It gives me great pleasure to announce that Sh. Pankaj Kumar & Sh. Dinesh Valke have been ‘All time Best Flora photograph​ers’ on efloraofindia, which has more than 2400 members & has completed around seven & a half year.
This award comes from members for whom Flora & it photography is their passion And it is not an award merely based on few photographs but on ones’ life time photographic contributions of innumerable photographs made on efloraofindia.
Their photographs creates such magic that one forgets about everything else for a moment. They have mesmerised many generations of photographers by their sheer clarity, sharpness & beauty.
One is famous for close ups, sharpness & clarity, while other takes pride in beauty & simplicity through his marvellous presentations. Both are unparallelled & difficult to beat in their areas. They are also perhaps the best Flora Photographers in India.
They are not only the best Flora photographers but also great experts. One is one of the finest experts on Orchids, the other is one of the finest experts in compilation of vernacular names & bringing Indian Flora closer to the masses.
They should be happy to flaunt their awards for all their hard work, money, time & passion.


Heart congratulation to Pankaj ji and Dinesh ji……………….

They  deserve this recognition
Hope more from them


Congratulations to Dinesh ji and Pankaj ji for their outstanding work. At the same time I wish to congratulate all members who send photographs to efloraofindia, having taken them within  the constraints of time and resources.


Congrats the third time Pankaj ji and Dinesh ji, courtesy Ushadi who suggested separate thread for this and both myself and Garg ji acted promptly. Both of you are our pride and prize possession, we love to be comfortable with, although there have some ups and downs for all of us, but I am happy and proud that our association has developed into a very strong and fruitful bond, thanks largely to the efforts of Garg ji and other well-wishers of the group.

As someone wrote earlier “Long Live efloraofindia”   


Great to see that two marvelous experts of plant photography in India being humbly thanked for their magical show of flora in the forum of eFI.

It was really a difficult choice to select one person as best for most of the members and well reflected in this announcement. 
Congratulations to both of these “Guru” of plant photography. 


well said …

ups and downs happen in the family

in our research labs and clinics

society at large

no matter how well oiled a clinic we want to run or how well behaved a brood a mother raises

but the bottom line is do we all stay together and help each other?

this has been a nice exercise and third time congratulations to you both Pankaj and DInesh.

and now we have a third thread .. Nidhan has started another one, is it possible by the owners of the group to merge them and delete the extra ones, otherwise every body will write the same message twice, thrice..


Hearty congratulations to Pankaj and Dinesh ji for receiving this great recognition!


I am just copy pasting from the other thread:

I am a trained botanist and when I take pictures, I know which part is important for classification of that particular species and what part may not be of much significance. BUT I AM TRAINED FOR IT. When I see pictures shared by Dinesh sir, it simply amazes me to see that (I am not disrespecting) even if he is not trained to do so, he never misses to present all characters of the particular plant which makes life of people easier to identify. A good picture may not be good botanically but, still all his pictures are just perfect. 

I have never met him in real, but he had always been there when I was going through my bad days and so he is infact a very nice person by heart too. At the same time, we must not forget his contribution to eflora apart from his photographs is immense too. Not to forget that his was the brain behind the efloraofindia website. I salute him so being such a kind, knowledgeable, always ready to help person and ofcourse THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER eflora has and the best person I have YET TO MEET in my life :).
During this long episode of the choosing the best photographer on eflora, I was trying to make out who should win the title logically. For the purpose of the same I made an assessment on my own. My method was to put the name of person and search on eflora. Then choose the tenth post of that particular person. If the post had pics then I chose those pics, and if there were no pic then I shifted to next mail. So for it was hard to find a mail with pic. But for some it was easy. It was also risky because may be the particular member’s 10th post had bad pic but to be consistent I had to choose that. And trust me, in my assessment, Dinesh sir stood on the top with his pics of Impatiens chinensis (https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/dinesh/indiantreepix/pFtpKzRTWaY/UX2sWRu52WoJ)
I love you sir and I miss you. Hope to meet you in real some day.
Ofcourse, there are many good photographers on eflora and I respect them all, although I am not naming any one of them here, but they know who I am talking about. So please dont take my mail in negative sense…….
Long live the efloraofindia family.
When Scientists and Citizen Scientists meet, the new branch of MEGASCIENCE emerges 🙂


Hearty congratulations to Dr Pankaj ji and Dinesh. Contribution of both of them is tremendous.. not only in terms of good photographs but also the content, the matter they put in it ..making  the pics a pictorial  story in itself….Dinesh always comes with innovative idea when it comes to presentation.

Both of  them are always the best when it comes to photography but more than that, they are helpful and humble…


Congratulations and best wishes to winners


 
It was a difficult choice as Garg ji had asked us to nominate one person, but I am very happy that Pankaj ji and Dinesh ji have been declared as joint winners, although I have been more happier to see the name of Prashant ji also included. Congrats Pankaj ji and Dinesh ji.


Congratulations to the two of our members: Dinesh and Pankaj.. who won the voting.
and I agree with Gurcharanji…


Thanks, Singh ji. But I could not change during the mid course.
Of course, Prashant ji is also one of the finest photographers.
It is not to forget so many others besides you.


Congrats Pankaj Ji and Dinesh Ji, keep mesmerizing us with your quality uploads..


All time Best Flora photographer on efloraofindia : 64 posts by 19 authors.

Dear members,
Pl. give your views on ‘All time Best Flora photographer on efloraofindia’- name & why you feel so & what is so special about his/ her photography. Be generous on words.
Any one who comes trump- his name will be included in a special page on efi site with all your positive views.
This remains open till 8.11.14 (9.00 a.m.). I will not vote & express my views as I am initiating this exercise.


Difficult choice as Dinesh ji, Prashant ji and Ritesh ji have been uploading high quality photographs and Nidhan ji, Balkar ji and Surajit ji with quality display of photographs best suited for identification, yet my vote would go for Dr. Pankaj Kumar Sahni, whose photographs are very sharp and with very clear close up details. I have learnt a lot from him. He has matured into a very useful member of the group, always ready to give frank opinion that goes a long way in smooth progress of the group. I also admire his knowledge about taxonomic status and citation of names that would be very useful for understanding of plants from our website.


Thanks, Singh ji.
Hope to get at least 20 or may be more votes from the members.


Nice initiative Garg ji. Personally, I find more and more of us are showing wonderful photographs – that is to say, we clearly see marked difference over the years in each one’s captures. To name one, I would think of Dr Pankaj Kumar Sahani ! I see his focus and passion for his subject – orchids. Smaller and tiny orchids demand skillful photography, especially when it comes to show certain aspects of the orchid.

Most of us have improved over time with the realization that lesser photos OR fewer aspects of a plant do not help in identification. 


Its really a difficult exercise, i feel most of efi members are uploading so many unique photographs.. Each individual has his own way of presentation… Its difficult to vote for one …
Dinesh has probably one of the best way of presenting the subject but when it comes to name one i go with the views expressed by Dinesh.. i will go for  Dr Pankaj Kumar Sahani ji. His clicks always has clarity and subject is well focused. His posts no doubt are informative as well and as an individual i had learn t a lot from his posts…


My vote goes to Dinesh. His pictures capture the magic of the plants as well as the taxonomic details. Each photograph is a work of art.


All pictures are very good But honestly i love Dr Pankaj Kumar’s pictures because

all his pictures are clear, sharp images reveal  all details of the plant indicating his expertise 
also each picture is aesthetically pleasing, that is beauty of his posts 
Reading his every post gives learning experience 


Since this a botany group… photographs have to be not only visually pleasing but also informative and diagnostic. 
the last is important since this is also a visually important and visually available data driven ID forum,.
SO who does the best ” visually complete id possible “photography? (1)
is the question.  Does the person’s detailed photograph help one id a known and most importantly little known or hither to unidentified specimen in the wild  (specimen)  to be identified with the pictures taken and submitted?…
who does this the best???  who has been consistent?  (2 and 3)
I hope you all will take a stock of these three 1,2, 3 questions
and look back and tell us, since most of you perhaps have a longer viewing history then I do.
Looking forward to your thoughts before I tell you mine.


Interesting question! this reminds me the arguments we had during our college days – 1) who is the greatest singer – Kishore/Rafi/Hemant Kumar/Mukesh/Gulam Ali/Pankaj Udas 2) or all-rounder – Kapil Dev/Imran/Hadlee/Botham?!

My vote goes to Nidhan Sir… or is it Dinesh Ji?…. no, why not Prashant Ji, but maybe Anurag Ji….., who is greatest  -the driver on the Indian road or the driver on the European road? Go on scratching your heads..ha!


funny surajit

and your analogy of indian roads vs european road and for that matter ambassador versus Mercedes would be apt…

because not all who show cases here have the 5000 dollars equipment budget nor are they in paid salaried positions where part of their job is to take photographs for department and publications… that’s the european road and mercedes.

we are in the indian road and ambassador territory with the point and shoot cameras or the bridge cameras and non-botanist citizen naturalist taking pictures…

two different creatures … two life forms of photography.. two avatars so to say…

but to be serious, i think Mr Garg’s original question was to nail down ONE best photographers.

but more I think about it… I think  several come to mind…

may be that’s the learning process for the aam aadmi.. which are in the majority in a forum like this.

something to think about.


Thank you Didi for explaining, i still think it would be hard to nail down one best photographer, for composition i would vote Dinesh Ji, for sharpness and crispness it would go to Satish Sir, for detail & overall beauty it goes to Nidhan Sir… and i have excellent macro of Kyllinga glume by Manudev Ji.


Extremely sorry, Garg Sir, please add Neil Sir, i have seen many best photographs in his posts, often depicting relation between flora and fauna. I wonder where is Neil Sir and Balkar Sir presently.


Thanks, Surajit ji.
Still their must be one who has most mesmerised you.


Well, Garg Sir, since I do not receive all mails (as per the option I selected) I do not see all pictures/posts. In fact, besides my own posts I browse only those 1) which are forwarded to me for id, 2) occasionally two or three in the site itself when i do not have any work! So I doubt if it would be fair enough if I vote a single member. Moreover, I do not think photography under controlled condition is creditable at all.

Still if you insist me to name a single persion it is Neil Sir.


Sorry, Garg Sir, everytime i give my opinion i miss a point or two. If J.M. Garg is also a competing candidate my vote goes to him, without any hesitation, because the dominant point will be then who initiated it all.


 
I have joined the group late so not seen the earlier photographs. However, after joining the group I have seen many photographs posted by almost all the active members. Since it is regarding the photography of plants, without any hesitation, one names come to my mind; it is Dr Pankaj who has uploaded high class pics. of many orchids

My Vote for Pankaj Ji. 

Surajit ji Myself and Nidhan ji working together and presently Nidhan Ji is active in eflora and my self busy in some other matters and academic assignments of our Society (APPS) like Journal, development of three websites related to Plant wealth of India and also Ph.D work of two of my students is at peak and I have to give time to them also.


I have loved and appreciated several pictures posted by Pankaj, Prashant ji, Dinesh ji, Satish ji, Gurcharan ji, Garg ji, Nidhan ji, Balkar ji, Neil ji, Surajit ji, Aarti ji, Smita ji, Anurag ji, and many others. Of course everyone has a unique talent that need to be appreciated.
But if I have to select one ‘all time best photographer’ who consistently showed us beautiful quality pictures, it would be Dinesh ji. To me, his pictures are always unique, cool and aesthetically pleasing. He has the talent to add beauty, through his lenses, even to the not-so-attractive weed flowers, leave alone the naturally beautiful flowers. Great work, Dinesh ji!


This is the most difficult thing to do….choose one.

There are so many that I admire….the list is endless.
Dinesh Ji, Prashant Ji, Garg Ji, Gurcharan Ji, Vijayasankar Ji, Rawat Ji, Satish Ji, Pankaj Ji, Nidhan Ji, Neil Ji, Balkar Ji, Ritesh Ji.
Really very difficult to choose one of them.


Thanks, Aarti ji.
Still their must be one who has most mesmerised you.


Then you could take Pankaj Ji……who is above comparison.


Interesting comments.

Most of the members are so much dedicated on photography.
Many of the posters of Dineshji, Gurcharanji, Pankajji, Gargji, Prasantji, Satishji, Nidhanji, Vijayasankarji, Balkarji, Rawatji, Surajitji, Anuragji, Ramanji, Rathinaji are amazing
To me it is very difficult to select one lotus from a pond. 


Thanks, Prabhu ji,
Still their must be one whom you admired the most.


It is very difficult to select a single person.
So it will be better, declare Pankajji and Dineshji as joint winners


My vote goes to Dinesh Valke. His photographs are memorable and inspirational. The presentation also make the visuals stand out.


Dinesh Valke sir for me too. I regularly check with his posts of flowers and plants and photos of various angles which help greatly with narrowing down the identity I am looking for!


My vote for Dinesh sir.


Feel it is difficult to decide between Pankaj ji and Dinesh ji. If I have to vote, I will declare them to be joint winners. The others in line are Prashanth ji and Anurag ji.


My joint vote for Pankaj Ji and Dinesh Ji…
I have been loving pics by Dinesh Ji since long… of course, pics by Pankaj Ji are also uncomparable…


I hope more than 250 members uploaded the images. Top 10 uploaders will be excellent photographers, several factors  are determining  the quality of the photograph. Commitment is the factor needs to be appreciated. That is happening well in efloraofindia.


Thanks, Santhan ji.
Still their must be one who has most mesmerised you.


Dinesh ji


Just as I was scrolling down the responses I suddenly thought it would be best justice if we declare Pankaj ji, Dinesh ji and Prashant ji as joint winners of this award. This will be my personal satisfaction, and I think would be ideal. Each has his unique contribution. 


In all my years here, Dinesh is the only one responded in details of what he does and how… for the macro..

he has sent info about  his unique page making  with black borders etc. and anything new he does whenever I have asked

without fanfare or rancor or ego trips

one such interchange was in this thread, both Gurcharanji and I had earlier corresponded I think about the best way to do field photography with least encumbrance…

and here’s Dinesh typing his heart out.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/indiantreepix/zSmnwi-Z2N0

please peruse it folks
and see what you think…

MY vote is for Dinesh both for the technique, the results , and also for generosity in sharing the ways he does it… so all (members) can profit..

come to think of it i had initiated that best photographer of the month  or some such thing back in 2011..  i don’t remember what we did with it after a couple of months.. too many awards had been started back then, i think..


Thanks for all the responses & views. It is closed now.
I think around 20 members have responded, mostly those who regularly see the Flora pictures of most of the photographers posting on efi. Lot of members saw this & went through the details but didn’t participate, possibly because of numerous choices they saw in efloraofindia & for possibly many other reasons.
Pankaj ji & Dinesh ji are clearly the Joint Winners.
Both of them are my choice also although I could not participate being the organiser.
Congrats to both of them. They are also perhaps the best Flora Photographers of India. They should be happy to flaunt this award for all their hard work, money, time & passion. This award comes from members for whom Flora & it photography is their passion.


Hearty Congratulations Dinesh Ji, Pankaj Ji!

I am an admirer of your pictures.
Glad that both of you are winners.
It would have been unfair to not have them both.


I am a trained botanist and when I take pictures, I know which part is important for classification of that particular species and what part may not be of much significance. BUT I AM TRAINED FOR IT. When I see pictures shared by Dinesh sir, it simply amazes me to see that (I am not disrespecting) even if he is not trained to do so, he never misses to present all characters of the particular plant which makes life of people easier to identify. A good picture may not be good botanically but, still all his pictures are just perfect. 

I have never met him in real, but he had always been there when I was going through my bad days and so he is infact a very nice person by heart too. At the same time, we must not forget his contribution to eflora apart from his photographs is immense too. Not to forget that his was the brain behind the efloraofindia website. I salute him so being such a kind, knowledgeable, always ready to help person and ofcourse THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER eflora has and the best person I have YET TO MEET in my life :).
During this long episode of the choosing the best photographer on eflora, I was trying to make out who should win the title logically. For the purpose of the same I made an assessment on my own. My method was to put the name of person and search on eflora. Then choose the tenth post of that particular person. If the post had pics then I chose those pics, and if there were no pic then I shifted to next mail. So for it was hard to find a mail with pic. But for some it was easy. It was also risky because may be the particular member’s 10th post had bad pic but to be consistent I had to choose that. And trust me, in my assessment, Dinesh sir stood on the top with his pics of Impatiens chinensis (https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/indiantreepix/dinesh/indiantreepix/pFtpKzRTWaY/UX2sWRu52WoJ)
I love you sir and I miss you. Hope to meet you in real some day.
Ofcourse, there are many good photographers on eflora and I respect them all, although I am not naming any one of them here, but they know who I am talking about. So please dont take my mail in negative sense…….
Long live the efloraofindia family.
When Scientists and Citizen Scientists meet, the new branch of MEGASCIENCE emerges 🙂


Congrats Pankaj Ji and Dinesh Ji for being rightly nominated..thanks for the initiative Garg Ji, and the voters/selectors..


Thank you all.

Dear Pankaj, many thanks for the kind words. … Garg ji’s page on pillars of eFI has all the gems listed – and there are many more among us yet to be put on to that page. Salutes to all of them for their specialties.


 
 
 

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