I Eye Parade Of Blues, Blue (Parad)Eyes - IMRAN™

I Eye Parade Of Blues, Blue (Parad)Eyes - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

These are heavenly shades, here on our beautiful planet, Earth. They are real colors captured by my 6 year old Nikon S6 pocket camera, not Photoshop creations.

The blue sky merging into the blue sea water in the distance and the turquoise heavenly bay in the foreground are a vision of heaven on earth. If you see the original size image you can see people on the float in the water and frolicking on the beach.

These are the colors you see in the Caribbean. Thanks to my friend Rona for locating the name of the place, Caneel Bay, St. John's, that I was trying to remember.

The lush green trees and foliage, the private beach just epitomize my view of living in paradise. Don't miss this amazing place, called Trunk Bay, St. John's, US Virgin Islands, where we had spent the day before I took this photo returning to the ship.

© 2008-2011 IMRAN
DSCN3435

loc: 18.342240 , −64.786674

Sailing Stunset - IMRAN™

Sailing Stunset - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

I only had my iPhone 4 and 6 years old pocket Nikon S6 in my pockets as I went sailing/racing with my friend Peter Ehatt and his wife Jean.

The bay, between Smith Point beach and the landmass of Long Island, became our playground, as we first met the challenge of almost no wind, followed by a rapidly chaning wind that, at one point during an aggressive maneuver, almost had us capsize in a comedy of errors. Note to self, learn to swim properly.

But, it was all worth the zigzag rushing to get in place at just the right time to take this stunning, pastel, orange, pink, red, gold explosion of natural colors captured by the Nikon S6. The trees and the bridge in silhouette completed the mood.

The image does not have the fine resolution of my Nikon D300 12MP shots, but the colors were still magical.

The unreal reflection on the water made it almost appear like a bowl of a golden liquid with a fire dancing atop it.

To top off the evening, as we headed home, the same spot the sun had set lit up with mid-summer fireworks. But, the memory of the day was definitely this, Sailing Stunset!

© 2011 IMRAN
DSCN1265

Technorati Tags: Boating, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Long Island, New York, Nikon, Photography, Sailing, Summer, Sunset

Stunning Final Weekend, Farewell Summer Of 2011 - IMRAN™

The final weekend of Summer 2011 came to a stunning end, and shades of blue filled the water and the sky. Shades one was more used to seeing in Florida and Colorado. As the Summer of 2011 passed into the pages and cells of memory.... the chilly winds of Fall started blowing kisses, arriving on my shore, before the selfish lover of Winter starts demanding long dark nights.... while dreams of new Spring Loves, and the passionate embraces of Summer of '12, filled my heart, mind, body and soul.

The View (aka The RiverView), in Oakdale, at the the Great South Bay, Long Island, NY, is one of my favorite Sunday brunch places, to come via boat, car or motorcycle.

This final stunning weekend of Summer 2011 was one for the ages. It was a bit windy, but the incredible blue sky colors were shining through even in this unedited Apple iPhone cell phone video clip.

Hope to see you as Summer 2012 arrives, one day, soon.


iPhone 4 Video: © 2011 Imran Anwar http://imran.com
Audio: "My Only Sky" © Storm Gordon

Technorati Tags: Boating, iPhone, Long Island, New York, Photography, Seasons, Summer, Video, Weather, Yachting, Sailing, Sunday

Natural 3D - IMRAN™

Natural 3D - IMRAN™ -- 100+ Views Within Hours Of Posting!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop & saved image as 6MB JPG. Handheld, 450mm zoom ISO250 at f/5.6 1/60 seconds with flash.

Walking around my home after a morning of rain, I shot several photos of the wonderful flowers that were blooming in the beds.

I was amazed by the almost 3D effect this photo's bokeh background, the foreground flower and the sharply in-focus buds, created.

No editing on these natural colors, brought to life by firing off the flash - though it was morning and an outdoors scene.

© 2011 IMRAN
DSC_7363

Question The Tough Questions To Ask In Cloud Computing

I am on record as suggesting that tough questions need to be asked by everyone (including clients, media AND vendors) before jumping on the Cloud Computing bandwagon. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYl-tzTHtQk which I recorded even before having a day job at the leading Cloud Computing Converged Infrastructure vendor.)

I read a recent article, Some tough questions you need to ask your cloud provider,  by Rutrell Yasin. It is in the respected GCN (Government Computer News), a publication I also recall being interviewed by in the past. That was during my days of being CEO, EverTrac, the pioneer in location-aware eBusiness solutions, including tracking people and assets, indoors and outdoors, in the late 1990s.

In it, the writer quotes Wolf Tombe, chief technology officer within the Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Information Technology. I am certain Mr. Tombe is far smarter, more experienced and clout-carrying in government, technology, and probably even Cloud Computing circles than I am.

But, I also respectfully disagree with his contention that some applications are "easy wins moving to the cloud, such as e-mail and collaboration tools".

If "easy" refers to how quickly and conveniently an app can be deployed onto a cloud or converged infrastructure, then I would say, most apps, whether email, or ISV created vertical solutions, can be migrated with reasonable convenience and the expected amount of work.

If the contention is that somehow email and collaboration are no brainers to put in the public cloud, I strongly disagree.

I think that is over simplistic and dangerous. What apps are no-brainers to move to the public cloud should depend on the mission-critical or sensitive nature of the data or functionality in the app, not what the app itself is.

For example, even the simple email and internal discussion files of a nuclear weapons design agency with just 100 people would be far more critical to protect than, say, all the accounting data of a widget making company with 5000 employees.

So, as I have said before, tough questions need to be asked... by clients, by media, and even by vendors. The stakes are too high, the opportunity for Cloud Computing to be a globally beneficial tool is too huge, and the threats too serious, for any of these elements to be glossed over.

Technorati Tags: Cloud, Cloud Computing, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Security, Convergence, Converged Infrastructure, EverTrac, GPS

Have American Airlines Pilots Become Paranoid Bathroom Attendants?

Like everyone else, I was seriously concerned about the threat of new terror attacks on the 10th Anniversary of September 11. I was more worried about vehicle borne or even lone wolf suicide bombings than someone still managing to pull off a terror attack using jet airliners.


So, I read with interest the news reports of two separate planes that caused national security alerts, with fighter jets being scrambled, and passengers being questioned, after landing, for their… drum roll… extended use of the airliner toilets.


A news item in particular was very strange… An American Airlines "pilot became nervous when he noticed that several passengers were making frequent trips to the bathroom."


I am all for safety and being alert, especially on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, but what kind of airliner pilot is more focused on how many people are going to the bathroom than flying the darn plane? Is he SuperPilot that he can see through the locked cockpit door? Or did some ditsy (male or female) flight attendant cause the scare? They should consider taking a job in a restaurant to keep track of bathroom visits by patrons.


Also, I am all for a couple deciding to make out on planes, trains and automobiles, but (if that is indeed what had happened on a Frontier Airlines flight) for a couple to try pulling that off (no pun intended) in an aircraft toilet on 9/11 suggests the Moron gene's presence.


Maybe airlines should not issue coupons (like drink coupons) on how many times and for how long passengers can go to the bathroom. eBay can set up a new marketplace to trade in toilet time futures.


A separate news report during the hunt for possible terror plotters mentioned how police were searching for stolen vans and similar vehicles.


That made me think… how dumb must be those retards who would steal any vehicle, much less a potential bomb-carrying-capable van on or around 9/11. I really wish they get caught, and even if they're simply Grand Theft Auto fans, I hope they are shipped to Guantanamo for the crime of being extra stupid, and for causing extra concern for the whole nation.


Finally, I am thankful that 9/11 2011 passed solemnly and uneventfully from a security perspective, but I remain concerned, and we must remain vigilant. We are not out of danger, and we are all in this together.


What were your thoughts on 9/11/2011 and how have your thinking and you changed since 9/11/2001 ?


Technorati Tags: Aircraft, Airlines, AlQaeda, Aviation, Flying, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, New York, Opinion, Pilots, Security,Terrorism, Travel, Commentary, 9/11

Is Pacific Ocean Big? Sur(e)! - IMRAN™

Is Pacific Ocean Big? Sur(e)! - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

About 18 years ago, my friends based in California, and I, had taken a brief trip along the famed Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1), from San Francisco / San Jose to the towns of Carmel and Monterey.

It was a beautiful scenic drive, and a great time with friends, who, like passing time, can move into the memory drawers of life.

This year, after a hectic business trip to Santa Clara and San Jose, I changed my return flight, from San Francisco - Long Island, to a departure from Orange County, near Los Angeles.

My goal was to take a 2 day slow drive along Route 1, and get to visit a dear cousin, who had visited me with her then-brand new husband (LOL) about 12 years ago in NY, and whom I had long promised to visit.

My trip was delayed because unexpected meetings meant I could not depart from Santa Clara til about 3 PM.

That is when I actually started calling around for hotels to have another interesting twist. It was coming up on the last weekend for many families before schools started. So, there were no hotel rooms available anywhere, except for $500 or more per night.

But, I plugged away, sitting in the parking lot doing searches on my iPhone and calling around but in specific areas on the ocean route.

I was also sorely disappointed that the day of this trip was completely overcast weather in California.

I decided to head towards Irvine and Newport Beach (where my cousin and her husband and three daughters I had never met lived). My plan was to stay the night in a scenic place, which I ended up picking Cambria to be. (A lovely place, where I also got a reasonably priced, well under $200 or so compared to $500, for an only remaining room, on the ocean, with breakfast included, so it was quite a bargain at that time).

But, as I made my way down Route 1, I realized that my photography plans were pretty much foiled, both by the weather, the lateness of my departure, and a misbehaving camera.

One primary place to visit on my list had been the Big Sur area, and its rocky structures along the cliffs and hills along the Pacific Coast.

Interestingly, as I got to that area, the sun had started falling, but the clouds were lifting enough for the sun to cast a hot yellow red tinge on the rocks of Big Sur. At the same time, a contrasting fog was rolling in from the ocean just a mile or two further away.

The scene was surreal… the green trees and sandy, muddy, rocky mountainside was appearing saturated in yellow, the rocks jutting out from a darkening blue were almost overexposed looking white, while the hills just a few miles away merged into a hazy blue layer of hazier bluer mists, with the waves rolling onto the sliver of sandy beach were a beautiful combined shade of turquoise and teal.

All in all, it ended up being a unique, once in a lifetime, set of weather conditions, of a small slice of our planet worth seeing in many different lights.

Is the Pacific Ocean Big? Sure. But, at Big Sur it is just a tiny microcosm of what makes our beautiful blue planet the home not just of our living beings, but our souls that feed on the beauty of nature.

I hope you enjoyed this travel experience I am sharing. Thank you.

© 2011 IMRAN
DSC_8113

Technorati Tags: California, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Travel

Peek Beak Peak Color Curves - IMRAN™

Peek Beak Peak Color Curves - IMRAN™ — 550+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop & saved as JPG.

As you know, I love wordplay, especially in the titles and descriptions of my photos.

But, despite being lucky with planting flowers around the house, I have little knowledge of the names of the vast majority of popular plants. Blame it on my hating Botany and Biology as subjects when I was growing up.

Also, flower closeups do not often have external elements to tie into a word-play story.

This picture was hard for me to title, except that I wanted to say something about the bird like beak on these plants in flowerbeds of Rockfeller Center, New York City, recently.

Then I realized the multiple puns possible. You can look at the sharp shape, and see the range of colors you would find in the iPhoto or Photoshop histograms of fall foliage photos if you wanted to improve the photo. (This photo has NO enhancements done to it).

Peek Beak Peak Color Curves.

Other ideas welcome. :-)

© 2011 IMRAN™
DSC_7418

End Of Summer, Beach, Fireworks, Bellport, NY - IMRAN™

Riding back from sunset photography at Smith Point Beach, Long Island, New York, I realized that End of Summer Fireworks were starting up at Bellport Dock, on the beach, near my home.

I barely had time to stop the motorcycle when the show started. I did not even have time to pull out my Nikon D300 from the carrying case for some high resolution shots. Instead, I simply grabbed the iPhone 4, and shot this clip still sitting on the R6, with my helmet and racing gloves still on!

Unedited iPhone 4 video exported to YouTube with iMovie on Mac OS Lion, September 1, 2011. I did not even know this song (Fireworks © Roxette and used with Thanks and full credit to them) existed in my own iTunes library. I only found it because I searched for Fireworks and found two.

The amazing wording (listen to the lyrics) about lovers, the beach and fireworks in the sky is perfectly suited, and the song is the right length too.

Please enjoy, and Like, and Share the link with your friends. Thank you. Have an awesome remaining summer and rest of the year.

Video: © 2011 IMRAN
"Fireworks" Song: © Roxette