Nascent

Pune! Pune! Pune!

I've finally moved here which is why I haven't been active online in a while. I haven't really had much time to shoot and edit either; add to that a horrible internet connection and you're left with virtually no internet access on your laptop.

But let's not focus on the negative. This is quite the experience. I've seen, heard, felt so many things in such a short span of time that it's quite difficult to even process everything. I'm still trying to get used to things here.

Which is why visiting this place was even more special. It made me miss home so, so, so very much. The hills reminded me of the hills I used to climb back home and the birds combined with the amazing sunset almost made me tear up. But I'm glad I didn't get stuck in the past and could enjoy the moment for what it was. Stuff like these are reminders to me of God's amazing grace and His love that never leaves and that's one of the reasons they never get old.

In case you're wondering, this is Pashan Lake. It's quite beautiful.

Also this was shot on my phone, the OnePlus 2. I use an app called Camera FV-5 that allows you to bracket shots like you would on a dSLR. I then combined the exposures in Photoshop and played with the light a bit. Just goes to show how advanced the tiny sensors in phone cameras are.

All my bags are pack, I'm ready to go

It's now time for me to say goodbye. To bid farewell to everything and everyone I've known my entire life along with the place I've called home ever since I was born and move away.

Just writing that makes me tear up but life isn't always easy and you've got to make tough choices and decisions to progress and this is probably the toughest thing I'll ever have to do. It still hasn't struck me fully yet but it's slowly sinking in.

Today's picture is special which is why I thought I'd share it even though it's an old one and you've probably seen it before.

This is one of the very first pictures I took of Salbari with my house in the distance when I was just getting serious with photography. It reminds of a much simpler and beautiful time. It reminds me of what this place was and this is how I want to remember Salbari. I don't want to remember it for what it is today. There was a time it actually had it's own character. As soon as you saw a picture you'd know it was Salbari but today it's just like any other place. It's lost. It's gone. It's no longer what it once was and that's so sad. Which is why it's probably for the best that I leave now so that this new grotesque image isn't permanently seared in my mind. The people here have changed too. Just today I witnessed three boys hunt a garden lizard down and kill it just for fun. I caught them on Snapchat so you can see these idiots on my Snapchat. That showed me that people here have lost something. We were all once so close to nature and lived among some beautiful and amazing creatures but they've all slowly disappeared or have been killed and driven out. That's just so sad.

More than the place itself, I'm going to miss some people. There have been certain individuals who've meant a lot and still do. They're the ones I'll miss most of all and telling them goodbye is what's been really difficult because I don't even know if I'll ever get to meet some of them again. But hey! Here's to bigger and better things, right? God has helped me thus far and I know He'll continue to help me.

To all of you reading this - I cannot thank you enough! You mean a lot and I'm really grateful that you're following my work.

Also this view no longer exists. It's been blocked by hideously designed matchbox houses.

Everglow

That's a beautiful word, isn't it?
It's stuck with me ever since I head the song. Sure, it isn't officially a word but it alludes to something so beautiful that it probably should be.

Having to make some major decisions that could shape your future really forces you to put things into perspective. Right now the future seems so uncertain. There are times you almost feel trapped, like you're in a cave longing and looking for the light so that you can crawl out to freedom.

To me, this is one of my favourite pictures because of the meaning and sentiment behind it. It might not be the most technically sound but it's one that I love and will probably have on my wall at some point as a reminder.

We stumbled upon this cave during a hike up a hill and we couldn't help but stop here for pictures. I knew exactly what kind of a photograph I wanted when we entered (is this the process of visualisation that Ansel Adams spoke of?). I tried to express the mental picture I had and explain it to my friend and then asked her to look up at the open ceiling as if she were longing for something. I assumed she would go with a rather sad or serious expression but she went with a faint hint of a smile and as I was working on the picture that really stood out because it really brought out the emotion I was trying to convey.

Looking above for guidance, hope and reassurance might seem silly but that's something I've tried to do because without God's help and His guidance I would truly be lost. There are moments when I fail to see it or even refuse to because I'm arrogant but that light, that glow is always present. All I have to do it look for it and follow the everglow.

Concealing Glow

Exams are always a pain, especially when you're give the timetable just one week ahead and then you scramble for your books and barely manage to finish the syllabus the night before.

Sometimes in life nothing seems to be work out no matter what you try or how hard you work. I know this is something I've said before but it's exactly how I've felt for the past few weeks/months. However, ever so often I'm reminded of God's love and grace. Ever so often there are little things that remind me of how beautiful life is and keep me carrying on.

Someone called me a tree-hugger before as a joke but I think that might be true to a certain extent. The world around me fascinates me and God's creation is just amazing! Today's picture is another reminder of that. We were returning home after a rather not-so-exciting trip to the hills and the driver suggested we make one last stop before the final leg of the journey.

After much deliberation we agreed and I'm so glad that we made this stop to take in the view. The sunset did look amazing as we were travelling but I'd never seen this view before. The previous times I'd been here had been really cloudy and you could barely see a few meters ahead of you so this view was stunning to say the least and I hope the picture does it justice.

Things might not always be going the way you want to go or how you want them to be but you've always got to remember that clouds move and eventually they part enough to let the sun shine through and when it does you realise that it's going to be OK because at the end of the day you have a God who loves you and cares about you and only wants what's best for you.

Now I should start studying to tomorrow's paper and stop boring the few of you who actually take time to read my blog. Thank you guys! :)

Vilasita

Let's take a break from black and white.

There are rare moments when clients give you creative freedom and allow you to do your thing and those are clients I absolutely love working with because it's not suffocating.

I went into this shoot not know what I was going to photograph or even how - all I was told was that it was a product shoot and it had to be done outdoor. Now, I absolutely love shooting outdoor using natural light so that was an interesting offer that I couldn't turn down.

This is one of my favourites from the shoot. What do you think?

Broken Frames

It's been a year since earthquakes devastated Nepal so I asked a good friend of mine to write a little something to go along with the pictures as a message to and from the people of Nepal.

Article by Upashana Gurung
Pictures by Daniel Raghu

Life was never "normal" after that day, and even if we wanted to we could not forget the unimaginable loss we suffered. It has already been a year since the devastating earthquake hit Nepal. One of the most beautiful countries had been turned into pieces of ruins. As we look back upon that day, there is no way we won't feel the sorrow all over again.

Even though words cannot describe the unbearable agony we had to go through; even after everything we lost, we were still smiling with tears in our eyes and with the hope that one day it would all be alright.

As I'm writing this, I really cannot express the pain and grief of someone who lost everything in the remote villages of Nepal. I really cannot. And if for one second I put myself in their shoes, I could not bear the heaviness of my heart.

The pain and anguish they must have felt is beyond mine or anyone's conception.

But YOU, you are a warrior who survived a great catastrophe.

You are the brave one.
Don't ever forget that.

The hope, the strength, the unity that we all have, let's not let go of that. Because when we look back, these are the only things that kept us going froward. We're fixing the ruins, we're reconstructing buildings, we're helping the ones in need - providing food and shelter and clothes; most of all we're giving away love and hope to the ones who lost it.

Every country, every organisation, every individual from all over the world that has been helping us in these darkest days, we are profoundly grateful for all that you have and are doing for us.

 Because we have each other we have the courage to believe that we can move forward.

"I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

For you are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness. - 2 Samuel 22:29

Happy Earth Day

I guess it's never too late to say that even though the day's nearly over in India.

Here's an abstract shot a dead tree that I found while wandering around one afternoon.

Have a good weekend :)