How many clicks before you can grow your hair long?

These birds pop underwater and then appear meters away. Took some time to capture this.

Till a few months ago I never owned a camera. When I was a kid I was gifted one but as is the way in my family, my brother took it, considering he wanted it more. And I never gave it a thought. All my life, all the places I visited, all the friends I met, all the events I enjoyed are in my memory. No photographs. I never thought of it.

Now, I bought a camera. A Sony DSC H1. And since the day I bought it I have been clicking away! I still do not know how to use it properly - never good at reading manuals. To my favour the only thing I know is what I want.. so, I think. As a result of my job, where I need to employ many a pics. So, I have a fair idea what my frame should be. But how should I achieve it... is the challenge. And the digital camera is confusing me... am I doing well? Can I now grow my hair long - since now I am a photographer and hence more free than normal people? (Take that lightly, I know I am not!)

Had to zoom a lot for them since they were far inside the lake. And stop myself from shaking.

The thing with digital cameras is that one has the choice to take a 100 pics and expect at least one to be good. As also says - 'Igotnotime'.

But I have this burning desire to shoot at will and with some control of the end result.

Unfortunately, this year, Bangalore climate has always been cloudy and rainy. Very little sunlight around. And with my busy schedule... by the time i leave office its already dark outside.

I like this very much. But is there anything in this pic?

Wonder if its Ok to have only 20% of the pics turn out good? Or should all my pics always be great - or say 70% or more?

Need to find a good site for photography!

I like this picture very much. For me I see a story. Guys doing their jobs but still sensitive about individual and one-to-one and group equations. But that qualify as a good pic? I could never plan it.. so can never take credit for it.

And well... I am 1000s of miles away to be accomplished. However, a thought has been running in my head. Lets say, I catch a photograph which sells for a 1000 dollars and it has a person's face in it or a nice house from some village I visited or an elephant. Should one be sending half the money back to the person? Or to the mahout whose elephant I captured? Or to the owner of that house? Who is the owner of the picture. The picture or the subject?

Or maybe when shot for personal consumption its all fine?

Is that a tree you are looking at - looking at you? Is it Ganesha? Or is it just my imagination & hope to make this pic classify as good?

Or if I were to see things my personal way - this is not an issue. The world belongs to everyone and everyone in it? And we have a right to remember it the way we want to?