TIGblogs - Zia's TIGBlog

Sting - Why Should I Cry For You? (Live - Berlin 2010, HD) - YouTube

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:11:00 EST

Once in a while we'd like to be reminded why we fell in love with something/someone. This particular song reminded me why I loved this song and why I think it's still one of the best songs out

Selective Attention Test - Daniel Simmons

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:11:00 EST

Do we see only what we want to see? Are we effected by preconceptions? Is our visual experience augmented by suggestion? Millions of "cases" are solved by eyewitness testimony alone and thousands of people are put to death relying on these accounts. It's not an optical illusion and this is the most sterile version available online (other versions use music, choreography, color and lighting in abundance to augment our visual reception

The End Question - Part 1 -

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:04:00 EDT

I am going to try to unravel a question that’s been haunting me for a while. It’s been about five months since I turned thirty, I believe, it’s just about the right time to be thinking about the prospects that lay ahead. Yet, we cannot define the purpose behind all of it, until we’ve defined the inevitable. Death to me is as real as it gets, five time lucky survivor of malaria, twice recovering from typhoid, and a bout with jaundice. The fact is, death is as pervasive as life itself. We’re all getting old, a few of my friends and relatives are already dead, some are dying. Whichever way you place it, there’s nothing calming about death or the prospect of it, as one of my friends, a geneticist from UCL, put it aptly, whether it’s heart disease, cancer or just old age, the fact that you’re dead means some part of your body malfunctioned catastrophically. I guess you know how it feels when some part of your body does not work as it is supposed to. Whether it’s a minor cut, a mild fever, d...

Way To Enlightenment

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 12:08:00 EDT

France has been a second home to me ever since I found myself unwelcome in Japan after my much-publicized opposition to recent imperialist activities by our government. The French were allied to Russia, and the Parisian newspapers were more than willing to expose my descent. I made it into Europe as a government supported scholar back in the 80’s. Astounded, yet at the same time, invigorated by Western advances in science and technology, Japan sent out its best minds to inquire and acquire. The successes of the Iwakura missions and other official fact finding missions to the West by senior bureaucrats prompted an opening for government grants and scholarships for upcoming students like me. As an artist and a student of aesthetics, I’ve always been drawn to my teachers who were diligently applying new techniques that were seeping in through the trade ports in Eastern Japan. Reports from our legations in Western Europe, cited Japanese influence on Impressionist art by newly developing ar...

Dhaka: In amp; Out of Focus

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 09:08:00 EDT

August 2, 2009 Kamlapur Station: It was already thirty minutes past departure time, I was sitting alone by the window, looking impatiently at the passers by. Our departure delayed by sudden engine trouble, they were bringing in a replacement.

July 27, 2009 Near Prime Minister's Office: Flash Floods!!!

To be

Colors of Chatga

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:07:00 EDT

Another set from my picture library. The costal plains that gives ground to low-lying hills that runs north-south in paralell ridges increases in height as we move towards the interior. The hills are a part of an extensive system that extends all the way to the arakan and chin hills in burma. A cultural melting pot from start it still serves as a nodal center for the interior and boasts a healthy mixture of people of all races (of Indo-aryan/dravidian, east and south-east asian origin). Chittagong has always been the dividing line, the westernmost outpost for the south- east asian cultural continuity that extends to the pacific

Potraits In Black amp; White

Wed, 06 May 2009 07:05:00 EDT

How did you feel when you saw your parents wedding pictures for the first time (given that you were born in Bangladesh before 1980)? Certainly, for those who grew up surrounded by black white media, often the very sight of an oldie tends to generate nostalgia. This album hosts some previously unpublished pictures as well as some re-worked versions of published ones in Black White.

Maybe wersquo;re conditioned by what we assimilated at a very early age. Yet, that does not explain why these images still manages to invoke awe in those who were born well after the heyday of bw media. Those who appreciate photography, notice how bw portraits stand out from the rest. Ansel Adams, frequently cited to be the guru of landscapers managed to capture breathtaking scenery well before the coming of Velvia Phase One (no pinch intended for the manufacturers of these excellent tools, for the record, Irsquo;d love to own a 45/60 mp monster).

So, Itrsquo;s probably got something to do with compositional...

Star Trek: The Next Generation Theme

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:04:00 EDT

This particular track, complete with warping sound effects from the USS Enterprise, will definitely bring back nostalgic moments for the second generation trekkies/trekkers like me who grew up with TNG. Unlike the TOS theme, this track is undoubtedly fast paced and created with the digital/electronic generation in mind. With the long awaited worldwide release of the revamped Star Trek (more Star Wars like) movie (May 8, 2009) directed by JJ Abrams (Lost), I felt that it was great time to celebrate the glory days of the Trek. I wonder whether dumbing down the already dumbed down sci-fi genre (Star Trek/ Galaxy Quest parody) to create greater appeal would be greeted wholeheartedly by the more serious fan base that is at the core of Star Trek

In Search of The Goyal

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:04:00 EDT

This is my third trip in search of the elusive Goyal (bos frontalis) into the Chittagong Hill Tracks. My first trip, mired by the death of a close relative of my host came to a disastrous end after I had contaminated Typhoid from drinking tainted water. My second attempt involved a two-mile trek through tough terrain to a Mru settlement and frantic last minute negotiations with the village Karbari, whose son agreed to take me to a watering hole that their Goyals frequent. Alas, we could not find any in the immediate area; extreme heat during daytime forced the thick hided animals to go deep into the forest, where they would gather near thickly shaded streams and watering holes. Unlike the domesticated cow, the Goyals never live near human settlements, preferring the surrounding woods and Jhum plantations to graze. They also tend to shun away from direct human contact, until the time comes when they travel en masse to lick the offered salt at their owners hut. Although, belonging to a different species, the Goyal can successfully breed with a domesticated cow. I’ve recently observed a hybrid as it grazed along the road with a cow herd, although, similar in appearance it lacked the well articulated ridge between the horns that the Goyals and wild Gaurs are famous for. A fully grown Goyal (about eight to ten years old) is truly an awesome sight, well developed muscles envelope a stocky frame that gives the impression of the remarkable strength that these seemingly docile creatures are capable of. Although, partially domesticated a Goyal is not a drought animal and tire quickly if handled without due consideration. Like an ensnared crocodile, it’s capable of generating tremendous power at short bursts. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing Goyals fight off fully grown tigers when endangered.

Fire amp; Earth II

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:04:00 EDT

Slash and burn agriculture greatly accelerates erosion by removing plants that keep the soil in place, terraced fields without concrete retaining walls, which is another viable option that is in use in similar settings around the world has the same damaging effect. Most of the lands inhabited by the indigenous tribes in this region generally have a slope greater than 15 degrees, which is, quite useless when it comes to traditional wet field agricultural practices that is predominant on the flats. This situation was aggravated by the construction of a large dam on the Karnaphuli river back in the 60's, that created a lake that flooded a very large part (more than 400 square kilometers) of the valley floor that was previously available for use.

Traditionally sandwiched between the dominant cultural centers of India and Myanmar, this area comprised of loosely knit chiefdom's, which shared a somewhat similar cultural tradition (speaking different versions of a Tibeto-Burman dialect) th...

Star Trek: TOS Theme

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 05:03:00 EDT

As played by John Willams and the Boston Pops Orchestra back in 1983, when the first movie was

Still Life One

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:03:00 EDT

I've been trying to come up with a poster for my upcoming Himalayas trip, some of the shots with their effects are a direct result of that. The glasses and the shots of a Tamiya Waterline kit are part of an older effort for different purposes. The impliments inside the frame of still life shot are arranged in such a way that it always points towards a

Chaktai By Moonlight

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 07:03:00 EDT

The hustle and bustle of the market place gives way to an errie atmosphere by midnight. A feeling that was amplified by a power outage that took out most of the artificial lighting. It was a silence that was broken ocationally by the purposeful steps of the night guards that patrol the streets and by trucks coming in and going out. Chaktai khal is still the chief source of wholesale goods in Chittagong. The famous waterway is dotted with shops and warehouses that stock most of the foodstuffs that flows through this city. The once numerous traders regularly boast of a past vividly colored by large boats and barges that used to discharge their loads straight onto their private

Balaghata: Golden Temple

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:02:00 EST

The ldquo;Golden Templerdquo; near Balaghata is a popular destination for tourists and film crews. Perched at a lonely hilltop about 10 kilometers away from Banderban City, itrsquo;s a healthy respite from the city life. Vigorous contributions from Myanmar and Thailand made possible the building of a circular compound overlooking older structures. The temple also houses an

Himalaya#039;s Trip

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST

I've been planning for this trip for a long time. My Sikkimese friends have been asking me to join them for years. Seems like it's going to turn into reality sometime in May this year.

Photographic Expedition to The Himalayas

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST

I've been planning for this trip for a long time. My Sikkimese friends have been asking me to join them for years. Seems like it's going to turn into reality sometime in May this year. I'm going to put my battered equipment to their ultimate

Wild Vhatiari

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST

Vhatiari, about 20 kilometers away from the city center, is an instant respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. The coast, not more than three kilometers from here, supplies vast quantities of fresh air. Although, relatively close to the city the area is surprisingly free from the urban haze. The immediate area is dotted with several man-made lakes that are abound with a variety of wildlife. Migratory birds frequently make it a seasonal

Vhatiari: Wild At Heart

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:02:00 EST

Life In Bethel Khua Vol 2

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:01:00 EST

My second installment to this series. This series celebrates the intimate relationships that percolates the lives of the residents of Bethel Khua, a Bawm (a group closely related to the Lai and Mizo tribes of NE India and Myanmar) settlement. Bawms are, as a rule, friendly and accepting. It's been two years since I started documenting the lives of these seemingly joyful folk.

Location: Bethel Khua, Ruma Thana,

Life In Bethel Khua

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 05:01:00 EST

This series celebrates the intimate relationships that percolates the lives of the residents of Bethel Khua, a Bawm (a group closely related to the Li and Mizo tribes of NE India and Myanmar) settlement. Bawms are, as a rule, friendly and accepting. It's been two years since I started documenting the lives of these seemingly joyful folk.

Rangamati Le Troisieme

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:11:00 EST

I took to the water later than usual as I attended a Buddhist festival that celebrates the initiation into priesthood. The Chaka Chieftain and special advisor to the chief of the interim government also turned up to congratulate the initiates. The dark purple robe that adorns the initiates are woven from cotton that is prepared and completed within 12 hours before the presentation. More than a hundred thousand people attend this festival, some staying under the sky for the night. The buddhist monks, as a rule do not participate in worldly affairs, the women-folk generally tend to be involved in all stages of the production of the deep purple robe that the initiates would get to wear. It's a curious practice, stems more from cultural precepts more than anything else, I can understand why the monks have forsaken labour, but I do not understand their tacit approval of others working for them.

Please visit my multiply site for more than 60 pictures on the issue.

http://flyingzypher.multiply.com/

Location: Rangamati Hill District, Bangladesh

Dawn At Rangamati

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:46:00 EDT

Pictures shot on my second trip to the Rangamati lake. This is my second crack at shooting the lake at dawn. The only difference is that this time I was prepared to take to the water a good hour before sunrise. The result was breathtaking, whatever notion I had beforehand was blown away by the sheer volume of visual stimuli generated by my optics.

This is a handheld from the bow. I chose a higher shutter speed to freeze the moment, and I wouldn't dare to prop up the ISO in my three year old camera (anything above 400 in a D70s generates unmanageable noise)... hence the lack of apparent detail in the shot.

I had to crop in tight to get the detail and perspective for this one, the colors are truly awesome in this part of the day. We're still in the early days of Autumn, the last vestiges of the monsoon would soon be gone and humidity will fall to tolerable levels. It's very pleasent in the mornings, just about right for a enjoyable walk down the valley.

Rangamati 2.0

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:10:00 EDT

Pictures shot on my second trip to the Rangamati lake. This is my second crack at shooting the lake at dawn. The only difference is that this time I was prepared to take to the water a good hour before sunrise. The result was breathtaking, whatever notion I had beforehand was blown away by the sheer volume of visual stimuli generated by my optics.

There are some handhelds from the bow. I chose a higher shutter speed to freeze the moment, and I wouldn't dare to prop up the ISO in my three year old camera (anything above 400 generates unmanageable noise)... hence the lack of apparent detail in the shot. For some shots, I propped up my tripod. We're still in the early days of Autumn, the last vestiges of the monsoon would soon be gone and humidity will fall to tolerable levels. It's very pleasent in the mornings, just about right for a enjoyable walk down the valley.

Please vist my site for the pictures.

http://flyingzypher.multiply.com/photos/album/26/Rangamati_2.0

The Luminous Landscape

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:09:00 EDT

Reference site for art and nature photography.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/

National Geographic

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:09:00 EDT

Link to the National Geographic Society website.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/