By Dr Nitin Rai Vohra
As a doctor why am I taking pictures? What’s so special about photography compared to other visual art forms? I’m sharing why I love what photography does for me and why I think it was such a great hobby to integrate into my life. As I share my personal reasons to these questions, I’m sure everybody has a GREAT story to tell. I believe we all picked up a camera at a very young age, no matter how simple or basic that camera may have been. My first camera was a Pentax box camera presented to me by my uncle Tej Bahadur Vohra. I loved it & subsequently my father bought a Hot Shot 110. I felt guilty as I subjected my father to rolls & developing charges as he had a meagre income. Photography was considered an expensive hobby in my childhood only for the elite class, but the advent of digitalization changed the scenario. My son’s first camera however was Nikon Coolpix L 120, the best in its class. . The acquisition of a proper SLR, the Canon 1200D opened the floodgate of gear lust and more serious phases of photography. As a father, my camera’s job circled to documenting my son’s adventures. My son’s daily photo diary started years ago and I’m still doing it now. I wished I was able to start the daily photo project earlier, but at least I took enough pictures of him since birth that my collection can still be considered ‘complete’. Photography also fills a lot of less personal needs for me. From taking pictures for my clinical pictures, earning laurels & compliments from friends & relatives through free photography services, or even de-stressing myself with landscapes & exclusive pictures where I was complimenting myself &” complementing” my free time & filling the dull areas of my life I wouldn’t have experienced those things if it wasn’t because of photography. Anyone with a simple image-capturing device can get started with photography that makes it fun and personal for everyone. I feel that you don’t need talent to take pictures, but unless your goal was to make photography your art medium, there’s nothing wrong with just snapping pictures with no concern on technicalities or aesthetics. The real enjoyment lies here. Everyone sees things differently. Put 100 photographers in a room and you’ll get 100 different photos. The way you see the world is unique, and photography lets you share that perspective with others. I appreciate a good sketch or painting as much as anyone, but for a guy like me who has no talent in painting or drawing, there’s a big, invisible wall preventing me from connecting to any paint artist. A photograph, on the other hand, allows me to imagine as if I’m seeing the place through the eyes of the photographer (I hate that cliché, but there’s no better phrase). Ever wondered why it’s easier to find a camera for sale than a set of art brush? No pun intended towards artists & painters. I revere them as their job is certainly tougher than photographers. Now, I learnt over a period of time that there is actually a lot more to photography than just pointing the camera at something and pressing the button. That’s where you start. But learning to become a great photographer is a serious challenge. You’ll always be learning something new, have new directions to explore, and new challenges to face. And that’s a good thing! This is a pursuit that you will never be bored with. The biggest reason, I believe, is just the ability of capturing a moment as it happens with just a single click of a button. Sure, skilled and experience photographers may capture the scene in a more artistic manner compared to the casual snapper, but the key point is, you captured what you want to remember right then and there! My graduation from a point & shoot amateur to a skilled pro photographer was the most satisfying & fulfilling journeys of my life aptly guided by Mr Saurabh Chaterjee of SIA PHOTOGRAPHY INSTITUTE. The ability of photography to connect to my past, associate us with an event, and preserve memories without words or interpretation made it an influential hobby for me.With a photo you can capture a moment, and have it forever. I think we take that idea for granted, with photography being so ubiquitous these days. But seriously just take a second to appreciate that. I realized that photography changes the way you see things. It’s actually quite an incredible transformation from imagination to experience. Suddenly you notice light, shapes, colours, textures, people, buildings, trees, flowers…Everything around you looks different when you start to see the world as a photographer. Once you start noticing details, you inevitably start to see how much beauty is all around you. Every day is filled with it—in the most ordinary or unexpected places. When you start to derive happiness from seeing some particularly awesome light, you’ll realize that photography has changed your everyday experience. Photography is something I get totally immersed in. I lose myself in shooting, and all my worries and daily stresses just melt away when I hold my camera. Photography is a passion that you can share with the important people in your life. You can pass it down to the next generation, and spur their love of this amazing art. I seriously feel that everyone should have a creative outlet. There’s no use pulling the excuse that you’re “not creative”. Anyone can push the button on a camera, and point it at something they think looks cool or photogenic. Believe me it’s honestly that simple to be creative. And the result of that creative act? You can create art. When I experienced it I felt like I’m on top of the world. Seriously I felt for a moment I was God Himself. Your unique perspective can go further than just showing people how you see a scene. Photography also lets you express yourself—your opinions and beliefs. You do this by choosing what you photograph, and how you represent it. This aspect of your photography is ever-changing as you change. You get a sense of what a photographer is like as a person by looking at their body of work. This part of photography is absolutely fascinating as a viewer, and fulfilling as a shooter. Photography is a fantastic story-telling medium. Whether you’re telling a story with one image, a sequence, a series, or an entire portfolio, the possibilities are endless. Just ask yourself what story you want to tell, and photography can get you there. My camera now travels with me wherever I travel. My photography bag has worn more airline tags than most of my other baggages.One very common way people get interested in photography is through travelling. Who doesn’t pack a camera with them on a trip? The more you practice and learn about photography, the better you’ll be able to document your adventure. The best souvenirs from my travels undoubtedly are my photographs. They are personal, beautiful, and have a story behind them. The other travel souvenirs I bought in international markets may break, or may add clutter to my home in the distant future. But a stunning photo on my wall is my unique personal art that puts a smile on my face as it reminds me of that exciting adventure! As I continue to shoot, I learn more about myself, what I value, and how I see the world with a new perspective through the eyes of my camera lens. SO MUCH CAN BE SAID IN ONE GOOD PHOTOGRAPH! Photography gives me the reason (& excuse!) to travel anywhere from the local vegetable market to the weekly flower market to the Himalayas to the far east to the cold south to any other coordinate in the world – just to capture that one perfect view, sunrise, sunset, picture, event, person, or moment. Photography brought me closer to reality, to nature, to life and this empowered me to re-connect with my creative side which I thought never existed earlier. Along the way photography added to my list of hobbies of reading & Vedic astrology. And the skills I acquired in my journey as a photographer applied to one or many other things in life. As I discovered the process of photography and began to enjoy it, I also began to learn and discover new facets of my personality and of myself. Photography opened new avenues in my life – I made new friends due to a common love for photography, who became part of communities like SIA photogs, who go on photo shoot-walks with me, who started a blog to showcase their photographs, etc. So there can be a host of other avenues that can open up with photography – you just need to have an open mind and be open to learning like me. I don’t know of anyone anywhere in the world who has not at some point in time looked fondly at old photographs to cherish and re-live special moments and memories – it could be with our family, our friends, our love, our school, our wild times, our youth, our adventures, our tears, our joys, our experiences, our milestones in life, our achievements, our key life events…And the reason we had this opportunity is because someone actually took the effort and trouble to capture it from behind their lens. This is my life’s journey from a doctor to a photographer.So what am I waiting for? It ‘s time for me to grab my camera and click a photograph…
