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PIR PANJAL AT SUNSET


PIR PANJAL AT SUNSET
Photo Information
Copyright: Ram Thakur (ramthakur) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2922 W: 107 N: 7380] (23929)
Genre: Landscapes
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1995-05
Categories: Mountain
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-01-12 5:27
Viewed: 719
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Flash back into time again.
Early summer of 1995.
Haloga – a tiny little hamlet of just four households -- perched on the lip of a minor spur at altitude 7500 ft in a little known vale in the Western Himalayas.
District Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India, to be precise.

I have just finished the gruelling climb of nearly four thousand feet from the bridge across the Baira river to reach my father’s apple plantation set another 500 feet higher on the gentle hill slope above the village.
My father is pleasantly surprised at my unexpected arrival. It is nearly six of a fairly long summer day and my sudden appearance has interrupted him in his preparations for an early supper.
I crave a hot steaming cup of tea or coffee after the ardous climb and he happily suspends his cooking to brew me one. While he is fussing over it on a wood fire, I cast a casual glance at the mountains across the valley through the single window of his log hut. The sun has already set in the little valley where the log hut is, but it still lingers at the tall ramparts of the Pir Panjal range on the eastern horizon, bathing them in a glorious golden light. Almost absently, I take out my Yaschica from its leather case, aim at the view and press the shutter. A single shot before my dad hands me that desperately coveted mug of coffee.

Friends, I have posted that shot today. I was somewhat an indifferent kind of nature photographer then, hardly aware I would dare to share that shot with TN community on January 12, 2007, almost twelve years later. I am in the process of scanning and digitalizing some of my old photgraphs these days, so the urge to share one or other of them sort of turns irresistible on occasions. I wrote in my note with one such picture I posted sometime ago that I have not been to this place for years, so I cherish these old pictures as memories of a period of my life gone by. Nostalgia is a strong emotion, as my friend Loot keeps reminding me from time to time. Thanks, my friend!
A scanned picture has its limitations. Hope you will abide with me if you choose to look at it, and thanks if you do.

Warm regards to all.
claudine, horia, red45, cataclysta, scottevers7, marhowie, Alex99, JORAPAVI, jmp, dew77, pankajbajpai, uleko, pablominto, cedryk, loot has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jmp: Thanks, Joseramthakur 1 01-12 13:26
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Ram,
Again, this is this beautiful and colorful place with this great POV and this nice story that goes with it. I think that scanning is bringing good result as the picture looks very clean to me. I like these pastel colors and this beautiful contrast between light and shadow. This is very nice with interesting notes. Thanks,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2037 W: 212 N: 3625] (12074)
  • [2007-01-12 6:23]

Hi Ram

This is a splendid flashback i presume. The feeling to be up there, so high above the sea level and to have such a breathtaing view must be most impressive.
The perspective here is fantastic and the look towards those respect commanding peaks is gorgeous.
The hight of the place where when you took this shot is also well visible just by observing how deep the velley in the FG is.
A superb composition, my friend!
Bravo and TFS
horia

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2793 W: 75 N: 7806] (26099)
  • [2007-01-12 7:10]

Hello Ram!

Another amazing view. You showed us mountains in all theirs glory and majesty again. I love POV and composition with sunny peaks and valleys covered by shadows. Beautifull.

Hello Ram
I didnt have to much time to comment the photos on treknature in 2007. I see that you post many beautiful photographs. I promise I will catch up on commments. Beautiful landscape with a great colors and light. I like the intresting frame. As always very interesting note.
Best wishes
Krzysztof

  • Great 
  • jojo Gold Star Critiquer [C: 168 W: 0 N: 8] (176)
  • [2007-01-12 7:33]

Splendide paysage hivernal
beaux détails et belles couleurs
bravo

jojo

Hi Ram,
Stunning scenery! Just breathtaking (and lung busting if you are climbing there). I would die to have a view like this everyday.
Looks great!
Scott

Well done Ram.
I like this shot for its grand scale of beauty.
The sunlit, snow covered mountain tops are beautiful.
Nice results from your scan, I enjoyed your notes and the visit with Dad. It sounds like a day you'll always remember with great fondness mf.

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2975 W: 148 N: 4398] (14271)
  • [2007-01-12 8:50]

Hi Ram.
Thank you for your heart note and very nice picture. You have done this shot with love and we can see and feel it.

I like captured view: it is very beautiful. I like the combination of the light bright cloudy sky and top of mountains and dark blue gorges: they are very expressive. I like your presentation of the shot and its framing: it is very impressive. I like you, my friend: deeply feeling and owning the nice taste of art writer.

BRAVO and my best wishes.
Alexei.

Hola Ram,
El paisaje, el color y sobre todo la luz son muy hermosos. Saludos

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2338] (8400)
  • [2007-01-12 12:51]
  • [+]

Hi Ram,
Your majestic mountains, so cold, so big, so beautiful,... blends with your warm, nostalgic, personal father-son relation in a huge/minimal size combination, in a timeless/ephemeral time proportions,... So much feeling engraved in your memory, visible in your paper photos, digitalized for your friend, disseminated by the web as electronic/spiritual dust,...
Best regard,
José M.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2007-01-12 14:14]

Hello Ram,
Very nice landscape.POV,colors,lighting and composition are wonderful.Have a great weekend!
TFS..:-)

lovely landscape shot,
the mountains look beautiful,
well composed shot with excellent pov,
tfs & regards
pankaj

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2342 W: 164 N: 7019] (22222)
  • [2007-01-13 10:52]

Hello Ram,
I perfectly understand your nostalgia as your roots are in this most wonderful part of the world! The contrast between your present life and that of your father's must have been remarkable. I have never in my life experienced such peace of mind as I did when I went to Ladakh and stayed with local people in their simple homes. Something I really treasure!
Thank you for the note and for the beautiful snowy mountains!
Tfs and best wishes, Ulla

Hello Ram,
Beautiful landscape, where the rugged mountains still are kissed by the sun!
The low light in the valley makes the summit stand out even more, and the scenery is well framed...
Good foreground interest and a nice feeling of depht in a fine composition!
Greetings,
Pablo -

:-) OK-

  • Great 
  • mrcrow Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 458 W: 123 N: 197] (2996)
  • [2007-01-15 16:37]

wonderful shot of a country with such beautiful frontiers..and the note is reminiscent of my three thousand feet trek from the modi to the himalaya lodge in ghandruk..
some day i will revisit india and hope to get to an area like this..
the air is quite phenomenal
god bless
geof

  • Great 
  • cedryk Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 955 W: 57 N: 1603] (4947)
  • [2007-01-21 22:24]

Namaste Ram,
Thanks for sharing this majestic view with us. I always like to look at the valleys and peaks at sunset. Of course I prefer to actually be there but...
I perfectly understand your nostalgia!!! The same feeling in me,my friend!
Best greetings,
Michal

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5649 W: 595 N: 3348] (8905)
  • [2007-01-24 8:43]
  • [2]

Hi Ram

Years ago I saw some wonderful paintings that depicted amazing mountain scenes like this shot of yours, where the snowy peaks were bathed in joyous sunlight, the valleys showed in a mysterious twilight, and the skies portrayed a brilliant splash of well lit clouds and blue skies. This is your posting over and over.

Normally I’m rather partial towards scanned images, but these mountain shots you are showing us lately and especially this one really has a brilliant quality too it. I just love it. Yes, of course one can see it is scanned, but there is just that ‘something’ special to the quality and the mood it creates. Lovely deep colours, good details, and great exposure is the result of very good original photos plus very good PP work.

Very well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

PS. I bet you could actually taste that cup of coffee from 12 years ago while writing your note. You did not know then what would still happen with this photo as you do not know now what might still happen with it in the future, but at least one thing is sure, this photo is safe here at TN for who knows how long where anyone can read about that day up in the mountains. Sort of a continuation of that fond memory for years to come.

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