Since the day we moved to the beautiful town of Vizag, we couldn't visit the beach properly. It had been closed due to Covid-19. We weren't even aware that the beach was now open. We were going to our usual spot to shoot her video. We thought of shooting my next series here without any storyline. As expected it was a crowded area but we managed to squeeze a few frames without anyone else in them.
The beach was not only crowded with visitors but also with photographers who would click your photos with DSLRs and transfer them to your phones for a nominal amount. A lot of them initially approached us for their business but on seeing a camera in my hand, their approach changed. They wanted to know what model I have, what lens I'm using. Few of them even started guiding me on settings and angles for the shoot. One brave guy even asked us to get clicked saying that I might have an expensive camera but he can take better pictures because he's a pro. I politely told him, "I'm not a tourist bro".
It's always amusing to interact with people. Everyone has a different approach :)
Making your model pose in a crowded public place is a challenge in itself that too when you are not aiming for a conventional one. At first, people might laugh at you then they'll start paying attention to you. Only you have the vision straight in your head about the final outcome of your shot. During weddings, I have witnessed the photographer's team hired by the other party gradually start copying my every move. It's a kind of flattering actually. You become an inspiration for other professionals.
"You'll be judged by your worst photo" it is said. Every creation is not the same. You'll have your favourite ones and also a few which are not typically your best work. Every artist has to showcase the best, that means, the viewers must only see the best ones that the artist has to offer. Your clients might not hire you for your best work but will certainly judge and reject you for the one work which they think is not at par with your own standards or as compared to your competitors. If you shoot 100 pics, showcase only the best 10 of them. Ask your friends to pick out the best if it's too confusing for you. As they say, 'Less is more'.
Every artist has one personal favourite creation. That might not necessarily be a masterpiece. Just something that the artist emotionally bonds to. It could be something that the artist relates to, something close to his life, something personal. It could bring out the old fond memory, remind someone of or something from his/her happy place. It could be your first creation or something that gave you recognition, set up a benchmark, or changed his/her style of art completely.
Ending the series with a positive photo where a sense of accomplishment can be seen when the subject finally uniting with the vessel. I like to keep my photos mostly open to interpretation for my viewers. It's always interesting to exchange ideas behind my photos and it's always amusing to hear a new point of view from my viewers.
Let me know how you liked this series. I'd love to get feedback and ideas from you. You can follow me at @someonekrishna on Instagram.