[SDP]

I had never participated in any event organized by the photography club in my organization. So when I got a mailer about a photowalk I got all excited. Then I got into the details.

Date: 12th May 2013
Where are we going?: Dharavi. Really?
I read it again. Dharavi it is!

Should I opt out? I am not really into street-photography, going to the slums and documenting the filth and poor living conditions à la Slumdog Millionaire.
So I looked for more details in the mailer and it mentioned some Maharashtra Nature Park (MNP). Never really heard of it, but some relief. At least we are not going to visit the slums.

So I got up early on that day and reached that Sion-Kurla area just before 8am. Travelling 15kms that too within city limit does not count as a travelogue, so let's just say here's a photolog with minimum naration.

The general locality.


A sleepy dog relaxing at the gate of the MNP. The gate itself is very unasuming and you can miss it easily.


Got a gatepass done and entered. Here are a few pics taken while waiting for the rest of the club members to join.

[SDP]

8:30 am-> We started exploring the park.

A beautiful butterfly posed for us.








This one was all over the place. Multiple attempts and got one not-bad-types snap.






Flowers. Everywhere.








What's that? A lotus pond!

[SDP]

A little bit farther is the edge of the park. Right next to the Mithi river. Some prominent buildings in Bandra Kurla complex visible from this shore.




Paved path.




Photographers with some serious equipment. Ring flash and what not.

[SDP]

Never seen this plant/species. It was beautiful.










A Koyal (male)!

[SDP]

Lots to explore.






































Like-minded folks discussing f-numbers, latest in lens design and new camera launches.

[SDP]

A fallen flower.


Tried macro by using a reversing ring on my 50 mm prime lens.






Loved that shade of pink on those leaves!




A photography enthu friend. Was wearing a custom-printed t-shirt which said "Oh, crop!".








Spent the last 45 minutes relaxing with the group and going through pictures taken by many of them. Good learning.

Wrapped up at 11:30am. Made new friends. Learnt about a new place - a photographer's paradise - hidden in Mumbai. A day well spent!

<The End>

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the assembly line. Thanks for sharing.

[Octane_Power]

Great pics there SDP! Too much "Crop" to handle

Whenever I passed from this area I always thought, it is so deserted at night, with one side of the road lined by dilapidated buildings, ready to fall at even the mildest quake and other side an area whose gate I never managed to see and just a wall running continuously along the road.

I always thought this must be some Government property which is lying unused and with no 1 to be seen around at nights it gives the road quite an eerie feeling.

Must say, very beautiful from inside. (Did the effluvium from Mithi (so-called "River") spoil the fun??)

-Bhargav

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

Great pics there SDP! Too much "Crop" to handle

Thanks!

Whenever I passed from this area I always thought, it is so deserted at night, with one side of the road lined by dilapidated buildings, ready to fall at even the mildest quake and other side an area whose gate I never managed to see and just a wall running continuously along the road.

I always thought this must be some Government property which is lying unused and with no 1 to be seen around at nights it gives the road quite an eerie feeling.

True, the gate(s) are very easy to miss. It is a govt property. You won't believe this, but you need to take a gate-pass at the main gate, then produce that gatepass at the office some 100 feet inside to pay 10 Rs and get a govt. receipt! That receipt is checked when you leave the park! Absolutely no issues with the entry fees, that actually helps to keep the general timepass folks out. But a gatepass and a receipt at 2 different windows is typical govt. office 'crop'.

Must say, very beautiful from inside. (Did the effluvium from Mithi (so-called "River") spoil the fun??)

Surprisingly no. May be it was May and BMC might have cleaned up the river-bed, but the river didn't feel filthy at all.

On a separate note, there were people who got in and out in 10 minutes as well. Unless someone is into trees-flowers-butterflies-insects-birds, one would wonder 'what's there to see?'. For people like me, it was a very soothing experience.

[Dodge_Viper]

Didn't knew about this place at all . Thanks Sanjay. Great pics. If the subjects are flowers, trees and insects then this place is for me .

We can have a Teambhp photo walk sometime. I have heard Borivli national park's nature trail is great for photography.

EDIT: Got the location. Thanks for the detailed map.

[SDP]

Originally Posted by Dodge_Viper

Didn't knew about this place at all . Thanks Sanjay. Great pics. If the subjects are flowers, trees and insects then this place is for me .

We can have a Teambhp photo walk sometime. I have heard Borivli national park's nature trail is great for photography.

BTW, where is this located exactly?

Thanks!

Here's a map:

[jacs]

Butterfly clicks in the first post is really eye candy.

Its a good step to educate your neighbors that they need not drive 100KMs far for a photowalk. Keep flowing.

[himadrimondal]

Nice photographs SDP. Would love to see a Tbhp photo walk some day.
"Photographers with some serious equipment. Ring flash and what not. " I guess I know the person with the hat, should be Dr. Anand, a serious nature photographer.

[stringbh]

Great Pics SDP, wonderful use of color and available lighting. The lighting on the last few photos was also very nicely captured. Thanks for sharing.

[EagleEye]

SDP bhai, thanks for sharing those awesome pics.

Just for your information, I'm part of this club called MWS that does a photowalk/photoshoot every weekend. I haven't been able to go for quite a few weekends now, but I used to be a regular for around 2 years or so.
We've covered Maharashtra Nature Park, Chor Bazaar, Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Park, Manori Beach, Aarey colony, Borivali National Park, Vasai etc etc. among others.

So yes, one doesn't need to drive out of Mumbai to click pics at all.