1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Mahi Madhav and my journey started the minute I saw the kodak film roll based camera my uncle had bought. I was in third standard that time, on special occassions we used to click photos on that. During my annual day at school during my 3rd standard.As my it was a government school, photographers weren't hired for events. , I took the camera to school with my elder father's permission.
He had taught me how to use the camera. Then I took photos for the school trips till 7th.Then I changed my school and it was fully based on academics , so co-curricular activities had to be kept aside for sometime,I had kept camera and photography aside for a long time.Then during my 11th Facebook profile pictures were a trending topic.That was the time when I brought a NikonD3100 and with a basic lens. That was when I started talking photos again.
I never knew how to handle the exposure triangle and the different settings as no one would teach me nor there were tutorials.One day I met a photographer from my place , who taught me what ISO is. I went and attended different occassions to practice photography and explore my self.As time passed I travelled to places and met new photographers and learnt new things from each and everyone.That's when I understood that photography isn't something that can be learnt, it has to be created from within After 12th because of the interest in photography.
I also was interested in cinematography. Then one of my sister's guided me to take up visual communications for my UG. I searched for a lot of colleges but then due to family pressure or dreams, I had to take up Medical. First I took up homeopathy , then I took ayurvedic. Both the places there were certain issues because of which I couldn't get a seat there. They asked me wait for a year. I thought I would get a year extra to do photography. Then after few months I wrote my entrance exams and got into a college in Mangalore, As it was a medical course, it was difficult to take both studies and photography together. For the first two years it was quite tough.
After third year , I started doing photoshoots on Saturdays and Sundays where I travelled from my college to my hometown for two days and the journey was quite far. With God's grace I now can handle both BAMS and my photography together and I wish to click many more pictures in the coming future. Check out my profile on IG here;https://instagram.com/mahi_
3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?
* Don’t go crazy buying the most expensive equipment right away-
maybe you have lot of money but , It’s possible to get very nice photos with an inexpensive point and shoot.
The more photos you take, the more you’ll know about what kind of camera to get when it’s time to upgrade.
* Learn the basic rules.
The amount of information about photography online can be overwhelming.Be open to what more experienced photographers have to say about technique.
You have to know the rules before you can break them.
* Take photos regularly.
Try to photograph something every day. If you can’t do that,
make sure you take time to practice regularly, so you don’t forget what you’ve learned.
* Don’t be afraid to experiment.
If you’re using a digital camera, the cost of errors is free. Go crazy – you might end up with something you like. You’ll certainly learn a lot in the process.
* Enjoy the learning process.
The best part of having a hobby like photography is never running out of things to learn. Inspiration is all around you.
Look at everything with the eyes of a photographer and you’ll see opportunities you never noticed before.
4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer?
He should be able to communicate with the clients and understand what they want and need.
If in case of modeling photography, he should know the comfort zone of the models and this helps to get more vibrant photos. They should try candid photography too. As a photographer, the happiness of the person in my frame is the most happy and successful moment for me
5. What are various opportunities available for aspiring photographers?
6. Which is your favourite book and why?
For me this will keep me inspired and motivated for a lifetime. I'm sure it's raw story line has power to leave a deep impact in your psyche. One of the best books I've ever came across.
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