Friday, January 14, 2011

My First Encounter with Photography…

Wow, What a fantastic gadget, what kind of ‘Camera’ it is? I asked.
‘SLR’, he said, and continued adjusting the settings. 

I kept watching what he was doing, until he packed it back into the bag & got him-self ready for a photography walk towards river side. Quickly I put on my shoes, picked up my bag-pack & started following him. Walking through the volunteer’s tent & then kitchen tent, we reached rocky patch on riverbank of ‘Giraa’, where this mischievous river flows like a playful deer & shears the ‘ Daang Forest’ into two parts. Peacefully, he kept walking on his way besides the riverbank. His eyes were frequently penetrating through the binocular for birds. I was still walking after him. Trailing him almost for half an hour, he set himself on a rock near the flow-edge; in this part of the river, flow was unruffled & acting like a mirror.

What are you doing, Snehalbhai? I murmured.
Dang Forest, Gujarat

We are going to witness ‘Solar Eclipse’, & I will try to capture it with the help of shady broken glass of lantern, take one piece of it & do not see it with necked eyes, it may result in damage to your eyes. He fetched his camera from his shoulder bag & clicked few photographs.


That was the day, I had a deliberation in my mind about photography, I wanted to enjoy the eclipse even after it dissolved back into the light & I wanted to explain it to everybody who was not with us. Then suddenly I thought not only this, there are so many beautiful moments in this world, which should be brought into everybody’s focus & ‘photography’ is the best way to do it. Since that particular day I was thinking of learning still photography to bring this world clear & closer to my heart, because I wanted all my friends to know about our own surroundings, which is more important than our demanding, money minting & hectic life. After these brain stimulating thoughts, one fine day I decided to buy a camera for me. Unrecognizing the outlay of this hobby, I was happy like anything as if I have already perused it. Unaware of the possibilities, I was in high spirits.


“But I was contented about my trance”.

During all these episodes I was a boy with dreamy eyes & mammoth size thoughts in my undersized mind, which was absolutely unheard of the fact that this hobby of photography is a ‘BIG’ cup of tea for me, which I cannot even pay money for. Finally one day directly after my school hours, I went to a shop, selling photo goods, which actually was just a photo studio, to inquire about basic instruments. That studio owner started showing me a chart with so many photographs of camera & lenses. Uninformed about the prizes of those pictures, that chart put my spirit one step ahead from where it was. Suddenly a camera body Nikon FM-10 took a hold of my eyes on it & I asked the prize for that. Studio owner said, ”ohh, this one? Rupees 16000 only”. My mouth went opened for 15 seconds. Without saying anything, I left the place, drew my bicycle at home & went to bed as soon as I finished my dinner. Till late night I could not sleep properly, kept staring at the fan. That night I decided to ask for 16000 rupees to my father. But next morning when I woke up I lost all my courageousness in front of him. I thought how I could ask for 16000 rupees to my father at the age of 13 & that to for a hobby, which cannot give me anything except pleasure of fulfilling my desires!!! No-no! I dropped the idea.


………….After 3 to 4 years………


Now I was studying in standard XI, I had persuade good enough marks in X-board examinations, so that I can ask for money to buy FM-10 from Nikon. {That time Nikon FM-10 was a dream machine for me, because I did not know much about advance camera market of the that particular era} With all my courage I asked with a clumsy voice,” da...d, I want to buy a camera for me, as I am interested in photography since a long time & the time has come I should start learning it”. He was reading newspaper; he folded the news paper, looked at me & said,” ok, tell me whenever you want money “. Although I was very happy with his answer, I did not express my joy, because I knew that once he would come to know the amount, the reaction would be different. And I even could not say the amount there. He again started reading newspaper. Then for couple of months I did not dare to speak out the prize…& suddenly after 3 months Dad himself called me and asked ‘how much amount I needed to buy a camera?’. Without having a second thought in my mind, I said,” only 16000”. My father stared at me & did not say a single word but I could read his eyes, I understood each & every word of his hush. I was again disappointed, but did not lose the hope & now I was more committed towards my significance. Since that day I started saving money for camera. I used to save every single coin although I knew it was not enough.


………….After 4 to 5 years…………..

I was again in Daang forest, in a Nature Education & Adventure camp held by NCS, where Mr. Sahil & Snehal gave me my first S.L.R. camera, not being used by Mr. Sahil. That was a ‘Cosina’ fully manual camera machine with Vivitar 70-200mm tale–lens. It was roughly 20 years old that time, but I was extremely joyful & turn out to be so fanatical (over enthusiastic). I started clicking photographs without having any knowledge of camera. The only thing I knew was, how to reload camera, he.. he.. he…!!!

I did not know anything about photography… But you know what!!! At least, I started

If you cannot attain the triumph as early as others,
Do not wary,
You will be the most conquering then everyone else.

3 comments:

  1. nice one bhaiya...frm a beginner to a ful fledged master...luvd dis pic also a lot..<3

    can i hav few pics with ur autograph????


    - Divyang Solanki

    ReplyDelete
  2. what a interesting read, so much goes behind your passion of photography :)

    - Abhishek . P

    ReplyDelete
  3. loved reading it...
    sweet confessions through the highs and the lows of your journey... Checked your website too...
    Really awesome work.. I would be subscribing you for future! Good luck clicking..

    aJ

    ReplyDelete

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