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Am a contradiction of sorts. i love going out and having a good time with friends, and i can also stay home chill out over a book or a movie.. Am very passionate about writing, so give me a topic and watch me float away into wonderland... I Am crazy about music,books,friends and my doggie... :)

July 24, 2019

This Is Why Candid Wedding Photography Is So Famous!

They way weddings are carried out has changed over time. We all know that a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience and people want to remember that special moment and day for as long as they live. Which is probably why Wedding photography is so important. These days, there is a trend of candid wedding photography which is catching up fast. Though this is the new hip trend, there are many fans for traditional wedding photography. And this extends to the wedding album as well. More and more couples are choosing to go with photographers who are good at candid photographs, than composed shots. 

Candid photographs reflect on the moods, moments and varied emotions of the people at the wedding as it happens. It is the best part, one need not stand a certain way, pose a certain manner or even have a smile on their face or follow the 1/3rd rule just so the photograph comes out well. Oh and candid photographs are all about clicking on the go, not informing people that they are going to be clicked and a moment captured. 

Among the Professional wedding photographers in Chennai, there are quite a few who have become a pro in candid photography. They are willing to bend the rules, and go with the flow, rather than stick to tradition and look for the perfect moment to capture. It has become a trend for young couples to obsess over the various elements in a wedding, down the last word. Gone are the days when cliched poses and photographs where everyone is standing in order etc was important. Couples are looking for photographs that are different and memorable, plus are unique to their moment. If you are looking at the Candid wedding photographers in Chennai, then you are sure to find Anand's portfolio stands out, giving him an edge over the others.

Image courtesy- https://www.wedid.in


Most couples do a pre-wedding photo shoot at a location picked by them or the photographer. Infact, it is no longer at a park or an empty hotel lawn, many are doing photo shoots at a busy mall or maybe even at a school auditorium.. And of course there is the big day, the wedding day when the photographers are given free reign around the venue to click away. Which is why you see shots when the bride is getting her make up on, or when the groom is buttoning his shirt up with a focussed serious look on his face instead of a fake smile. It also includes the families greeting each other, or whispering something in each others' ears. All these moments are what makes candid photography so amazing.

Well, we aren't saying that conventional photography style is bad or boring, but seeing album after album filled with people standing in a straight line with the newly wed couple or with the same smile on their face can get boring and repetitive. People need something new and so candid photography is IN!

The beauty of candid photography is that each photograph tells a story, it shows a moment that happened between two people or just something someone is going through with themselves... It is all about how they are in their natural element and not a forced pose.

The photographers have a creative eye, that allows them to stay tuned at all times and capture moments that might be missed otherwise. They also plan ahead, getting in place and setting up their gear that gives them a good view of the entire space. This means they can capture anything that happens within that radius at any point of time.

When the wedding is over and done with, the couple sometimes take the photographer along for their honeymoon [for the initial few days] to capture their moments at the destination. It gives a whole different perspective to how things have changed. The emotions the body language and the setting all play a big role in this. 

And once you are done with all the festivities and sit down to look at the Photo album, you will go WOW, or Awww or "Oh my" at every photograph. Telling a story through the lens is what the Candid photographers do best, which is  one big reason why these photographs will continue to surprise people for years to come. You might see something new, laugh within yourself as you recollect a moment or relive a moment, making it special~ 



May 7, 2019

Learning the ropes of Salesforce..

She was at her desk, had been staring at the system for a few minutes with a blank look on her face. Her colleague stood next to her wondering what she was thinking or struggling with.
She touched her on her shoulder and she turned with a jolt, as if she had seen a ghost. When she saw it was just S, she smiled, and said hello.

"Whats up R, what are you doing/not doing?" she asked with a grin.

"Oh we have this new tool for CRM, and am trying to make sense of it. It seems easy on first glance, but I guess I need to spend a few minutes reading up about it." she answered.

"What is it called, I have been handling CRM tools for a while" she chimed in.

"Salesforce" she grunted and pointed to the screen.

Oh my, infact I was just reading about this place which is known to offer the best salesforce developer training in Chennai..." she answered before asking her to move and let her use her laptop.

She opened a new tab and typed in salesforce training institute in Chennai and showed him the page with all the info on it. "There you go, now you can get all the info you need and more here". Saying which she got up to go back to her seat...



Today with everything managed on the cloud, you can maintain, and continue to manage the company’s customer relationship through this... Infact, this CRM tool covers sales marketing and customer relations. Salesforce is known to be one of the most easy to use, manage and efficient cloud based CRM tool around. Just check out this website and within an hour or so you will know what kind of assistance you need to ace the platform and get back to finishing your pending tasks.

After about an hour, she gave out a short yelp. She looked up from her cubicle to see R grinning. What happened, she enquired.

"Hey, I just signed up for a certification program with these guys and the few doubts I had were clarified right then & there through a live chat support system. How cool is that! To think I was feeling dejected and ready to give up not so long ago. You were truly a life saver, woman! Thanks.. " Come , let me buy you a cup of coffee.

Saying that they walked towards the cafeteria, and stood in line at the Coffee counter. Next to them were a couple of others who were also talking about Salesforce, the new happening CRM platform and how they were all puzzled how it works and what to do to get into it. R decided to butt in and share with them what she had just discovered.

She walked around the gang, and struck up a conversation with one of the guys she knew, she had infact worked with him on an earlier project.

R- Hi G, whats happening. Why do all of you look so puzzled?

G- Oh that is cos of the new platform that the company has signed up on, and now we have to all learn and get on board, else our jobs at stake.

R- Which one is this? I was told about Salesforce today and it had me baffled for a while before I found this salesforce training Institute in Chennai. Looks like they are quite good and will be able to help me learn the ropes quite fast.

G- Hey that is the same platform I was also talking to the others about. Do share the information you have, maybe we will all sign on and make a dash for it. But then do they have a program for those in sales versus those in customer service?

R- Yes, i did read about the different about the different courses and the things covered under the same. Obviously the targets, roles and responsibilities we have under customer service will be different from yours in sales, so you need to look at learning the skills needed to help you at your arena.

G- That is good. I just hope we are able to make sense of the platform, grasp the concepts and implement them in our business, so our goals are achieved.

R- Well, only time will tell how we fare. lets go have that coffee, I see the guys calling you. See you around.
Saying that R walked back to her colleague and narrated the tale. Her colleague laughed and said "Well, glad I was able to help.. you bette treat me to something good when you start implementing and earning compliments from the boss" 

April 16, 2019

Life within papers..

He was busy poring over some papers on the dining table. She called out to him couple of times, but no response. She went about ironing her clothes for the trip she was taking and kept glancing at him to see if he looked up or at her. No such luck. She even threw a pair of socks on him, but he just pushed it away from the table and continued doing whatever he was doing... 

Time passed, it had been nearly half hour....  She was done ironing all her shirts and trousers, even put things aside near the stroller to arrange. She was getting concerned. What was he doing that had him so lost and engrossed? Heck, he looked like he was in a trance.

She casually walked up to him, taking a glass of orange juice and put it on the table beside him. He looked up, startled and took off his glasses. 

"Oh hey, hi honey, how are you? When is your flight tomorrow?" he asked.. 

"Phew, thank god you haven't lost your mind.. you do remember I am leaving tomorrow for the project".. she chuckled.."Btw, what are you upto? You seem like the world has descended on your shoulders and you are unable to get out from under it.. did not respond when i called or threw that sock at you" she grumbled.. 

"oh, I was just going through the financial print outs, and credit card bills, sorting them out date wise."he replied

"what on earth for? Why this method now?" She groaned.

"It is that time of the year, need to file taxes and I am already way behind.. Had told myself I would get it done last weekend, and then we went off to the beach and what not .. Now i have just a few days to get it all done.. am so exhausted. Between work and these papers, I don't know what am doing..." He sighed.. 

"oh you silly husband of mine. These days you don't need to ponder over papers and bills, you can just file your tax online.. all within a few minutes... " Saying that she pulled out her phone and showed him the website he could use for the same.. Click on the link and it gives you all the information you need with respect to Income tax return filing ..

" Are you serious? This really works, and wont leave me bamboozled, right? Damn, wish I had known this earlier. would have saved me so much time & I might have even been done with the whole tax filing... Infact, i can do online TDS return filing on this as well, wow... 

Hey wait, they also have an online chat system..How cool.. I can get all my doubts clarified then and there, instead of going to & fro via email... interesting website I say... And their website says all processes will be done and completed within 2 days, oh my! I have the documents listed ready and handy, so I just have to spend a few minutes to close this out.. uff.. thank goodness I married a smart woman " he smiled holding on to the phone... 






"Yes yes, my darling.. Everyone uses this nowadays, am surprised you did not know of it. I used it to get my tax filed away... you know how particular I am about paying off the Taxes on time... 
Anyways, now put all these aside , come spend some time with me before I fly away tomorrow. am going to be gone for good two weeks you know!" saying this, she took the phone away from him and dragged on his arm.. 

"Yayy, I will have the whole house to myself and be able to focus and file the Tax returns in peace" he chimed..  She threw a pillow at him and smiled "Am glad you are so diligent about paying your taxes, and with technology things have become so easy and convenient. We don't need to break our heads, do the filing and payment online and just follow up for the acknowledgement receipt. And you are all done until the next cycle comes. I hope you will talk about this with your brother when he comes over tomorrow. He is not as diligent or prompt as you.. Show him this website, and run him through it. Am sure he too will be able to grasp the process and file away the returns for his business. It is not enough to run a business, but one needs to get these systems in order, right? She went on... 

"Aye aye captain.. now come here, tell me why are you going away for so long....... " he said holding on to her tight..... 


March 28, 2019

Up and away , into the future...

I know its been a while since I was here... Leave alone share a few thoughts and words..Well, what better day to make a start than right after a fun Scrabble game with a friend...  We exchanged more than just tiles and words, read on to know more.... 



Was playing scrabble the other day with my neighbour Priya.. I was winning and then she started using fancy words, some of which I hadn't heard before. Got me curious and I asked her what was up?! She smiled and played her move.. Few minutes later, casually she began sharing her latest news- I was silent awhile.. She asked if i was contemplating my next move. I told her I was zapped happy and ecstatic. She had decided to pursue a long lost dream. I took a few sips of my coffee and braced myself for more.. We had spoken about hopes and dreams, aspirations and fantasies and so much more.. She mentioned signing up with one of the best IAS training Center in Chennai and I quizzed her on it for a good half hour there on...  She had recently joined the Chinmaya IAS Academy and was raving about how good they were...

Oh wow, how things change.... I hadn't met her for 6 months and her entire life had taken a turn, for the better. She had shifted gears and taken decisions. I was so proud of her. As she played her move, she told me that she had not decided overnight, it had taken a month before she actually went and signed up with a civil service coaching centre in chennai we had read about few months ago, taking a big step and pushing her limits. She was petrified nervous and anxious. Her parents were surprised, especially cos she was also talking about pushing her marriage by few years. Coming from a conservative family, I can imagine the drama that must have unfolded. Her father was the 1st one to speak, and he said "Go for it", dont worry about amma, she will come around & even boast about your accomplishments.. 

It was then I remembered how my gramma had told me she secretly hoped I would get into the services. I was flabbergasted when she confessed and told her she should have told me and pushed me ahead. I was clueless when I was finishing school and did courses that I wish I hadnt, rather I wish I had had someone to guide me better and show me what I was capable of. Oh well~!! 

Anyways, I made my move, it was now Priya's turn to play and her next word was "Compete".. Well, here we go....I made my next move "Dream" using the one blank tile I had .. We continued the game, nibbling on snacks and breaking our heads to come up with bigger better words...

March 23, 2014

Bursting at the seams

You dont ask if I am busy
You dont ask if I have other plans
You just assume am gonna drop all I am doing/planned and come over
You dont think twice before lashing out orders
You dont think twice before revealing your true feeling
You make me feel invisible.

There are times when all I want is a kind word
or maybe a smile
There are times when I cry to myself to sleep
and wake up with 
tears rolling down my cheeks
I know you dont even care... 

You dont seem to understand
You dont seem to care
You dont get the concept of feelings
nor the concept of space
And I remain invisible

You treat me as if I was on a leash
You treat me like am your slave
You cry and whine
You laugh and chatter away
Yet I remain invisible

People say it is alright
It is only you
I am to forgive
and you do all this for you love

People say if not with you
who else can she act this way
Not done- I tell them
Not fair- to me! 

Put them in my shoes
and let us see
How they fare, or what they say!! 
The feeling of being invisible.
Painful way to live..

I turn to my friends
They are my only solace
You hate them as well
You care not that they care about me
To them, I am not invisible.

Every time the phone rings
Every time I hear your voice
I wonder what next you have
for me to fulfill 

I bend over backwards
I put you as priority
and 
Yet, you thrash away with those words
I wish I was invisible 
I wish I wasn't here...~!!! 

(c) Aarti 24th March 2014 


March 13, 2014

55 word story- Bonds

It was her birthday, she remembered! To wish or not? To call or just message? Questions running through her mind. Decision was made; she sent a wish and asked about the plans. Two words were all she got - "Thank you".  Replied with a “J” and deleted the thread.. Until next year, the cycle continues.

March 4, 2014

Nobody

Suddenly out of the blue, I cooked up this verse in my head. Wanted to pen it down before I forgot, for I really liked it and connected with it.

Who am I
But a nobody!

I wanted to shout out
screams contained in my head

Who am I
But a nobody!

I wanted to reach out
rationality restricted at the door

Who am I
But a nobody!

I knew you were wrong
reasoning flew right out the window

Who am I
But a nobody!

I felt suffocated
words that were being held back

Who am I
But am Me!

I did want to make sense
I yearned to show you some light

Who am I
But am Me!

You reached out
to cry, to vent, to lash out

You took my hand
to console, to agree with you

The shangles broke
I was free

Who am I
But am Me!

I voiced my thoughts
I shared my concerns
I knew it was not my place
to do just so

Who am I
But am Me.

You stared in silence
Angry and broken
You refused to listen
you let go...

Who am I
But am Me!

I listen
I hear you
But am Me!
I refuse to stay silent
I shall not simply be!
But am Me!

(c) Aarti 5th March 2014

[Image courtesy adriencfrr.blogspot.com]


March 2, 2014

Revisiting words

It has been a while since I read/wrote poems, so when a friend pinged me asking if I had any on Love, I replied "yes, but have to dig em out of the blog". He kept at it saying another friend was doing a book, a collection of poems and collecting them from many.

I kinda forgot about it and then 2 days back he was back with an sms asking me about it. I finally dug a few out and sent it to Glory[ a friend & a writer].. She then got back saying she was picking few others from the blog and wanted me to arrange them like a verse and send them to her. She had edited and put together this book called "The heart only whispers" that featured 60 poems from writers across the world. She told me she would include mine in the next edition of the same book she was rolling out soon.

Damn right I was excited~!!


[The book cover design is a piece of art by Amitabh Mitra who is also one of the contributors]

There was a book launch scheduled for Sunday evening at Odyssey, Adyar. I made note of the details and was there around 5.30.. It was a good evening indeed. It was such pleasure meeting ladies I had not met in ages, reading poems [3 of mine & others] ....

Here is a photograph featuring a few of us who were there last evening... 
[left to right- Prasanna, yours trully, Rhumjhum aka RK Biswas, Ameeta Agnihotri, Glory Sasikala, Minnie Tensingh, Radhamani, Vasanthi, Kerala Varma, Shreekumar Varma and Ramona]


Here I am reading my pieces from the phone... 


Thanks Glory for this lovely opportunity and for being so passionate and warm and giving!!