Call Mansi Mhatre on 9819813493

Twenty-six year old Dadar-resident, Benita Fernando's love for photography was ignited when she signed up for a Mumbai Weekend Shoot outing over a year ago. "I just picked up the camera and started shooting," says the lecturer at SIES College. Fernandes loves outdoor photography, but realised quickly that taking these pictures would mean waking up very early in the morning, as adequate sunshine is essential for a good shot and Mumbai's summer afternoons get too hot. But at this time of year, Fernandes, who uses, "an entry-level Nikon D 5000 camera," says, "Even late in the afternoon, it's not impossibly hot. Besides, I find, the quality of light at that time of day is ideal in this season and the sky's colour comes out really well in photos. "Around 4 pm or half past 4, in this weather, I find that even the most ordinary spot lights up perfectly."
Contact: mumbaiweekendshoot.in

Have a picnic
It's a great time to pack a picnic basket and make a trip to Powai Lake, Sanjay Gandhi National Park or even to Chota Kashmir in Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon (E). Rani Baug (Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan) at Byculla makes for a decent spot too.

Alternately, the serenity of local gardens like the Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens (Hanging Gardens ) at Malabar Hill and Colaba Woods, also make them ideal for picnics. If none of these appeal to you and you're still stuck for picnic ideas, or simply don't have someone to picnic with, log onto Bandra Picnic's website to look for upcoming events (they even have a Facebook page).u00a0

Contact: www.bandrapicnic.com/bandra

Family-time's at Steak
Everyday's a party in the Divecha household with sisters Yasmin and Naheed married to brothers Karl and Rushad, and six kids between the two families, both of whom reside in the same Malabar Hill building. A winter barbecue is a veritable ritual with them. "We have a lovely space downstairs and when the weather is as good as it is now, Karl likes to have our friends over," says Yasmin, mother of 15 year-old Ariza, 13 year-old Dinshaw and 11 year-old Armand. Armand, in fact, played a special role at the family's pre-Republic Day barbecue this year. With a neatly tied apron declaring his official post, we watched as the young man adeptly flipped meat patties and sausages on the grill. Take a cue from the Divechas, and get barbequing with small portable grill and a good cookbook.

See the city as a tourist
There's no better season to take that ferry to Elephanta Caves or to hop on the double-decker heritage tour buses. But before the BMC gets the Victorias off our streets, this is also a great time to enjoy one of those rides by the Marine Drive promenade, Dadar Chowpatty, Juhu Beach or the Gateway of India. With Valentine's Day around the corner, these may make for novel date ideas, and imagine how much you'd be saving on those restaurant bills!

MTDC's open-deck bus ride would usually be painful to sit through with sweat washing down the smog that no doubt would settle all over your face. But the idea of an hour-long evening ride on one of these buses, in this weather and at the reasonable charge of Rs 120 per person, isn't nearly as terrifying.
Contact: MTDC at 22024482, 22024522 and 22024584
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