Shutter bugs are constantly on the lookout for interesting places to shoot at. New spaces provide new scenes, new challenges and new compositional possibilities that stem from both these. If you too are a photography enthusiast and are looking out for new and cool places to enjoy a photowalk at, here are some destinations you can head to.

Crawford Market

Thousands of people head to Crawford market every day. The market is known for selling goods at wholesale prices and hence, is always bustling with shoppers. Because of the wealth of human activity, this place is the perfect location for photography, especially for documentary and street photographers.

Image courtesy: LBB

CST/ Churchgate stations

Both stations are known for their architectural beauty. Gothic design elements like gargoyles, stained glass windows and pointed arches shape these stations into true examples architectural brilliance. Plus, these stations are always bustling with rushing commuters, making it the perfect place for those interested in architecture and street photography.

Dhobi Ghat

Mahalaxmi’s Dhobi Ghat is the city’s largest open-air Laundromat. Dhobi’s bring their stock of clothes to wash, dye and dry here. One gets to see these cleansing rituals in action, as well as a variety of tourists, for the place is a major tourist destination in the city.

Dadar Flower Market

This place is perfect for still life and portrait photography. In the early hours of the morning, the street near Dadar West station comes alive with activity. Thousands of fresh flowers are unloaded from trucks and filled into waiting baskets. As vendors sell a variety of colourful, fragrant flowers, go around capturing them in action!

Image courtesy: India Today

Sasoon Dock

Here’s where the city’s fish supply comes from. If you can bear the smell, this place is as absolute delight to photograph. One gets to see fishermen and women in action. Not only do you get to see a variety of fish, you also get to see them being loaded and unloaded into trucks and godowns. This, and the colourful attire of the fisher folk make for stunning captures.

Image courtesy: YouTube

Another eventful year has come to an end. The year offered us both, bitter and sweet moments that will not be forgotten soon. But, if there’s one thing that helped us get through the bad moments and celebrate the good ones, it has been music. So, as the year comes to a close, it’s only fitting to look back, once again, at the songs that brought melody and meaning to our lives in 2017.

Humble – Kendrick Lamar

This song is the lead single from Lamar’s fourth studio album, ‘Damn’. It received four nominations at the 60^th Annual Grammy Awards and was a number one single on the US Billboard Top 100. The song not only has jaw-dropping visuals, but the lyrics too are equally catchy. They speak about the issues that confront today’s society and offer a social commentary on our public and private lives.

Look What You Made Me Do – Taylor Swift

After a long silence, Taylor Swift released a song that shook everyone out of their stupor, even the ones who were not her fans. More than the song, though, it was her music video that made waves, or should we say, ruffled feathers. The imagery makes references to her previous appearances, and through the song, she addresses her own journey as a star, her supporters and detractors.

Despacito – Luis Fonsi Ft. Daddy Yankee

This song ruled dance floors throughout the city. It offered up just the right beats to shake a leg to. Not only was this song popular for its reggaeton-pop beats, but it also became the first and only music video to reach the 3 billion view mark on YouTube!

Wild Thoughts – DJ Khaled Ft. Rihanna

Another song that dominated dance floors, it drew heavily from a guitar riff in Santana’s Maria Maria. While we were quite taken up by the lyrics of the song, it was Riri’s bohemian style in the video that got more attention!

Unforgettable – French Montana Ft. Swae Lee

This song transports us to another reality altogether, where amidst the dirt and dust young children show off some pretty cool moves! This song was on the Top 10 lists of 15 countries, can you beat that!

Have a happy and groovy New Year!

Christmas celebrations would be incomplete without carol singing, right? However, we rarely look at the history behind these joyous hymns. As you get ready to indulge in some singing this year, here are a few things to keep in mind about your favourite carols.

• Jingle Bells is the most famous Christmas song we know. It’s a favourite with children, adults, carol singers and choirs. It was also the first carol to be performed in space. But, this song wasn’t written for this merry festival. It was actually written by James Lord Pierpont to celebrate Thanksgiving.

• The carol ‘White Christmas’ was originally composed by Jewish songwriter Irving Berlin. This version is sung by Bing Crosby and is the world’s best-selling single. In 1957, Elvis Presley created his own version of the song and included it in his album titled ‘Elvis’ Christmas Album’. However, Irving hated Elvis’ version so much that he tried to prevent radio stations from playing it!

• You’ve probably heard, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘Joy to the World’ many times. These two beloved Christmas carols are also the oldest ones known. It is believed that they originated in the 1700s.

• The carol ‘All I want for Christmas is you’ was co-written by Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff. The latter also wrote Celine Dion’s hit number, ‘My Heart will go on’.

•  In the 17^th century, Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans banned carol singing and Christmas celebrations. They believed that such merry making was not prescribed by the scriptures and hence, was a form of paganism and idolatry.

It’s the season to be jolly, but festival expenses and quickly suck the joy out of Christmas. Buying a Christmas tree and decoration can burn a huge hole in your pocket, especially if you plan to gifts and sweets as well. So, how about not spending too much on décor shopping? Here’s how you can use simple, inexpensive items to infuse your indoors with festive flair!

Fairy Lights

Instead on draping these on your Christmas tree, why not weave them around house. Use tape, nails or thread to fasten fairy lights to walls, curtain rods and the ceiling. You could also place them in glass jars or bottles. Yellow lights will emanate a warm glow while red, white and green fairy lights can be used to bring out the Xmas theme.

Image courtesy: 7 beauty tips

Scented Candles

Nothing like a sweet fragrance to evoke a festive feeling indoors. Instead of using an air freshener, why not light scented tea lights instead! Home décor shops have a range of fragrant candles, from fruity aromas to woody ones. Pick a fragrance that suits you best and drop them in decorated tea light holders.

Image courtesy: Pinterest

Hang Ribbons

Broad satin ribbons make for excellent Xmas embellishments. These low-cost ribbons can be bought in bulk and tied around chair and table legs, door knobs and handles and window grills. Choose Christmas colours to highlight the festive theme.

Image courtesy: homes and hues

Plaid Colour Scheme

Replace table cloths and bed covers with plaid ones instead. Red plaid will add a sophisticated charm to your indoors. They also infuse your indoors with a good amount of red without making your room look tacky.

Image courtesy: Pinterest

Painted Bottles

Use acrylic or glass paints to decorate used glass bottles. Stuff fairy lights into the bottles to infuse your room with a muted glow. You could even use the bottles as vases or as a table centrepiece. Choose Christmas-themes designs, like snowflakes, Santa hats, candles and Christmas trees to create a festive feel.

Image courtesy: Pinterest

The cold hasn’t really set in yet and the holidays too seem too far away. But, it is December and one of the year’s merriest festivals is around the corner. We’re talking about Christmas, of course! If you’re not feeling too Xmassy yet, here are some books that will surely put you in the mood for Christmas. Happy reading!

A Christmas Carol

This is one of Dickens’s most widely read and loved books. It is this book that popularized the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’. The journey of the old miser in the book, from selfishness to selflessness, inspires us to be more loving and giving to those in need. The book demonstrates to us the true meaning of ‘festive spirit’ and the wonderful depictions of Christmas celebrations and feasts will make you super-excited for Christmas!

The Polar Express

A young boy finds himself living with a family that does not believe in Santa. And now the young boy, Billy, has begun to have doubts himself. Then, something magical happens, for he finds himself swept on board a magical train that takes him straight to the North Pole, where he meets Santa himself. Santa then gives Billy a mission, but will Billy be successful? Chris Van Allsburg’s book beautifully explores the themes of trust, faith and imagination. Read this book to put yourself in the mood for this enchanting festival.

The Snow Queen

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

Another classic that explores the mystical, magical quality of winter and the festival of Christmas.  Two children, Gerda and Kay learn about the ‘Snow Queen’ from Kay’s grandmother. So the children look for the ice queen among clusters of snowflakes, for that is her snowy abode. However, Kay gets abducted by the icy queen and Gerda has to brave demons, magic mirrors and wicked goblins to save her friend. Hans Christen Anderson’s ‘The Snow Queen’ speaks about the enduring nature of friendship while exploring the magic of myth and legend.

If you’d like to read a book or two, head over to QTube Café, for the café is furnished with a wonderful library. The café is also the perfect place to get some reading done. It’s peaceful and quiet and we supply you with piping hot free coffee as well! So, what’re you waiting for?