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!

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.

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

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! :)

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

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

Phantasm

Oh wow! It's been a while since I last posted here. My inbox was flooded with emails and notifications and I promise I'll get to them in time. I apologise as I haven't been online lately because of my exams and other work but hopefully I'll be more active now that I actually have holidays

After posting so many pictures of people I think it's time for a break.

Anyway, I just finished working on this image and I think it's one of my favourite images I've worked on yet. This was taken in October but it's been lying on my hard drive just waiting to be processed.

It wasn't until I came recently read Proverbs 3:6 which says "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths." that I actually knew how to process this image.

I used a couple of different techniques to add the additional light to this image and make it look like something right out of a dream. My computer could barely keep up and what should have taken less than an hour ended up taking more than three hours to finish.

Anyway, let me know what you think. If you want more details I'd be happy to post a "layer Breakdown" video for this image on Youtube. Just let me know :)

Take care!

Hitch

Wow! It's been quite a while since I uploaded anything and I kind feel guilty because this is what I've always wanted to do and I haven't been spending much time with my camera or even editing.

A few days back a friend of mine got in touch and asked me whether I wanted to go to take pictures. How could I decline that offer? So we spent the better part of 4 hours on a bike and spent quite a bit of time taking pictures too.

We missed the sunset but I did get some pictures of the trees among other things.

Anyway, I promised him a picture of him and his bike so this is really for him.

The editing on this one is something completely different. I don't know why but I just felt like taking this route although I've never done it before. What do you think?

Blissful Elegance

It's been crazy busy these past few months and I've found very little time to actually update my blog and other social media profiles regularly and for that I apologise. I doubt anyone actually reads this blog so that might not matter a whole lot but if you do I can't thank you enough. It really means a lot to me :)

Now for today's picture and one of my favourite portraits. This was not planned or posed for at all. I was shooting for an online saree store called Jhumoor and while waiting for the other model to get ready I quickly got this image of my good friend and model. She looked absolutely gorgeous.

Now I hadn't shot any ethnic fashion before but I figured it wouldn't be too different from other fashion shoots. That turned out to be partly true but not completely. The weather was horrible and we shot for four straight hours. Needless to say the models and I were exhausted at the end of the day but my clients were happy with the results so it was worth it.

I showed this picture to a few of our mutual friends and they went absolutely crazy over it. They loved it so much that I kinda wish I had kept it as a surprise hahaha

Anyway, for technical details. I was shooting with a Canon 650D and a 50mm 1.4. It was wide open as I was testing a few things but I really really love the light and the overall shot. That fact that she looks beautiful just adds to it.

BTW if you're looking for a good 50mm for a Canon body I would most definitely recommend the 50mm 1.4 if you can't afford the 50mm 1.2L lens. This lens is amazing. The unit I have has a few focusing issues but that's not a big deal once you get used to it which, I'll admit, might take a long time. I wouldn't use it for quick shots but for shots when you have a moment or to focus and compose it's just great.

Wistful

This is part two of last week's post about the animals I saw in the zoo. This monkey (different from the one in last week's post) look incredibly sad and distraught.

He just seemed to stare into the distance without blinking as if reminiscing of good times past or perhaps imagining what it would be like on the other side of the fence.

It didn't even flinch when this group of local boys were being really rude and trying to tease it. I'm not saying zoos are a bad thing - definitely not! I've learnt so much about animals from my visits to zoos. Granted there haven't been many visits but I have learnt a lot.

Sometimes animals are mistreated because they're lesser beings or so we think. Honestly, the only reason I think we are still alive is because God wants us to be. Think about it - we aren't the strongest, nor are we the fastest or even the most agile of creatures and yet we're still thriving on this planet. All because God have given us amazing intelligence and is with us.

Don't ignore animals. Listen to them. Animals have a lot to say. They have a lot to teach us if we only just take a moment to listen and learn.

Query

What a week this has been! Busy yet so so so very fun!

My apologies for not posting regularly. I have a huge backlog of files that need editing and with the photoshoots and videos that need to be done soon that's just going to increase. I need to get on top of it and hopefully will succeed doing that in the next few weeks or so.

Now for the picture since that's what you're here for. I had planned to shoot the sunset from the new spot I discovered recently and set out as soon as I got back from my exam because it looked like the sky was about to explode with amazing colours. Unfortunately dark clouds began rolling in and it looked gloomy but I kept walking towards the spot. This particular bull seemed rather interested in what I was doing and decided to follow me. It stopped when I stopped and I saw the sun just beginning to peak from behind the clouds, giving out this magnificent glow that really lit up everything. The bull was still staring right at me which made for an interesting shot.

I decided against removing the annoying and highly distracting power lines and houses because this is Salbari. Or at least what it's becoming. I remember when we first moved here with no houses around us. There were just animals and rice fields. All that's rapidly changed in the last decade and it's sad to see nature being destroyed like this. Part of the picture is what Salbari once was while the background shows you what it's becoming. This isn't even the part with the most houses. It's so difficult finding a good spot for pictures nowadays when once all you had to do for a good view was step outside your house.

The Studio

This is one of my favourite places here. We've been there a few times now and it doesn't get boring - or maybe that's just because of the good company.

Nature sure is amazing and you can just sit here for hours in peace and quiet with the occasional shout from some locals in the background but it's all worth it. I've heard bird sounds that I haven't before and that makes it all the more interesting.

The trees are rich and full of really amazing texture. There's a whole variety of colours in this place.

We've use this place for a lot of photoshoots and videos. So much so that some friends of mine have begun to fondly refer to this place as "The Studio".

Change

Sometime last month our department went out on a picnic. It was kind of a farewell picnic for one of the best teachers we've ever had so it was bitter-sweet.

While there we met this old lady who was looking after her cattle. She seemed really friendly so I asked if I could take a picture of her. It took a bit of convincing but she eventually agreed. She couldn't understand why anyone would want a picture of her. I couldn't understand why someone wouldn't want a picture of her.

Anyway after we had eaten there was a lot of food remaining so we packed it into bags and boxes and gave it to her. She was so happy and kept thanking us.

It amazing how putting a smile on someone's face can cheer you up no matter how low you're feeling.

I've been trying new processing methods recently and this is one of them. This was shot outside in the open in natural light. The background was removed in post which is the single major change I made.

In my last post I said I would be away for a week. Things didn't work out and I couldn't go although I really wanted to. My friends will be returning from their trek tomorrow and I can't wait to hear all about it and see the amazing pictures they've taken. The place they're at is called Sandakphu. You should look it up.

Enigmatic

I'll be away next week with no access to the internet so you won't be hearing from me for a while. On the plus side we're going trekking to a place I've heard a lot about. From the pictures I've seen it looks amazing. I hope and pray that the weather is good.

This is one of my favourite portraits. I absolutely love it. Thanks to my friend for posing and for the valuable feedback on the final portrait. I can't thank you enough for everything!

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday and a good week ahead. Follow me on Instagram for updates about our trip and the places we visit next week. I will try my best to share pictures regularly. I hope my memory cards hold out.

This particular portrait was inspired by one of my favourite photographers Eli Dreyfuss. If you haven't heard of him, definitely look him up on Facebook. His portraits and processing is really amazing!

First Catch

Last year I spent a considerable amount of time photographing lizards. Not just any lizards - Oriental Garden Lizards. I really enjoy photographing them. Even watching them is interesting. You can get really close if you're careful not to spook them.

With all the new construction sites and the massive destruction of vegetation here I expected there to be very few of these lizards this year and I'm sad to say that I was right. I've seen very few of these and that's really sad. This was the first lizard I was able to photograph this year. I've seen a couple of lizards in the last three weeks but that's too few.

Hope you all have a good week ahead :)