Another byline and some more acceptance of my work

I have been working hard to achieve a few bylines in the online and print media in the US since I arrived here five and half months ago. It has been a long and arduous journey. Competition is high and the writing style is totally different. I have not been very successful but have achieved a byline here and there and mostly in the local newspapers here. One of the biggest achievements was get myself and my pictures featured in a cover and photo feature on the Neighbors Go supplement of the Dallas Morning News.

Now after the print comes online byline with Schmap Guides selecting one of my pictures to be featured in their online tourist guide. One of the pictures I had shot of the tower in Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, has been featured in an online tourist guide known as Schmap Gudes.
Do take a look at the guide whose interactive version is placed in the form of a widget below. It would be great to hear your encouraging words, which make me strive towards making my blogs better.

Lull after the storm!

I purposely chose the title for the blog. I woke up this morning to a bright, sunny day with clear blue skies and great weather. Thinking it is going to be a great day I started my daily chores. The first surprise was that there was no paper at the door. Then Padma asked me if I slept well last night. I said absolutely well, like a log in fact. Then she said that last night a thunder-storm had hit the city and there was lot of rain, heavy winds, thunder and lightening. So this morning's nice weather and cool breeze is the lull after the storm.

I had absolutely no idea about what happened last night. Padma said she was woken up by the roaring winds and thunder and couldn't sleep for the major part of the night. I didn't give it much thought and when I did venture out of the home I was surprised to see destruction all around. Luckily our apartment block is sited at the very end and at a lower level so not much damage has been caused. The parking shelter adjacent to our apartment has been torn down by the winds, as also several trees in the complex. Some buildings were not so lucky, their roofs and porches were blown off. I went round the apartment complex and shot some pictures of the devastation, take a look.

And yes there was complete blackout for about 4-5 hours throughout the region experiencing the thunder storm. So it is not only in Bangalore that power shuts off as soon as it rains. I guess it is a universal phenomenon that electricity can't be played with and when it rains it is best to switch off the mains. Especially when 90 percent of the homes are built of wood.

Parking shelter adjacent to our home was torn down by the heavy winds. It is right next to our apartment block. Luckily nothing happened to our building.

This tree near the car wash in the complex was also attacked. The winds tore away one of its healthy branches

Two other trees which were also casuality to the wind's fury

Pictures of devastation both to buildings as well as trees

Texas is truly a crazy place, at least in terms of weather it surely is. It is bright and sunny today and there is no guarantee that it will remain so tomorrow. For all I know tomorrow may be freezing cold with hail storms and what not. And day after it may be just humid and stuffy. That is the weather of Texas. When I was in India I thought Bangalore weather was crazy, but I don't think it is crazier than Texas.

Three (3) minutes of Fame

Having been here for the past nearly 6 months I have been trying to achieve bylines and get to see my name in print. I have been successful in the past on two occasions when the pictures I shot were published in the Dallas Morning News and its supplement Neighbors Go. But yesterday's paper was my biggest byline or feature so far. I hogged limelight on the cover page of the Neighbors Go supplement, got mentioned in the editorial and also had two half pages dedicated to the pictures I have shot. I guess I got my three minutes of fame in America. Need to work harder to get more minutes....
Meanwhile as I work you can have a look at the scanned images of the paper and leave your comments.

This the cover page of Neighbors Go supplement of yesterday's Dallas Morning News. Limited circulation only in the three cities of Carrollton, Addison and Farmers Branch.

Yesterday's editorial spoke about photographs and memories and linked my cover feature to it.

Pictures I had uploaded on my blog and submitted to the paper.

More pictures of Carrollton and surroundings which captured the attention of the editors of Dallas Morning News.