PhotoTalkies a monthly e-magazine and is all about celebrating photography, and telling stories through images. In a joint venture between ZEISS and Kunzum. Enjoy the March 2014 edition of the same. And keep coming back for more.

1. PHOTOtalkies
March 2014 Issue 02
A Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
APPS FOR
PHONE CAMERAS
COLOUR AND
STICK-BEATING
IN BRAJBHOOMI'S
HOLICELEBRATING
SUGI IN
KARNATAKA
THE
COLOUR
ISSUE
THE COLOURFUL WALLS
AND WINDOWS OF
SHEKHAWATI, RAJASTHAN

2. INDIA, THE LAND OF COLOUR
We are feeling good. At the response we got to the inaugural issue of PhotoTalkies - the digital
magazine designed to celebrate photography. Brought to you in a unique partnership between
ZEISS and Kunzum. And this has enthused us to do more, and better.
The March issue has aptly been designed as the colour issue. It is the month when India
celebrates Holi, the festival of colours and water marking the onset of spring. Winters, often
uncomfortable especially in North India, gives way to the season of flowers. The weather is just
perfect in much of the country at this time - mild temperatures, occasional light showers, plenty
of sunshine and clear starry skies. It is the time to feel happy.
Holi is a legendary Hindu festival going back centuries, with different regions having their own
flavours; it is usually celebrated by people from all communities. You have Sugi down south in
Karnataka where masked dancers visit homes, getting gifts and money for their performances.
Holi is all about playful banter between young men and women in Brajbhoomi near New Delhi.
And of course, you have the no-holds barred Holi where you spare no friends or strangers in
much of the country - mostly all in good spirit.
Adding a slightly different touch of colour in this issue are the painted Havelis (traditional
bungalows) in Shekhawati in Rajasthan - known for their frescos, and richly painted doors and
windows. It is like a walk through an open air museum. It is for nothing that they call India a l
and of colours
It’s time we added more colour to our lives.
AJAY JAIN
ajay@ajayjain.com

3. PHOTOtalkiesA Joint Initiative of Kunzum and ZEISS
CONTENTS
Holi with a Difference in Gokarna, Karnataka 6
The Lathmaar Holi of Brajbhoomi 16
Shekhawati, Rajasthan 28
Postcards 37
Super Snapper forWindows Phone 8 40
Nokia Camera: One App to Rule all Lumia Camera 42
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4. CONTRIBUTORS
Gaurav Lovey Arora
Photography is Gaurav’s passion - he is a travel and fashion
photographer who loves portraiture. He also administers DPEG
(Delhi Photo Enthusiasts Guild), a highly active group for
photography lovers.
Contact: gauravarorag@yahoo.co.in
www.facebook.com/gauravaroraji
Ajay Sood
Ajay Sood (Travelure) is a travel photographer, travel writer,
photo-educator, photo contest jurist and a photo-tour director who
regularly does assignments with National Geographic Traveller,
Travel Plus, JetWings, Smart Photography, among others. Someof his
work may be seen at http://www.pixoto.com/travelure or at
https://www.facebook.com/Travelure.
Contact: ajay.travelure@gmail.com.
Swati Malhotra Gehani
Swati is a photography enthusiast who just clicks anywhere - pun
intended.
Nimish Dubey
Nimish has been writing on technology, music, sport and books for
more than a decade now. He has been published in a number of
leading magazines and newspapers, and has also written two books
for young adults.
Ramit Mitra
Ramit loves to explore, and makes for a fine trip leader. Join him on
any of his Delhi or outstation trips at www.delhibyfoot.in.
Contact: delhibyfoot@gmail.com.
Meet madpaule, Our Art Director
Madpaule describes himself as a photographer, illustrator and
manipulator. And he makes for an ideal choice as the creative
force behind Kunzum.
Madpaule has worked as an Art Director in leading South East
Asian Ad agencies and exhibited his Art works in many galleries
and festivals in India and Overseas including
Arles Photography festival in France.
Disclaimer: All articles and photographs in this magazine are the opinions of the
respective contributors. It is understood that they own the copyright to the same, or
have the rights to offer the same under their bylines. ZEISS is not responsible for
the authenticity of any of the articles and photographs, nor will be held liable for any
disputes, claims and liabilities arising out of ownership or copyright issues of the content
in the magazine.

6. Holi with a
Difference in
Gokarna,
Karnataka
Holi, the festival of colours, is a big event in north India, and
in many other parts of the country. But it is not so prevalent
in the south. In many parts of the southern state of Karnataka
though, it is celebrated with a difference - and it is known as
Sugi there. It is usually celebrated in March every year; the
dates keep changing though.
I happened to witness the same around Gokarna and
saw something unique: groups of men and women wore
costumes and masks, and did themselves up in bright colours
– and were seen visiting houses where they would dance.
And expect the owners to give some money - no fixed
amounts, whatever the families wished to.
These groups can be as small as three – or going up to a score
or more. I noticed at least five such groups just in the villages
around Gokarna. They made for an interesting and fun sight.
Enjoy the imagery. Happy Holi / Sugi!!
AJAY JAIN
06 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

7. 07 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

8. 08 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

9. 09 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

10. 10 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

11. 11 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

12. 12 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

13. 13 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

14. 14 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Catch a glimpe of Sugi / Holi in Gokarna onYouTube. Click here to start playing.
(You will need to be connected to the Internet. A separate window might open.)

18. 18 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

21. 21 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

24. 24 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

25. 25 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

26. 26 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

28. The Lathmaar
Holi of
Brajbhoomi
TEXT BY RAMIT MITRA; PHOTOS AS CREDITED
Holi is the festival of colours, and celebrated with a lot of
energy and fun in India in March. Each region has its own unique way of
celebrating the same - but none come close to the colour and gaiety
of Brajbhoomi, the areas around Vrindavan, Mathura near New Delhi
and the mythical home of Hindu Lord Krishna. If you must witness and
participate in this festival, join the men and women in the twin villages
of Barsana and Nandagaon, situated near Vrindavan; both villages lie
on top of small hillocks at a distance of about 10 kms (6 miles) from
each other.
28 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Photocredit:GAURAVLOVEYARORA

29. The Holi festival there is known as Lathmaar Holi. Mythology tells
usthatLordKrishna,jealousofthefaircomplexionofhisbeloved
Radha, was advised by his mother Yashoda to use the occasion of
Holi to smear dark colors on the face of Radha and for one day in a
year be happy that even Radha is as dark as he is! Legend has it that
Krishna heeds his mother’s advice and goes to Barsana, Radha’s
village, along with his friends to smear gulaal (coloured powder) on
Radha and her friends (Gopis). The ladies obviously take offence to
this and drive away the men by beating them with wooden sticks
or Lathis! Since then this tradition of Holi is known as ‘Lathmaar
Holi’ (Stick-beating Holi). The next day the men of Barsana went
to Nandagaon (Krishna’s village) in search of the village belles
and Lord Krishna himself seeking‘revenge’, but were met with stiff
resistance by the women of Nandagaon; they got a dose of their
own medicine with a lot of ‘Lathmaar’or stick beating. Thus, this is
another of Krishna’s ‘Raas Leelas’ or the balance of playful banter
between Krishna (men) and Radha (women) that has endured over
time!
Happy Holi!!!
29 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Photocredit:GAURAVLOVEYARORA

30. 30 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Photocredit:GAURAVLOVEYARORA

31. 31 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Photocredit:SWATIMALHOTRAGEHANI

32. 32 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Fast-paced throwing of gulaal powder
and drenching the people on ground
with colored water from the terrace takes
the festivities to fever pitch!
Photo by RAMIT MITRA.

33. Mounds and mounds of ‘Gulaal’ powder
thrown in the air complete the flood of
sensory inputs...putting you in a trance
that is indescribable!
Photo by RAMIT MITRA.

34. Two parties of the opposing villages of
Barsana and Nandagaon face-off during
a symbolic ‘Sangeet Sabha’ as the day
nears an end. Songs are sung by one
village party and they are countered by
the other side with their songs. This game
of matching wits via music with liber-
al doses of abuse and innuendo contin-
ues for hours, just like the centuries old
playful banter of Krishna and his beloved
Radha.
Photo by RAMIT MITRA.
34 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS

35. The women rain their blows thick and fast,
as the men from Nandagaon take turns
to hold the shields over their heads! All in
good jest!
Photo by RAMIT MITRA.

37. Bhangra (Kila Raipur)
Bhangra is an energetic dance form from Punjab. This colourful image has been captured during the annual Kila Raipur Rural
‘Olympics’. These dancers perform as filler entertainment during the otherwise popular rural games that include bullock cart races, tug-of-war,
etc. Since this dance involves dancers jumping above the ground, the best way to capture it is by keeping the camera almost at the ground
level, pressing the trigger at the right moment (preferably in a burst mode) and using a wide lens at an around f/8.0 to ensure the background
also coming through reasonably sharp.
AJAY SOOD

38. Pulikali (Tiger Play) during Onam Image
Pulikali, orTiger Play, is an integral part of Onam celebrations in Kerala, India.The makeup takes up to three days per performer. Here’s
a glimpse of the culminating procession (final contest) amongst tigers from different localities. The contest is judged by judges as
well as the public through uproarious applause with which they greet the different teams. Key to capturing large gatherings is finding
a vantage, at least 8 feet above the ground.
AJAY SOOD

39. Connect with ZEISS
For more information on ZEISS Sports Optics
and Camera Lenses
www.zeiss.com/sportsoptics
www.zeiss.com/photo
www.zeiss.com/cine
For Customer Enquiries
sportsoptics-photo@zeiss.com
+91.11.45156000
https://www.facebook.com/carlzeisslenses
http://www.flickr.com/groups/carlzeisslenses
http://vimeo.com/groups/carlzeisslenses
https://twitter.com/carlzeisslenses

40. 40 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
One of the most talked about devices of the past few weeks has been
the Nokia Lumia 1020, the phone with the 41.0-megapixel camera. While
that device has yet to land on Indian shores (it is expected any day now),
you can now use the app that Nokia has designed for using its camera on
other phones, or to be exact, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 925.
There will, of course, be those who will say that such an app is unneces-
sary and they are quite happy with what their Lumia phones offer right
now. Well, good luck to them, but for us the very fact we can now touch
to focus - without taking a picture every time we touch the screen in
viewfinder mode - using the Nokia Pro Cam app is a huge bonus. We also
love the camera interface, which not only lets you tweak shutter speed,
white balance, ISO and focus modes (yes, you can get into manual mode
if you wish), by simply sliding your fingers up and down an icon, instead
of fiddling your way through menus.
What’s more, you can also actually see the effect your changes will have
on the picture even before you take it. Round that off with a handy fea-
ture like slide upwards to zoom in and downwards to zoom out (much
more convenient than the pinch-to-zoom option), and we think that this
is an app that every Lumia 920 or 925 owner should make their default
camera app - yes, you can do that through the camera settings.
No, it is not perfect. It does not let you access all your pictures in the gal-
lery from the app itself and seems to have some orientation problems,
but it performed very smoothly for the most part on our test Lumia 920
device running the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor.
App: Nokia Pro Cam
Works with: Nokia Lumia 920 and 925 (after the Amber Update)
Available from: Windows Store (http://www.windowsphone.com/en-in/
store/app/nokia-pro-cam/bfd2d954-12da-415c-ad99-69a20f101e04)
Price: Free
Super Snapper for
Windows Phone 8
NIMISH DUBEY

41. ZEISS EVENTS AND WORKSHOPS
JOIN USWorkshop: ZEISS Camera Lenses - Bangalore
March 22, 2014; 10:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Conducted by Ms. Kirti Lokhande, ZEISS Camera Lens Ambassador
Contact : Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
Workshop: SONY ALPHAWedding PhotographersWorkshop - Bangalore
March 25, 2014; 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Conducted by Mr. Sundeep Bali, Lens-based Artist, ZEISS Camera Lens Ambassador
Contact : Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
Exhibition: Photo Expo 2014 - Hyderabad
March 28 - 30, 2014
Contact:
Mr. Rajkumar / +91.93999 739350 / rajkumar@srishtidigilife.co.in
Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
BNHS Flamingo Bird Festival, Mumbai
March 29, 2014; 10:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Meet ZEISS Sports Optics Team with Binoculars and DiaScope
Contact:
Mr. Hari / +91.99301 55660 / haririaenterprises@gmail.com
Mr. Amit / +91 998190 46742 / amit@tinnuinternational.in
Mr. Umender / +91.98118 26751 / umender.shah@zeiss.com
Exhibition : PhotoToday, CodissaTrade - Coimbatore
Visit ZEISS at Stall No. P57
Contact:
Mr. Panneer Selvam / +91.9790825687 / panneer.selvam@hansagroup.in
Mr. Anil / +91.94440 85508 / anil@hansagroup.in
Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
ZEISS Camera LensTour, Annapurna Studio - Hyderabad
Role of Optics in Photography, Cinematography and ZEISS Camera Lens
April 11, 2014
Conducted by Mr. Sundeep Bali, Lens-based Artist, ZEISS Camera Lens Ambassador
Contact:
Mr. Rajkumar / +91.93999 739350 / rajkumar@srishtidigilife.co.in
Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
Mr. Umender / +91.98118 26751 / umender.shah@zeiss.com
Workshop: ZEISS Camera Lenses & Application inWeddings - Hyderabad
Park Hotel, April 12, 2014
Conducted by Mr. Sundeep Bali, Lens-based Artist, ZEISS Camera Lens Ambassador
Contact:
Mr. Rajkumar / +91.93999 739350 / rajkumar@srishtidigilife.co.in
Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
Mr. Umender / +91.98118 26751 / umender.shah@zeiss.com
Workshop: ZEISS Cine Lenses - Hyderabad
Andhra Pradesh Film Chambers Association, July 13, 2014
Contact:
Mr. Rajkumar / +91.93999 739350 / rajkumar@srishtidigilife.co.in
Mr. Sujith KR / +91 98805 26331 / sujith@zeiss.com
Mr. Umender / +91.98118 26751 / umender.shah@zeiss.com

42. 42 PhotoTalkies by Kunzum and ZEISS
Nokia has been busy tweaking its camera apps of late. When it unveiled the
Lumia 1020 a few months ago, it also showed the world a new camera app –
the Nokia Pro Cam, which came with a number of neat features that the
default Windows Phone camera app lacked, such as touch to focus, and the
ability to adjust settings like White Balance and ISO right from the viewfinder
itself and even seeing the impact these changes would have on the image
BEFORE you took a shot. Then there was Nokia Smart Cam which took a quick
series of shots and combined the best features in them to give you one super
shot (you had the option to tweak it if you wish).
Pretty cool, eh? Now imagine Nokia Camera: One App to rule all Lumia
cameras.
BOTH those apps being blended into one, saving you hassle of switching
between them. Well, that is the new Nokia Camera app, which is available for
the Lumia 1020 and 925 handsets at the moment and is expected to arrive
on other Lumia devices in the coming days. The app is a 12 MB download and
once installed (we tested it out on our Lumia 1020), it replaces Nokia Pro Cam
(Smart Cam remains available). Launching the app, however, shows that things
have changed. For one, there are now three instead of two shooting options
on the right side of the display – still, video and (the newbie) smart. For
another, the icons on the top of the screen seem a bit smaller, and what’s
more, can be compressed to be made even more so.
The most important thing, of course, is that you now have two of the most
powerful Nokia camera apps in one compact package – you can also access
other apps from within it using the lenses option, if you so wish. Pretty much
all the regular suspects are there, from tweaking focus from auto to manual, to
choosing the best of many facial expressions, to sharing the results over mail
and social networks. It is cleaner, and more convenient than before. And of
course, on the Lumia 925 and 1020, is infinitely more versatile than the default
Windows Phone 8 camera app. If you have one of those two devices, this is a
must-download. If you do not, we would suggest praying that it arrives quickly
to your Lumia. Because this is simply the best Lumia camera app of them all.
Download from: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/
nokia-camera/bfd2d954-12da-415c-ad99-69a20f101e04
Price: Free
Nokia Camera
One App to
Rule all Lumia
Cameras
NIMISHDUBEY

43. 
 About
Ajay Jain
Ajay Jain is a full time
writer and photographer,
and has authored eight
paperback books and over
30 e-books. He promotes30 e-books. He promotes
his photography as
collectible art, runs the
popular Kunzum Travel
Cafe in New Delhi and publishes e-magazines on
travel and photography.
He is also a regular speaker on Mindful Travel,
Personal Branding, Photography and BusinessPersonal Branding, Photography and Business
Networking. All his creative ideas came to the
fore only after he started travelling - mindfully.
He has pursued careers in Information
Technology and Sports Management before he
took up journalism and writing. He holds
degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Business
Management and Journalism.Management and Journalism.

More on Ajay Jain at http://ajayjain.com.
Connect with him at ajay@ajayjain.com
+91.9910044476. Or call his office
at +91.9650702777.

44. Want to be
a great
photographer?
Want to be
a travel writer?
As a
professional
or a hobbyist?
Full time
or Part Time?
Sign up for a workshop / course
at the Kunzum Media Lab. Weat the Kunzum Media Lab. We
promise it will change your life.

Kunzum Travel Cafe
T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi 110016, India
Tel: +91.9650 702 777 / +91.11.2651 3949
mail@kunzum.com
Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Mondays Closed
www.
kunzum.
com/
medialab

45. T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village
New Delhi 110016, India
Tel: +91.9650 702 777 / +91.11.2651 3949
mail@kunzum.com
Timings: 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m., Mondays Closed