You are one of those high flying executives who is always on the move. Bags are packed, tickets are booked and it seems you spend a lot of time in the air than with your family. This is when you miss your wife and newborn son a lot, and wish you could be with them, see them instead of sitting through long meetings and conferences. How about you carry them with you on your next trip? Yes, it is possible. Snapfish has brought out these cute mini photo books that are small, easy to create and fit snuggly into your laptop bag.

Pick out a few favorite photographs that you have, create this photobook and you will have your loved ones with you all the time. All it takes is a few minutes on the snapfish website and you are done. Sit back, wait for the beautiful book to arrive and you will not miss your family as much.. While you are at it, you create one  of you with the family, something for them to cherish and flip through when you are away on those long business trips… Agreed, it is no substitute to being physically around them, but this photo book does make a world of difference.

Happy travels!

Bags are packed, tickets have been booked and a sense of excitement lingers in the air. This is exactly what parents go through when exams end and school lets out. With the changes in school systems, these days schools work till end April, and holidays run all of May spilling into June.

Prakash was all set to explore the Eastern part of the world with his wife and 4yr old daughter along with few other friends. They were headed to Cambodia, a land of history, where temples and Buddha ruled the streets, and a destination much sought after.

It was their daughter’s first trip abroad, and more than them she was jumping with joy. The thought of flying in an aeroplane, going to a different country was entirely new. We hoped she managed without too much fuss or trouble, especially since food was an issue, he said. But, know what, she was a charm, such an angel, played with other kids at the venues we visited, was such a happy child through the journey, not a minute of pain or trouble… *touch wood*

Even though it was a short trip, we had a blast. This was a country i had not been to earlier, and so it was magical, and quite surprising to see the amount of resemblance their culture, art and temples had to ours.To make sure it wasnt entirely about temples, we visited the beach, the ocean, that had once faced the wrath of the tsunami but today welcomes guests with open arms.

As we left the town towards the airport, our hearts were heavy, and we felt a strong connection had been forged with this foreign yet familiar country. We hoped that one day we would return to explore it further.

There are times in life when we reflect, look back on the days that were and wonder if the changes that have happened were smooth or forced, we wonder if circumstances and people make us who we are or we are born this way. Binny, a Freelance web developer is passionate about photography and says he sees beauty in everything he sees. He steps out of home with his laptop, mobile and the camera, sometimes armed with the tripod and gear, other times just the basic kit.

When you look up at the sky, most people see the clouds and the sky, i see shapes, i see the way clouds move and that affects me , somewhere deep within… This photograph is such a contrast, the blue skies against the backwater, the boats floating along the jetty, almost as if waiting their turn.

While on a nature trail, i spotted this pretty butterfly, much to my surprise, it came and sat on my friend’s palm. The blue, the grey, and the black, the shine, the shimmer and the flutter.. wow, felt like magic…

“Look up, high up, above the trees” was all i heard as my head tilted towards the skies. Wow, what was that bird doing up there? It seemed to be standing atop the tree, as if looking down on us, and saying “haha, while you roam the earth, i conquer the sky”… What a beauty the painted stork was…

Do share your magical moments, tryst with the camera….

April brings with it scorching summers and dry days that leave people tired and exhausted. Many escape to the hills, to beat the heat, while others have no choice but to bear the heat and get on with their days. Rajeev, an IT employee shares a few photographs taken during his recent travels to bangalore and Kerala, where the heat was bearable and colours were mesmerising.

Although time seems to fly, it never travels faster than one day at a time. Each day is a new opportunity to live your life to the fullest. In each waking day, you will find scores of blessings and opportunities for positive change. Do not let your TODAY be stolen by the unchangeable past or the indefinite future! Today is a new day!
~ Steve Maraboli

February is synonymous with Spring.. its said to be the month of Romance as well, thanks to Valentine’s Day falling on the 14th. There is something in the air, magical, a mystery…je ne sais quoi, [literally translated to ‘I don't know what’] …. Mandira shares with us this lovely photograph taken during a routine walk around the neighborhood park saying it gave her such a feeling. She felt happy seeing it, even though it dint add to any special moment.. Probably just the month or the air…. Such simple pleasures of life make so much of a difference….

An unknown flower spotted in the neighbourhood park and captured on camera on a cold, winter morning.

A bright and sunny flower, that put a smile on my face and was a good beginning to the day.:)

Some take time off to put their feet up and relax; while others look forward to going away to rediscover the passion within. Either ways, all that matters is having a good time and pushing oneself to the limits. This is exactly what Dhiren Shah did, he took off a few days from his days amidst numbers and finances, participating in the MTB Himachal, an annual mountain bike race held in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It was all about rediscovering the self, and giving the body a new lease on life…He shares with us the story behind “how it all began”.

It was a most memorable trek to Dyara Thatch the place was paradise and the night trek was an adventure we couldn’t stop talking about. All and sundry were being made to hear how brave we were in climbing the ridge at midnight, in a jungle on a moonless night without any local guide and searching for an unknown village was thrilling and memorable and looking at the marvel in people’s eyes had us Gushing all the while… !!!! It felt so so super… it still does… I still fill up everyone on that dare !

The Dyara Thatch trip though ensured we reached a day late for MTB Himachal 2011, it seemed the few scavengers thought we wouldn’t make it and they stood in the way trying to check if we had the guts to reach or were we going to break down on the way…

awaiting their meals… !!!! 

bigger than a truck tyre… ! 

We were to join the rally at Tanni Jubber (pronounced as Jubbaad) on day two after the cyclists would have climbed Hatu Peak the highest point in the rally.

Once off the highway and towards the lake Tanni Jubber the area suddenly became very green and chilly. The best part about this whole cycle rally was we got to see a lot of interior routes, it wasnt just highway touring, but the interior roads, off roads, cross country routes sometimes quite difficult to navigate but must do routes.

Unfortunately we missed out on going to Hatu Peak, but that would be done some other time. Tanni Jubber is a lake near Thanedar, which is a not so popular hill station, tucked away in the middle of deodar, pine and spruce trees. Accomodation can be taken near Thanedar in a camp run by Banjara Camps. The place is quiet and cold and green and offers wonderful views, the Hatu peak as we heard is another heaven !

We reached the school ground of at Tanni Jubber where our camp was still being set up at around 3 pm. The weather was already quite chilly especially in the shade even in the noon. For me it was going to be my first experience of sleeping in a sleeping bag and tent and I was wondering how was I going to keep warm and sleep tonight, but that thought didnt stop me from having about 2 cups of tea and 1 cup of lemon tea and tons of pakoda which were being prepared as the cyclists would come in hungrier than even me !!!!

This is how the campsite looked… all set to house the exhausted cyclists

By the time the first cyclists came in at 4.30 pm we had filled ourselves enough and were all set to interact with them. All the cyclists would head straight for a bath in this cold weather, but I guess they were warm enough after all the cycling they did.

There are different ways of rejoicing the holidays, some travel to explore a  new destination while others get together with their families or friends. The one thing common between these two groups is they are in the Holiday spirit and all set to Celebrate the Holiday spirit. Biju, hailing from Kerala decided to explore the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to not only explore the beautiful structure but to go on a photographic journey.. He shares his experience with a few photographs taken during his visit..

After having shot the bridge ( that was shot atleast a million times), we set off to Baker Beach. They say the Baker Beach is the best places to shoot the bridge with many different variations  of foreground elements. During sunset and after the  water recedes, the Golden Gate Bridge reflects in the wet sand , creating a lovely reflection and dance of lights. My MAN-U cap came useful since I could’nt find any foreground element (drift wood…footprints etc).

Just after sunset which was around early 5:15PM, the beach was empty. Uncomfortable with the thought that we were going to be alone shooting the bridge on a cold night, the sight of 3 fellow comrades with tripods and camera gears brought a delight to our faces… What a trip this has been…..

As we travel through life, there are some who we meet, and some we pass by. At times, there are also those who capture our hearts, for reasons unknown. This adds to the beauty of our lives. Sharada Balasubramanian, a frealance writer shares two such photographs taken during her travels.

1. The boy’s name is Abu Husain. He is 14 years old though he does not look like one. As we got off Erawadi Dargah and stepped into an unchartered destination of Valinokkam, this little boy offered to show us his home town. He took us far to the beach and showed us the difference between a calm sea and a fierce sea. The calm sea, he says is penn (woman) kadal (sea) and the ferocious one is the  aan (man) kadal (ocean). We wanted to give him freebies and all he wanted was a Rs 5 orange stick, which he gladly relished.

2.I met this little boy when I took on the long stretch of dry sand road in Dhanushkodi to watch the land that was submerged and destroyed with the 1964 cyclones. The boy in the picture and his family still live there and sell conch shells and small things to make their living. Though they do not have a great source of earning, they still live there, for they believe its their land, and they have every right to be there, than scooting away after cyclonic storms.

With the holiday season coming up, am sure everyone is looking forward to planning their holidays, either to exotic new destinations, or head back home for some family time! And holidays are also a lovely opportunity to give, and share which includes gifts as well. These days, people are looking for alternative gifts that break the boundaries of traditional art of gifting. People are keen on creating gifts, which adds to the value of the gift and makes them feel nice and cared for.

Snapfish has brought forth some amazing offers for all those who are into photography and would love to create photo books or calendars as gifts. Simply choose the photographs you desire, choose the layout style and place the order! Your gift will land at your doorstep within a few days and you are all set to put it in your suitcase to give to your loved ones.

If you are staring at your computer screen or tired of looking at the zillion websites, it is time for you to visit Snapfish.com, create an account and have some fun with your gift!!

Happy Holidays!