2016 Inspirations - Posts that we revisit at every excuse

2016 is going to end soon and what can be a better celebration than sharing the most inspiring posts of the year. This post not only does that, it also revisits the artists who are featured on Travellingcamera.com . Do click on the links to check out detailed interviews and posts that will inspire you to do incredible things.

Aditya Arya - A Photographer, Art Curator who has huge collection of Camera and archives

There are some people who are always so much at ease in any situation that you would never guess how much energy they possess. And how much they have achieved. They are like icebergs. You only get a glimpse of the lives they have led, but you need a lifetime to find out how much they have contributed to the world. One such person is Aditya Arya.


After some random clicks with Honor 5X on first day, today I met one of my favorite Indian Photographer Aditya Arya and again saw his camera collection in Gurgaon. It's always great to meet him and discuss some of the ideas & latest trends. Today I spend 3 hrs at Vintage Camera Museum and saw some of the latest additions. This Photo Journey shares some photographs from this museum of 1000+ cameras and all these images are clicked with Honor 5X.




"Aditya Arya is an Indian photographer, who is popularly known for collecting, curating and archiving rare collections of photographs through the Aditya Arya Archive and the India Photo Archive Foundation of which he is the chairmanperson and trustee. He has curated one of the largest Camera Museum in this part of the world. He is known for curating the Kulwant Roy collection. His own photographic ventures include works within India in areas like Nagaland, Leh, Ladakh, Jaipur, Bihar etc. and outside India like in Germany. Aditya Arya has had exhibitions India and abroad. Aditya Arya is one of the leading photographers in Project 365 a public photo art project initiated by EtP that creates and preserves photographic visuals of the fast changing ancient culture and lifestyle of Tiruvannamalai , an ancient town in Tamil Nadu." Know more about Aditya Arya on wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aditya_Arya

Let me also mention that he is also a passionate farmer, do check more about him by clicking on the title.    

Incredible India project by Dinesh Khanna


Then there are people who have a unique perspective. The hard-core artists. Not only are they able to see beauty in everything, they are able to add beauty to everything too. Be it a much-photographed Taj Mahal or general gatherings, discussions, exhibitions, their magical touch transforms the mundane into something special. This year we have had the pleasure of hosting a post about Dinesh Khanna, the acclaimed photographer. 

As part of 'In the Spotlight' series, today we bring a special project which I have been following for the last few years. These are some of the best photographs of Taj Mahal I have ever seen. When I saw these for the first time, I tried to find out who clicked them and it was none other than Dinesh Khanna, working on a project for Incredible India. You might have seen some of these photographs in Tourism promotional campaigns. Check out these photographs and imagine how this whole project would have happened. There is an interesting quiz in the end."Dinesh worked variously as a Calculator Salesman, Garments Quality Checker and a Busboy in an Upper Eastside Bar in New York in his early years. This rather confused career path was due to his teenage belief that if he followed in his Photographer Father's footsteps he would be yet another victim of the Indian caste system. This rebellion further led him to a 12 year long career as a Client Servicing Executive in Advertising where he finally achieved 'burn-out' at the ripe old age of 33 years and which left him with a burning desire to become a Professional Photographer.So in 1990 he finally succumbed to what can probably be blamed on genetic coding - the desire to make images - both as a means of making a living and as a form of creative expression. Thelast 25 years have seen him involved in creating images for Advertising, Editorial and Corporate clients, specifically in the area of Food, Still-life, People and Interiors.He is actively involved in Photography education and conducts workshops and mentorship sessions regularly under his personal brand, "Photoyatri.Dinesh’s personal work has been shown in both Solo and Group." Check out more at Have you ever seen/imagined such compositions of Taj photographs? This is indeed a very special project and it inspires me a lot.I recommend to look at each image for some time and look into the details taken care of while shooting. Instead of reading the text, just focus on the visuals and I am sure you would find your own share of inspiration from this work.Few days back I was at a blogger meet by a camera company and many people were talking about cameras, lenses, and a lot of other equipments. But how much role of equipment do you see in these photographs? That's an extremely important question to ask ourselves. Camera is certainly an important component of whole process but not the most important. Such projects and visuals are best ways to re-think about our desire for more and better equipment. It's a great reality check.“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.” — Diane ArbusThis one is probably most popular photograph of the project. These images can be seen in tourism promotion campaigns.These are some of the photographs from Incredible India project. You may want to check out Dinesh's website  for more such incredible pictures and lot more than this project.  Any idea how many days it took to shoot all these photographs? How big was the team? What all has gone behind creating each of these photographs? I am sure, lot of questions/ideas must be hitting you at this time. So don't hold all that with you. Just comment below and let us know what you think about these photographs and what was most inspiring thing for you in these photographs.


As part of 'In the Spotlight' series, today we bring a special project which I have been following for the last few years. These are some of the best photographs of Taj Mahal I have ever seen. When I saw these for the first time, I tried to find out who clicked them and it was none other than Dinesh Khanna, working on a project for Incredible India. You might have seen some of these photographs in Tourism promotional campaigns. Check out these photographs and imagine how this whole project would have happened. There is an interesting quiz in the end."Dinesh worked variously as a Calculator Salesman, Garments Quality Checker and a Busboy in an Upper Eastside Bar in New York in his early years. This rather confused career path was due to his teenage belief that if he followed in his Photographer Father's footsteps he would be yet another victim of the Indian caste system. This rebellion further led him to a 12 year long career as a Client Servicing Executive in Advertising where he finally achieved 'burn-out' at the ripe old age of 33 years and which left him with a burning desire to become a Professional Photographer.So in 1990 he finally succumbed to what can probably be blamed on genetic coding - the desire to make images - both as a means of making a living and as a form of creative expression. Thelast 25 years have seen him involved in creating images for Advertising, Editorial and Corporate clients, specifically in the area of Food, Still-life, People and Interiors.He is actively involved in Photography education and conducts workshops and mentorship sessions regularly under his personal brand, "Photoyatri.Dinesh’s personal work has been shown in both Solo and Group." Check out more at Have you ever seen/imagined such compositions of Taj photographs? This is indeed a very special project and it inspires me a lot.I recommend to look at each image for some time and look into the details taken care of while shooting. Instead of reading the text, just focus on the visuals and I am sure you would find your own share of inspiration from this work.Few days back I was at a blogger meet by a camera company and many people were talking about cameras, lenses, and a lot of other equipments. But how much role of equipment do you see in these photographs? That's an extremely important question to ask ourselves. Camera is certainly an important component of whole process but not the most important. Such projects and visuals are best ways to re-think about our desire for more and better equipment. It's a great reality check.“A photograph is a secret about a secret. The more it tells you the less you know.” — Diane ArbusThis one is probably most popular photograph of the project. These images can be seen in tourism promotion campaigns.These are some of the photographs from Incredible India project. You may want to check out Dinesh's website  for more such incredible pictures and lot more than this project.  Any idea how many days it took to shoot all these photographs? How big was the team? What all has gone behind creating each of these photographs? I am sure, lot of questions/ideas must be hitting you at this time. So don't hold all that with you. Just comment below and let us know what you think about these photographs and what was most inspiring thing for you in these photographs."Dinesh worked variously as a Calculator Salesman, Garments Quality Checker and a Busboy in an Upper Eastside Bar in New York in his early years. This rather confused career path was due to his teenage belief that if he followed in his Photographer Father's footsteps he would be yet another victim of the Indian caste system. This rebellion further led him to a 12 year long career as a Client Servicing Executive in Advertising where he finally achieved 'burn-out' at the ripe old age of 33 years and which left him with a burning desire to become a Professional Photographer.

So in 1990 he finally succumbed to what can probably be blamed on genetic coding - the desire to make images - both as a means of making a living and as a form of creative expression. The last 25 years have seen him involved in creating images for Advertising, Editorial and Corporate clients, specifically in the area of Food, Still-life, People and Interiors.

He is actively involved in Photography education and conducts workshops and mentorship sessions regularly under his personal brand, "Photoyatri."


William Dalrymple, A Scottish historian, writer, art historian and curator

The next name in the list needs no introduction. Acclaimed author, historian, photographer, and art curator, or in his own words Goatherd and Kabooter baz, William Dalrymple has made Delhi his second home. He and his family share their home with a herd of goats, some hens, and a few dogsWe had the pleasure of hosting some of his photographs on our blog this year.
  


Few months back when I came across William Dalrymple's profile on Instagram, I was impressed to see photographs by an accomplished writer. Many time popular personalities have portraits or some casual shots, but his feed is class apart and unique. This Photo Journey shares some of the photographs clicked by William Dalrymple  and what makes his Instagram profile so interesting to be featured on Travellingcamera.com . Check out our next post in 'In the Spotlight ' series and get inspired to click better Travel photographs with eye-catching details.First this first - As you start checking his profile, you would read something like this as introduction - " William Dalrymple - Goatherd and Kabooter baz www.williamdalrymple.uk.com "Apart from being an awesome Travel Writer, he is also a brilliant photographer. This time, we don't have an interview in this series, but we found it quite interesting & inspiring to share with viewers of Travellingcamera. Vibha  interviewed him last year and that interview can be checked here .  And there is a reason why I have picked only Jama Masjid photographs from William's Instagram feed. These are the photographs which caught my attention when I was going through Jama Masjid photographs on Instagram. And these images stood out in all. And then I found that photographs are clicked by none other than William Dalrymple. Then I started navigating through his Insta-feedLot of historical photographs can be seen in his profile in Black and whites. And there are many interesting wall paintings from different parts of the world. As experienced in his books, he is an avid traveller and a brilliant observer.Carefully notice the compositions of these photographs and you would rarely see such photographs. And in some of these, imagery is telling a lot about the place, people visiting it and action happening.Him Instagram profile can be checked here -



Ravi Dhingra, an accomplished Photo-Artist and Lifestyle Photographer

It takes real passion to let go of a stable, well-paying career and take a plunge into making your passion your livelihood. It takes real backbone too. Ravi Dhingra is one such person who keeps inspiring us. From Cost Accountancy to photography, Ravi has travelled a great distance. This year we has the opportunity of doing a featured post on him. Here's a link. Click and get inspired.


This time we have a popular Indian Photo Artist 'In the Spotlight' - Ravi Dhingra.   1. About you: Tell us about the place, where you were born; your education, and profession.   I was born in Udhampur, J&K but most part of my life is spent in Delhi.  Photography was always a hobby since school days. Though I had my own camera much later in my life, I was always interested in looking at photographs in books and magazines.  Started my career in Finance after finishing my education in Commerce and specialisation in Cost Accountancy(ICWA). Spent around 13 years in this profession and bought my first SLR camera during this time. Got more involved with the camera, bought a few books for learning but the books were not much of help so ended up in attending a photography course.  2. Your photography experience: Tell us since when you've been taking pictures. When did you start taking photography seriously?


"I was born in Udhampur, J&K but most part of my life is spent in Delhi.

Photography was always a hobby since school days. Though I had my own camera much later in my life, I was always interested in looking at photographs in books and magazines.

Started my career in Finance after finishing my education in Commerce and specialisation in Cost Accountancy(ICWA). Spent around 13 years in this profession and bought my first SLR camera during this time. Got more involved with the camera, bought a few books for learning but the books were not much of help so ended up in attending a photography course."

 
Aman Chotani, a Professional Travel Photographer with a unique style

Mortals need words to tell stories, but some superhumans only need a camera and the rest is taken care of by their talent. Here is Aman Chotani, who, in his own words, tells stories through his pictures. 




Aman Chotani - "I tell stories through my pictures, I live experiences through my journey. A Professional Travel Photographer from Delhi who has found acclaim across major exhibitions and brands. My motto is to travel to beautiful, rusty, adventurous locations to capture untold stories, unseen traditions and unprecedented experiences."



Photography started as a way to capture moment, became an art, became a business, and is now becoming a beautiful amalgamation of art and business. Wedding photography that had become very templatized, is now reviving, thanks to many photographers who have managed to bring back some soul into it. Here is one such photographer, Justin Rabindra.




 "I bring a certain aesthetic sense to photography as a result of having spent over 25 years in advertising. I shoot primarily food for hotels and more recently for food tech companies that are mushrooming in Gurgaon mostly. I find food photography exciting, to work with a talented chef to make food look appealing. The challenge is to make it look so good that people order by just looking at your image. And are willing to pay a good price for a dish."


With smartphones transforming everyone into a photographer, how does one recognize the real photographer from among millions. It's the perspective that makes all the difference. And there is no better example than Joshi Daniel, a Photo-Artist from Kerala.

1. About you: Tell us about the place, where you were born; your education, and profession.   I am a freelance photographer based out of Kerala. Incidentally, my formal education has nothing to do with my profession!  2. Your photography experience: Tell us since when you've been taking pictures. When did you start taking photography seriously?   I started taking photographs and photography seriously 10 years ago.   3. What are your key areas of photography - travel/street/landscape/ wildlife/wedding/portraits/commercial? What makes you click? What have been your biggest achievements so far? What camera/lenses do you use and why?  I love capturing images of people—portraits and nudes are something I love a lot. Getting to capture different faces is really exciting for me. I use Nikon DSLRs (mostly with 85mm and 24mm prime lens), GoPro and iPhone. Since late last year, I have focusing a lot on new and innovative ways of using the GoPro. You can see a few of the images of people I have captured using the GoPro here: https://joshidaniel.com/tag/gopro/.  4. What is so special about your city/country and its life/culture? Has photography changed your outlook/vision about your surroundings?s  India is so vast and so diverse in terms of its culture that there is always something new about the people I see every time I go to a new place. I think photography has helped me observe people in a better way.  5. What are your sources of inspirations? Do you have some favorite photographers? How do you keep yourself motivated? How do you approach people for their pictures?  Everyday life inspires me. When shooting on the streets I observe the person I want to capture before I decide to go and talk to the person or to shoot candid. Even if I approach them I will always let them do whatever they are doing and try my level best to not make them feel too conscious about my presence.  6. What piece of advice do you wish to give to aspiring/budding photographers, fans, and readers of the post?  I think I would suggest that it is very important to be a nice human being in the first place and not to get too selfish in the process of trying to get a shot. It is always better not to fake images.


There's no denying that the selfie is one of the most accessible offshoot of the photography revolution. Almost everyone clicks selfies. But only a few take it to the next level, and beyond. Here are some stunning travel selfies by Varun Chaudhary. Click and be amazed.

Selfies too can be works of art. Varun Chaudhury proves this by clicking some of the awesomest selfies during his trips to different parts of the country. His selfies are as much about the place he is visiting as they are about the people in them. He manages to capture the spectacular beauty of the places in his selfies which I feel is a very rare quality. Take a look for yourself and let me know what you think.

Top 3 inspiring Photographers and Photo Bloggers on web

There are these and many more such inspiring people featured on Travelling Camera this year, Please do take some time and revisit these posts. We promise you they will inspire you immensely, as they have inspired us.








Inspiring Street Photographs by Moushumee Jha, which would leave strong impression in your mind

You would find Artists who have created their own styles and you recognize them by seeing their work. Moushumee is one such artist whose Street work stands out. 

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I would let Chandan's photographs talk. Do check out his photo-stream on Instagram and his interview on Travellingcamera. 


A photo posted by Chandan Bhatia (@ichandanbhatia) on
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If you liked this post and found it helpful, I would request you to follow these things when traveling -

- Manage your waste well and don’t litter
- Use dustbins. Tell us if you went to a place and found it hard to locate a dustbin.
- Avoid bottle waters in hills. Usually you get clean water in hills and water bottles create lot of mess in our ecosystem.
- Say big no to plastic and avoid those unhealthy snacks packed in plastic bags. Rather buy fruits.



- Don't play loud blaring music in forests of jungle camps. You are a guest in that ecosystem and disturbing the locals (humans and animals) is not polite 

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