Solar Fire, Solo Flier - IMRAN™

Solar Fire, Solo Flier - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Steve Jobs, visionary, genius. Thank you for everything. RIP.

Hat Trick +2 ! My 5th flickr Explore in a row.

My 45th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on October 5, 2011!

Smith Point County Park Bridge is a place which has many special meanings to me.

It is a place I visited with my beloved Father when he was in the USA in 1996, at a time of great difficulties for me.

Over the 15 years since, it is a place I visit by road like others do. It is a site I have boated, sailed and yachted by, on both the bay and the ocean sides. It is a sight I have flown over, spreading my wings over its beaches and near-by islets, to practice flight manuevers. Its parking lot offers a level of comfort -- as an potential emergency landing spot (assuming it is not crowded), especially during fall and winter flying on the ocean.

Walking on it, I have felt its sand in my toes, and I've marched across the asphalt to walk up to the bridge to capture some of my most spectacular sunset photographs.

This was not a particular clear or bright, day, much like the murky uncertainty that surrounds us as individuals and even as nations and a human race. It was not even an interestingly cloudy day, when the infinite variations of cloud shapes always ensure differing shades of red.

But, as the golden sun set, as it set the sky alight with a solar fire, I got what I was waiting for.

An image, a moment in time, a symbolic alignment of man, machine, planet, and the universe with the stages in life I have faced in the last 3 years….

A solo flier appeared when all other birds had given up and gone home. A natural aviator, silently, hopefully, bound for its destination unknown, knowing somewhere along the way it would find its mate, and its dreams would come true…. even as a seemingly endless night appeared before it.

And, even as I was posting this picture, little did I know that someone of far greater significance would be flying away, forever, within hours of my posting this photo. Steve Jobs, RIP.

A Solo Flier Against A Solar Fire.

May we all soar above our troubles and find all the joy, love, and happiness we seek, deserve and desire.

© 2011 IMRAN
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Technorati Tags: IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Inspiration, Life, Nature, Nikon, Philosophy, Photography, Prose, Sunset, Travel

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
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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
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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
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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
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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™
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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

Serene Sunset Smith Point Beach NY - IMRAN™

As Hurricane Irene became a recent distant memory, and as the sun set on Ramadan, the month of fasting for Muslims, a sweet serene sunset spoke of peace, of man, nature and nation, at Smith Point Beach, Long Island, NY. It soon gave way to a stunning, moonless, starry night, with the Milky Way so clear it made you think it was a strand of light clouds. Happy Eid Mubarak to my fellow Muslims, and Peace to all.

Technorati Tags: Eid, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Long Island, Muslims, Nature, Pakistan, Photography, Sunset, Video, Ramadan, Hurricane Irene

 

Soar Winger - IMRAN™

Soar Winger (Prayers Appreciated) - IMRAN™ — 350+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

It was Christmas Day, sunset. It was my late mother's birth anniversary, whom I lost 20 years ago, aged just about 51.

It was just a few days after the sudden passing away of my beloved Father, who lived 17 years after her, and never married again. He visited her grave to spread rose petals on it, to the end of his days, even when he had to be physically carried there after being paralyzed by a massive stroke.

I stood at the spot on Smith Point Bridge where he and I had gone, during his 1996 visit to me. I had been going through a difficult time in my life. And, he was there for me.

As I stand alone facing far greater challenges, deep crises and troubles, all coming together in my life at the same time, I look at this photograph and think of what my parents always taught me.

Always look up. Always look forward. Never be a sore loser, nor an ungracious winner. Fly as high as your dreams take you. Soar, Winger.

Your deepest prayers appreciated for the souls of my beloved parents, and for me to overcome the many crises I face all at the same time. Thank you.

© 2008-2011 IMRAN
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Cats Align A(n) Island, Not Catalina Island - IMRAN™

Cats Align A(n) Island, Not Catalina Island - IMRAN™ — Explored! — 400+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

My 38th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on July 6, 2011!

Tahiti and many other places remain on my list of places to go with someone special in my life one day, but until now, The British Virgin Islands, especially the waters and beaches of Tortola and the Baths at Virgin Gorda remain the most amazing I have seen, savored and soaked into my soul.

These catamarans and sailboats are soaking in the sun and were aligned with each other and an island in the distance.

Though I have not been to Catalina Island, the word play was to oeasy to pass up...

Cats Align An Island, Not Catalina Island.

I am certain the tranquil scenery and stunning colors will tempt you to put these places I have been blessed to go also on your list of places to visit.

Travel Far, But Never Forget Home!

© 2008-2011 IMRAN
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The Odd Man And The Sea - IMRAN™

The Odd Man And The Sea - IMRAN™ — Explored! — 800+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

My 37th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on June 20, 2011!

No color editing or processing of any kind, no filters. Photo, taken from top deck of moving boat, had to be straightened in Photoshop. Click photo to see detail!

As the humming engines got me underway over the waters of the Long Island Sound, I saw a sole figure in the distance. The odd man out(doors). One man, an odd figure (i.e. not an even number :-) ).

A fisherman, who had braved the waters, slippery rocks, currents and tides for the perfect catch. As the accelerating boat, figure and sun came in line, I held on with one hand on the railing, and got my perfect catch... this photo (except having to straighten it :-( ), taken at a 450mm Zoom, handheld, with only one chance before the moment would be like "the one that got away" in fishermen's stories...

Exposure 0.001 sec (1/1250), Aperture f/18.0, Focal Length 300/450 mm, ISO Speed 320...

I See. Clicker, Tuna/er, Snapper... Caught! The Odd Man And The Sea!

Also view: The Old MEN And The Sea

© 2011 IMRAN™
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I Drop To Focus On Drop Focus - IMRAN™

I Drop To Focus On Drop Focus - IMRAN™ — Explored! — (You Have to Click It For A 3D Feeling) — 500+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

My 36th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on June 14, 2011!

Walking around the house after a mid-May rain shower, I saw these flowers my neighbor planted.

I dropped to my knees, in the wet grass, and focused on getting the drop in focus and the rest out of focus. I did not want to drop my focus on a drop focus effect.

I got it even better than I could imagine. Stare at it, and that drop of water looks like 3D.

Photo is as taken by the Nikon D300, not softened in any computer program.

© 2011 IMRAN™
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Sky So Solar Red, Or Land O' Orlando - IMRAN™

Sky So Solar Red, Or Land O' Orlando - IMRAN™ ———— (No Editing Or Processing!) — 400+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. 1/320 seconds 450mm handheld photo at f/9 ISO200. Only framed in Photoshop.

A sky so solar blood red, with a melting gold sun melding with the hot earth, or land o' Orlando!

© 2011 IMRAN™
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Freeze Frame! Boys (of) Summer, Play Ball! - IMRAN™

Freeze Frame! Boys (of) Summer, Play Ball! - IMRAN™ — 300+ Views! (Click Pic To See Ball Midway In Midair), a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

My 35th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on June 7, 2011!

Baseball. The All-American pastime. A moment frozen in time, as two bitter rivals, like Gangs of New York, vie for victory over each other. This handheld shot caught the ball literally in the air hurling from the pitcher's hand to the strike zone.

An old flame of the time, a big Mets fan, took me to my first baseball game on my birthday in 1993. We had apartments in the beautiful Monterey, and from our apartments we could see Yankee and Mets stadia. Later that year, my old Columbia Business School roommate, Jim Malley, who had moved into another luxury building across the street from mine, took me to a Yankees game.

Generally, I am not a big Baseball fan - still loving Cricket over it. But, I root for NY teams, whoever they play against. Between the Yankees and the Mets, my tendency is to cheer for the Yankees. (Sorry, Beth! LOL)

Then on my birthday in 2002 my THEN lovely girlfriend (and one of the nicest people and prettiest girls I ever met, Catherine) took me to the Mets game, again.

After that I did not go to any more games. Until 2009, that is. At that time, my lovely girlfriend (Kathryn) took me to another Mets game, at the New Mets Stadium. It was fun. (Note to self... what is it with beautiful blonde girlfriends always being Mets fans! LOL).

In May this year, in an unexpected last minute plan with my childhood friends (whom I have a reunion with every year) had us in Manhattan for the weekend of my birthday. Spur of the moment, we decided to go see a Baseball game and got two for the price of one... a Yankees-Mets game at the New Yankee Stadium.

It was a great game. It started at about 6:30PM, with the sky still pale blue. And it ended under the bright lights of the arena. The Yankees won 7-3.

Among several shots, this one was a good representative photograph... of the Boys (of) Summer, (as they) Play Ball...

Now I need to see an extra 2 Yankees games to bring the total number of games of each team I have watched back in balance. :-)

© 2011 IMRAN™
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Turn & Bank Over River Banks To Airport, Port & Beach Newport Beach To Port - IMRAN™

Turn & Bank Over River Banks To Airport, Port & Beach Newport Beach To Port - IMRAN™ — 900+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

My 34th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore. Front Page on June 3, 2011!

I love flying. I love yachting & boating. I love the beach. I love travel. I love water. I love California. I love waterfront living. I love marine. I love marinas. I love wordplay. I love banks (along beautiful rivers, NOT financial institutions!).

This photo, taken through an aircraft window with a 5 years old pocket Nikon S6, has all of that - and more.

A banking turn in a plane is changing the direction of the aircraft while also turning by controlling how inclined it is to the horizon. I loved this steep banking turn to port (the left side of a plane or a yacht), as the aircraft banked over the banks of the beautiful riverlike body of water, over a sort of (boating) port and beach, near Balboa Island's Yacht Club and marinas, on the way to the airport at Newport Beach.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN™
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Location

Three ⚡ Lightning ⚡ Strikes And You're Out(side)! - IMRAN™

Three ⚡ Lightning ⚡ Strikes And You're Out(side)! - IMRAN™ — 650+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

Being blessed to live on the water, away from city lights, the wide expanse of the Great South Bay beyond my home beach is always a source of visual treats.

From dark moonless nights with flying white foam covering roaring waves, to moonlit nights on a silky smooth mass. From No Visible Horizon nights when earth, wind, sky and water merge into one, to the most spectacular displays of lightning, seeming to set alight the aptly named Watch Hill on the also aptly named Fire Island... places I love being by boat, in all kinds of weather, in all seasons, in all stages of life and in all types of light.

But, as I clicked way on my Nikon D300 on this magnficent fireworks filled sky, with the smell of burning Ozone in the air, and the atmosphere rich in sensual moisture and dripping in an almost sexually charged energy. The mood, the scene, were, to say the least, Electric.

As massive thunderbolts and lightning struck across from my home, as I captured this photo, I was reminded of the risks....

Three (Lightning) Strikes And You're Out(side)!? :-)

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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Camera Nikon D300, Exposure 30, Aperture f/18.0, Focal Length 48 mm

Eye Inbound I - IMRAN™

Eye Inbound I - IMRAN™, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

One final look at a stunning sunset painting the cockpit & Long Island Sound golden to my right, my home & the Great South Bay pink to the left; before turning full focus on landing.

I set up final approach, destination KISP.

Pink skies filling my eyes, Pink Floyd's words in my mind's ears....

"Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky, Tongue-tied & twisted, Just an earthbound misfit, I"

... my spirit silently calls God in control from heavens above, my senses call Air Traffic Control in towers below.

"New York Approach, Skyhawk November-Two-Four-Three-Eight-Siera inbound for landing, full stop Islip, is at 2000 feet, 8 miles Northeast of you, with information Zulu."

Radio 118.0. Altimeter two-niner-niner-two. Transponder squawk 4377 & ident. ATC controllers Eye Inbound I as I light up their radar scopes.

"Three-Eight Sierra, Radar Contact. Maintain altitude at or below 2000. Number 2 for landing Runway 24 following Southwest 885."

"Three-Eight Sierra is number 2 following Southwest. Traffic in sight."

Before landing checklist. All items check. Reduce airspeed 120 knots to flap deployment range. 110 knots as ground passes below at 120 mph. Mixture Rich. Fuel Tanks Both. Landing lights On. Strobe on. Adjust course to port, correct for wind. Heading south-west, following Southwest.

Start descent. Speed down to 90 knots. Descent rate steady, ground rushing up 500 feet per minute. Apply rudder. Nose pointed to landing spot. Line up Runway 24.... Runway numbers on spot.

Wind updrafts assert themselves. Adjust power. Adjust attitude. Wings level. Stay in control. My plane, I tell the wind. Wind calms. Adjust trim. Looking good. VASI Red Over White; We're Alright.

"Three-Eight Sierra, you are cleared to land. Caution, Wake Turbulence."

Maintain glide slope. All instruments green. Throw in full flaps. Reduce power. Field is made. Pass last obstacle. Power idle. Hand on throttle, ready to go-around.

Right on the numbers. Maintain centerline. Ground effect. Ground effect. Ground effect. Back pressure. Rudder. Centerline. Back pressure.Back pressure. Stall Warning horn whistles. Back pressure. Stall Warning horn louder. Three feet, two feet, one foot… Back pressure. Main gear touch down. Wheels kiss the runway. Bleed speed. Nose wheel is down. Hello, solid ground.

A squeaker! Thank you, God, for the gift of flight and the bounty of a safe return to earth, as stationary runway lights fly past.

Not done yet. Flaps up. Motors whirring. Switch Comms. Strobe Off. Transponder Standby. Pass runway 33L. Expect exit Taxiway Bravo.

"Ground, Three-Eight Sierra is on Two Four, taxi to Mid-Island."

"Three-Eight Sierra, welcome back. No delay. Exit Bravo-Charlie-cross runway 10/28-Sierra-Whiskey to Mid-Island. Southwest 1673 is pulling out and holding for you."

"Three-Eight Sierra, no delay. Bravo-Charlie-cross runway 10/28-Sierra-Whiskey to Mid-Island. Thank you."

New York Home, I'm coming home!

© 2011 IMRAN™
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PS I post very few pictures of myself here. For that I use FaceBook (feel free to connect facebook.com/IMRAN.TV ) but posting this at the insistence of my good friends there that are also friends here on Flickr. I hope you enjoyed this summarized memory of a recent flight.

A Star(Gazer Lily) Is Born - IMRAN™

A Star(Gazer Lily) Is Born - IMRAN™ — 300+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! No filters. No tricks. NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. 14MB original Nikon image only framed in Photoshop and saved at 4.6MB.

StarGazer Lilies have always been one of the most beautiful flowers in the world to me. They were literally the first that I planted when I was blessed to build a home on the South Shore of Long Island.

Not only does the name evoke that romantic fool spirit of childhood innocence and an unbelievable confidence of reaching for, and goind past, the stars... it also has the most stunning set of colors I have seen on a flower.

Here's the cool thing. This photo was shot, with NO filters, with NO backdrop, outdoors in bright sunlight. The black background with spectacular foreground was simply achieved by an unusual set of shutter speed and exposure control. (Note: I do not even own a macro lens).

What takes my breath away is the range of colors, and the breathtaking detail, even in a merely 4.6MB small version. (Click to see it larger and see the universe within one flower, like the galaxy clusters that are the nurseries of stars in the heavens above.

I gaze at these stargazer lilies in the day, until it is night, and I am one withe universe, gazing at the stars from where I came, and to whence I shall one day fly away.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN™
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Bring Kissable Tulips To Lips - IMRAN™

Bring Kissable Tulips To Lips - IMRAN™ — 500+ Views!, a photo by ImranAnwar on Flickr.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! No filters. No tricks. NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop..

Though most people associate Tulips with Holland, the flower actually originated in Central Asia. A national flower of Turkey, its short lived life is nevertheless one of delicacy, color, splendor and uniqueness.

The bulbs that I planted in a cold winter of 2010 burst forth in bloom in the wet, windy, cold and damp spring of 2011.

The Red-Yellow-Green traffic light colors of the photo are forgotten seeing the luscious pink with speckled white and ivory tones of the subject of this photo.

© 2011 IMRAN™
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Cold Beautiful Sky On Fire - IMRAN™

Cold Beautiful Sky On Fire - IMRAN™ — 400+ Views!, 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 4.2MB JPG.

The end of April, one of the rainiest I have ever lived, in 2011, possibly the windiest cloudiest year I have lived on Long Island, gave just enough cloud cover to make the sunset, finally visible after dozens of sunsets burnt to dull nothingness by wet dark clouds.

In the words of Jefferson Starship,

Will you light the sky on fire?
Will you light tonight like
You did the night before?
Hey, you could take me higher
Than the diamonds in the sky

As this day was coming to an end in New York, the last day of the life of a once freedom loving later genocide-inspiring terrorist was starting.

Within about 24 hours this photo, Usama Bin Laden, whose desire to teach America a lesson led to the policies that set fire to the Middle East and rained death over Afghanistan, whose henchmen and hell-bound dogs of urban war unleashed the fiery torrents of suicide bombings on innocent Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Jews everywhere....

As Bin Laden's last 24 hours of raining death on fellow Muslims in the name of Islam, and on democracy lovers in the name of freedom, started, .... I saw the promise of a cloudy night of uncertainty, and, before a bright new dawn could rise, the symbolism of this peaceful, cool, beautiful Sky On Fire.

May Peace Be With You.

© 2011 IMRAN
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Untouched, unedited, unmodified Nikon D300 photo ISO200, 300-450mm, f/5.6. 2.3eV, 1/125 second to compensate for nasty Nikon bug that makes Nikon's own lenses show up as "Non-CPU" unrecognized lenses with no way to change aperture. Nikon makes great cameras that always have manufacturing defects. Shame!

Blessed, Beach - IMRAN™

I do not fancy myself a poet. And, though challenges remain in my life, as for most of us, the blessings that abound cannot be counted.

I could not resist tapping this out to my friends and followers from my iPhone on a (chilly) night, standing at the beach of my blessed home at Heron Pointe, New York....

Walking along the rippling waterline on my beach. Definitely not T-shirt temperature. New Moon a thin orange sliver, perched atop the horizon, wants to get cozy under the (cloud) covers - but they're nowhere to be found. Shiny stars glint in the night's cold eye, as dark skies silently hear the wind's sighs. I stand still, on my own will, humbled, as I realize again - How Blessed Am I !


June 4, 2011 − 1145 PM via iPhone

© Imran Anwar

Technorati Tags: Beach, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Life, Long Island, New York, Night, Philosophy, Poetry, Prose, USA, Moon, Blessings

Field & Stream (& Streaks) Of Gold - IMRAN™

Field & Stream (& Streaks) Of Gold - IMRAN™ — 300+ Views!, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

My 33rd Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on April 25, 2011!

A late November cloudy day in 2010 still turned into a golden moment when I looked out from my home. Field & Stream magazine would love the streaks of Gold, running through the sunset-lit reeds, rippliing waves reflecting light and the clouds with their blonde highlights on deeper reds.

The title is a wordplay on the magazine name, Field & Stream; Fields of Gold; Streaks of Gold; etc. :-)

© 2010-2011 IMRAN™
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Memories And Memorial Days - IMRAN™

19 Years And A Million Tears Ago. Mother's Memory 2/2 - IMRAN™ _____(Kindly Read) — 1400+ Views!, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

May you all have an awesome, safe, happy Memorial Day, and every day you take time to honor the memory of the fallen, the departed.

May those who died fighting to protect us live on forever in our memories.

May today mark the start of a new chapter, a new life, a new set of memories, for the best that lies ahead beyond tomorrow.

May we share the time and experiences in giving birth to those memories, together.

And, may we remember each other when time is an echo, love is a heaven, and life is a memory.

Please click the photo to read Mother, Memory.

Technorati Tags: Family, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Life, Nikon, Philosophy, Photography, Sunset

Pray, Japan : Heian Shrine, Kyoto - IMRAN™

Pray, Japan : Heian Shrine, Kyoto - IMRAN™ — 400+ Views!, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

The Heian Shrine, in Kyoto, Japan was a place I visited only once, during a memorable nearly 2 month long stay in Japan. It is a busy place, with lots of visitors. I had to be very patient, and click in perfect timing, to get this shot with not a soul in the photo frame.

How time flies.

Built in 1895, on the 1100th anniversary of the founding of Kyoto, it was nearing it's own 100th anniversary when I arrived there. And that was nearly 20 years ago.

How time flies. How life flows, until we are nothing but a dim afterglow, in the corridors of history, long forgotten even as the places we tread, as emperors or visitors, live on forever.

May the clouds of radiation dissipate from the skies of Japan, and may it again shine in its glory as a home to one of the finest people in the world.

With memories of this temple, a place to Pray, Japan and people long gone or recently lost, in my heart and on my mind...

© 1995-2011 IMRAN™
Minolta 7000i Photo Scan

Technorati Tags: History, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Minolta, Photography, Red, Travel, Travelogue, Japan, Kyoto

 

Monday, Tuesday; Just Another BluesDay In Paradise - IMRAN™

Monday, Tuesday; Just Another BluesDay In Paradise - IMRAN™ __ Explored! — 500+ Views!, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

My 32nd Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on April 11, 2011!

I love the water, and I love red sunsets and blue waters. But, there are few places on earth where I have enjoyed singing seeing the blues on any Monday or Tuesday, than any BluesDay in the British Virgin Islands's heavenly beaches. The Baths, at Virgin Gorda, are a MUST SEE in your lifetme.

© 2008-2011 IMRAN
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Technorati Tags: Caribbean, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Nature, Nikon, Paradise, Photography, Travel, Water

Joy Of Flight (Even On A Cloudy Day) - IMRAN™

Cloudy, dull, a chilly day;
No reason not to fly away.
Runway lined with aviators,
Modern airborne gladiators.

Throttle Full, Rudder Right,

No traffic in my line of sight.
Total calm, no fear, no fright,
My spirit already taking flight.

Engine roars, rushing airflow,

Defeating gravity, Here I Go!
Farewell ground, Hello sky,
Joy of flight makes me cry!

- Imran Anwar

iPhoetry: Tapped on an iPhone sitting in a small airplane pilot seat

Technorati Tags: Aviation, Flying, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, iPhone, Life, Pilots, Poetry, Avionics

Brand New Day, Bold New World, Of Global Brands Popularity

There was a time, even in the 1950s and 1960s, when you could go to the least developed place in the world, that had no electricity or running water, yet be sure to find just a select few brands recognized by everyone, not just the educated elite in those countries.

These most definitely were Coke and Mercedes Benz, and perhaps a handful of others. In the 1970s and 1980s Levi's and Pepsi, started showing up. Even though some technology companies like IBM were doing business globally, they were unknown or irrelevant to the masses.

That is not the case today. As I tweeted today:

World Top 10 Brands: Apple top, Google, IBM follow - http://bit.ly/iRdI5Z

Not only is a technology (and increasingly consumer electronics now) company, Apple, the world's most valuable brand, it displaced another technology company, Google. To show the trend even more clearly, IBM actually rose up, to become number 3.

Other global brand stalwarts like McDonald's, and especially Coke, have fallen.

They remain in the Top 10, but it is amazing to see the impact technology has had on the global society in just a few years. Don't forget, it was literally 10 years ago that Apple, coming back from near death in the late 1990s with the Return Of Jobs, launched the iPod and MacOS X.

Ten to twenty years ago most people in the world would not know the difference between Unix and other similar sounding words. Today, the world's most valued brand is based on Unix, a variant of MacOS X running on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and counting.

Today we may think that Cloud Computing (or the impact it has) is limited to big corporations. I daresay, there is nothing stopping Cloud vendors of today from being the Apple of tomorrow.

Steve Jobs, and Apple, see that, as we know from their acquisition ($4.5 million!) of the icloud.com domain name. But, surely there will be many more new entrants of today that could be on that Top 10 List in 2020, if they have the vision.

What do you think? Will your brand be one of them? And, what are you doing today to make it happen?

© Imran Anwar

Technorati Tags: Cloud, Cloud Computing, IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Marketing, Strategy, Branding, Brands, Apple, IBM, Google, Coke, McDonalds, Steve Jobs

On Mother's Day, Honor Mother's Memory - IMRAN™

19 Years And A Million Tears Ago. Mother's Memory 2/2 - IMRAN™ _____(Kindly Read), originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

Happy Mother's Day to those blessed to be Mothers, and those lucky enough to have their parents, especially their mothers, with them. For those of us who lost the single most important human relationship God created... please honor, Mother, Memory.

---

2/2. The saddest day of my life, 19 years and a million tears ago.

I flew out of JFK the night of February 1, 1992, headed to Pakistan - where it was already 2/2/1992. I was going to see my beloved parents in Lahore. But, I was en route via Karachi. My Mom had insisted I stop there to condole the death of a relative and a friend's father there, the previous week.

The powerful PIA Boeing 747 jet engines hurtled me across the North Atlantic Ocean, erasing 600 miles per hour between my mother and me. But, there was an invisible infinite eternal distance of space and time growing silently, a cosmic chasm that no theory of relativity and no known power in the universe could shorten.

As the plane was flying towards Europe, life was flying away. As the aircraft was coming in for a landing, unknown to me, my mother's soul was taking off into the heavens beyond this world.

Landing in Karachi, I was smiling and happy, when I disembarked, clueless about what tragedy had struck me but I was unaware of. At my cousin's insistence (who was at the airport waiting for me) I went to the airline counter to check the status of my connecting flight to Lahore that was supposed to be for a few days later.

I was charming the young lady checking my reservation, asking her for a front window seat. She looked at me in a puzzled manner that I did not understand then. As she quietly typed on the keyboard my curious eye made me read a telex message on her desk, facing her.

As I read the upside down text, my breath left me, my heart stopped. I felt the hand of death clutch my heart...

"Please give priority seating...
Passenger Imran Anwar needs to be on next flight....
Has to attend Mother's funeral."

That is how I found out that my mother had died while I was on my way to her. She was just over 50 years old.

Instead of seeing my Mom to open the bags of gifts I was carrying for her and everyone, I would barely get home in time to carry her body for burial. Instead of her pinching my cheeks as she loved to do, all I got to do was touch her cheek one final time. As I had fallen on my knees next to her, she seemed just to have fallen asleep, forever.

18 years later today, to the day, not a day goes by when I do not shed a tear for my beloved mother. Tears roll down my cheeks as I write these words, and every time I relive that moment.

Ami, I will love you forever, even after I die.

© IMRAN
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Need Lots Of Green For Diamond Encrusted Gold — IMRAN™

Need Lots Of Green For Diamond Encrusted Gold — IMRAN™ ---(Click To View Detail), originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

My 31st Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on April 6, 2011!

This mid-June photo on a fairly hot day was suprising to me in many ways. One was how bright and clear that day was at a time of year when hazy and humid is more common.

Next was how much of the dew was still on the flowers in direct sunlight despite it being nearly Noon.

Lastly, what was amazing was the tiny diamond like specks of water droplet reflections shimmering and shining like jewles encrusted in a gold leaf.

As you know, you need lots of green (money) to buy so many diamonds encrusted in Gold. But, this moment was free by the blessings of God, despite it being the toughest ever financial phase of my life.

Even if you have nothing, or are about to lose everything, take a walk - and see the wealth, the jewels, the treasures God still blesses you, and us, with that we are lucky enough to be alive to enjoy.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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Sun (Street) Light - IMRAN™

Sun (Street) Light - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! No filters. No tricks. NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop..

I caught this beautiful sunset from my hotel window in Orlando, Florida during a recent trip there to give a speech at the HIMMS 2011 conference.

I was able to balance the Sun right above the little structure visible under it.

The sun silhouetted the street lamp shade and the castle like outline of the buildin go the left.

© 2011 IMRAN
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G(l)O(w) GREEN! - IMRAN™

G(l)O(w) GREEN! - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

My 30th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore on March 29, 2011

This is one of the most unnatural looking yet completely natural colors I can recall capturing. This non-HDR shot shows stunningly high dynamic range of my neighbor's highly Neon bright Hydrangea to the side of my house at high noon.

It was nearing mid-day when I stepped out of the house to take some pictures on an especially vivid, blindingly bright, Summer day in June.

Usually the weather at my home at that time can be somewhat hazy from humidity and heat on Long Island, New York.

This day it was definitely glowing warm and the sun was almost vertically above. These plants are at the corner of my neighbor's house, and partly shaded - but the grassy grounds that stretch behind the house were awash in the bright hot light of the sun.

I cannot take credit for the spectacular colors the Nikon D300 captured at ISO280. I was simply shooting in Program mode - while bending over backwards (literally) to frame the three depths of flowers aligned but visible for a bokeh effect and playing with the 100-300 (450mm eq) lens.

I hope you too can feel the heat and afterglow from this image.

© 2010 IMRAN
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Bursting Heart On Fire - IMRAN™

Bursting Heart On Fire - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

4th of July Fireworks at Watch Hill & Davis Park, opposite my beach on the Great South Bay, Heron Pointe, East Patchogue, New York. I am sure the plan was not to have these fireworks (shot over 15 seconds) to make the shape of a heart like this photo, but this is what it came out as.

Technorati Tags: Fireworks, IMRAN, ImranAnwar, New York, Photography

Eye's Iris Pierced By Ultra Violet (Day) Light Iris - IMRAN™

Eye's Iris Pierced By Ultra Violet (Day) Light Iris - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

My 29th Photo to make it in Flickr Explore at #44 March 16, 2011

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera. Stunning Nikon D300 RAW image simply framed in Photoshop with *NO* editing or processing of any kind. Framed & saved as 4.7MB JPG from 14MB original.

This was a particularly blindlingly bright day of the Summer of 2010. My life was still in turmoil, in a seemingly endless downward spiral. I still jauntily walked around my house, soaking in the sun, and the blessings God still bestowed me with.

Nikon in hand, I clicked on many of the flowers around my home that were in full bloom.

I did not know how much longer I would live in that dream home, had no way of stopping the total nuclear meltdown like stage that my life had gone through, financially and emotionally, from being away to Pakistan for most of the year after my Father's sudden death.

Walking by the flowerbeds he had seen many of the same bulbs bloom during his stay here in 1996, I let the bright white light of the sun and the ultra-violet, indigo, dark orchid range of colors the iris flowers fired melt into the irises of my eyes. And my camera.

Here is a flood of colors, with green blades, like light sabers battling the violet laser light of the flowers.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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Sun D(r)own(s) In Loving Lava Of Volcano Sky - IMRAN™

Sun D(r)own(s) In Loving Lava Of Volcano Sky - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

SOOC Image Straight Out Of Camera!! NO editing, tweaking, of ANY kind. Only framed in Photoshop & saved image as 7MB JPG.

I've been living and boating on the Great South Bay, between Patchogue, Bellport, Fire Island and many of the amazing Long Island inlets for 16 years.

Every Eastbound cruise has me hooking around the channels from the Great South Bay into Bellport Bay, near the shallows of Howell's Point.

Finally, on February 27, 2011, as I was running an errand, I realized that the sun covered by layers of clouds would create a spectacular sumst. I rushed home, grabbed the Nikon bag, and on a whim headed to find my way to Howell's Point.

Taking the meandering roads off of South Country Road, I finally arrived at my destination.... only to find the road so flooded that there was water up to the doorsills a quarter mile up the road.

Risking stalling the engine, I slowly drove through that water until the front wheels of the car were up high enough on the sand which had washed on to the road so I could actually get out, twist and stretch my leg out to not disembark into the flooded street.

I then made my way to the point I had seen for 16 years - and gazed upon this magnificent sunset.

The Nikon did it's thing. I was only there to bemesmerized by the lava color filled sky, from a muted sun feeding a volcanic eruption of passionate colors into the moist cloudy embraces of the sky....

What a way for the day to climax into the depth of night.


© 2011 IMRAN
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Sure Rocky Shore Rocks For Sure - IMRAN™

Sure Rocky Shore Rocks For Sure - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

This is one of the most interesting, spectacular and delightful places I have ever traveled to. The Baths, at Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands are a wonder of nature. What was likely an eruption of red molten rock from the earth, is one of the bluest of blue places I have ever seen.

The rocks, like pebbles strewn in sand, line this area of caves, nooks and crannies, to steal a kiss, or more in, for lovers seeking virgin spots to leave their mark.

The rocks in the middle of the picture almost made me title this photo in memory of the statutes of Easter Island and the rocks at Stonehenge -- StonesUnHinged. I'll hang on to that title in my mind for another photo more suitable for it.

I hope you get to savor some of these sweet spots made for lovers, for love, for passion, without ration.

Let's rock on, my beautiful friends and lovers past, present, and near future.


© 2008-2011 IMRAN
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Reddish, (Sun)Set, G(l)o(w)! - IMRAN™

Reddish, (Sun)Set, G(l)o(w)! - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

This picture, taken on the Western side of my home community, shows one of my favorite colors in the world filling the sky.

The sailboat masts and the dying last leaves on trees bowing to the coldness of impending winter are silhouetted by the fiery sun that feeds our planet energy.

A Reddish Ready Sunset is Set to Go Glow!

© 2009-2011 IMRAN™
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PS Sorry, haven't posted pics since Feb 7. Been traveling for work non-stop. Posted this from Orlando where I came to make some speeches at HIMMS.

Can't See The Forest For The Trees. ForesTree - IMRAN™

Can't See The Forest For The Trees. ForesTree - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

Driving from Long Island, New York, to Hopkinton and Southborough, in Massachusetts, in late October, 2010, I saw one of the most vivid clear blue skies above me.

Zipping along on I-495 (which is numbered the same but completely separate from the I-495 Long Island Expressway that I use to get to my home in Long Island), in the Bellingham and Franklin areas, I saw an approaching clearing to the right of the road.

Though the side of the road was rutted from rains and wheels of trucks that may have passed over it, I was smoothly able to pull over.

This picture reminded me of the beauty one can find even in the stark days of Fall and approaching Winter.

And, it made me wonder, if a tree falls in a forest in Fall,..... but then I wondered, if I was looking at a scene of forestry, or ForesTree, or just a densely packed series of dull wood and bright reds and greens, which the Nikon D300 (with eq. 450mm handheld zoom) captured.

But, it did make it hard to see the forest for the trees.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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Lava Sky On Fire, Birds - IMRAN™

Lava Sky On Fire, Birds - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

In late chilly fall,
Falls early night.
My eyes rise,
To fiery skies,
Of legend & lore,
Making spirit soar.
Heeding my call,
Birds take flight.

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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PS Forgive me, friends, 18 hours days and nonstop work travel is making me remiss in leaving comments but I do view your photos on iPhone on the road, just hard to leave comments. Thanks for your continued visits.

Technorati Tags: IMRAN, Imran Anwar, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Poetry

Budding Gen(i)us - IMRAN™

Budding Gen(i)us - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

Though I do not know the name of this flower bud's genus, I just know that the soft , luscious, suggestively inviting textures of pink on it could make any budding genius rise to the occassion - of taking a stunning, unedited, image as this came out. The silky wall of pink of an already blooming flower and the bokeh with green higlights in sharp and soft relief completed the effect.

Can you see what turned the camera on so much?

© 2010-2011 IMRAN
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Technorati Tags: IMRAN, ImranAnwar, Nature, Photography, Pink

 

Sitting. Bricks! - IMRAN™

Sitting. Bricks! - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

This is just being posted for entertainment, not photographic excellence or stunning displays of nature as I love to do.

I was being driven from Sargodha, in Punjab, Pakistan to my home in Lahore. As the car zoomed by the dusty plains and fields, passing through tiny towns and barely visible villages, I was shooting pictures with the Nikon D300 through the car window.

It was too hot to open the window, so I just took the chance of possible window reflections appearing in the photo. You can see some of the motion blur on the bricks and the man's headgear. The unedited photo still ended up looking well structured by the rule of thirds. But, what I enjoyed was the subtle gray sky, the brilliant green leaves, the rich fire orange red bricks lighter colored than the almost red tinged skin tones of the had working laborer, radiated by decades of manual labor beneath a non-sheltering, sweltering sky.

This scene was shot literally at 60mph or more, at 1/1000th of a second, while also slightly turning my body to capture it as the car went by this scene. I laughed thinking about the title that had already popped in my mind as I was taking the picture. I didn't know how well-placed the bricks and the squatting man would be in the resulting photo.

Here in America, even when people don't fully observe posted speed limits in work zones, where sometimes there are more people in hard hats standing holding up signs to SLOW down traffic than are actually doing the work, we are are more considerate than drivers in developing countries like Pakistan.

The speeds with which traffic zooms through work area made me think of what bodily reactions of people here would be.

They would definitely be doing more than... Sitting, Bricks. ;-)

© 2010 IMRAN
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2011 Reflections - IMRAN™

2011 Reflections - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

1/1/11. All ones.

One more opportunity to focus on the number One priorities in life. To be the One you wanted to be. To live to the fullest the one life you've been given.

Mark my words. This year is over.

No, I am not kidding. It was hardly a few days ago when I was wishing you a Happy New Year 2010. Even though it was a difficult, in some ways tortuous, tumultuous and terrible year, it too flew by, like the many years of life.

Despite the challenges, the pain, the sorrows, the shocks, the twists of irony it smashed into life, it was one more blessed year of life, of health, of ambition, of strength, of courage, of resilience, of overcoming. And, it went by far too fast.

Don't let this new year do the same.

2011 is here. It started with 1/1/11 and gives you, me, all of us, every single opportunity to be all that we want to be, to achieve all we want to achieve, to live all we want to live.

Take One moment, to dwell on these reflections, 2011. Make it the brightest new day of the brightest life you can live.

© 2011 IMRAN

Liquid Diamonds And Gold Leaf On Green Velvet

Liquid Diamonds And Gold Leaf On Green Velvet - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

Although it was nearly mid-day on June 15th, 2010, the bright almost-Noon sun above had not yet managed to sizzle off the moisture from early morning's dew drops on these flowers at the entrance near my home.

The Nikon D300 did a great job capturing what caught my eye in the first place... the needle sharp reflections of moisture were shining like tiny crystals and diamonds embedded in petals that looked like pure Gold Leaf, positively glowing above the bokeh background of dark leaves, like a fine jeweler's velvet green display to melt a viewer's heart and turn it to solid resolve of a buyer.

A golden moment, a jewel in time, in every sense of the word. What do you think?

© 2010 IMRAN
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Technorati Tags: Imran Anwar, Nature, Photography

Cat's In The (Rocky) Cradle. Catamaran & Sailboats At Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands - IMRAN™

Cat's In The (Rocky) Cradle. 2010's Grown Into A Year In History. Catamaran & Sailboats At Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands - IMRAN™, originally uploaded by ImranAnwar.

The Baths location at Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, is one of my favorite places in the world. I had a most amazing trip there not too long ago, as part of a 7 day Caribbean cruise. But it is definitely one place I would love to go by my own boat.

I have a sailboat (but never learned to sail!) but just enjoy motor yachting and boating far too much. So, God Willing, I hope to visit there one day again.

This was just a spectacular day, with the most magical blue colors captured by the pocket Nikon. The shallow waters surrounding the rocks are full of colorful fish you can walk among. Like the words of the great song, Cat's In The Cradle, your Catamaran, or Cat, can be safely cradled near the rock clusters.

A boating paradise, a lover's delight, a God worshippers place to just be in awe of his bounty.

As 2010 comes to a close today, as you make new year's resolutions, make yourself a promise that you will try to visit this, or places like this, in your lifetime, that make you love spending time with the ones you love, love the planet we are on, love the time we are given here, and the majesty and love of our Creator.

© 2010 IMRAN
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