A heady mix of camera and the streets.

Me : “ajoba me tumchi photo gheoo ka ? “ (uncle, can I click your photograph ? )
Ajoba : nervous
Me : “ tension nako gheoo, asach vicharla ? (don’t get nervous, I asked casually )
Ajoba : “ho, pan ka ? “ (yes, but why )
Me : already looking thru the viewfinder, “ajoba smile please “. Click.

The best part of the whole activity, for me, comes when people see their pictures at the back of the camera instantly light up with a smile. The phrase ‘simple pleasures of life’ fits perfectly here. The person being photographed is not going to get paid, not that he is a big star (but you sure made him feel like one ) neither does he get a copy of it (generally). All that makes him happy is the moment in which he sees himself smiling, and somebody finding him worthy enough of photographing him. Its a totally mental non materialistic thing ! many a times, in a poor locality, you may be the one photographing a person after many years altogether, may be even the first photo of him ever.

Many of dread speaking to strangers, let alone standing on the stage and face the audience speak. Then imagine how would you muster up the courage to stop a perfect stranger on the street and ask them to let you take their picture ! but trust me If you enjoy such challenges and are game enough then you would have some amazing stories to tell, experiences to share.

This is when you become from a tourist to traveler. And most surprisingly you may not even have to set a budget aside, review hotels and book tickets. You may very well turn into a traveler of your own town. I am sure there must be many nooks and corners, shopkeepers, gardens , the cute girl in the sun-dress that you always wanted to speak to, the small eatery ,and such, that you till now just ‘saw’ but never ‘interacted’ with.

A camera can be a surprisingly efficient ice-breaker. I always held an impression that people would scoff when I would look at them and ask for picture of theirs. But no, majority were more than glad to be photographed. Though I haven’t tried street portraiture in other countries, but I am sure people would be generally positive about being photographed. An ‘eye contact’ a ‘nod’ and a ‘smile’ goes a long way in getting some really great pictures. At times people also provide their e-mail ids and addresses to send them the pictures and within no time, you are from a total no one to a friend. Now imagine doing this in the same place over a few times, and one would have got some really great pictures and new people mingle with .

P.S. : let me know if you guys find it difficult to read on the present background image

As always, thanks for dropping by. Comments and critique most welcome !!

The ripple effect.

It is amazing how different things can look in isolation..reminds of how different we all behave, in isolation..and give rise to outcomes of profound consequences, often having a multi fold rippling effect.

MIMER medical college rock band shoot.

MIMER medical college rock band : Prognosis -ve

photographer : vishal tomar

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“The innocent and the beautiful Have no enemy but time”

Choti choti khushiyaan (little little happiness)

I had been taught since childhood and also seen in the movies of the earlier era that ‘paise se khushiyaan nahi kharidi jaa sakti barkhurdar” (money cant buy you happiness young man) , the girls stiff and old father would say to the young lad. But it is seldom that you realize it in life these days. Mostly it is because of the media storm that we live through each day from sun rise to sunset trying to make us buy the silliest of things and convincing us that our happiness, self respect, intelligence, relationships depend on it like nothing else.

I personally started to realize the truth since I brought my camera. I am not exaggerating a single bit. There used to be a time when an outing would mean going to the swankiest of restos, the popularest of holiday destinations and buying truckloads of stuff. But now, it has become more about off beat destinations, meeting the local people, living their culture and habits, tasting the local bled of spices and sweets and bringing some smiles to their faces, once they see my cameras LCD. What a drastic change !! and it costs far less and satisfies you even much more than before. Now whenever I go to a destination i look forward to creating some timeless memories and bringing home the experience rather than the material junk. I believe me, it still really comes for free !!

for photo story behind the above picture..click here

(Yawnnn) The same old incredible-india-award-winning-photo…Zzz

Anybody with dim eyes and a dimmer wit would identify this picture. Are you wondering still ? its incredible India folks..!! The land of the Taj mahal, the dabbawalas, the biggest slum in Asia, the slumdog millionares and salam bombays….the setting which paradoxically makes millions in the west film and entertainment industry. The whole idea behind writing this article was a simple observation that since times I couldn’t walk, talk, read or write till this date, what has been the most famous face of India abroad has been its poverty, its crime, the complex relations between unemployment, corruption, population explosion and beurocracy proudly guarding the days of the Raj. Yes, for any artist it is a vast subject to be explored and portrayed in unimaginable and creative ways. But what happened to the ‘India shining’ part of the script ? we will soon be the nation that has the ,most number of poor people and the richest man in the world in the same country. Then why such ignorance towards the brighter side of the coin ? every nation has its own set of domestic troubles, but when they are represented to the international audience it is never their underlying malignancies that are highlighted, unlike us.

It hurts me as a photographer and a traveler when I see people, especially of the tourist kind happily clicking the poor and the stricken to go home and upload the pitiful face of incredible India. And it never stops. Yes, we are incredible and in more ways than one. I need not speak here about the progress we have made in past few decades, but I would be glad to see the perspective of outsiders towards India change as much and as rapidly as India actually is changing. Wake up people, we are not a nation of beggars and lepers and snake charmers anymore. How about documenting the rich culture, the educated and hard working urban India, the new young and polished face of India. Its success stories, its development, its passion for life in the face if adversities, its lightheartedness and humor ohh and yes, the next time someone wants to film a slum, better drop India from the list.