American photographer, Alfred Stieglitz once said, “In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.” We speak to professionals who’ve been using their photography skills to relax and recharge.
Mindful creativity
Photography has helped me explore and leverage my right-brain and further develop my creative thinking. Photography is also about seeing the world from multiple perspectives, which again is very relevant for any leader. Photography also helps me connect with people across diverse backgrounds and that helps me in my work as well. I have become much more observant of the things around me and am more mindful of what is happening around me.
— Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India
Evocative expressions
The visual format of storytelling, the ability to capture emotions, evoke reactions and initiate questions is the most compelling aspect of the medium for me. I think photography forces us to interact, feel more than we normally would, even as there is a mask that separates you from the subject. It allows you to think more critically, see more.
— Amulya Nagaraj, Co-Founder, Pepper Interactive & StudioTronics
In the moment
For me, the passion behind photography comes from capturing the moment I am in. Just being able to pause for a moment, zoom out and look at the bigger picture out there has helped me as a leader to think differently and outside the box and then navigate through the situations at hand. Sometimes, while capturing a moment, you realise how it entails peace and happiness with it. Photography has helped me grow into a more compassionate and observant leader.
— Nitin Rakesh, CEO, Mphasis
The connect with reality
I work as a software developer and most of our clients are based outside the country. Long working hours and working from home with very little contact with the outside world can bring a certain level of loneliness and desolation. Photography helps me stay connected with reality. It keeps in the present, which is an important characteristic for a developer. Watching the world through my lens allows me to see things differently and stay focused at work.
— Anuj Shinde, Associate Software Engineer, Gupshup
A recreation for life
Photography is a recreation for me and helps me de-stress. Like it is with many other things in life, the more you practice photography the better you will get at it. The better you get at it, the more you’ll enjoy this art form. Take time to take the picture. Try different compositions/angles at which the image will look the best.
— Gaurav Sahu, MD, Valueonshore Advisors
A new world
Photography helps me look at the world around me with a new set of eyes. Learning about design and spaces pushed me in a very creative direction and photography was one of the ways I expressed it. As the mother of a two-year-old, lessons from my photography passion also influence how I interact with my daughter. The importance of visuals, design and spaces can go a long way in developing a creative bent of mind.
— Shradha Jain, Creative Director and Co-Founder, HIVADO
Calm captures
For me, photography is something beyond just clicking pictures. It’s more about capturing moments and my pictures are mostly connected with my travels. As a photographer, you need to be focused and calm to capture a perfect picture, and those are qualities that I have imbibed in my life too. Thanks to photography, I’ve become a very alert and patient person in my professional life, too.
— Pradeip Agarwal, COO & Co-founder, Stratbeans
Monumental lessons
Anything that relieves you of your stress helps in one’s professional growth. Photography is all about learning to focus and wait for the right time to click; it teaches patience. I am a doctor, and photography teaches me to sharpen my vision for a complete diagnosis. And as a developer, it teaches me the skill of beautification of urban busy metro cities, sharpening my creativity to make monumental buildings.
— Dr. Amish Bhutani, Director, Bhutani Grandthum
Patient learning for life
Wildlife photography has taken me to vastly different locations, like the world-famous Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, Rajasthan, which is a paradise for nature and bird lovers. I believe that more than smart techniques, it is patience, composure and focus that make one excel in photography. I relate these attributes to achieve success in life as well.
— Parag Kulkarni, MD, A. O. Smith India
Expensive lessons
Public relations for architecture and interiors being my core domain, knowledge of photography is an integral part of understanding images and how they can be tweaked for stories. Simply put, photography is the play of light and shadows. Even if you were to give the world’s most expensive camera to an average photographer, an experienced photographer would probably produce better results using just an iPhone.
— Aziz Amin, Founder & Director, Eztablish Design Communication
Fresh perspective
Learning photography and its basics taught me angling, a better perspective and gave me better postproduction results whenever I came in front of the camera. Heading the marketing of a FinTech company today, helps me impart my experiences and knowledge in the visual world to my team too, with a fresh perspective.
— Shruti Khandare, Chief Marketing Officer, MyFundBazaar
Professional tips:
“The most important thing is your vision; if you don’t have your own vision then nothing will work. We should be clear about foreground, background, depth and light, etc. We should have our own vision.”
— Saurabh Gandhi, Photographer & Director, Picinbazar Films
“I am a big believer that photography should be natural, and the photographer must be like a cat behind the camera, totally inconspicuous to the subjects, so that the photographer captures every element of the story without any pretence and frills.”
— Neha Chadha, Photographer
“The most important rule in photography is to use your camera like a film/reel camera. Think you only have 36 shots. To hone your skills even better, cover your LCD with a black paper. See your world through the viewfinder and only review your photographs when you get back to base.”
— Phalgun K Patel, Naturalist/Travel Specialist, Wandering Gliders
