When I moved to Colorado in 1998, my sole purpose was to be close to the mountains. I have never grown up in the mountains. But just after returning from my 5 day trek in Nepal (Pokhra region), I felt I missed the mountains. Whether it is the Rocky Mountain or the Himalayas, they make us humble and remind us of our co-existence with nature. This series is all about nature and landscapes.

Rock formations indeed have a special appeal to a photographer. If you have been to the Arches National Park (Photograph Arches) or the awe inspiring Grand Canyon (Sunrise at Grand Canyon), you would experience the visual ecstasy. Closer to my home in Denver, I have been to the Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs) several times and this work of nature has never stopped amazing me. I had earlier shot this rock (Balancing Act) in color film and slides. But I was not happy with the results. I decided to shoot this rock in black and white not only to bring out the texture, but also to highlight the mood of this rock. I always wondered what amazed me about the rock � was it the sheer size or was it the balancing act which we find so hard to achieve in our lives?

Even though this series is about landscapes and nature, I have included a few photographs that are not wholly representative of nature. The sole purpose of these photographs is to highlight the co-existence of man made structures with nature. For instance, the two shots of the barn house in Aurora (Barn house I and Barn house II). Similarly, the isolated barn house (Photograph Festival of Colors ) amidst the colorful sea of tulips (Skagit Valley) brings out the contrasts that we experience in life within the same frame. To me it was the grey wood of the barn house that brought out the rich color of the tulips. The same goes for my night shot in Seattle (Night Lights ). Some would see this photograph as a skyline, but I see it as an impression of the skyline on the water, which is an important element in Seattle. I used to like Seattle for the same reason that I disliked it - for the rains. Indeed, Seattle has something special that few other cities can claim. The city teaches you to be patient, especially if you are a night photographer. So I gave the city enough time to give me a beautiful night as this one. During a post-dinner walk, on a clear night, I stumbled upon an exquisite spot (Alki Beach) to view the beautiful night skyline. The shot was long enough for an airplane and a boat to go across my frame!!

Well, if you experience the soothing rain in Seattle, you ought to experience the fury of water as well. So visit Niagara Falls! As I watched the falls day after day - morning, afternoon and night, the calm image of water in my mind clashed with what I saw. As a photographer I felt challenged to bring out the soothing nature of water, that was hidden somewhere. I took these long shots (Niagara at Night I and Niagara at Night II ) close to midnight. The long exposure and the soft lights helped me give it a calm and diffused look - the way I like to think of water.

True I love the mountains, but my wife loves the seas. Hence, finding a destination for our honeymoon (in 2000) was not easy. I found my dream place when I read John Steinbeck's article in "Harper's Bazaar" which he wrote (May 1953) during his vacation in Positano (Night at Positano). The rare mix of the mountain and the sea was special. The real Positano was more beautiful than my dreams. Sunrise at Positano was our first sunrise that I tried to capture through my hotel window. As I shot the sunrise in many different formats (black and white, color film) on different days, my father's simple words came back to me again and again - no two sunrises are the same!!