I OWE A GREAT DEAL TO Photography ... Transformed My Life!

Blessed are those who get to romance with a heart-warming life-partner and a hobby like photography if one can pursue with passion.

If two good things could have happened in my life, its that I got married to a wonderful person (my wife) and I am blessed with photography. Both these have brought so much of positive change in my life that I look at everything around me with so much of humbleness and positivity now. Though, I was not a bad stone either, but certainly a wild and uncut, may be brash and rash young man. But now I am lucky!

For the first time, when camera fascinated me in 1978, it was Agfa Click III, lent to me by my late uncle. Basically, to photograph a nasty flood in and around Ambala Cantt. I had never experienced any camera or floods before that day. This young lad (me) with camera around neck roamed around like a budding boastful press photographer and did some photos. But this experience of the day ignited a new flame in me and I have never let it die till now, at any cost. Though, my photography which has spanned over three decades to boast of, had long hibernation periods and had hit dead ends many times, but resurrected every time. Next free 'booster dose' was

injected when a very dear friend Ashok Bhatia, whom I had met by chance at one of the lathe-machine workshops, handed over a Yashica (twin lens reflex) camera to me. This camera had a very strange size of film roll 127, a bit smaller than Agfa 120. The emulsion was very delicate, which could get scratched in `developer's tray' itself while it was taking `U' bath for processing and then fixing in `hypo'. Anyway, I used it for the first time on a college trip to Anandpur Sahab, Bhakra Dam and Chandigarh. To my own amazement and that of my friend, results were very encouraging.  I got a very brief training of five minutes before my departure for the tour, to dabble with the camera.

My first SLR camera was Pentax K1000, a wonderful camera built like a tank. It was a hundred percent mechanical camera, maximum luxury of `automation' was a very basic built-in exposure meter. I had also used Yashica Electro 35 for few months, a wonderful camera of those days. I could not explore photography much while being in the army (busy years for young officer)  and also film was a big deterrent, processing film and printing were a time consuming, expensive and painful learning experience. In August 2000, Ms Mary Barber, our family friend got me

Canon EOS 3, a wonderful camera, built like a tank. It did help me excavate my photography but could not carry it far, as the same old two deterrents film plus post processing and not many photographers were willing to share info. Trust me, learning photography was an uphill task in those days. Not the way we can do now with digital and internet!

Advent of digital cameras, made hard core photographers frown and resented it openly, saying it will never be able to match the output of film. To the amazement of everyone, we started seeing the press photographers with very bulky digital cameras, using it almost everyday. Everyone was curious to know about these new beastly machines, damn expensive to buy one in those days.

It was not that late when digital cameras got refined so fast that in Jan 2004, I got my Canon Powershot G5, which is still going strong and delivering good photographs. This fired my photography further. And after I met Mr K Koshy (DGP Vigilance of Haryana), we got into weekend outdoors. This tiny camera was underestimated by me, like most do. When I explored it further, it showed me a new world waiting for me. We both got very religious about our weekend outdoors and moved very fast. In the mean time, Canon did an explosion by introducing a digital SLR - EOS D30, which could fit into anyone's a bit bigger pocket. On 23rd Jan 2006, I also landed  up in Palika Bazar with a bundle of currency notes and I bought my Canon 20D, my first DSLR. I drove straight to Agra! Not to mental asylum though, Agra is known for one other than Taj Mahal. Just to be around the Taj Mahal.

After I explored this new camera and this brought me at a crossroads to decide either buy cheap lenses or go for pro. And buying pro lenses is not easy. I contemplated over this issue for few weeks and after consulting some professional photographer friends, I decided to take a plunge. Though, some of these friends had really discouraged me. I never pondered over the issue too much and moved ahead like a soldier, not thinking too much about the consequences or the outcome of this decision.


When I look back this journey as a photographer, I am glad that I did not give up, though took rest when the conditions were not conducive. It never worried me whether I shall recover my investment of money back. I never launched myself as a professional or a commercial photographer. I pursue photography almost like a pro but only for the happiness of my soul, first. If any photograph gets sold, it does make me happy. And I negotiate very hard to get the best price one can think as amateur photographer. When I share the info with my photographer friends, they wonder how I manage to extract such a superb remuneration. Somehow, I have developed a knack to negotiate for good price and works well most of the times.

My Canon 20D put my small pocket on fire! As it made me very serious about photography and always hungry to buy more and more equipment, the decision which I shall never ever regret, rather always enjoy. Because this short journey (five and half years) of serious photography has added quite significant dimensions to my personality, in terms of thinking, vision, perception, etc. It has transformed me into a stable man, got me so close to the real life in real. It has given me lots of patience, honed my eye for quality and detail, made me more caring. And it also enhanced my observation capability to be quite sharp. Now I respect life, my country, my culture, all religions and people far more than what I used to.


Now, I must conclude by expressing my special gratitude to the Almighty that He blessed me with such a wonderful wife to support my photography the most and friends. She has always encouraged me to buy the best we can afford or need. I have never been questioned about my expensive trips anywhere. And she also got rewarded for her contribution. We made a wonderful trip of 15 days to Egypt, as a barter for a photography assignment.


We enjoy shooting flowers and snakes together!

Now, we are blessed with Taurus ... everyone envies him now ...