After learning about the basics, I used to venture out to various spots near my place to apply those techniques. Things changed over a couple of years, my priorities in life too, everything revolved around photography. Finally, after 4+ years of thinking, I gained enough confidence to quit my job to pursue photography full time.
1. Tell us about your background and journey. How and when did you realize your passion for photography?
Dheeraj here, I am an engineer with majors in electronics. During my engineering days, I really wanted to have a camera, so I got myself a camera which had an inbuilt projector, I was too excited about it and used to take a lot of pictures.
Towards the end of engineering, I got all busy with placements and kept my camera aside. I had to switch my city as my job location came as Mumbai, it was the first time I was moving away from my family, the same kind of emotions rekindled as the time I first got my camera.
Moving to a fast-paced city of Mumbai, things changed, I met people from various fields I didn't know existed, I saw people working towards their passion which made me feel a bit shallow as I didn't have any, this was all like 7 years back. I was really struggling to find something where I could stand out.
I think it was my 22nd birthday, I thought to myself to gift something, I thought of a lot of options then a camera came into my mind, I visited a canon store in Thane, with a little to no idea about what to buy, I was inquiring about cameras.
Then he suggested me Canon 700D, which was new and also within my budget, I went ahead and bought it. That was the start of my journey. I really put in work to understand what a camera is and how it worked. It was quite overwhelming at first to understand what is aperture, shutter and Iso.
It was like I was working two jobs one, the conventional 9 hours one and then after coming home, I used to read another 4-5 hours every day about Photography. Still, I spend one-two hours each day learning about Photography through various sources like YouTube, blogs and sometimes even listening to podcasts on Spotify.
So after learning about the basics, I used to venture out to various spots near my place to apply those techniques. Things changed over a couple of years, my priorities in life too, everything revolved around photography. Finally, after 4+ years of thinking, I gained enough confidence to quit my job to pursue photography full time.
3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?
I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go. Maybe all I can say as a person who is still learning is, don't quench your thirst for something less if you know you can do more.
4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer?
Patience, well I got that in my name.
5. What are various opportunities available for aspiring photographers?
I feel travel and landscape photography might have a lot of opportunities in years to come.
6. Which is your favourite book, and why?
I am not a reader, I skim through things. However, these days I have been reading a lot of articles on architecture as that's my second love after travel and landscape combined.
Photographer
Travel | Architecture | Weddings
Instagram - @dhekhandelwal
Interviewed by - Suhani Mangleek
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