What does the viewfinder see?
A viewfinder is a small device in a camera. Through this, a photographer sees the world. It frames the scenes in front of us. There is a constantly flowing scene in front of us and we choose one particular moment and ask the viewfinder to frame it for us. Thus, obviously, it sees what we ask it to see. So, why this silly question "What does the viewfinder see?"
Well, the answer is not so simple. There are tens of thousands of pieces of information on the internet explaining how to shoot, but very little on what to shoot. For a photographer, once they learn the technics of photography i.e. how to shoot it is important to learn what to shoot if they decide to explore the path further. There is a simple reason for less availability of information on this - that's your choice. You shoot what you feel like shooting. I wish it were this simple. Often it is difficult to choose what to shoot. In fact Many times we don't know what we want.
This photography workshop concentrates on this often-neglected topic. Thus the title "What does the viewfinder see?"
Adithya Biloor is an award-winning photographer focusing on fine art photography who is residing on his small farm in the hilly western Ghats region, near Kodachadri. He has been photographing for more than 15 years. He also runs a farm stay where this workshop is being conducted.
Where is the workshop?
Kodachadri is one of the highest peaks in western ghats and its proximity to the sea makes the landscape more special. There are beautiful forests of western ghats, and waterfalls called Hidlumane near this place. Read more about Kodachadri here. The workshop is held in Simha Farms which is one such place located amongst this lush green landscape.
topics covered
01
Introduction to Fine art photography
03
Examples of Fine art photographs.
05
Finding subjects to shoot.
02
Introduction to Fine art Nature photography
04
Review of Images.
06
Read itinerary for more info.
Itinerary
1 November - 3 November 2024
Day 1
Morning Arrival
8.30 A.M. Breakfast
9.30 A.M. – Introduction to Fine art Photography and Fine art photography in nature.
10.30 A.M.- Shoot inside the farm.
Purpose - Finding the answers for what to shoot, how to find images in your backyard, how to use harsh light in favor of a good image, introduction to abstract image making.
1.30 P.M. – Lunch
2.30 P.M. -Kodachadri
Purpose - Making landscape images. Using nonconventional lenses for landscape photography.
7.30 P.M. – Back to Simha farms
8.00 P.M. – Photo review
9.00 P.M. – Dinner
Day 2
6.00 A.M.- Hasirumakki Back waters
Purpose - Making the images River.
8.30 A.M. – Breakfast
10.00- Visit to Hidlumane waterfalls
Purpose - Making images of forests and waterfalls.
1.30 P.M. – Lunch
2.30 P.M. – Shoot in the forest next to the farm
Purpose - Shoot the forest. Observe the nuances of life there.
7.30 P.M.- Back to Simha farms
8.30 P.M. Dinner
9.30 P.M. Departure
Day3
(Optional)
6.00 A.M. - Hanging bridge
Purpose- Making the nature images with the inclusion of man-made elements. Finding the relevance of man in nature images.
8.30 A.M. - Breakfast
11.00 - Departure
What's included?
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Accommodation and food charges for two days at Simha Farms
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Vehicle charges for Sightseeing
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Forest entry charges
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Mentoring charges
What's not included?
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Camera fees at Kodachadri Gate.
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Cameras and other gear.
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Any expenses that may occur other than what is mentioned in the 'included section.'
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To and fro to Simha Farms
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Do you arrange jeeps to Kodachadri and Hidlumane water falls? If so, what are the charges?"Yes, We do. We don’t charge anything for that. However you will need to pay jeep charges, which will be Rs.2800/jeep/6 members for Kodachadri and Rs.1800/jeep/6 members to Hidlumane water falls.
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Do you arrange trekking to Kodachadri?Yes, we do. There are 3 routes to Kodachadri peak. a.via jeep track. b.via Hidlumane water falls. c.via khareghati. contact us for more details.
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Is there any discounts on the tariff mentioned in the website?At Simha Farms, we strive to keep the lowest possible Tariffs. We would not be able to give further discounts on the prices mentioned in the website. However for the longer stays and non peak seasons we can try to provide discount.
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Is mobile phone connectivity available at Simha Farms?Mobile connectivity is very limited, we have installed signal boosters, so in some parts you get BSNL and Airtel. But they are not completely reliable. Except that there are no other network service providers. So please don’t forget to inform in your home about this while coming to our farm.
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Where is the nearest petrol bunk and ATM?Nearest petrol bunk – Nagar. which is 18 k.m. away from our farm. Nearest ATM – Towards Hosanagar, at Sampekatte which is around 4 k.m. from our farm. Towards Kollur, at Nittur which is around 6 k.m. from our farm.
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Where is the nearest Railway station?Nearest railway station is Byndoor , which is 60 kms from our farm .
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Are there any direct buses from Bangalore to your farm?Yes, 1. Rajahamsa travels from Bangalore to Kundapura via our farm. It departs from Majestic at 8:33 P.M and passes by our farm early in the morning 5:30 AM. Online booking -http://www.ksrtc.in 2. Durgamba bus which departs from Rajajinagar Metro Station at around 10:15 P.M. Online booking – http://www.durgambabooking.com
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What are the indoor and outdoor games you have at your farm?We have a big campus, so quite a few outdoor games like cricket, badminton, volleyball can be played. We also have quite a few indoor games like carrom and chess
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Details about the foodCurrently we serve only vegetarian food, especially Malnad style food, giving our guests an opportunity to savor it. Food is served as a buffet. Timings are Breakfast- 8:30- 9:30. Lunch- 1:30- 3:00. Dinner- 8:30- 10:00.
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How do we get in touch with you?You can call us on any numbers given on the site, either the mobile numbers or the landline numbers. If you are not able to call us, then you can drop a mail to contact@simhafarms.com and drop us a message to +91 949652173. We will get back to you as soon as we receive the message.
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How safe is Simha Farms?Extremely safe. No big animals in and around the farm. Nothing to worry of them. People are mostly soft and we have never bothered to lock our car. However we advise you take basic care.
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Where is the nearest hospital in case of emergency?There are private doctors in the vicinity of 7-8 k.m. They can treat in emergency situations.
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Are there leeches in Simha Farms?Yes, like most of the places in western ghat there are leeches, but only during monsoon. You will encounter them only if you step inside the farm where there lot of rotten leaves.
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Do you have 24 hour hot water facility?Yes, we have.
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What should I know before I join the workshop?Good to know basics of Photography such as Shutter speed, Aperture, ISO before joining the workshop. Do not worry, If you still are a complete novice to photography, we will teach you that separately.
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What camera and other gear should I bring?You can shoot even with your mobile phones. However, we would advise you to have DSLR with at least one lens. A wide and a macro lens would be perfect. Tripod maybe of use in some places and for some shots.
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Where is the accomodation?The accommodation will be provided in one of the rooms in Simha Farms. Depending on the tariff chosen (Either single or double occupancy), the rooms will be allotted at the time of arrival. You will NOT be accommodated in the dormitory we have. For more information on accommodation and to see the pictures, click here.
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Can you arrange transportation to Simha Farms ?Currently we are not arranging transportation from Bangalore, however if we have enough participants requesting for transportation, we will arrange help you reach Simha farms at an extra cost.
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How can I reach Simha Farms?Train - Nearest Railway station, Sagara is 40kms, 2 hours away. From there, you can hire a taxi or a local bus to reach Simha Farms. Bus - Gurushakti Motors, Gajanana Travels, Durgamba Motors and Rajahamsa all have buses to Nittur and Kollur which stop directly in front of our farm.
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What is the easiest way to reach Simha Farms?Ideally, take any night buses mentioned above and alight at Simha Farms in the morning. The itinerary is designed keeping the same in consideration. You can take the same bus back to Bengaluru on Sunday night.
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What if I come by car?Yes you can come by car. If you reach Simha Farms on 14th October Night, then an extra cost will be charged for the night accommodation. If you wish to stay on the 16th night, the accommodation is complimentary.
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Do you have Air conditioning (AC) in your rooms?The weather is Kodachadri is pleasant throughout the year. We DO NOT have AC in our rooms. However, all rooms have fans just in case the weather gets hot.
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What is the cancellation policy?A 50% advance booking has to be made to block a slot. Cancellation if made before 28th May 2022, 100% money will be refunded. However, if the cancellation is made after 29th May 12:01 AM, there will NO refund.
Contact - +91-9379535738 for more details