Meet the Real people from the world of Photography this week we are featuring Ashok Verma

Meet the Real people from the world of Photography this week we are featuring Ashok Verma

We are featuring people who are hobbyist or professionals photographers and we think they are worth sharing of Delhi Photography Club Fan page .

The selection is purely at the Discretion of Founders and owners of Delhi Photography Club.

Ashok Verma | Street Photography | Advertising, Fashion, News & Street Photography

Ashok_Verma

How you started your photography?

My photography started when I was gifted a SLR camera (Pentax k1000) by my father.

It took wings and became an extension of my deep-rooted love for painting, sketching and writing since my school days.

I was not allowed to join an art college as it was considered a bad career choice and photography became the medium to bring out all my creative ideas to the floor. This all happened after I finished my school and three years of my graduation period. In 1995 I opened a small studio to take up photography as my profession, with no formal training and no mentor. 

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

What is the role of new technology and medium in photography?

The new technology has revolutionized photography and gave everyone an opportunity to become photographer with cameras producing amazing picture quality and output. The first change I see is in the mindset of photographers. As photography, has become more accessible to everyone. It’s become easy for everyone to jump into photography with digital revolution. Every second person wants to be a photographer. People are looking for overnight results and fame while doing photography. People have lost the patience and practice which is the base of photography.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

The digital revolution and access to social media has made such a deep impact on emerging photographers that they feel that success can just be achieved by merely buying the best cameras and laptops.

The fact still remains the same that there was no shortcut when there were analog cameras nor there are any shortcuts even after the digital technology has takeover.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

It’s just that in today’s world we have produced more of would be photographers then actual serious professionals.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Anything specific that you want to share with people.

The only suggestion I can pass on to all budding photographers is simple, when you see a great photographer and get inspired by them to jump into photography, just see the number of years they have given to photography to reach to a point where they are able to inspire you.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

In nutshell… there are no overnight success tricks for you. All you need to do is have a lot of patience, deep love and passion for what you do, not just in words but in actions. Never give up, till you reach where you want to reach, no destination is easy and no destination is inaccessible too.

What gives you motivation to go out and click despite having busy schedule.

My motivation is to beat myself by creating a better visual than the last best image I shot. All the visuals I present on social media or on my website/blog are my favorite shots.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

But over a period of time I start to hate them when I produce other interesting work. I feel the process of learning and unlearning makes this happen and it’s this phenomenon which keeps me going.

The day I feel that I know everything, will be the end of me. I am still learning and unlearning. So, a photo which I love today becomes a normal when I improve, learn and produce a better work. This is the process of growth and self-evolving.

About me

Born and raised in Delhi, India.

Parents Dream: To see me as a Doctor.

My Dream: To pursue Arts.

End Result: Revolt.

Final Outcome: I graduated from Delhi University with Retailing &Trade

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

The inclination and passion towards Arts made me jump into photography with the sole dream in young eyes to establish as an Advertising & Fashion photographer.

With no mentor and experience, a long struggle was inevitable.

Immense Faith, Strong dreams and an instinct to never give up, propelled me to make my space in the industry.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Worked with top advertising agencies, models, designers, art directors, magazines, stylists, make-up artists and production houses in India and abroad.

Migration: Year 2007-08 from Advertising & Fashion photography to Photo Journalism.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

From controlled environment to candid and story based shoots.

Same camera made me see things differently.

Photo Journalism led me to a new passion called Street Photography around 3 years back.

Based in UAE the challenge got tougher to do street photography to produce work of international standards.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

The challenge, challenged me more.

Bought a small fixed lens, mirrorless camera just to do street work. Made sure to produce at least one picture for myself every day. Learnt from my bad pictures.

My Mantra is to Unlearn to Learn more.

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Street Photography. Photo by Ashok Verma

Presently, I do Street Photography with advertising and fashion work as my backbone propelled by the experience I gain while doing Photo Journalism.

“I share what I learn and I never hesitate to ask what I don’t know.”

Website : www.ashokverma.com
Blog : https://ashokvermablog.wordpress.com/
Flickr : https://www.flickr.com/photos/123460390@N05/albums/

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Send in your sample works at Virendra@delhiphotographyclub.com

DPC Photobus to Garh Mukteshwar ( the First day trip)

The first in series is the Garhmuketshwar , An old historic town and place for River Ganga .

About  Garhmukteshwar

Garhmukteshwar is situated on the National Highways 24 joining New Delhi   with Lucknow. The town is the closest point from the capital where the river  Ganga flows. Garhmukteshwar is also famous for its bathing fair that takes place on the Full Moon Day in the month of Kartik. This city hosts two important fairs in a year. One is the bathing fair on the full moon day of Kartika and another fair is held on the occasion of Dussehra, both of which attracts tourists from all over the country.

The Gadho-ka -Mela which is a part of the big Garh Ganga fair is a huge trading center for asses, donkeys and horses.

Garhmukteshwar has also been mentioned in the Bhagavata Purana and the Mahabharata. It is said that Garhmukteshwar was a part of the ancient city of Hastinapur. The place boasted off a very ancient fort that is said to be built by later Pandavas, brothers of Kauravas. The name of the place is derived from the great temple of Mukteshwar Mahadeva that is dedicated to the goddess Ganga who is worshipped here in four temples. The place is also known for its eighty Sati Pillars.

Tiger and GST ? Oh Really (God Save the Tigers). by Sh Vinod Goel

Tiger and hottest topic in the air  G S T—Any connection between the two ?

tiger-cubs 1

For the last 3 years when Sh Narendra Modi came to power we heard that to solve all the problems of the country the biggest economic reform would be introduced by the Government  and hence  all efforts were made to bring Goods and Services Tax (G S T )at the earliest.

At present there is just talk of this tax reform as it has been introduced from 1st of July in spite of the fact that  many of the stake holders from the trade and industry are  at a loss to understand its fundamentals. Even most of the staff at the grass root level from the department Customs and Central Excise  is not able to comprehend its basic concepts and their implementation  . I am sure in the time to come those difficulties would get sorted out and country would be on a much safer ground.

It may be recalled that to save the tigers in the country Indira Gandhi the then PM brought Project Tiger ( in 1973) as the population of tiger which used to be about a lakh in the beginning of the 20th Century got reduced  to about a thousand. In order to save them from extinction  India came out to save them. The situation improved some what. But again the crisis at Sariska Tiger reserve in Rajasthan  in 2004 and later in Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in 2009 opened the eyes of the government and they were forced to take some hard steps such as translocation of tigers within the state from one tiger reserve to another ( Ranthambore to Sariska  and  Bandhavgarh , Pench and Kanha to Panna ) and monitoting of tigers by having radio collars on them.

Tiger save me God 2

Though the strategy of counting the tigers have completely changed so that the numbers can not be manipulated as the census of tigers is done by the Wildlife Institute of India Dehradun  through camera trappings but  there is hardly any control over poaching of tigers  as they command a premium in the world market. The only solution with the general public is to prey GOD to SAVE the TIGER (GST ).

 

Sometimes while shooting tiger in the wild  I could freeze some moments when it appeared as if he too is praying God to save him from the atrocities committed over them.

 

Let us all prey God to save the most magnificient specie on the planet so that the future generations can see them roaming on this earth.

 

GOD SAVE TIGER (G S T )”

Peacock Fight ——– After the breeding season by Sh Vinod Goel

Peacock Fight ——– After the breeding season

Peacock-Fight-2

Why do they fight is the natural question?. Can they not live in peace and harmony ?

I think they fight for the same reasons as the human fight.

They are also living creatures with emotions ,fear, hopes and dreams.

They fight to defend their territory, mating rights ,their mates and the food resources and of course their dwelling places however temporary they might be.

I have observed a number of birds such as mynas ,doves ,pigeons ,peacocks ,peahens ,house sparrows etc fighting during breeding and non breeding seasons.

Last year the breeding season was over by the month of September and most of the peacocks had moulted all the tail feathers .

I happen to observe a fight between two peacocks on 15th October 2016.The way they fought in the air and on the ground and the poses they gave were remarkable. I am sharing one of them . I am sure you will love it.

Like two wrestlers they fought . One of them slipped while defending the probable attack from the opponent which is still in the air ready to pounce on the rival. Yet another one in the vicinity is observing the fight as if trying to understand the tricks of the trade.

Enjoy the fight as I enjoyed the real fight from the eyes of my camera.”

About the Author

A retired civil servant by profession but a True wildlifer at Heart . Sh Vinod Goel started his journey from the tender age of 11 years, he left his home and parents for schooling in a hostel. Later on as a Civil Servant his job took him to various parts of the country of India. His very first visit to Kanha National Park in Central India in April 2004 ignited the passion for wildlife and has not digressed from that.

During the last 13 years he had been to more than 50 to 60 National parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Initially he visited the wildlife sanctuaries in the States of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. He had been to all the National Parks of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal. Out of 50 tiger reserves in the country he has been to more than 20 tiger reserves and photographed tigers in 12 of them. Apart from tigers he has captured unbelievable moments in the wild.

Sh Vinod Goel is widely known in the wildlife community   and his work has been acclaimed globally. In his free time he can be seen capturing the unusual moments of denizens of the wild in various parks and sanctuaries of India. His daughter Nitya Goel Aggarwal and son Bharat Goel are with him in his mission.

You can also visit his page on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/wildlifephotographyindia/

DPC Heritage Photowalk Beyond Chandni Chowk Black and white