The Future and Beyond

Well, now! That's been an incredible year, hasn't it?

It's sure had its ups and downs but you know what? I'm incredibly grateful to the Lord for all of it because it's tough me so much.

Moved to a new city. Started a new chapter. Visited news places. Met new people. Lost a dear friend but God always, always knows best.

There's so much to say so I'll spare you the boredom.

Thank you all so very much for following my work and for the advice and encouragement. It does mean a lot!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a good time celebrating, worshiping and doing whatever it you have in store. CYA in a year!

For some reason I'm unable to upload a picture to this post but you're welcome to follow my social media accounts to see it.

P.S. If anyone knows of a better app than the official blogger app please let me know. This app doesn't really work very well for some reason.

The Lead Up

My apologies for not sharing anything lately even though I said I would. It's been a crazy week and while that has mostly been good it's not really ended well. I just lost one of the best friends I've ever had. Sure he wasn't a human being but it still hurts.

I've been sitting on this picture for a while now without really knowing what to say about it but I think I do now. There are times when you walk down a path thinking that you know for certain how or where you want to go only to find out once you've started that you have absolutely no clue how to proceed further. You have the end in sight and you kind of know what your goal is but there are problems along the way and there's a good chance that they've encompassed you and that's all you can focus on. I've been thinking a lot about the future lately and it is scary! Uncertainty is really scary but as I look upon the past I'm reassured. Why? Because I see how God has been working all along. I think one of the things that God is trying to teach me this year is to trust Him more even in the most trying of times. Every single time it's always been something good happening at the very last minute and that does go a long way in teaching me a lesson. We don't know the entire picture and that's OK. there this quote by Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that is quite poignant, "We demand rigidly defined areas of doubt and uncertainty."

It's OK not know exactly how to proceed. It's OK not having things in complete control. It's OK walking down a path that has problems but it's only OK if you look above. It's only OK if you look to God for His help. Only then will it actually lead to the peak you have in sight.

I have no idea why God decided that Dixie had served his purpose but the more I think about the future and the things ahead (that I'm aware of), the more I'm reassured that God's timing is perfect. Of course that doesn't take away from the fact that there's a cavity that's been created but it's reassuring and kind of makes it easier to deal with.

Although I wish I were there to say goodbye, the weird thing is the last time I was home I had this weird feeling that I would never see him again. I regret pushing aside that feeling now as I realise that was what I should have listened to but I look back fondly on the great memories I've had because of Dixie and how having him and watching him grow and growing alongside him has taught me so much. As I think about it all I can't help by thank God for bringing that precious little creature to live with us and bring that little extra joy in our lives when he was still there.

To you Dixie. My friend. My buddy. I will always miss you. Always and forever. Goodbye!

A Million Miles

Have you ever got to a point where you look back and realise that you've come a long way? You made it thus far through all the weird twists and have survived life's curve-balls and while you should be filled with a sense of accomplishment, it feels like something's amiss.

You look ahead and all you can see is see is...well, very little, if anything at all. The future holds so much that is unknown and that can be incredibly scary. You realise that you're on your own path and you have no idea where it leads and yet you've got to keep walking.

Now, don't get me wrong - the very fact that you're standing where you are proves that you've come a long way but that also means you've got a long way to go yet. The fog of uncertainty can be intimidating but you know you've got to feel your way through. Progress, at times, may be slow but that's the only way forward. It's might never be easy but you need to carry on.

A lot of what's been going on recently has left me thinking along those lines and while I would be lying if I said the future doesn't scare me at times, it would be remiss of me not to mention what actually gives me hope. At the expense of sounding preachy and cheesy it really is God who give me hope. When I look back I realise that I would not have made it where I am today without His help and that can be incredibly comforting because while the future can be ambiguous, I know He's still going to be there leading, guiding and comforting me whether I ask for it or not and that is all that should really matter. What gives me solace right now as I reminisce about the past and wonder about what the road ahead may lead is that assurance that He's right here beside me.

A friend once asked me why I write what I do and why I relate it to the pictures I post. I don't have a definitive answer but it's probably because each picture holds some sort of meaning for me. Each picture isn't just about beauty or documentation - it's also about emotions. It's about how it makes me feel and how I want anyone who views it to connect with it in their own unique way.

This picture to me is about a whole lot more than what I've written but I hope someone else can get something out of it too.

"I'm still not done; I'm only half way there
I'm a million miles away from where I'm from
But there's still another million miles to come"
- Trouble by Avicii

This was shot on the OnePlus 2 and edited in Snapseed.

Zephyrtone

I had the pleasure of shooting with Zephyrtone a while back. In case you don't know who they are you can check them out on Facebook. They're a music producer duo who's just launched an EP called "Shooting Stars" which you can check out here - Shooting Stars. My favourite track is "shooting stars" athough the others are pretty amazing too!

Sayan and Zephyr are amazing people and some of the few artists I actually have respect for.

BTW they're currently on tour across India so check out their dates and watch them live if you can.

I really have been super inactive here but I'm grateful for all those who've kept in touch via social media - much appreciated! :)

For those of you who've asked. I haven't stopped photography. That (as far as I can tell) will hopefully never happen. I just haven't uploaded a lot lately even though there's a lot of stuff I wish I had shared. Maybe I will in the future so stay tuned :D

Will be leaving for Chennai today for an internship so that should be exciting. Hopefully I'll be able to post more often.

Happy Halloween!!!

Hey folks! I know I've been MIA lately but I do plan to get back to sharing regularly.

Happy Halloween! :)

Just something I threw together at the very last minute.

It's also Diwali time here so it's pretty noisy outside...poor Dixie.

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 :)

Vilasita

A while back I had an opportunity to shoot products for Vilasita They make "hand crafted luxury soaps and cosmetics". Usually I wouldn't take on a product shoot because that's not really my piece of cake but this was different. Since their products are organic they wanted something outdoor.

I'll be honest and tell you that I've only taken on a handful of commercial product shoots so this was exciting because it was a challenge. They wanted something that was unique and something that made their products look good. Plus I love shooting outdoor in nature under natural light so I just couldn't refuse.

We spent an entire evening out shooting products and it was a lot of fun. It was really tiring in that my hands were literally shaking towards the end of the shoot but it was a challenge and it worked out well.

It's always a good feeling when a client tells you on their own that they love the pictures. Here's one of my favourites from the shoot. These are bath salts.

If you live in India and want to try out home-made organic stuff definitely check out their page on Facebook and get in touch with them - Vilasita I haven't tried out their products because I'm the kind of person that will use whatever is cheap because I couldn't be bothered but going by the reviews they have they seem to be doing a good job.

Have a good week ahead! :)

Wandering Loss

Today's post is kinda related to my last post.

When you have major decisions to make and your future seems uncertain - so uncertain, in fact that you don't even know where you'll be the following month or what you'll be doing; that's when things can get scary and you really start to question where you're at. At times you might seem lost in the crowd, struggling to stand out and make your presence felt in one way or another - that's when things can get tricky. You have a decision to make - give up or carry on. Like I said last time, the right thing to do would be to carry. It's not going to be the easy thing to do because, I think, it's a lot harder to carry on than to even start in the first place.

As a Christian, one of the results of falling on times like this is it teaches you to rely more on God than yourself or people around you. It's never easy to hand over the reins to someone else but you've got to do it since that's what's best for you.

This picture had been lying on my drive for years and it wasn't until recently that I got to working on it. Each leaf, twig, branch is part of something so much bigger than itself and yet it's always lost among all the other parts that are almost identical to it. Sometimes life's like that. You're wandering and you're lost in the crowd. These twigs would have been lost too if I shot them head on but a slight change in perspective and a different angle and VOILA! it stands out and is separate from the others around it.

What if God's like a photographer and we're those twigs? We've got to let Him do His thing and carry on trusting Him.

I hope the people in Myanmar are OK. We felt the tremor hundreds of miles away from the epicentre so I can only imagine what it must have been like there.

Beautiful Loneliness

I shared a black and white version of this image a while back but I'm sharing this now because I just couldn't decide which one I liked better.

This was the only flower of its kind in that beautiful garden. That seemed a little odd since every other species had at least two of its kind growing. Another thing that struck me was the placement of this flower - it was growing in a corner almost hidden from plain sight but it was still so beautiful.

This is getting philosophical but I think there's a lesson to be learnt from that and I know it's something I struggle with as well. I post updates regularly and upload pictures to my blog and various other social media sites but what have I really accomplished? Sometimes you might be bogged down by thoughts like that or the fear of obscurity but I think it's important to carry on and keep doing what you're doing even if no one else understands or cares.

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week ahead! :)

If Hope Dies

If you follow me on Instagram ( @danielraghu ) you would have seen a BTS picture I posted right after I wrapped up shooting with a local band. We had a great time and we created some beautiful images that also pay tribute to the natural beauty of the place they live in.

One particular image really stood out and today I can finally share it with you all. I think it perfectly captures the band's persona as well as the quality and beauty of the forest there.

I would love to know what you think.

Convivial

Sometimes when someone says "Please take a picture" you just have to no matter what the lighting is or what the circumstances are. This is one such picture. I wasn't prepared for a late night photo session with friends as I had just got back from photographing a band and was looking for some time away from photography but I couldn't say no.

The lights in the background provided for a nice colour contrast against the warm colour of the bulb behind me as I shot my friend's mother (not with a gun...obviously).

I've been experimenting with tones and colours for a while now so I would love to know what you think of this.

Happy Anniversary

I can't believe it's been 2 years since my sister got married! Time really does fly!

They're probably one of the few couples that I find inspiring both in their love for one another and also in their love for God. That's something that I haven't seen too often and that's something I think the world could use more of.

So Happy Anniversary to both of you!

You've both been huge pillars of support in my life and I can't thank you enough for all you've done! Hope you're enjoying London

Anguish

I have been waiting to share this image and today I finally can. I took this for a competition where it became a favourite. Then a band wanted to use it for their single that they're releasing next week. So, I helped them design their art for the single. Definitely check them out on Facebook - If Hope Dies India

They released the art for the single today so now I can finally share this. This was shot with on speedlight behind and above myself to the right.

Exquisite

It's my friend's birthday today so Happy Birthday, Upashana!

You've probably seen pictures of her before as she is my favourite model and I love working with her.

This was taken during another one of our explorations. A few of us friends would go to new places and explore them. It was fun and we would always come away with pictures we were happy with.

This is one such moment.

Simba

Last Friday was rather bittersweet. We won a short film competition and I stood first in a photography competition and was extremely happy until my brother sent me a picture. It was a picture of a grave inscribed with the name "Simba".

Simba is my cousin's cat and he was honestly one of the best looking cats around. Unfortunately, he had to be put down because his health failed him and he couldn't recover.

Now I doubt Simba was really 'my friend' but he was the one cat that made me want a cat. I loved the way he purred when you played with him or the fact that he was easily attracted by you scratching the couch cover. He will most definitely be missed.

This is one of the very last pictures of this handsome fellow.

Gleam

It's been far too long since I was last online. Getting caught up with all the emails, messages and comments might just be the hardest part.

Anyway, it's Valentine's Day and since I realised that too late to create a picture specifically for today I decided to process one of my pictures to mean something for today.

So, how about some much needed warmth and glow that generally comes with the feeling of being loved?

How do I know this? Easy! God's love really warms you up and I know those of you in relationships can attest to that fact but let me tell you that the love of God supersedes anything you've ever know before.

I hope you're having a great day and I hope you have a great week ahead. I shall not keep you any further :D