Sometimes you have to do what you have to (Blog marathon post 11)

The alertness, agility and the speed with which this little fellow moved enthralled me completely. I had to capture him on film. I squatted on the dirty ground, which had a lot of ants and flies because of the rubbish strewn around. To get a good picture I had to be almost at ground level, eye to eye with this little squirrel.

This was just outside the Taj Mahal, in Agra , India. I squatted down a sharp pain shooting up my legs because of the unusual position. I was sitting almost motionless, as the slightest jerk would frighten the squirrel.
"Maaa--get up, What are you doing? You can't sit by the side of the road like that," hissed my son.
"Get up, people are beginning to stare," urged my husband.
"Mummy, what are you doing?" asked my daughter.

Of course I did not get up till I was satisfied with my shot.


How can I explain the magic of a good picture? How can I explain the joy it brings me to observe nature, no matter where I see it, in what surroundings and whatever circumstances? How can I explain the challenge of getting a perfect shot, especially with little things like squirrels?

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do--no matter who says what, no matter who is watching, no matter even if nobody else is doing it.

And I am not just talking about pictures.

Comments

  1. First one to comment :) :) :) The pic is really very cute...
    people still throw litter on the wayside..when will we learn???? Near my house too there are many squirrels and every time i ry to get a pic of them, they just run away :(

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  2. I completely agree with this!! We just cannot give up sometimes unless we feel satisfied with the results!! One of my favorite quote is "don't let mediocre be your standard". At least to our own minds we should be a perfectionist right!!??
    Btw...I love photography too;-) when you get a chance peep into my photo stream @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ardurga/

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  3. Great work, Karmayogi, never worry of your surroundings or the people in doing the work which fancies You

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  4. that's such a lovely shot...esp considering that squirrels are such 'moving' subjects! I've yet to take one which shows more than the bushy tail!

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  5. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do--no matter who says what, no matter who is watching, no matter even if nobody else is doing it.

    And I am not just talking about pictures.

    Amen.

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  6. beautiful picture!
    n yes, sometimes to really get what you want you have to become apathetic towards a lot of things, like being the only one in your place.
    You gave a very nice message through this post :)

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  7. ..And sometimes we have to do what we have to do .. commenting a good post :)

    By the way - Very good picture

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  8. love the last line! sums up life...

    sometimes u just gotta do what u gotta do...never mind what everyone else thinks/ says...

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  9. Anonymous11:03 AM

    yes yes ... i know that feeling :)if it means lying down on the road for a good picture, so be it. ofcourse, i am also not talking abt just pictures :)

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  10. That's a cool shot , also U have injected some inspiration in me, well me too was winner of a photography competition held in our office recently where the theme was to capture any employee of the office... :)

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  11. A picture does speak a thousand words...I laughed at your family's reaction...mine would have reacted the same way..but like you say...Sometimes you have to what you have to do......

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  12. Totally agree. Sometimes you have to brave the world, embarass your loved ones and listen to your heart. Great shot!

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  13. isin't that the Nike motto - Just do it.

    I think its a very god one. Sometimes, unmindful of the consequences, one just has to do things

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  14. And that IS a great pic. And a greater post. All the best :)

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  15. 'Sometimes you have to do what you have to do--no matter who says what, no matter who is watching, no matter even if nobody else is doing it.' - by Preeti Shenoy.

    Yeah, patent this beautiful line :)

    Thats exactly what I feel about clicking picture, however, unlike you I click them real bad but I still love taking them and reminiscing thru' them for smiles later :)

    P.S: The squirrel is looking you right in the eye!

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  16. honest post.. I too love nature and photography.. Sometimes even the smallest of things makes us wonder how talented the creator must be !

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  17. Hey PS,

    Trust you to come up with something so profound out of something so simple...It really is a wonderful thought which needs to be applied by one & all.

    Cheers,
    PK

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  18. Hey Preeti,
    Nice post.. :)
    U have to do what u hv to do.. Hmm..

    I once tried clicking a squirrel munching on something.. and this ws some 7 yrs back - when digicams were not so popular - It was the perfect pose from the squirrel and ... the batteries frm the camera fell down causing a clatter!! :(

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  19. That is my mantra - follow your own drummer ... works for me

    www.phoenixritu.com

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  20. How true.. and this obsession with eye level has produced many a pics during our travels - ie of the photographer in that odd position :P

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  21. Very true what you said. Apart from the sexist undertone, this movie quote also says the same - "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do".

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  22. My husband has the kinda love that u have for photography… He will sleep on mud to get good shots..while I am busy getting worried abt him getting hurt or dirty..nothing really stops him..

    Yaa…ur philosophy does apply for things other than photography too…infact [for me] it applies more to things other than photography. One’s got to do wat they want…chase one’s dreams and fulfill one’s passion irrespective of all the things u’ve mentioned, irrespective of the fact that may be NO ONE is looking., irrespective of anything n everything! Many times wat stops us is that no one is watching and cheering us or no one will know the effort we put in or appreciate it. It pinches us and we don’t feel motivated to do wat our heart wants to do…BUT then sumtimes you have to do wat you have to do !

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  23. My friend went to the zoo last week and witnessed two turtles mating. She said she felt bad for them because there were people watching all around and they had no privacy. But I guess sometimes you do what you have to do no matter who is watching :)

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  24. The pic is brilliant.. Something u have to do what u have to:- I guess that's the reason behind this blog marathon.. :)

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  25. I couldn't agree better...and the shot has turned so beautifully. Squirrels do make such interesting creatures.
    And am I glad you squatted down...oblivious to the passers by....it goes well for other walks of life too...

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  26. Pavi:Does your husband have a Flickr stream where he shares his pics?

    Hang: thank u!

    Ajay: :) Considering you're saying 'man' and considering you're saying 'Gotta do' it only adds up to one thing :) Now--are u thinking what I'm thinking? :)

    Dhanya: Oh yes--and your pics are really good too.

    Ritu: What if drummer is off key? :P

    Mridula: :) poor squirrel must have got really startled!

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  27. Prats: thank u!

    Sushobhan: well observed. and surprised u did not find my reply to your comment in post 8,"possibilities are endless." I just looked and my reple is right underneath your comment!! Pls see again.

    Pink dogwood: Don't know why your friend felt bad! Turtles really don't mind :) Pls tell her that. In fact turtles are turned on by voyeurists ;-) :)

    Pals world: thank u!

    Euphoria: Absolutely.I agree.

    Still thinking: Oh yes--i love it that those cute button eyes are staring right into the camera . Will apply for patent :)

    Meira: thank u! wishing you a happy happy married life.

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  28. SMM : Yes. It is nice.

    SS: Don't know why they should be embarrassed :) I'd be proud :P Thank u.

    Poonam J: Don't know why people bother so much what others think and say!

    Prabodh: Wow--what a novel idea--to click colleagues. Are u allowed to share the pic? If so I want to see.

    Sandeep: If you're lying down on the ground for a good pic and you're not talking about pics, then what are you talking about?;-) LOL

    Sunshine: yeah--u just have to do some things.

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  29. Srivtas: Thank you for commenting :)

    Jyotiajay: thank u :)

    Sucheta: yes--if it matters to you you should chase it :)

    Only one: Amen :)

    Suma: oh yes--squirrels are hard to capture.

    Sunny raju: First time someone has called me a karma yogi :)

    Durga; Lovely pics! Loved the giant wheel one and the shells/snail one. Also liked the fern. great pics. What camera do u use? I want to buy a nice one. Currently using canon powershot.

    Shatharam: i agree about the litter. And squirrels u have be lucky to get a pic--that too from this close.

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  30. Very True..!!

    I know how difficult it is to take the photos of squirrels(and small kids)..They keep moving..!!
    Only someone who is passionate about photography(life) will go to such extents :)

    G.

    P.S. Thank you so much for the award in the previous post..You made my day..!!and I was overwhelmed..(seriously)..!!

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  31. Your son obviously thought you were acting like a nut..which is what probably attracted the squrrel in the first place!

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  32. You are lucky the squirrel was a little one. I wouldn't try taking photos of the squirrels in my neighborhood, they are quiet well fed and look pretty intimidating.

    Also, this reminded me an incident when I was taking wildlife pics of elephants in Nilgiri mountains; they heard the camera click and came charging at me ! your quote is real apt for such situations - "You have to do what you have to do" and that is "Run for your dear life" :)
    Nice post and hey, thanks for stopping by on my blog..

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  33. Lovely Pic Preeti...Totally agree with you on this...:)...
    love ur spirit:)

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  34. Anonymous1:17 AM

    whoa the last few lines were deep! couldn't agree more!

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  35. Really nice picture and those last lines are so true :)

    On a recent hike I clicked some good pics of squirrels....will try to upload them....

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  36. They keep hopping outside my house, one of them even barged in but I had let it go out with a heavy heart.

    Even today I saw it jumping around the kitchen grills.

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  37. i do this whenever i'm on my photowalks n ppl around me look at me strangely , some understand n smile n no matter wht they think i jus hv to take tht shot...

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