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Vineet
Hi everyone and welcome again to photosynthesis, which is individual blog well blog, podcast, video, everything on Everything in India related to photography and videography. Today we have with us Ashutosh Pathania who is actually a lifestyle and a street photographer and without even actually spending time. On what all he does, I’m just going to jump into why St and he’s from Bombay. Why Bombay? What about Bombay? Really, really draws him to do more St photography there. Hi, ashutosh. Welcome to our show.
Ashutosh
Hi vineet Thank you so much for having me. Right. So you asked a very app question that why Bombay and why Street Photography. So I’ll answer why Bombay first. So when I moved to Bombay, I was very afraid of the city actually because I have heard stories about the city regarding that nobody cares about you. But when I started shooting in the city it has given me so many stories. To talk about so many stories in my photographs that now I’m in of of this city. So I love this city because, you know, you go to each and every place and you find a new. Only there. So there are a lot of people, people around 2 photographs, there are a lot of, you know, architectural marvels in the city, I would say. So I love photographing each thing and everything which is there on Mumbai streets. So that’s why Mumbai and to answer to your second question or rather the first question why St Photography? So actually Street photography has been, you know, very eye opening thing for me. I am an introvert. I would say I don’t talk much, but with my street photography and with my photographs, I I usually tell a story to each and everybody whoever sees. And you know, I think the street photography has given me a lot of, you know, I would say a lot of exposure to be in somebody else’s shoes and feel what they are feeling in that point in time. And, you know, that’s how I started St photography while I was also working in. A corporate job.
Vineet
That’s interesting as an introvert, so whatever sidebar, don’t you feel like? Nervous approaching people to take photographs, isn’t that one of the biggest challenges I’ve heard about St photography? Because you’re shooting people on the street. People you don’t know, they are, by definition, they’re strangers. Has it helped you to conquer your introversion or you’re very happy in a space where it coexists really well with your introversion?
Ashutosh
Actually both. So when I started Street photography, I was always looking at, you know, various portraits. So that helped me talk to people more and. Ask them questions. So while asking them to take a picture, the conversation didn’t end. At that point. It was. Why are you taking the picture? Who are you and how you are going to? Use it so that has helped me overcome. You know, my nature of being an introvert that has helped me a lot. Actually, I was very shy to talk to strangers and very shy as a person. So Street photography in turn has given me, you know, lot of exposure to, you know, different people. And I was able to. Even on my profession, I would say so. I did not know Marathi. Even so, I connected with people who were not very fluent in Hindi. But I was speaking in Hindi, so that has given me, you know, way of interacting with people, which I think has worked really well. For me also, you know sometimes I used to shy away from that as well. So I used to take a wider photograph of the entire area just to showcase, you know, the entire picture and not having to be interacting with somebody or having a conversation with somebody. So I was also doing that which had helped me. In the past as well, because with that I was actually going for a larger picture. I was actually telling a better story and also, you know, my. The you know, when I moved to architectural photography also. So that happened because of this shyness as well. So I would say it’s a balanced approach for me. It has helped both overcoming my fear of interacting with strangers and also given me a new Forte which is architectural photography.
Vineet
And since you’ve actually done all these things, I’m going to ask you. So one is just photographing the city. Yeah. Buildings, the monuments, right. Second is photographing people, their stories. How much can you tell about, you know, maybe a guy on a cart, right. Or sitting on a curb, in fact. Danish Siddiqui used to tell fantastic stories with a photo. He is actually the one photojournalist I still miss. Anyone knew the guy I that was such a huge loss in my view, he could take a photo and just tell so much from from that and the 3rd to come back is basically the like people interacting with the city. Have you felt at different stages? Like is it a conscious choice? Which of these three you’re doing? Or does it just happen? And does it evolve over?
Ashutosh
I would say it evolves overtime. So you know photographing a city 1st. When I started photography I was in my college so I was capturing like any other photographer. Whatever comes my way. So be it. A flower, be it a building, be it. Anything. So I was just trying to, you know, be comfortable with the camera in my hand. I was, you know, very. Used to see what others are saying, but giving my perspective to a photo was very important for me. So starting with that I was photographing each and everything. You see a boy I have photographed it in my college life, so that was me during my starting time. What evolution had happened with me was. That you know, when I started St photography. So I was trying to know more about that person and how that person is surviving in the city or how that person is making this city his own. Place our his place in the city. I would say so. That, you know, was my major intention when I started St Photography. And you know, I’m still learning. You said. Dhani Siddiqi, see he he is a master storyteller. So I’m still learning. I follow a lot of people on Instagram I. See what psyche they have when they are photographing what you know. Are they trying to tell or you know, when I photograph a person, you might have a different interpretation of that particular photograph. What story am I telling you is conveyed to you is my, you know, the major aim behind photographing that person. If I am able to connect the same dots. With that photograph, which was there in my mind, and you are also able to see in that particular photograph, that is my aim while doing the street photography. And I would say I’m still learning a lot about it. I’m nowhere close to anybody and there are masters of St Photography who are there, you know, telling the story or. You know, telling each and every person that they are worth living in the city or they are doing their part in this particular.
Vineet
I’m going to pick on the last point you’ve made that you’re still learning. I’m going to ask you a question that I have often felt, so I’m just still obvious to thank. Hobbies never done a professional project in. My life. And I gravitate towards animal photography. Or even wildlife pet photography because they’re around and I love interacting with animals so I can combine my 2 loves now.
Ashutosh
OK.
Vineet
The problem I have faced often etho vesi creative field imposter syndrome is a very, very like it’s a natural thing, and in every creative field. But also photography lends itself very, very easily to you seeing great works on the Internet.
Ashutosh
Got it.
Vineet
You start off thinking I will follow the greats on Instagram globally. Don’t you ever feel that? Well, I’m sure you do, but how do you deal with feeling that? OK, I’m getting better. I’m getting better. And then you see someone who’s here. Like, at the peak of the game globally, like, oh, ****. I will never be there. How do you? Does that ever affect you? How do you deal with that? Do you? Do you naturally compare yourself to the best in the field? Or do you? Did you reach a? Stage where you said OK, now I am ready. I can call myself good.
Ashutosh
Right. So to answer that one of the lines I read in somebody’s autobiography, that nothing is invented right now, we don’t invent anything. We are just taking ideas, taking cues from somebody else’s work and giving it a shape that is. According to us, what we feel like that should look like. So I am very in line with this thought because you know, I take inspiration from each and every. You can call it an imposter thing also, but what I feel is if somebody is photographing like a a person or a you know, photographer that I follow regularly on Instagram is amazing with the shadows and the highlights. So there is a very high contrast. What I feel is his photographs. A story that he wants to tell his photographs are, you know, a reflection of himself, whereas I when I started St photography, I wanted to carve out a niche for. When I say niche for myself, I wanted to give it a character, which is me, not somebody else. Be the scene. So if you search, I’ll give you an example. If you search Mumbai on Google images you will get a lot of photographs of Mumbai. So there has been no place that has been in Mumbai which has not been photographed earlier. Har Jaga koena koi Gaya hai So everybody has photographed each and everything you saw. It’s Taj Mahal Taj Mahal palace. You’ll find 1000 photographs from each and every angle of that place. How I give it my character is like you know I try to put some human element in it first and foremost thing. I need human element in each of my photographs. The second thing is I give it a colour which pleases my eye, and then I, you know, show it to my friends, family and everybody and get their opinion. That is this right. And I would say they are the worst critic that I have in my life. They simply refuse to, you know, acknowledge that I have given a lot of effort in making that photograph. They simply say that it’s trash. You should delete it. Wow. Yeah.
Speaker
It’s harsh.
Ashutosh
Yeah, they are the harshest critics that I’ve ever encountered. So you know, giving it my character is the second thing that I do. And then I put it up on social media and, you know, some people like it. Some people comment on it, that how do you give this character? I I never feel that, you know, one should not share the trade secrets. I would say. So I share everything with them that I use this, this particular software to colour grade my photographs. These are not. Created using any philtres or anything. This is colour grading. I simply don’t like certain colours and I don’t put them in my photograph and that’s how I create a niche for me and I create a character in my photo which is. Only limited to me. So when I compare it with, you know I’ll say the same person who is amazing with the shadows and highlights in its in his St photography. So I feel that yes, he’s doing amazing work. His photographs are amazing. But what I have done is, you know, I’ve given a character to my photo and this. This is what I am right now. I have to evolve from here. I don’t have to reach there, but I have to. Evolve from here.
Vineet
Yeah. No. So in fact, I was going to get to because uh. If I look at the photos you’ve put up. There is a striking characteristic like your style. Is very clear. And I also want to. Come to colour grading itself. Because you have a very dual tone sort of approach that I could see. In a lot. Of your photos, some are the classic orange and teal combination, but some are very different, but there is a dual tone approach that I see as a standing out thing. So first question is how much of the developing your own style. Comes from the stories from the photo itself, and how much comes from editing, or is it just everyone finds their own approach? How did you get to that stage where you thought, OK, this is what I like, this is what I will do.
Ashutosh
Right. So Vineet, I am very fascinated with black and white photography. So in fact, the first camera that my father gave me was a LUMO camera. It was a real camera and it was black and white. So I used to put reels in it. I think I was in 6th or 7th grade at that point in time, so I used to put a black and white real roll in it and I used to click photographs. So that gave me pleasure because that did not have any distractions. I would say. So in the streets I. Find a lot of things which are distracting to this particular scene, so I simply, you know, carve out those things. And I depict the story that I want to depict based on only two or three colours. So if you see the photographs that I have put, there is orange, there is dark green shades and a lot of greys. So I want to put up a story that showcases what I am, you know, seeing in that particular scene and no distraction. And that is how I’ve, you know, developed this thing wherein I remove the distraction not by simply removing it using a software or Photoshop or something like that. I’m not removing it from the scene because it is also a part of that scene, and somewhere it plays an important role in that particular scene. But that is not the centre of focus or the focus of attention that I want to grab. From the viewer, so that is how I’ve developed that, you know, dual tone nature or I’ve developed, I would say it is evolved from a monochrome area. So I’ve, you know, done monochrome more often. So I think my behavioural pattern also reflects in that because you know it’s a muscle memory. I see everything in monochrome. So I have developed that dual Chrome thing, but then yes. I would say. Monochrome is the major factor behind the dual tone nature of. The colours that you see in my photographs.
Vineet
That’s actually very interesting. So. So how you photograph today is very, very, very directly a result of how you’re photographing when you first held the camera. Yeah. Most direct link I’ve seen is fascinating and and basically using. So you don’t like cropping out people in the corners or, you know, even using Photoshop to remove them. Now they’ve made it. Easy, but uh, yeah. So you’re using colours to sort of pick the highlights with the shadows and? We want to focus.
Ashutosh
On. Yeah. So the focus remains in the photographs, the things that are in. Colour and you know the greyed out things are a part of the scene, but not very important for that particular photograph. So that’s how I see it and that’s how I developed the scene in my mind when photograph it. What I also do is I have a small notepad in my pocket always. And I if there are a lot of elements or a lot of things in a particular photograph I. To, you know, remove those particular or note down those elements that these are to be greyed out simply. That’s my process of doing the seed photography.
Vineet
But you’re doing this on the spot, so you don’t have to think again from scratch during.
Ashutosh
Edit No, actually, So what I feel is whatever I’m thinking in that moment is very important for me. So earlier what I used to do is when I was not having a notepad in my pocket, I used to have voice notes on my. Yeah, right. So that was very tedious task because I had to see that at what point in time I have clicked this photograph. Now I simply note down the number of the image count. On my camera and justice write it that this is a very busy scene. I want to remove these elements. Simple, nothing too specific or it’s not like a big process that’s just to jog my memory is why I will I am processing the photo.
Vineet
That’s fascinating, because I think was it Canon? Who introduced this feature? Called voice memos for photos. So you take a photo and you can click the voice memo button and immediately save something and it will be saved with the same name with the same file name.
Ashutosh
That would be an amazing thing to have in a camera. I did not know that.
Vineet
That’s very interesting. I, yeah, actually. Yeah. This is actually a good habit that even I should sort of. Wake up because you’re right. Like I have to go back and inherit. Start from scratch. Think again. What I was seeing because effort and obviously those thoughts aren’t coming back. So the part is actually a good addition, I think for everyone’s toolkit now editing wise, how much time do you spend editing and what do you use? Is it like room Photoshop standard and how important is well colour? What do you use for colour grading like? Do you just generally use now those three wheels in Nitro? Do you do use a tone curve for every different colour? What’s your approach technically?
Ashutosh
So I edit everything, each and every photograph on my iPad. It’s a basic iPad I don’t use. I don’t like to use my desktop, which is a very tedious task to edit on. I like my iPad. I use my iPad pencil and I use Lightroom for it. Just the HSL sliders that I have in Lightroom. I use those particular sliders and sometimes you know, I feel that if there is. Some things that that shouldn’t be there in that particular scene, so I use masking tools basically which is a part of like room only. So I don’t use any other software to colour grade or to edit my photographs. I straighten the photographs if there is a tilt in the photograph, I straighten them on Lightroom. I colour grade them on Lightroom and then process it and directly post it on the site. Or if I have some commercial work which is to be shared. So I directly, you know, process or export the photograph. From my iPad to the online library that I have and then share it through that.
Vineet
OK. That’s yeah, so.
Ashutosh
To answer in short, your question I spend, you know, roughly 30 to 40% of the time which I spent shooting. So I don’t, yeah, I I give more focus to shooting that I should capture and I just don’t go click, click, click, click, click and everywhere. Which I used to do in my college days. As I told you, but I don’t do that. I wait at a particular spot. If I find a particular spot very interesting, I wait there. I wait for the seen that I had in my. And while waiting in that particular spot to pop up again and then I photograph it. So over the years what I have developed is patience. Basically, in street photography as well, where and I have to wait for a particular scene. I don’t create a scene or I don’t like to photograph each and everything. But I wait there just. For the right moment to come.
Vineet
That’s great, that’s. Great. And so typically when you go out like you say, OK, today I will go on your, OK. I don’t know very well kalada, that’s it. And you say I’ll spend 5-6 hours there. How many photos do you end up with?
Ashutosh
OK, so I usually end up with roughly around 100 photographs. 5-6 hours is the is the maximum time that I can shoot because I’m from Himachal. And Mumbai weather is kind of harsh on me.
Vineet
Don’t worry, my weather is harsh on.
Ashutosh
Everyone. Yeah, so 5-6, that is, you know, I I got chills just by listening to it. So I usually go by 7:00 in the morning and I return by 10 or 11 at Max when the sun is very high. So that is my window of shooting. I like the morning and the evening sun. The Golden arc basically. So I end up with around 100 photographs out of which I would want at least 20 to be per, you know, pleasing to me because all the 100 photographs are not right. I believe that nobody is that perfect. And when I say 20, so I would say that 20%. Would be the output of those 100 images. I end up editing around 3035. Out of which I select those 20 images and then I post it, you know share with within my family, my critique group and yeah, the simple answer. So I belong to a Punjabi family. So my mom, the simple answer is to to petrol waste.
Vineet
And then they say you. Didn’t even know. Like this is the opposite problem that I thought I would face because I would think like, you know, my friends are like just they’re saying it’s good just for the sake of ending the conversation.
Ashutosh
Yeah. Yeah. So, yes, I do have, you know, friends which are always supportive even when I have a trash picture. Even when I have just shorter dustbin. And so they’ll say that, yeah, this is marvellous. This is amazing. Nobody has done this ever. So. But, you know, I do tend to ground myself by sharing those pictures. And I really thank though I talk about it a lot and. I you know. Make fun of them, but I really thank them because they keep me grounded. They keep me at the lowest level that I have. I have still very far from what I have to achieve. So from those under photographs, 20 would be fine and I would post around 15 from it.
Vineet
And how do you so now how many years have you been shooting bombays in many years then?
Ashutosh
No, actually, I’ve been shooting in Bombay for last five or six years, not many years. Many, but I’ve still I haven’t explored each and every part of the city, so you know, to explore a particular location like you said, Kala Ghoda. So I went there for 10 odd times back-to-back, just to see that what is there and how I can picture this at a very. You know, brilliant level. So sometimes I’m even I’m not happy with my images. One trip to Karaga I wouldn’t be happy or one trip to any place which I have not been there. I won’t be happy with my. Images I would. Have to you know, go back and shoot because the first time it’s like a Reiki for me the first time to a new place. It’s like a Reiki. For me, I learn about that place. I read a lot. In that place. I understand that what that what is the significance of that place in Mumbai and what can I shoot there? So the first part is always Ricky for me and the second part I would say the second time would be the actual time when I get some good pictures for myself.
Vineet
And how do you get into the soul of a place? How do you into the character of a place, not just the city? How do you figure out? OK, this is the soul of this area. This area is a cultural way. This area is an industrial way. How do you get there? How do you? What’s your personal thought process on? This is how I want to depict this place in my photos. So therefore before that how you start feeling about a place?
Ashutosh
Right. So first and foremost, what I do is I, you know, put on a light music. I have my headphones on and this is in the morning. I don’t suggest people do that on heavy traffic roads because you need to be mindful of the traffic also. So what I do is I listen to music. I sit down at a place. You know where I want to photograph and want to learn about it and I observe. I observe the people who are working from there. I observe each and everything from a simple Chai wala, who is passing by on the road to a person who is getting late to the office. I observe them and then I photograph it based on the picture that I’ve created in my mind. If that person who is getting laid to the office. Is depicting the right story of that particular place. So I photograph him and not the Chai wala, but if the chaiwala has some more, you know, significance of that part. So I’ll photograph him. I’ll photograph what is going on in the. That place. So I don’t know if you have been there in Bellard estate in every Sunday on every Sunday morning. There they are. You know, kids playing cricket and you will see some of the elderly also enjoying that cricket game. So earlier I used to shoot you know there were many vintage star events that I wanted to photograph. And that was for my personal collection. So I wanted to photograph that. While I visited that place for the first time, but then you know, somehow over the years when I went there and saw those kids playing cricket and the elderly people also enjoying that particular game. So that was the vibe of that place that I wanted to capture, not just the vintage cars which were there for coffee or some rally or some. Event but I wanted to picture or photograph those kids and elderly people who are playing cricket at on a Sunday morning at 9:00 AM or 10:00 AM and you know, and really enjoying their Sunday.
Vineet
That’s very interesting. So capturing the local residents doing their thing is 1 moving about their lives is 1. And also how they interact with the city. What’s your feeling on that? How do you capture people interacting with the city and what does that even mean? People interacting with the city? If I am going around my day-to-day life could be in any city. How am I interacting with the city? So for example, when I saw Mumbai, have you seen it? Yes, what I. Was saying great movie that I feel sort of captures Bombay really well. I don’t know why I feel that way, but how does the city become a character in the photo itself?
Ashutosh
Right. So as I was telling you that when I came to the city, I had, you know, heard a lot of horror stories about the city that and no one is caring about you in the city and the city if you’re not fast enough in the city, you will be lost. So that was the impression that my friends had created in my mind because they had worked there or in turned in Mumbai and they were telling me all these horror stories. But when I came to Mumbai and one day I told my wife that let’s go out and see what this city is all about. So. I was afraid to travel in local. I am. I still am afraid to travel in a local train.
Vineet
That’s fine mate.
Ashutosh
Yeah. So but that forms an integral part of. City so while I am afraid to get in a local but I am not afraid to photograph it because that tells me that what Mumbai runs on, it’s the local train, it’s the dabbawalas. It’s each and every vadapav vendor who is there in the city. They are all interacting with the city and they are also, you know, giving something back to the city. Or to the residents who are getting something out of. So I was trying to capture each and you know every soul that is there in the city, not just people. So I’m not talking about just doing the portrait photography or just doing the particular, you know, just shooting people in the photograph. But, you know, I was very fascinated when I saw the dabba wallas. For the first time myself, so I’ve heard them. I’ve heard them on Ted talks and everything, but I was very fascinated to photograph them. And you know, I have framed that photograph for myself. Then you know when I saw those vintage cars, I was also telling you when I saw those vintage cars and people eating on the bonnet of the car after they have cleaned their car, they have maintained their car. They used to carry burn mask cars and chairs and they used to put it on the bonnet and give it to everybody around. So that. Feeling was Mumbai for me, not just the cars or the local train. That feeling is Mumbai for me, so I will always try to capture those that feeling behind.
Speaker
Right.
Vineet
And from there. So in fact that gives me two threads to go on. First one is key. Yeah. Like I could technically just take an 85, one point four who are on the on the streets and take people photos and just. Completely blur out. The background, yeah. Or even worse, 135 one point 8IN worse, in this particular context. Right. So technically then, what equipment? Because you have to go by?
Speaker
I see.
Vineet
I would say at Max maybe a 50. Yeah, right. But So what do you carry equipment wise you carry a zoom. Do you carry primes and how wide you.
Ashutosh
So surprisingly, we need my favourite lens to carry and shoot is the kit length, which is 18 to 55. Not many people love particular kit lengths.
Vineet
Be fair that Fuji kit lens is. Hardly a kit lens. It’s a fantastic.
Ashutosh
Yes, it’s a fantastic kit lens.
Vineet
1855 was not like. A Canon 1855.
Ashutosh
No, no, no, no, nowhere close. Actually. I used to shoot with Nikon before moving or shifting my entire. To Fuji but then, uh, you know that 1855 is just amazing for me. So what happens is mostly I shoot wide open at 18 and 2.8 aperture which is great for me to photograph because you know, as I was saying, it’s all about the story. So if I have a portrait also there should be a story behind that. Portrait and I don’t loosely post portraits on any social media site. I usually post a you know, long or a wider shot which tells about the story and then a close up portrait so that 1855 gives me that wide angle reach. And also if I have to shoot at 55 M. So I am going at an aperture of, you know, 4 or 5.6. So that also gives me the portrait length which I want and Fuji being an apse that 55 would convert into 1.5 times the crop factor. So I have.
Vineet
Here 27 to 88125 sort of thing.
Ashutosh
Sort of. Yes. So that range is very versatile for me and to a company that I have a 16 M lens, a third party lens for my Fuji, that 16 M is 1. .4. So if I have a wide shot which I have to capture, basically what I do is I put on anti philtre on it and capture at a very slow shutter speed so that there is a movement in. My photograph as. Well, you know, some panning shots or some shots which have a movement of a person who is walking by, but I don’t want to capture that particular person, but. Just a shadow or a trail of it. So basically that allows me that. So these are the particular lenses that I usually. Then on the other hand, this is my street photography setup. When I’m doing a lifestyle photo shoot for a brand I would rather carry my 35 M MF2G again. So which is a 50ML.
Vineet
Like I’ve used XC which is.
Ashutosh
Also, I use XC, actually XC. It’s a fantastic length value for money. It has given me a lot of good photographs, fantastic length. So I use that particular lens for my lifestyle short, because therein I have to focus on a particular product or a person. So it gives me a 50ML equivalent at a full. Same level. So a brilliant lens, I would say for me and my workflow.
Vineet
Amazing. Amazing and. Yeah, because I’ve. Been thinking on the Sony system like their earlier kit lens used to. Be really bad. The 2870 now they have a new 2816, I’ve been thinking. But then I think no, it’s I think this is a 3.5 to 5.6. Do I even care? Why don’t I just get 2.8 throughout the range? But the 2.8 is like then I’m getting. This paper sorry, I’m using about four lengths, so it’s out of focus, but yeah, and this thing is time, the 2816. So I’ve been thinking of getting that, maybe that makes sense. Actually you’ve convinced me. Yeah, yeah. And last, I’m going to ask you because you said the the Ballas photo, you framed it for your walls. What? What is the? Journey of your photos what happens after you take them? Do you go back? You end up putting them on on walls? We haven’t even gotten the commercial work yet, but what happens to your hobby photos? What do you do with them after they’ve?
Ashutosh
Right. So a couple of things that I planned for myself. Some of the photos will go in that one of such things is I want to create a coffee table photo book for myself for each of the genres that I’ve touched. One would be totally St and that to Mumbai St the second would be. You know, mountains being from Himachal that you know I’m always fast fascinated with mountains. So one would be that so some of my those photos would be a collection for me. Some photos that I find very intriguing, intriguing, or I would say where I’ve tried to tell a story. And you know, sometimes it happens that you post a photograph and people don’t connect with that photograph, but you find it very amazing and you find it really well. So I’ve, you know, tried to get them free. I have. Roughly around 20 frames lying in my House of my own photograph and you know, I put up different photographs. So sometimes I get bored with a particular photograph. I change it to a newer one or something that I feel that motivates me to photograph more. So here I would like to say that, you know. Some photographs that I’ve taken in the past have motivated, motivated me so much after I’ve got them printed, so one of such photographs I can show you right now. So it’s a photograph of a concert which I attend. And uh, you know, I tried. Uh. So I’ve seen in a lot of YouTube videos that you can capture a star like shape of any particular light if your aperture is very, very high. So at F22 you can capture a light forming a star. So I tried to do that that panned out really well. So I have, you know. Kept it free. And and that was the first time I tried that. I framed it and it’s always there talking to me that you should photograph more while in the weekdays. I am doing my day job. I’m not going out and photographing. It’s only the weekends that I, you know, give this to my hobby and. You know, that’s how my photographs motivates me, so everybody should get their photographs printed once in a while. I’m not saying each and every photograph should be printed. Otherwise, you know my critic group would go crazy on me, but.
Vineet
I happen to know five from a trip to Northern Ireland. I took like two years ago and my brother came visiting and he’s like why you put these are they look like any store photos. And like I. Took these. There’s different, yeah. Then I take. That complement he didn’t even realise that I took these photos.
Ashutosh
Yeah, it’s actually, you know, one of my friends, he came to my house and he said, yeah, this photograph is really well, where did you order it?
Vineet
From exactly, yeah.
Ashutosh
So I was like, I clicked it. I’ll get it printed for you.
Vineet
Oh, which is actually the perfect cut to my last question. Keep the essay leg out. Can one start earning from street photography or is it doomed to stay a hobby that just teaches you about other kinds of photography, let’s say.
Ashutosh
Right, right. So for me and this is totally my personal opinion under the disclaimer, I am not comfortable at all photographing weddings. So when I said that I had to carve out a niche for me and the street photography only. So what I was trying to do is build. My own portfolio so that if somebody reaches out to me that what have you done? So that is My Portfolio. That’s how I stand out of everybody and every crowd. So to answer to your question, yes. Everybody can, you know, do this. Everybody can earn money from a street photography standpoint because you know, there are a lot of areas wherein one can earn money. So I do lifestyle photo shoots for various brands and it’s always St photography for me, even in those photo shoot, I don’t do indoor commercial shoots. So I’m not comfortable with that because that is just clicking a photograph in an environment which is controlled by you. So you don’t have.
Vineet
So products basically like well lit product.
Ashutosh
Yeah. And people doing it, they are doing an amazing job, but I don’t see myself doing that. So I’ve opted for street photography and you know, giving out my best in the streets only. So yes, you can earn, you can work with different brands who are looking forward for street photographers. One area would be, you know, putting up your street photographs as a stock image. Many of the brands and even you know I’ve known some people who. I’ve bought seed photographs from different, you know, websites, just to make sure just to appear on their website just to appear in their offices as well. So I’ve sold one of my photographs, also not through website, but myself, only through a particular company. And they have their framed in their conference room. So that I never went to that conference room. I just had pictures clicked of that particular photograph and sent it across to me. But that’s a sense of achievement for me as well. So you know, it’s not like a sweet photographers can’t earn money. Yes, they definitely can. You just have to stand.
Vineet
Out analyse later the after asking that I probably offended a lot many photographers with that question itself. Keep you know money is only the weddings, which is not what I meant obviously. But yeah.
Ashutosh
Probably I also offended them because I say.
Vineet
You were much more polite because you are a little disclaimer. But no Speaking of stock actually, which is where we come in, we’re actually setting up. And in fact, we have already set up the website. We’ve run into a lot of technical issues, which is why we haven’t really started selling stock just yet. So that should also happen soon. We are actually collecting India focused stock footage, stock photos and videos because. We realise that there is. A big gap, like most of the stock footage. We see, except for a couple of, there’s obviously one really good platform for photos in India images Bazaar. They do a very good job of what they. To me. There’s so much gap in the video space there. Is people who need video, who need stock video, and in fact even real stock photos. Not like well produced studio stuff alone. And we see ads. I see ads on Instagram all the time. Which are very Indian brands but white faces. Because that footage just does not exist, and meanwhile we have so many amazing creators across India who just basically capturing stuff, putting it on and stuff. And framing it on the walls. Hopefully they absolutely should. And then it just disappears into the ether. It just one when actually there are people who need that stuff but can’t find it. So yeah, that’s what we’re also trying to do. So everyone, if you’ve been listening well, of course you’ve been listening do sign up and do start uploading and Ashutosh, I will wrap up there. This has been a fantastic conversation on how to get into the soul of a city, how to capture people, how to capture people interacting. With the city. And of course I need to install Lightroom on my tablet because yeah, I spend too much time editing on my computer. Thanks Ashutosh and yeah, thank you so much for this conversation.
Ashutosh
Thank you. Thank you so much, Vinit. It was amazing interacting with you and you know, hope we mix many more videos like this and we connect so many photographers with your, you know, stock portal because I find myself, I find it very difficult to find. Video and I saw I was watching a series, so I saw a lot of time lapses of different cities which are just included just to make that transition. So those time lapses are absent actually absent in India. So I was actually thinking of that that way, should I find a good time lapse of let’s say Mumbai. So I couldn’t find it a good time lapse in stock footage. So you’re doing an amazing job bridging that particular gap. And I wish you all the success in it.
Vineet
Thank you. Thanks ashutosh. Bye bye. Thanks everyone.
