Dreams n Reflections

  The other day, we were returning from a sunset walk on the beach, our rick turned  from Juhu Tara Road onto Vaikunthlal Mehta Road. The overflowing crowds outside the bungalow called Jalsa were being controlled by the cops. Our rickshaw driver slowed down to try his luck at getting a glimpse of the super star. I could almost sense his heart skip a beat as he thought he "almost saw him". The car behind us honked impatiently urging the rick to move on...and it got me thinking... .. I must be really so lucky, here are hundreds and perhaps thousands and even millions waiting for Big B to turn up in his balcony for just a few seconds and do a few hand waves... here I am, who got called to his bungalow and actually shook hands with him! Indeed. And so the story goes... It must have been mid-2002, around summer. I was working with this European MedTech company, as a critical care specialist, out of their National HQ in Mumbai. When a call came in very discretely from the top offi...

  The things we get into at times! In the early days of my first job, as a young executive, I was often assigned the "special task" of receiving colleagues and dignitaries arriving from Europe, mostly at unearthly hours well past midnight. This seemingly tiresome task had its fringe benefits. Yes, you guessed it. I not only got introduced to some of the most remarkable international travellers from our enterprise, but also got to hear about their remarkable experiences from around the world, in what was a often a "short trip", in what "little time" we got from their arrival at the airport up to their hotel check-ins. In an odd instance or two, I also had the, quite unique, privilege to give them a special experience to carry back with them. One such was for a colleague from Sweden, Mats Widen.  Mats used to be a nurse in his previous career, and had joined our enterprise as an applications specialist & trainer - to help customers make best use of the v...

Portraiture is simply about connecting. Best Portraits happen when the camera connects with the very essence or soul of the subject, and also with the vibe of the moment. None of the above portraits* were planned. They just happened as the conversations and interactions got deeper.  An instinct about framing & lighting, being of great help too.  *Once again, no claims of excellence. Just the ones I felt very good about deep inside.

As a self learning hobby photographer with no formal training, taking pictures, for me, has always been about capturing the opportunity presented by circumstances, or engaging with the energy exuded by the people in focus. Certainly, not as much about technicalities like exposure settings and choice of lenses.  Technical knowledge, like in any subject, is essential for delivering well. However, with increasing automation and the evolution of the camera technologies used in mobile phones, it might soon become elective.* I would like to paraphrase what Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes in his famous work The Little Prince ...  "What is essential... is invisible to the eye...   paraphrased for my argument about photography ... " its often more than what meets the eye..."    I am going to admit it even further that much of, what I feel, have been my best pictures**, have happened with almost zero effort from my side. Rather simply matters of coincidence. He...