...don't let Kuwait get you!!!

…. from Sameer Aftab on Vimeo.

As the title suggests " don't let Kuwait get you", one might think ... it is a conjuration of awe, an enchanted country that promises prosperity to every individual entering its boundaries for the first time; you do get rewarded... but, only for sometime.
The unemotional environment starts getting on you... 'Kuwait' starts getting on you.  

The Video -  I have explored frames of events in different times of the day in the video. It is a compilation of stop motions and time-lapses that narrates a story.

[scottish] highlands

Its been quite a while that I have not uploaded anything but here I am with a story from the very first day of the new year, 2014 when we were on our way to #Glasgow in #Scotland. Its a bit late though but its better late than never.

I always had a wish to travel to the highlands.
Why? Because of 'Loch-Ness' - when I was a child I had read about a monster, I had seen him in some documentaries as well and that was none other than the 'Loch-Ness monster'. A myth or maybe a reality, but this notion, the urge to see it with my own eyes was always there. However, this was just not the right time I guess.

These photos are from that journey.

in search of the [beacon]

... and it was the month of November here in England when I decided to go over the waters of River Mersey and search some 'beacons' and this was my very first time in a year and a half. All this time I was in #Liverpool but never got a chance to go on the #Wirral side.

[time-lapse]

... I made this time-lapse over the period of two days. I have tried to capture the environment - the beacons standing tall, once used as a source of invitation. Almost all of the beacons are not in use anymore.
I am borrowing a quotation from a book that I read sometime back, that said, "Every place has its history and symbolic connotation that merge into an event that obtained its meaning through the time of the day, illumination, weather and landscape.

Hmmmm! have a look at the video maybe you will be able to observe that connotation:

in search of the beacon from Sameer Aftab on Vimeo.

the [rain] began again

Stop Motion Time-lapse # 4

This is another compilation of photographs I took one fine day while in Liverpool... only that it was raining. The video shows transitions from how the bright sunlight was overwhelmed by the raindrops. Just an ordinary day but with a little bit flavor of clamminess.
 

the [rain] began again from Sameer Aftab on Vimeo.

[ keep walking - New Brighton awaits you ]

Remember - the main purpose of the trip was to find lighthouses across the Mersey river on the #Wirral side.

1310 hrs
I was at the #Liverpool Central (station), rushing towards the Wirral line tube and hopped in after waiting for ten minutes. It is quite ironic that sitting in the train usually reminds me of end of times. I am saying this because the journey from the station to #Birkenhead Park was almost underground. The train was almost empty. No one going to New #Brighton... I suppose.

1330 hrs
I got off from the train at the station and started walking on the Atherton street towards the sea... the Irish sea I am talking about here and reached the King's Parade. Now by looking across the road I realized that I was standing at the Marine Point. I could very well see the #lighthouse from here. I had read before it was the Perch Rock lighthouse that stood there since 1827 and now it was not being used anymore. The point seemed to be a complex of high-end retail brands. Anyway I started walking towards the tower.

I was walking...

... walked a little more.

... and finally I reached the tower. "Errr!!! Not a pleasant day to come out" I kept saying this to myself all the time. The sun was shining and I could feel the warmth of it but then nothing seemed alright because of the howling wind.

I stood right in front of the tower, close enough to get a feel of the environment. Aaaahhh!!! what a pleasing view. I could see the white tower wearing a red hat standing amongst the blues of the sky and water... the water did not seem that blue maybe because the clouds had covered the sun now.

I remained there for an hour, clicked loads of photographs. I had brought my tripod along as well but was almost useless because I did not have a ND-filter to take long exposure at the daytime. I walked to the pathway that lead to the tower. I thought I could make it but then the waves were aggressive and I remembered what my friend had told me about the weather forecast in the morning, "There will be a thunderstorm, do not go out (in a squeaky voice)." At that time I could only see the sun and the storm but thunder was missing, then I decided not to go any further.

There were people everywhere now. Trying to run on the stones and guess what... no one succeeded to reach anywhere near the site.

1500 hrs
I left the site and started walking towards the New Brighton Station to catch a train to #Leasowe - another lighthouse to explore.

Hmmmm!!! It was one bright corner of #England I must say, which was not that vivid historically as this part was hugely owned by smugglers and thieves.

You can look at the coloured images on Facebook.

blurry [Lisbon]

I just wanted to capture another moment of sunset but this time the location was at the edge of europe, the farthest I could travel in the western part. I took these photographs in Belem (#Jardim da Torre de Belem) area in the beautiful city of Lisbon, Portugal.

"To me sunsets have always been emotions rather than moments. The feeling of being free, the notion of doing something that narrates a story, the feeling of looking at life with positivity."

It seemed another ordinary sunset but then what made it beautiful was the surroundings, the silhouettes of the objects that seemed so flawless, the waters of river Tagus that glittered like gold.

My photographs are the impressions of that time on that fine evening when the sun was disappearing.

I must say, my lens (#Tamron 28-300mm) came in handy this time.

Ps: to catch up with the rest of the photographs, kindly follow my Facebook.

[Chester] recalling history

The red line: that is the walk that I did on the day.

One of my mates here (Liverpool) told me "visit #Chester" Therefore, one fine day I decided and took off on a journey that took me way back into time.

Have a look at the time-lapse that I made on the trip:

Chester seasoning from Sameer Aftab on Vimeo.