5 lines about why that photograph is special to you.

4.       If I like your post, I’ll declare you the winner.

CupoNation

Once you submit your entry, visit CupoNation website. I promise you’ll not be disappointed. CupoNation is India’s largest coupon portal. It makes the online shoppers shopping experience even better. They offer discounts up to 60% for a vast selection of categories like books, electronics, clothes, etc. So, don’t waste time and head to the website and grab some coupons!

Winner:

1.       You will be judged the winner if your post tugs at my heartstrings J

2.       The contest is open for three weeks.

3.       The results will be announced by me on 3 April 2013 (the deadline has been pushed back so that many more people can take part) 10 April 2013 on my blog as well as the DPD Facebook page. The best way to ensure you do not miss the result is to keep checking the blog and the DPD page on Facebook.

4.       The winner must contact me by email within a week of the announcement to receive the voucher.

Spread the word of the contest and ask your friends to participate as well. 

 Good luck! Revisit the moment when you fell in love with your city and play to win!

Photography Exhibition at India Habitat Centre

I went to India Habitat Centre after a very long time, today.

A few days back, Sherry Aggarwal mailed me asking me to visit and feature the exhibition cum sale of photographs clicked by the students of Delhi School of Photography on Delhi Photo Diary. I could not resist the temptation and went to see the exhibition. Some of the photographs were nice and it was an evening spent well.

Happy 4th Birthday DPD!

Today is Delhi Photo Diary's 4th birthday. In these four years I have see a lot of faces and facets of Delhi and have fallen in love with the city several times over.

With winter deciding to stay in the capital for a little longer, Delhi is blooming with beautiful colours and I thought that a spread of spectacular colours is the best way to celebrate four years of the blog!

Hope you like all the colours and wishing many more years of falling in love with Delhi :-)









These are not drops of water but tears of joy that I have shed over the last four years.

Celebrations with a Christmas Hangover

I am extremely happy to share that Delhi Photo Diary has crossed the 1 million hits mark. Icing on the cake, this feat was achieved on the blog's third anniversary! Thanks for visiting, sharing and commenting on the blog for the past three years! I hope to see a lot more of you and show you more of my beloved city!


Dilli Haat decided to be a part of the celebrations by continuing to be in a state of Christmas hangover.

Shutter Mania

I was recently interviewed by Sukalp Sharma from the Financial Express. Here is the article for all of you to read. :-)

Delhi Photo Diary In The Sunday Guardian

Recently, I was interviewed by The Sunday Guardian about when I started Delhi Photo Diary. Here is the article for all you. :-) To Read, Click on the photo, and then enlarge :-)

400th Post: Miles More To Go

When I had started this blog in March of 2008, I had never thought I would continue with the blog for it to reach 400 posts. The way had seemed to long and far away. Just as I logged in to post today, I saw that today's post would be 400th. Wow! I have managed to capture four hundred pages of my Delhi in my phone and shared with the wonderful people of the blogosphere. Thanks to all of you who come regularly and appreciate my effort. This is what keeps me going. The sun seems nearer. Hoping for 400 more posts. :D

These are the photos of a cold sunrise from a freezing Delhi! The weather might be cold but I am blessed to be surrounded by warm hearts across the globe.

One Year of DPD. :-)

Today, is the first anniversary of Delhi Photo Diary, and hence the cake. :-)

I would like to thank all you wonderful bloggers, who visit the blog alomost daily and leave your comments. Waiting for the comments has become the highlight of the day and I enjoy each and every moment of blogging. Hope to blog for several more years.

Thanks friends! continue visiting.

Loads of love and affection from Delhi. :-D