Making travel accessible for

people with disabilities,

one trip at a time....

www.planetabled.com
travel@planetabled.com | +91-9910 042 281 /PlanetAbled
THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE
DISCLAIMER: ALL PHOTOGRAPHS PUBLISHED BY CHIIZ MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN AUTHORIZED BY THE RESPECTIVE ARTISTS AND ARE PROTECTED UNDER THE COPYRIGHT LAWS. IT IS FORBIDDEN
TO COPY THE MATERIAL OR RESELL IN ANY FORM WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE ARTIST. ALL PRODUCT NAMES, TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, BRANDS AND OTHER DATA PUBLISHED IN THE
MAGAZINE ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. EDITORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CONTENT IN THE ADVERTISEMENTS. CHIIZ BELIEVES IN PROMOTING THE BEAUTY OF
HUMAN FORM AND BODY. WE, UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES, PROMOTE VULGARITY OR OBSCENITY IN ANY FORM. READER'S DISCRETION IS ADVISED. FOR ANY FURTHER DETAILS VISIT US CHIIZ.COM
OR WRITE TO MAGAZINE@CHIIZ.COM. PUBLISHED BY MANSA INC. CONTENT PROVIDED BY CHIIZ.COM.
 Editorial
John Edwards
EDITORIAL
Prakhar Garg

Chief Visualizer There’s something

Sheetal Mann about the way each road paves
way for another, making way for
Design an adventure that refuses to be
Yasmeen Sheikh forgotten. There’s a sense of
Priyashi Negi calm that washes over our
senses after watching the sun
Analysis
rising over the horizon. How
Prateek Kashyap
refreshing the blast of wind
Ankit Bhanot
feels against our faces as we
Vimran Singh
ride towards a destination in
mind but not a care in the world
Writer
of whether we’ll make it in time. As
Rahul Batra RB
R.L. Stevenson once put it, “I travel not to
Vishakha Jha
go anywhere, but to go. The great affair is to move.”
Karishma Rana
Sana Singh
Chiiz joins Devyani Nighoskar in her travels to the scenic Spiti Valley
Dwija Vashisht
where she documents her experiences in the form of photographs,
Ankit Tyagi
poems and prose. James Samarji, the globetrotter, shares with us his
experiences in India, the Great Himalayas, Vietnam and Bali.
Technology
Sachin Arora
Devang Sethi tells us the importance of judicial expenditure while travelling
Ashvin Gajbhiye
as he backpacks in Europe in just $2000. James Morgan brings to the table
Vasanth Ranganathan
the story of the last of sea nomads in Indonesia and how they have resorted
Rishabh Jain
to illegal and destructive practices that are detrimental to the environment.
Bharat Bhushan
Abhishek Sharma
Franca Marquardt embarks on a journey to South-East Asia and tells us the
Akhil Jain
story of how she caught the travelling bug. Photographer Ariana Lindquist
Business Development exhibits the vibrant world of Chinese mythology and folk religion and how it
Rajesh Basu is practiced nowadays.
Aishwarya Bharthuar
Amit Ghosh All these people with us, are just the common guys who found solace in the
Shweta Singh roads rather than the hotels and what we should gather from this is that it
does not matter where we go but what matters is the idea of going there. It
Sales is not about the place you visit, it is about the intent you visit it with. Being
Parth Gurjar happy and content in our own being is the sole purpose of travelling.
Insaf Khan And some places, they impart new vigor to the mind. Wherever you
Dipesh Kumar go, becomes a part of you somehow and that, according to me, is
contentment.
Marketing
Kanika Maurya In this travel edition, we invoke you to satiate your wanderlust. Take
Himanshu Diwakar that trip you’ve been meaning to for the past few months. Taste
Anurag Khaneja the adventure on the tip of your tongue and let it fill you with
a sense of wonder. Get lost in the world only to find yourself
Public Relations in the process. It’s like Mark Twain said “Twenty years from
Barkha Chandra now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you
Mohit Rastogi didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the
bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the
Finance trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
Neelu Singh

Consultant
Apratim Saha
Mansa Inc. John Edwards

CEO
Mukesh Kumar
CONTENTS
8 A Walk Through India, Himala-
yas and Vietnam
James Samarji

14 Across Many Mountains

Devyani Nighoskar

26 How To Nail A Europe Trip

In $2000
Devang Sethi

30 The People’s Photographer

Martin Puddy

Bajau Laut
36 Last Of The Sea Nomads
James Morgan

Purvi Kamaliya
44 Trip To The Aryan Valley

50 5000 Miles 5000 Smiles

John Edwards

58 Diaries Worth Keeping

Franca Marquardt

63 Chinese Folk Religion

Ariana Lindquist

68 Legendary Photog-
Tips And Tricks
rapher 20 Long Exposure Photoraphy

46 Famine In Sudan
Old Is Gold
70 Filmy Reality
47 The Bang Bang Club
Subhajit Naskar Movie Review

80 Polarr Photo Editor

That Long App Of The Month

84 Awaited Solo Trip

Sabrina Andrea Sachs
 A walk through
India, Himalayas and Vietnam
"H aving seen many smiling faces and
happiness in the face of adversity, I
learned that a smile can go a long way and
could even break down the language barrier,
only to be replaced by a mutual friendliness
and kindness. It has inspired me and granted
a special place in my heart for India,” says
James Samarji, a Manchester based British
Indian traveler, when I ask him what is his
biggest takeaway from his recent visit to India.
Samarji dropped out of his medical college
and worked in a supermarket and a tea
shop to collect enough money for his trip to
India, Nepal and Vietnam. He traveled India
primarily because he felt that India is a place
which is very different from the mundane and
regimented western society that he lives in.
“No sooner had I arrived in Delhi than my
senses were hit with the smells, noise and
chaos of the city, which I was so looking
forward to. Everything was foreign, but I
absolutely loved it. I loved the ebb and flow
8 Vol 5
of the traffic, and the narrow alleys crammed
with brightly colorful shops, selling fabric for
women's dresses and bright jewellery,” replies
Samarji in a Facebook conversation about his
first reaction when he reached India.
After New Delhi, he went to Agra to see
the majestic Taj Mahal. “At first, I was very
skeptical about whether it would be as
impressive in real life as it’s in the pictures.
However, after seeing it, I believe, the pictures
do not capture the true magnificence of this
wonder, which is simply mesmerizing.”
After visiting Agra, Samarji went to Jaipur
and then from there took the train to
Mumbai where he met his grandmother's
family. “As soon as the front door opened of
the apartment, I felt that I was in a second
home. Their kind hospitality made me
feel very welcome and comfortable,” says
Samarji whose ancestors used to live in India.
Discovering about his family heritage was just
James Samarji
another reason why he visited India.
In Maharashtra, he explored the high-rise
jungle with his family members after which
he continued down the coast to Goa, where
he volunteered at Saraya Guest House, an
environment-minded guesthouse, art gallery,
workshop space, and restaurant. “There I
experienced another side of India, which is
at complete odds with the hectic city life. It’s
a very relaxed, free thinking, liberal minded
space with volunteers from across the world.
There I learned about growing vegetables and
doing things in a more environment-friendly
fashion.”
From Goa, he travelled further down to the
backpacker hotspots of Gokarna and Hampi,
and enjoyed economical accommodation,
spent days relaxing on the beautiful beaches,
and explored the surrounding scenery and
temples of Hampi.
“India is a place where some of the finest tea
is made, so I wanted to pursue my hobby
in that by volunteering on the tea farm in
order to increase my knowledge regarding
the fine leaf,” says Samarji about his love
for tea. Hence, he began his voluntary work
on an organic, artisan tea farm in a small
village Pororai, which is 20 minutes far from
Coonoor. Where daily jobs were anything
from plucking the tea leaves, processing the
tea, locating and guiding the cows or horses,
back to the farm in the evening.
In all of India, Pororai and Coonoor are
the places where Samarji’s heart lies. “I was
touched by the kindness of the people there. I
always received invitations to visit their homes
for tea and food. Never ever in my mind had
I thought that such things could ever happen.
I would like to bring that kindness and
hospitality home with me,” described Samarji.
Before flying to Kathmandu, Samarji traveled
around the beautiful places in Puducherry
and Kerala, despite the lingering rubbish
everywhere. In Kathmandu, Samarji joined
three of his friends from Manchester as they
were about to trek Everest Base Camp. “We
took a bus to Salleri as opposed to flying to
Lukla. It takes three days of walking up and
down the valleys and through Nepalese
villages from Salleri to Lukla. This section
of the walk was one of the hardest walks of
my life, but the scenery was like something
out of a picture, very quiet and tranquil.
Meanwhile with our aching bodies and feet,
when we joined the main trek from Lukla,
we realised that actually we were quite fit and
found ourselves overtaking everyone else on
the trek.”
Waking up to stunning mountain views,
breathing in the fresh air was cleansing for the
soul, albeit not the body, for it was too cold
to shower and too expensive to pay for a hot
one,” adds Samarji. “The higher we went, the
more spectacular the views were. I suppose the
climax of the trek was ascending Kala Pathar,
which is the apex point of the trek, 5550m
overlooking Mt. Everest surrounded by sharp
peaks poised ominously yet beautifully in
the sky. After reaching the summit of the
mountain, we descended and finished our
trek 20 days later, exhausted from long walks
but enriched by different planet type views.”
Back in Kathmandu, Samarji parted ways
with his friends as he continued his journey
and went back to India. In Darjeeling, he
purchased some of the finest teas on the offer.
Following which, he went to Kolkata while
sitting on the floor of a train to reach his final
destination in India. “Immediately, I was
enchanted by this bubble of colonial charm
and friendly people. Whether it be walking
amongst the crumbling colonial buildings,
gazing at the ambassador taxis as they
majestically cruise through the city or sipping
chai from the clay cups, I thoroughly enjoyed
my time in Kolkata, despite the sweltering
40-degree heat.”
Samarji left India with many good memories
only to spend one more month in Vietnam.
“After arriving in Hanoi, I didn't have a plan
or know what I was going to do. Having
never driven a motorbike before, I decided to
buy one. My first few days on the bike were
certainly a little wobbly and bit disconcerting
while driving out of the hectic cities.”
Driving through the countryside, weaving
in and amongst the green mounds, soaking
in the sea air on the coastal roads or driving
towards setting suns, as Samarji explains,
were a pure delight for him. He believes,
biking through the country is the best way to
see it, although it’s also one most dangerous
one. “Aside from the biking, Vietnam was a
good traveller fun, lots of beautiful places and
some good parties too,” adds the traveller.
Rahul Batra RB
rahul@chiiz.com
Rahul is a culture based writer who left
his engineering job to pursue a career in
writing. He wishes to write a psychological
bestseller one day.
A Few Days In The Life Of
The Orchid Hunter - or The Puspa Mrga,

As His GuruMaharajShri Likes To Call Him.

1. 2.

12 Vol 5
 3.
Dr. Naresh Swami is currently in the higher ranges of Arunachal
Pradesh, working from its western border with Bhutan, to its
eastern border with Myanmar, shuttling hundreds of kilometers
every day. He is concentrating on places 12000 ft. above MSL,
as this is the flowering time at those altitudes. Here is a short
description of some of his works from the region of eastern
Himalayas:

1. Corybas himalaicus (King & Pantling) Schltr. - The only petal-

less orchid from the region. The species was originally discovered
more than a century ago by the collectors of King and Pantling.
In their monumental book, the authors mentioned about a “moist
vertical rock” in Lam-teg in the Lachen valley of Sikkim, from
where the species was found. I was able to locate the same moist
vertical rock and the species thriving on it in the year 2012. The
only currently available photographic evidence of the species is
from my work. Nikon D4S 105mm F/2.8 1/15s ISO125.

2. Calanthe whiteana King & Pantling - This species was first

located in Choongthang (North Sikkim) during the work of King
and Pantling more than a century ago. I was able to relocate the
species from the same region during my work (2011-2014). Later
on, I discovered the species from the state of Arunachal Pradesh
thus, establishing an extended habitat of the species. The only
currently available photographic evidence of the species is from
my work. Nikon D3 105mm F/57 1/60s ISO200

3. Cryptochilus sanguineus Wall. - A rare plant with astonishingly

beautiful flowers. Nikon D4S 105mm F/36 1/60s ISO100

4. Dendrobium falconeri Hook. - I rank this species as the most

beautiful orchid and it is my favorite one. Nikon D4S 105mm F/20 1/60s ISO200 4.
 Across Many
Mountains
The epic road trip from Shimla to Spiti via Kinnaur through the Hindustan Tibet Road; is a journey
that will rattle you to the bones, but will make sure that every aching bone, is more than just worth
it. Driving 450 km across the gorgeous yet desolate mountains of the Trans-Himalayas, Devyani
Nighoskar shares the tales of her exploration through pictures, poetry and prose.

I do not know where to begin and where to end. My

experiences are diverse and endless; just the like the long,
winding roads that I travelled upon, across mountains.
On the road for a week ; exploring Kinnaur’s and Spiti’s little hamlets;
gazing at the ethereal views of the mountains in the day and the star-
lit skies of the night, I drove by the rumbling Sutlej that changed
colors and names and became eponymous, as soon as I entered the
forsaken, unfrequented yet, fascinating Spiti.

Aah Spiti! It is a different kind of beautiful. It is not lush green or snowy

white. Its a barren, rocky paradise, dipped in shades of yellows, browns
and greyish ice.

14 Vol 5
Kibber Village is situated in Spiti, around 16kms above Kaza. The houses
here are made of stone, unlike in other villages of the region, where they
are made of mud.
I noticed that mostly all the houses in Spiti are white, with red and black
borders at the top. A local told me that the black absorbs the 'burinazar'
and keeps it from entering the house, the red keeps the 'bad vibes' away
and the white is for 'abundance of peace'. Most houses have exquisitely
decorated rectangular windows for some fabulous views of the valley.
Its also a typical summer weekday in the local school of Kibber, Spiti. It
was history period and the girl was reading about the Treaty of Sanjauli.
After the lesson, everyone stood up to do PT, followed by the national
anthem.

The bridge shook and swayed, the wooden planks creaked, the prayer
flags flapped in the wind and the river below rumbled. I would be
lying if I said I wasn't scared. I held on tight to the wire railing with
my cold numb hands, making my way slowly towards the end of it.
I didn't look to the left or the right but walked straight ahead. I was
thrilled and relieved when I got to the other side, realising that it was
exactly how it was on the other side. It was breathtaking, yes, but not
much different. That's when it hit me. I walked on to the bridge again,
this time with a little more confidence and stood right in the middle.
The bridge still shook and swayed and the river still rumbled right
below me. But I saw what I couldn't, from either side. The river that
seemed to flow beyond what the eye could see, the snowcapped
mountains peaking through the clouds and a blast of fresh mountain
air hitting my face, and whispering "We'll get there! Until then just
enjoy the views".

Village Demul, situated across mountains is the remotest and perhaps

the windiest village in Spiti. It is also the most unique. When winter
comes, and the people here, are unable to work on farms because of the
heavy snow fall, they take to producing handicrafts such as 'Lingze', (
a mini shawl of sorts work during festivities), sheep wool shawls, yak
fur ropes, carpets etc. This not only provides them some sort of income
during the winters but also keeps them busy. Mr. Takpa who works for
Ecosphere, an NGO in Spiti that focuses on various projects in the valley
(skill development being one of them) says, "Earlier people in Demur
were into gambling during winters which caused loss to a lot of people.
We initiated the process of training women in making these handicrafts
and now they are able to sustain themselves better. "

Vol 5 15
 THIS
The sky was clear that day
Unlike my thoughts
Which kept muddling
As we drove along
The mountains
changed colors
Brown, green,
sometimes white
They were like my fears
Shocking, imposing;
seldom justified.
The river kept rumbling
As we drove along
The voices in my head
Kept mumbling
Trying to understand if
this was where I belonged
Was ‘this’ a place
Or was ‘this’ a feeling
‘This’ was a journey,
Never one place
‘this’ was in transit
The road never felt
so appealing
It twirled and twisted
But always founds it way
Through mud and rocks
and mountains
It took me somewhere special,
but soon took me away.
The river is calm, suddenly
But my thoughts still rage
I step out, hit by the wind
16 Vol 5
Feel my strength escaping
it’s cage
Soon I see farms and villages
And then I see more of them
I walk through them,
talk through them
I don’t stop at the first or
the second
I see them all, or almost
The cultures, the celebration,
the mayhem
The wind blows harder,
And now the sky is muddling
But I see things clearer now
and the feeling is extremely
humbling
So ‘This’ is where I want to be
‘This’ isn’t one place
‘This’ is who I want to be
‘This’ - the changing mountains,
the seas the rivers and it’s pace
‘This’ is how I want it to be
‘This’ - the roads, the thoughts
and the ways
‘This’ is the future, what I want
mine to be
‘This’ - the changing skies, the
weather, that friendly face
‘This’ is free of fears, full of
thoughts
‘This’- in transit,
On the road always!
 I WROTE A LETTER TO YOU
I wrote about the mountains
And the river so blue
How it changed colors
It reminded me of you
I wrote about the song I heard
On my way up here
And about the snowy peaks too
That were far but seemed so near
They reminded me of you
I wrote about the risky journey,
and the treacherous ways
And about the over excitement
that I embraced
I scribbled about the starry sky
and doodled the morning dew
All this prettiness;
it reminded me of you
I drew a picture of the little boy
who said hello
And painted the sky in all
shades of yellow
But it was about to rain so
I smeared it with grey.
But the little boy came back,
with a picture of a sunny day.
I put it with mine, for
you to choose
The sunny day or the
grey sky blues
I folded it and licked a stamp
The letter, now mine; but soon,
forever to loose
I crushed, I crumpled
The words were clear,
still unjumbled
The pictures were muddled, the
skies were too
Yellow and grey mixed up, re-
minded me of you
I folded it again, about to
slip it in
This confused letter,
mine to loose, yours forever
to win
I let it go, inside the letter box
Amongst other letters,
behind the locks
I walked away, with a smile
drove away through
the mountains
the letter will travel a million
miles
Until it gets to you
And I will be travelling away
To places old and new
Into the seas, through the forests
and maybe back someday
here too
Who knows what the color of the
sky would be then
Yellow grey or blue
All I know is that day
I won’t be reminded of you.
Vol 5 17
Abdul Momin
Rajshahi, Bangladesh
 Truck Travel Diaries
Nikon D7200 18mm F/3.5 1/1250s ISO800
 Long Exposure Photography
Tips and Tricks

Canon photo mentor and founder of

Light Chasers Photography, Delhi based
photographer, Jassi Oberai has captivated
the viewers with his work. Versatility being his
key, he loves the challenge of shooting wildlife
on one day to shooting fashion the other. In a
lot of his photographs you’ll see very vibrant
colors. A lot of times this can give a whole
new look to something that’s rather mundane
or something that our eye’s are used to. Light
Chasers Photography, believes in delivering Jassi Oberai
values in whatever they do. They conduct photo workshops, organize photo
tours or model shoots and at times be adventurous and combine all three of
the above. Jassi believes patience, practice and the courage to be different
is the key to improve your photography. If you want to be a part of his
workshops/photo tours, you can check here at lightchasers.in.

What is Long Exposure?

Any exposure that is longer than 0.5 sec and ranges between 0.5 sec to
30 sec using Manual Mode and from 30 seconds to infinity when using
BULB mode, is called Long Exposure.

In this article, let’s see how to achieve long exposure during daytime
to create dreamlike landscape images. Basically, we need to cut down
the amount of available light which is done by using Neutral Density
Filters (ND Filters). A Neutral Density Filter is simply a high quality
piece of glass that reduces the amount of light reaching camera sensor.
“Neutral” means that it should not shift the colors while cutting down
Canon EOD 5D Mark IV 20mm F/8 59s ISO100
the light.

20 Vol 5

Basic Requirements
Here are a few “must haves” to get best
possible results:
• A good and sturdy tripod
• Set of ND filters
• Set of Graduated ND filters
• Circular Polariser
• Remote Shutter Release
What Filter to use?
It depends on what kind of effect you want to
achieve. For example if you are shooting the
turbulent sea and you want to shoot crashing
waves in such a way to keep it between the
complete freeze to complete silky smooth,
then a 3 stop or a 6 Stop filter will be the choice
but if you want to create a silky smooth look,
then you may need a 10 or a 15 stop Filter.
Finding out which filter will be appropriate,
comes with experience.
Set up the Camera and Important Tips
Long Exposure landscape photography can
get frustrating for beginners but as in any
other situation, practice makes you perfect.
Setting up the camera the right way will help
you achieve better results faster and keep the
frustration away.
- Put the camera on a sturdy tripod, which
is set up on firm ground. A good tripod is a
critical part of long exposure photography.
Remember your shutter may remain open for
a few minutes and the camera has to be rock
steady all this while.
- Shoot in RAW format
- Use lowest possible ISO to get minimal
high ISO noise.
- Close down the aperture to around f/8 or
f/11 to get deep depth of field.
- Turn off your Image Stabiliser. Image
stabilization is for handheld shooting. Your
camera is already on a tripod and IS may try
to auto correct smallest of movement and
may ruin your final image.
- Lock the Mirror. This will remove the
possibility of vibration created by the mirror
movement while pressing the shutter button.
- Use Remote Release Cable. This will help
you keep your hands off the camera. This is
another essential when you are shooting in
Bulb mode.
- Calculate Base Exposure. Set the right
aperture at lowest possible ISO and get the
exposure reading. This will help you calculate
correct exposure time based on the type of
ND filter you are using.
- Lock the Focus. Some ND filters can be very
dense making it difficult for camera focus.
Compose, Focus, and change to Manual
Focus.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm F/8 130s ISO100
- Fix the ND filter. Carefully fix the ND filter
set on the lens. I first put the desired ND filter
and/or GND filter in place before putting on
the filter holder unit on the lens.
- Cover the Viewfinder. This is to prevent
stray light sneaking in and affecting the
exposure.
- Calculate the right exposure time based
on the density of ND filter being used. For
example, if you are using a 10 Stop Filter,
change the Shutter Speed to compensate for
the 10 Stop loss of light.
You can use available apps for your Android
based phone or iPhone to calculate exact
correct exposure.
- Check histogram. Don’t forget to check the
histogram after the shot is taken.
- Which ND Filters to buy?
I have used many brands and now settled for
NiSi brand of ND Filters which are one of the
finest in the market today.
Final Thoughts
Long exposure photography requires more
planning than other forms of photography
but it’s worth the effort. Once you get the
hang of it, Long exposure photography using
ND filters can be highly addictive in nature.
So what are you waiting for? Pack your filters
in your bag and shoot stunning dreamy
landscapes using long exposure.
Vol 5 21
 Lunch Spread
Canon EOS 600D 39mm F/5 1/60s ISO200

Chandrima Sarkar
Chandrima Sarkar was a painter and a visual designer before she stepped
into the animated world of photography. What started as an everyday activity
of clicking home-cooked food to present it in a better light has now become
a passion. She tries to style her food in a way that when people see the
photographs, they can instantly connect to them. She loves to write recipes
for her snaps and her food blog is a home to both. Chandrima believes that
every food item has a character of its own that tells a story and evokes precious
memories and emotions which she tries to bring alive in her photographs. You Rice Camera
can check out her instagram handle @notoutofthebox. Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/5.6 1/40s ISO400

22 Vol 5
 Fishes & Spices
Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/1.8 1/50s ISO100
 Crab Garam Masala
Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/3.2 1/50s ISO200 Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/1.8 1/40s ISO100

Paneer Kofta Curry

Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/4 1/30s ISO200
 Slovenia- Lake Bled
Nikon D5300 35mm F/11 1/500s ISO200

How to nail a Europe trip in $2000

E urope is stereotyped as an expensive
destination by most of the people and I
wanted to bust that myth. Booking a tour with
some agency was never in my mind because I
wanted to do it my way and within my budget.
I had a couple of must visit places in my mind
and I stitched my itinerary around them. I
booked my tickets, got my visa and was all set
with my backpacks.
buzzing nightlife and crazy adventures. Being
a trekker and nature lover, I had two national
parks, a blooming tulip garden and the Alps
on my list. I visited the Keukenhof gardens in
Netherlands, Saxon Switzerland National Park
in Germany and Plitvice Lakes National Park
in Croatia. For the Alps, I ditched Switzerland
Devang Sethi
for Slovenia and I am glad that I did. I learned
more about the WWII history while visiting
the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of
Europe in Berlin. I witnessed the architecture
of Prague and Budapest, did Sea Kayaking
in Dubrovnik and enjoyed the nightlife of

I realized that the most costly part of the

trip would be finding the accommodation. I
turned to CouchSurfing and hostels instead
of hotels. In addition to the financial aid, this
decision made my trip a lot better as I stayed
with locals in 3 cities and I got to know a
lot about their culture, food, and routines. I
got to experience what life would be like if I
were to live in those countries rather than the
superficiality of being a tourist. In the places
where I was unable to find a local host, I made
some good friends in hostels. The good thing
about hostels is that you meet like-minded
people who are young, carefree, broke and up
for anything.

Europe offers amazing landscapes,

magnificent architecture, rich history,

26 Vol 5
 Amsterdam and Split. All in all, I enjoyed
every aspect of Europe.

Going solo meant I was free to do anything, but

at the same time I had to deal with everything
that goes wrong on the trip myself. I had heard
stories of theft so I took extra measures to
make sure that it was a pleasant and smooth
trip. I had multiple copies of my passport and
visa with the phone numbers of the Indian
embassies in all the countries I was visiting.
I also split my cash reserves into different
pockets of my two backpacks. Luckily, nothing
went wrong but it's still good to have backup
plans ready. This allowed me to relax and enjoy
my days in Europe without too much stress.

A North Indian in Europe can very well be

Amsterdam- Keukenhof surprised by the food people eat there. The
Nikon D5300 35mm F/9 1/100s ISO400 guy who ate hot paranthas with butter every
morning had to gulp down cold meat and cheese
sandwiches. There were Indian restaurants as well,
but as they say ‘when in Rome do as the Romans
do’; so I stuck to the local food. In fact, I learned
to buy stuff from the super markets and make my
own sandwiches for lunch or breakfast. Not only
did this save me money, but also gave me the
freedom of making them as per my own taste. A
win-win situation!

The most pleasing thing about this trip was that

whenever I told someone that I am from India, the
reaction was, “Oh India!! I so want to go there.” I
met people who had recipe books for Indian Food
and had a thing for Bollywood movies. I have
returned as a prouder Indian.

This trip was an enriching experience. I learnt a

lot about different people, cultures, and history
during these three weeks and I wish I had done
this trip earlier. But it's better late than never. So,
what are you waiting for?

Slovenia- Postonja Cave

Nikon D5300 35mm F/1.8 1/40s ISO6400

Budapest- Shoes on the Danube River
Nikon D5300 35mm F/8 1/400s ISO200
Devang Sethi
A full time techie but a part time hippie is
how I describe myself. From the heights
of Himalayas in the north to the shores of
Andaman in the south, from the white Rann
of Kutchh in the west to the Living Root
Bridges in the east; I have lived my Indian
dream. But the world is too big and I want
to see the most of it. A solo euro trip was
the first step towards this goal. Lately, I
have started documenting my travels on
my website- thepunjabiwanderer.com and
YouTube channel.

Vol 5 27
 Croatia- Dubrovnik
Nikon D5300- 35mm F/10 1/400s ISO200

Slovenia- Skii Jumping Grounds

Nikon D5300 35mm F/8 1/250s ISO250
 Capturing The Other Side-
The People's Photographer
M a r t i n
Puddy
is an award-
winning travel
photographer, who was born and raised in
Somerset, England. With a flair for ‘capturing
people’s real life in a personal way’, he intends
to use his photography to take the audience
to a dreamscape. Through his photographic
journey, Martin has travelled over 20
countries and clocked up nearly 12 years of
shooting Asia.
He specializes in capturing the astonishing
diversity and different cultures of Asia. His
work has been featured in many international
publications including National Geographic,
The Guardian, The Financial Times, The
30 Vol 5
Telegraph, Geo Magazine, Newsweek,
American Scientific, etc. His images have
been used by corporate clients such as
Virgin Airlines, Emirates, Skywards, and
British Airways. He is represented by Getty
Images, Corbis, Asia Images, Stocksy,
Offset and Axiom Photographic Agency.
SHREEJA CHATTERJEE from Chiiz gets in
conversation with him about his travels in
Asia, documenting the monks of Angkor Wat.
Why did you choose to cover this part of the
world (Asia) through your photography? Is
there any specific reason or was it just where
life might have led you?
My first extensive travels took me to southern
africa at the age of 19. By then, I was already
Martin Puddy
Myanmar, Bagan, Buddhist monk standing on
temple top at dawn.
using kodachrome slide film and Nikon
SLR cameras. During that 7 month trip, I
experimented with taking travel photos. I
had aspirations to travel Africa, Asia and also
South America, I was never so attracted by
the western world. I guess it was the different
cultures so far away from my own which
attracted me to these far off places which I had
seen in National Geographic magazines and
which I religiously collected and treasured.
Anyhow, after returning from Africa with a
real taste of adventure, I worked in England
for a year or so and then set off on my first
long haul trip to Asia for 14 months. By then,
I was using medium format film cameras and
slowly advancing my photography skills.
Your photography is very potent when it
comes to evoking certain kinds of emotions;
whether it's the inherent serenity of the
magnificent landscapes or the beautifully
etched character portraits. What is the
creative process behind all of this? How do
you place your subjects exactly where you
want them and translate that onto film?
I remember my first editor at Tony Stone
Images. She liked my work, and said it was
detailed and portrayed people’s real lives in a
personal way. She then went on to explain how
the advertising world and the commercial
stock photography industry wasn’t into
“reality”, generic images and eye catching
snippets of the world were what they were
looking for. It took quite some years to find
my own style but in some ways I guess it found
me. Whenever I visit a place, I instinctively
piece together the local people, or sometimes
tourists and the scenery in a way that I hope
the final image kind of tells a dreamy but
realistic story about the place or people. This
can often become quite an extensive and
sometimes complicated task. Clothing, is an
essential make or break element. More often
than not people just aren’t wearing the right
sort of clothing to represent that far off look
which I am looking to portray in my final
image. Unlike the props, the light cannot be
ordered or arranged. For me that warm glow
of sunlight, 15 mins after sunrise or 15mins
before it slips away is as important as the
subject matter itself; without it the image
simply cannot work as it should.
Which country/region/people have you
felt the most at home with, while on your
photographic journey?
Cambodia, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Buddhist Monks
walking Along sunken tree,crossing river at sunset.
I think every country offers amazing
photographic opportunities, experiences
and different feelings of inspiration. In
terms of people I have been lucky wherever
I have travelled and managed to find
individuals and teams who have assisted me
in my photography. Given the nature of the
project, with its logistical challenges, maybe
remoteness, cultural differences, tricky
locations, weather, etc, you soon build up a
team spirit with the people involved in each
shoot. I have often visited them years later.
In fact I have stayed with the same family 4
times in a rural part of Vietnam and have had
the privilege of shooting three generations on
film. I am almost considered to be a part of
their family now.
What inspired you to do what you do for a
living? Do you have any heroes who might
have unwittingly egged you on?
I think I kind of ended up living my dream,
even though the goal posts have changed.
I will never have the financial security that
other people I know have, but the list of
amazing memories and experiences go on
forever.
I guess the National Geographic
photographers were my Icons, Steve McCurry
especially. I was also in awe of Sebastiao
Salgado with his documentation of people
in less developed countries and always tried
to attend his exhibitions in London. I also
worked in higher education at a photography
department in the U.K for 6 years which
exposed me to fine art photographers, from
Joel Sternfeld, William Eggleston to Andreas
Gursky, and the list goes on. I think absorbing
works of great photographers helps you to
develop your own style.
Buddhism and everything related to it,
seems to be one of the more recurrent
themes in your photography. What do you
think draws you in about this and helps you
capture the subjects in complete harmony
with their surroundings?
Well I am not a Buddhist, but I love Buddhist
monks, and something about just their
presence, well let’s say a Buddhist temple
without the monks is a little like a sky without
clouds for me. I remember before I visited
Angkor Wat for the first time in 2004, I
found myself asking travellers if they had
seen Buddhist monks within the ruins, it was
important for me to feature them in my shots.
That simply continued from Angkor to Bagan
and other historical sites around Asia. It’s
something I would like to pursue actually, to
build a more extensive collection of Buddhist
monks. I think we all love them really.
Finally, If you had three necessary pieces of
advice to give to any aspiring photographer,
what would they be?
1.Try and gain inspiration from the greats.
2.Follow your heart and dreams as much as
possible.
3.Try to adapt to the ever changing medium
of photography without losing your sense
of who you are and what you are passionate
about.
Shreeja Chatterjee
shreeja@chiiz.com
Shreeja Chatterjee is currently an
undergraduate student of English
Literature. She sees herself as an intrepid
Ad mogul, akin to Don Draper, in the near
future. Decidedly a pop culture addict, she
has to watch two movies a day to get her
bearings.
Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Buddhist monks
leaning against library pillars.
Cambodia, Angkor wat, Buddhist monk Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Buddhist monk standing on
standing in front, holding prayer beads. platform, adjusting robes, over water at sunset.

Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Buddhist monks

standing on waters edge.
Myanmar, Bagan, Buddhist monks Buddhist monk sitting on bridge at sunrise,
on temple top. next to stone carvings.

Myanmar. Buddhist monk reading

inside meditation hall, temple complex.
Hydatina physis is a species of sea snail, or bubble snail. A nocturnal hunter, it feeds
on polychaete worms, finding them on the sand and mud bottom. Unusual mantle,
much bigger than the small striped shell, adds charm to this amazing creature.
Nikon D7200 105mm F/25 1/200s ISO200
 Andrey Ryanskiy

Nembrotha kubaryana also known as the Variable neon slug, is a species of colorful sea
slug, nudibranch. It feeds on tunicates and can reach a total length of more than 120 mm.
Nudibranchs are a group of soft-bodied, marine gastropod molluscs, very popular among
underwater photographers due to the endless variety of forms and colors.
Nikon D300 105mm F/36 1/125s ISO200

Red Sea eightline flasher, Paracheilinus octotaenia. Strikingly beautiful male

displaying before his harem. Displaying is a hard work for this Red Sea endemic
fish. It means not only proving its beauty every minute before 7-8 females, but
also never ending fight with other males, convinced in their own superiority.
Nikon D7200 105mm F/25 1/200s ISO200
After travelling thousands of miles, the red spotted grouper eventually ends up on a plate in Hong Kong's renowned Jumbo restaurant where at just under a pound it
sells for 1000 HK dollars (130 USD). It may well have been caught using destructive and dangerous fishing practices, at the moment there is no way for restaurateurs
or consumers to really know where the fish is coming from and, more importantly, how it's been caught, Hong Kong. Nikon D3S 320mm F/6.3 1/80s ISO2000

BAJAU LAUT: Last Of The Sea Nomads

An ethnic group of Malay origin, the Bajau Laut have lived almost entirely at sea for centuries.
They are some of the last true nomads of the ocean.

By James Morgan

J ames Morgan is an award-winning film

director, an environmental activist and
a photographer with a vision. His in depth
photographic features and documentary
films explore our changing relationship with
the natural world, often featuring individuals
who walk the borderline between wilderness
and civilisation. His ongoing work on climate
change in the Arctic, Indonesian sea nomads,
Siberia’s bounty wolf hunters and on the role
of religious leaders in the Himalayas has won
numerous accolades and been published and
exhibited internationally. PRIYASHI NEGI
from Chiiz gets in conversation with him
about his journey so far and what’s in store
for us in the future.
What inspired you to be a photojournalist?
I always wanted to travel and originally
photojournalism was a good way to see the
world and expose myself to new things.
36 Vol 5
How did your journey of environmental
activism start?
I’ve always lived near the ocean and been
drawn particularly to marine conservation.
Through my work with the Bajau I started
working a lot with WWF and then became
more and more involved with other
environmental issues. Particularly wildlife
crime.
Can you tell us about one of those moments
when you felt overwhelmed by the stories
that you covered?
There was one moment when I was visiting a
remote community in West Papua. They had
sold their land to a palm oil company and the
leader of the community was describing the
forest that used to be where we were standing.
What do you look for or seek out when you
are covering a story?
I like to cover stories that have a strong
relevance to people outside of the story. I like
for them to focus on important local issues
but to be accessible enough that they also
comment on human nature more generally.
You have won various awards. Is there an
award that means the world to you ?
Not especially, the awards help the stories to
travel further and that enables me to cover
more stories.
Has there ever been a point in your life
when you wanted to move away or just take
a break?
I’m actually looking to move away from
photojournalism now in favor of doing
longer film projects. Exploring similar issues
but through fiction and narrative film.
Tell us about your upcoming projects.
I’ve just finished a short film with the BFI about a fictional community
in the Arctic. My next project is a film looking at the cutting edge of
genetic manipulation in animals.
Word of advice for aspiring photojournalists?
Cover important stories!
James has recently branched out into directing narrative fiction. His
advertising clients include WWF, BBC, Al Jazeera, Facebook, Unilever,
Apple and National Geographic. With his camera and a heart set in
conserving the planet that we call home, James Morgan is making a
difference, one snapshot at a time. Are you?
Priyashi Negi
priyashi@chiiz.com

Trekking to the top of the hills through tiny little paths and between pines
latest venture, ‘Seven’ – a short film set in the high Arctic, produced is nothing short of paradise for Priyashi. Books and poetry are her refuge.
through JMF in association with The British Film Institute and She is a foodie at heart and seems to be blessed a love for all things
Creative England, will be released this summer. James’ broadcast and cheese (pun-intended).

Destructive fishing techniques are common practice among the coastal populations of the Coral Triangle. The favoured methods
are homemade fertiliser bombs and potassium cyanide, which have not only decimated reefs in the largest and most diverse marine
bio-region in the world, but have destroyed countless human lives as well.

Of all these communities, the Bajau Laut have perhaps suffered the most. The Bajau Laut are some of the last true marine nomads.
An ethnic group of Malay origin, they have for centuries lived out their lives almost entirely at sea, plying a tract of ocean between
Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. In the last few decades many have been forced to settle permanently on land, but a
dwindling number still call the ocean home, living on long boats known as lepa lepa. Traditio-nally, they fish with nets and lines
and are expert free divers, going to improbable depths in search of pearls and sea cucumbers or to hunt with handmade spear guns.

But these traditional techniques have been largely replaced by cyanide and dynamite fishing, practices that are being driven
predominantly by the live fish trade – an industry whose global worth is estimated at US $1 billion. The trade’s epicentre is Hong
Kong, while Indonesia supplies most of the fish, accounting for nearly 50% of all imports. Target species are grouper and Napoleon
wrasse, reef species that are key to the preservation of coral ecosystems.
JAMES MORGAN
Traditional Bajau cosmology – a syncretism of animism and Islam – reveals a complex relationship with the ocean, which for them is a multifarious and living entity.
There are spirits in currents and tides, in coral reefs and mangroves. My point of interest is the potential for dovetailing the Bajau’s uniquely intimate understanding
of the ocean with wider marine conservation strategies, in order to facilitate them in conserving, rather than destroying, their culture and the spectacular marine
environments they have called home for centuries.

Hong Kong Fish market. Hong Kong is the epicentre of a live fish trade whose global
worth is estimated at US $1 billion. Hong Kong. Nikon D3S 20mm F/4 1/200s ISO500
A shipment of live reef fish from Sulawesi is unloaded in Bali - a stop
over on en route to Hong Kong and mainland China. Bali, Indonesia.
Nikon D3S 14mm F/4 1/40s ISO1600

The Bajau are adept free divers, descending to improbable depths in

search of food and other creatures for trade. Togian Islands, Indonesia.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 14mm F/4.5 1/400s ISO200

Bajau catch stingrays with nets and spears, using the tail
section to make a yellow sting ray curry. Torosiaje, Indonesia.
Nikon D3S 17mm F/9 1/1600s ISO200

Jatmin surfacing with an octopus. The spearguns the Bajau often carry are handy
for rooting the creatures from the holes in which they hide. Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D700 16mm F/3.5 1/500s ISO200
 Amja Kasim Derise cooking dinner at home on his traditional lepa lepa boat. The back of the
boat is used for cooking, the middle for sleeping and the front for fishing. Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D3S 17mm F/2.8 1/15s ISO800

Ibu Diana Botutihe is one of the few remaining people in the world to have lived her entire
life at sea, visiting land only intermittently and as a matter of necessity in order to trade fish
for rice, water and other staples. Here she is pictured on her boat in Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D3S 17mm F/3.5 1/2500s ISO200

Moen Lanke, a freediver. In order to

get around the problem of equalizing
(a technique used by scuba divers to
balance the pressure of the inner and
outer ear at depth) it is common practice
amongst Bajau people to intentionally
burst their ear drums at an early age.
Nikon D3S 105mm F/3.2 1/2000s ISO200

Jatmin, an octopus specialist, carries his freshly speared catch back

to his boat in the shallow waters off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Nikon D700 16mm F/3.5 1/1250s ISO200
Whilst few young Bajau are now born on boats, the ocean is still very much their playground. And whilst they are getting conflicted messages
from their communities, who simultaneously refrain from spitting in the ocean and continue to dynamite its reefs, I still believe they could
play a crucial role in the development of western marine conservation practices. Here Enal plays with his pet shark. Wangi Wangi, Indonesia.
Nikon D700 16mm F/3.5 1/80s ISO200

Traditionally hunter gatherers, the Bajau have provided for themselves primarily by spearfishing. But as seas are
fished out it has become harder for the Bajau to support themselves. Pulau Papan, Togian Islands, Indonesia.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 14mm F/4.5 1/500s ISO200
 Canon EOS 700D 35mm F/9 1/125s ISO100

Trip To The Aryan Valley - A BROKPAS Experience

Purvi Kamaliya

fter leaving her job of an educationist in and traditions. Ancient architecture also marvels her

A Mumbai, Purvi is now a full-time traveler

and freelance writer exploring India. She is
a travel enthusiast and a culture vulture who ventures
around the unexplored places in her quest to meet new
people and be amazed by their interesting customs
with its artistic beauty. Her love for mountains lures
her to the Himalayas almost every summer and she
ends up trekking in the wilderness for months. She
has extensively covered around eleven states of the
country till now.

W arm golden sun rays caressed my

mildly shrivelled skin as I opened the
window of a bus while traveling from Leh to
the Aryan Valley of Ladakh. I tried to beat
the ruthless cold wind, blowing hard, making
it difficult for me to see the panoramic view
of the ferociously flowing Indus. Living my
dream moment, I let go of all the negative
emotions out of my mind. I couldn’t contain
my happiness as my thoughts transported me
to an inexplicably euphoric state. I had started
on a journey without any predetermined
destination.
I had come to know about the habitat of an
42 Vol 5
ancient tribe who are called Brokpa or Dard in
the dry hills of Ladakh. I have heard and read
much about their appearance resembling the
Europeans, their unique costumes, culture
and the language. Sonam Rigzin was the
first Brokpa man that I met at Hanu Thang.
With immense avidity, he arranged for my
journey to the highest pasture land of their
village, Hanu Gongma. The Brokpa villages
are supposed to have invincible settlements
in between the deep gorges and on the peaks
that were inaccessible by the enemies. A
Brokpa song describes that their villages are
like a serpent’s head that looks nothing like a
village when seen from the trail, but once you
reach at a height it is spread far and wide just
like an angry cobra’s hood.
I was specifically enchanted by the sense of
fashion of the Brokpa women, the ebullient,
chirpy kids and their picturesque landscape
adorned by the pink blossoms of apricots.
Have a glimpse of this beautiful valley
through my lens.
1. As you enter a Brokpa house, you would
be welcomed with a broad smile and a plate
full of delicious organic apricots. Most of
the Brokpa ladies are the expert in selling
the farm products. And you can see them
traveling miles away to the town of Leh
where their appealing attire and variety of
dry fruits attract tourists to try and buy those
scrumptious fruits.
2. Most of the women have altered to a more
comfortable attire like salwars and kurtas as
their work tirelessly in their field. The Brokpa
women are as brave as their counterpart and
can tackle any problem with equal might.
Unlike the other tribes and modern states in
India, a Brokpa family doesn’t discriminate
between any of their children and even a
girl is sent all the way to a distant land if she
wishes to fulfil her dream.
3. Tsanzin, a lady at Hanu Yokma who
manages her house, farm and the guests who
opt for her home stay. With great zeal she
showed me her traditional cap embellished
with flowers and willingly agreed to be the
Canon EOS 700D 112mm F/8 1/320s ISO100
model for me. She could gracefully cook
and even make the salty butter tea using the
‘gudgud’, a traditional vessel to churn the
mixture of the tea and butter.
4. The Brokpa villages can astonish you with
some breathtaking views especially during
the apricot blossoms when the whole village
is adorned with soft pinkish flowers. It seems
that the branches are the pathways of the
spring and the flowers, their footsteps.
5. The Brokpa kids with their brown eyes and
sharp facial features seem to be brimming
with cuteness. Chuskit, the little sweet kid, is
much attracted to her mother’s traditional cap
and when finally she is given one, she seems
to be more amused at her tiny fingers.
6. Dolkar, the smartest girl of the Payupa
family at Garkone Village, loves teaching
the younger kids in the school and at home
and can’t resist playing with the traditional
attire and ornaments of her mother. Though
I couldn’t spend much time with the family,
most of my time was spent in clicking this
little beautiful Brokpa Girl.
7. Most of the Brokpa villages are difficult to
capture in the camera. The Villages are nestled
on the hills in such manner that it won’t really
look like a settlement. This was done to trick
the invaders and dacoits who were deceived
to believe the absence of the localities in the
hills. But the later settlements are beautifully
arranged in the shapes of some coliseums.
Hanu Gongma is one such village which is
a heart-shaped land located in between the
white water streams. It looks nothing short of
a fairytale land.
Canon EOS 700D 22mm F/5.6 1/40s ISO2500
Canon EOS 700D 135mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO250
Canon EOS 700D 22mm F/5.6 1/30s ISO100 Canon EOS 700D 35mm F/6.3 1/60s ISO100

Canon EOS 700D 35mm F/8 1/100s ISO100

 Famine In Somalia By James Nachtwey
M ogadishu, the capital of Somalia, the country which was
eventually torn apart and collapsed by warlords in 1991
transformed into a haven for muggers, terrorists and freebooters, the
very exemplification of a failed state once called by the name, "White
Pearl of the Indian Ocean".
The Country has taken a better shape in past years but in the 1990s and
2000s, the place had transfigured into infested desert wasteland with
little in the way of functioning government. Undoubtedly it wasn't
always like this, but the fundamental deductions point to the unstable
government. In 1969 it was taken over by military dictator Siad Barre
who was a member of the Darod clan. The crux of the catastrophe of
the 1990s reaches back to him.
In the 1970s, Majeerteen clique decided to retaliate against Barre
after he got Somalia involved in a disastrous war. Soon, Barre came
into collaboration with a paramilitary group called the Red Berets
and adopted environmental exploitation as their weapon against the
Majerteen. They aimed towards the destruction of the reservoirs which
in turn led to the demise of thousands of people due to thirst. Later
more clan rose against Barre and by the 1980s Somalia was largely in
a state of civil war. In early 1991, Mohamed Farrah Aidid, a warlord
over took the place after Barren lost the support of the United States.
And by the summer of 1991, Somalia was engulfed in the hands of
conflicting troops, warlords, clan alliances and muggers. Villages
were looted, water sources were destroyed, crops were burned down
to ashes by the armies and bandits. Virtually every nook and cranny
was turned into a hostage to one or more groups of heavily armed
men. In a country with parched climate teetering on the brink of
bare subsistence, this manoeuvre altogether brought enough force to
trigger a holocaust. The country's harvest of 1991 suffered a setback
and couldn't provide people with enough sustenance. Without any
food or livestock left, people in the countryside villages began starving
which ultimately led to the death of over 300,000 people. Leaving
Somalia as the desiccated barren lands, dried wells and skeletons.
This was the time of the 1920s when James Nachtwey went to Somalia.
He is an American photojournalist and war photographer who has
witnessed and covered most of the conflicts of past thirty years. In 1981
during the IRA hunger strike, he received his first foreign assignment
to cover civil strife. Since then, he has spent 34-years in conflict zones
46 Vol 5
Old Is Gold
and committed himself to documenting
wars, conflicts, and critical social issues.
James Nachtwey was not able to secure
any assignment to capture the devastating
conditions in Somalia. So he rather went
on his own, where he was encouraged and
assisted by the International Committee
of the Red Cross. He brought back the
glimpse of the soul-stirring events.
"I have been a witness, and these pictures
are my testimony. The events I have
recorded should not be forgotten and
must not be repeated." - James Nachtwey James Nachtwey
The picture capturing the scene of a dreadfully weak woman waiting to
be taken to a feeding centre in a wheelbarrow. The picture has captured
the torment, the frustration and the stench of this nightmare. It was
the actual status of Somalia which had resulted into the death of a
great many people. The picture was published as part of a cover feature
in the New York Times Magazine and left people questioning about if
there should be anything more important to us than humanity. It left a
great impact on the readers and opened some eyes.
One reader wrote, "Dare we say that it doesn't get any worse than this?"
It doesn't settle here; the world was similarly moved by the reflection
of circumstances that photographers displayed. Later ICRC along
with the help of various NGO's and United Nation came with a lot
of food aids. The Distribution of food in Somalia was logistically
straightforward but needed a lot of planning to ensure security as
warlords were not in the favour of food aids which led to several
critical conditions. As looters recognised no authority there had been
several incidents when food convoys were halted and the food was
either stolen or diverted to people living nearby. But all the conditions
made people more aware and the food supplies saved over one and a
half million lives.
The ICRC's Jean-Daniel Tauxe told the Times, and "James' pictures
made the difference."
There have been many ferocious famines in the world in the last 100
years. Some of them have been caused purely due to environmental
factors, but each one of them has been intrigued by some sort of
man's activity. The Somalia famine was one such nightmare caused by
environmental crisis reflecting that drought didn't cause the famine
but the war did.
“If people are in need, or if they are suffering, it does not mean they
don’t express dignity.”
~ James Nachtwey
Vishakha Jha
vishakha@chiiz.com
Vishakha, 3/4 engineer, a dedicated learner and believer in magic of words
and power of pronoia. She is bibliophilic and an explorer to a new Utopian
world. She is zealous and believes in being her own version.
 The Bang Bang Club
Movie Review

Duration: 1hr 46mins short and dense and the ending is subpar. There are very few scenes
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10 that contain the heart of the story and they are so overwhelming
Released: 2010 that the audience is unable to grasp them. The rest of the scenes are
excessive and unnecessary in the telling of the story.

While the telling of the story is not one that can be appreciated, the
technicalities of the movie can be. The cinematography is done in a
graceful manner, a sort of delicacy guiding it. As it is said, the editing
should not be noticed if done well; this movie holds up to this. It
transitions smoothly and cuts cleanly.

T his movie is not one that can be appreciated in the modern era.
While it tells a story that needs to be heard, a story which has
already gone down in history, it fails to portray the characters in a
sense the audience can appreciate and admire. The movie begins a bit
slowly, as introductions tend to do. It takes a bit too long to establish
the personalities of the photographers. Rather than depicting them as
brave heroes from the beginning it shows the photographers goofing
around and making decisions that are not necessarily bad, but not
necessarily beneficial to themselves. This is an interesting take on
introducing the characters to the audience, as they cannot be very
sympathetic towards them.

The story escalates when the photography truly begins. The audience
witness a poor telling of the four original photographers in their
element and their need to be part of history in the making. Their
passion to capture moments with a global effect is unable to appease
the audience and does not allow them to understand who these
photographers are and how strong their will is. For those unfamiliar
with the photographers, the introduction sticks with them leading
them to believe these men are just privileged white individuals who
got bored of their daily lives. The introduction to these men does not
provide any support to turn these members of the audience in support
of the photographers. It does not go deeper and doesn’t depict their
frame of mind and the psychological state they were in. This is a very
large part of the downfall of this movie and the reason why it cannot The story is one that is to be recommended but the movie did not do
be appreciated in the modern era. any justice to it. It took a tale that needed to be told and botched it.
Most people are unable to understand what apartheid was and how
The individuals of today are all hard working who understand what it affected many people, and this was a chance to change that. Rather
struggles people of different races face, they understand the struggle than being a teaching experience, it becomes one filled with distaste
of becoming- something. Seeing four privileged white kids act as if for too many reasons. It is a story much better told by the individuals
they’re changing the world does not bode well with the audience. The who suffered through it. As in many cases, the book again is better
perception of these four men could have been changed if who they than the movie.
were would have been revealed in a better light. Maybe if this had
been intentional the viewer would have been able to ignore the poor Karishma Rana
character development, but it clearly was meant to shape the men as karishma@chiiz.com

heroes.
The audience, already with a sour taste in their mouth is also a bit
peeved by the poor spread of the story. It begins slowly, the climax is
Karishma Rana is a 15 year old high school student with too many
passions and too little time to decide what to settle on. She enjoys
capturing moments around the world and has way too many photos of
her dog. She is attempting to dip her toes into the world of photography
and writing.
Vol 5 47
Architecture of India
Photography Contest June, 2017

Sharon P. Simon
Winner

Finalists
To participate in more and upcoming contests, visit chiiz.com.
 5000 Miles 5000 Smiles
THE MAN

J
ohn Edwards, an Electronics and Telecom engineer turned Photographer
and a Creative Consultant has contributed a decade of extensive shooting
for Indian garment export industry and fashion fraternity. He has published
works on People, Fashion, Editorial and Industrial photography. Apart from
teaching Photography and Visual Communication in Pearl Academy and also a
visiting faculty in St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore.

Being a ‘Canon Mentor’, he conducts workshops all over India in various genres
of photography for Canon India. He was awarded Best ‘Travel and People
Photographer’ of the year 2016 by International Camera Fair. As an Air Force
Veteran who is trained and conditioned for challenges, John Edwards took up
this mission in pursuit to collect those scattered keys to happiness.

THE MISSION

‘SMILES 5000 MILES’ is an epic journey designed in a way that a solo bike trip
on Indian roads scaling 5000 miles to capture 5000 smiles through 50mm lens in
50 Days time frame.
Cruising through 15 states on 15 National Highways, Coastal roads from Gujarat
till Odisha of Indian peninsula, this journey was a life changing event as I could
collect at least 50 stories as a part of this mission. Avoided staying in hotels,
motels and guest houses as far as possible but asked random strangers to provide
night shelter and food. Getting firsthand experience of security, trust, mankind,
tolerance, and brotherhood or the absence of them from unknown was a part of
the journey’s design.
This was neither a regular Roadies trip nor an adventure biking challenge…in his
own words, "For me, riding 5000 miles on a bike alone from summer to monsoon
in Indian roads is less challenging than shooting 5000 happy smiles and making
people willing to accommodate me and collecting their life stories…."

THE MACHINE

Custom made ROYAL ENFIELD Electra evolved as a ‘Battle Bull’ and a Canon
body with 50mm lens took this challenge with him. Well, a GoPro was sticking
along to document this crazy trip until it was broken in a near fatal accident just
a day before reaching home on completion.

50 Vol 5
Vol 5 51
M ukesh Kumar from Chiiz gets in talks with MR. JOHN
EDWARDS about his journey and what he found out on his
journey to capture the smiles that behold a whole little world for some
people and are quickly disappearing behind the virtual screens.
So John, the project Smiles 5000 Miles. We all can figure out the
reason behind it but would you like to elaborate?
Yes. As I live in a metropolis and my work involves a lot of travel, I
have observed that in most of the places people are too busy to smile.
They are always running after something or the other, worried and
often tensed. It has become a rare sight to see people smile and laugh,
especially in metro cities. It is almost impossible to see a true smile that
comes straight from the heart. Whenever I go for a corporate shoot, it
becomes a difficult task to make people pose with a natural smile. The
higher they climb on the so called success ladder, the tougher it gets
for them to smile spontaneously. It is time to realize that we humans
are the only ones blessed with the gift of a smile on this planet.
Like they say, 'journey is the real destination', how was your
journey?
I like to be called a traveler than a tourist. And this is one of life’s
simplest hacks that I follow. I approach life as a traveler, with no serious
itineraries and no “do or die” goal settings. It is not the destination
which is important but the process of journey which brings more
meaning, joy, surprises and sometimes pain too. If you believe that
life’s final destination is death, then don’t focus on the destination but
enjoy the journey called Life. During this road trip, I have realized that
life exactly resembles the roads. A smooth six lane highway suddenly
narrows down to a single lane two way rural road or a mud road or
52 Vol 5
no road at all. If you are a tourist and are more focused in reaching
your destination by following your itinerary, then these elements
will bother you and take away your peace of mind but for a traveler
it is an experience. This journey has taught me a lot. I overcame my
fear of dogs which I was nurturing since childhood. Four people who
provided me with shelter on my journey were hardcore dog lovers and
had huge dogs at their homes. They taught me everything about dogs
and took my fear away. They are now my friends and in turn I learnt
to befriend dogs!
When you get out on the road, what are the important things you
should keep in mind?
Don’t carry even an extra feather if it is not essential. This was my first
bike trip and I had never ridden my bike for more than 50 kms at a
stretch before. I had no biker friends nor did I belong to any biker club.
When I was packing my bags, with a typical security driven middle
class mindset, I made a long list of things to carry and eventually ended
up loading a huge sack on my pillion. The person who hosted me in
Ahmedabad happened to be an automobile designer and an avid biker.
He first laughed at my bag and taught me how to travel minimalistic. I
promised him that by the time I complete my journey I will hold only
twenty percent of what I have started with and eventually I stood by
my words. Most of us carry a huge amount of unnecessary luggage
and dead weights with us in our lives. Once you became conscious and
aware of its relevance and importance then it is very easy to shed them
off. There life becomes easy.
Any upcoming projects from you on the same topic? Where we can
see the result of this project or the collection of smiles?
West to East is in the wish list but as I said I am not a qualified biker. It
needs a lot of dedication and discipline to be one. You will be surprised
to know that after the completion of the trip I haven’t cranked my
bike once, it’s going to be a year now! You can call me a ‘man maani’
(whimsical) biker.
I am planning to hold an ‘Exhiperience’ - exhibition of experience in
the winters this year. Though this journey was initially a self funded
project, but now I am looking forward to some sponsors and crowd-
funding for the ‘Exhiperience’ as this would require a considerable
amount of money. I am going to distribute the smiles I have collected
to the people in need. Imagine this, when you are feeling exhausted,
down and low or when you are pissed off and you suddenly notice that
there are one hundred people smiling in your living room, they are
smiling at you and smiling for you. Will there be any other better way
to bring back the smile on your face?
In this journey of 5000 miles you might have certainly faced some
challenges or came across some interesting people. Can you share
some experiences?
I have met a lot of interesting and extraordinary people on my trip. I
met an eatery owner who has lost all his brothers and a grown up son
in an accident yet living a content life and spreads happiness around
him. A doctor in Gokarna, a very noble soul, serves people 24x7, adn
only charges Rs 20 as a consulting fee. Being the first medical graduate
of that small temple town, he wanted to shift to Bangalore and open a
multi-speciality hospital with two of his batchmates. But his father, a
head priest of the town, ordered him to stay put and serve the people of
Gokarna and now he is happy about that decision. As a widower, this
doctor is nurturing his two young kids as his wife died of cancer two
years ago. But that did not stop him on his strong mission. There was
an engineer who left his lucrative MNC job and returned to his village
to teach computer skills to underprivileged children and connect them
to the mainstream cyber world.
Two elementary school teachers whom I met on a ferry in Chilka
lake in Orissa took me to their home, offered me dinner and escorted
me till the next town on their bikes. They explained to me how they
organize and run an awareness program of personal hygiene for the
slum children funded by a part of their monthly salary. It is just to
mention a few of them. Once, I had to cross a hill route through a
dense forest on my way to Harhareshwar. It was getting dark and I was
riding all alone for about an hour when the road suddenly forked into
two without any signs, no GPS or mobile network and no one around
to ask for directions. I waited for quite some time with a lot of thoughts
running through my mind. What if I get stuck here, in the middle of
nowhere? How will I survive the night? What would you do when the
feeling of helplessness creeps in? As for me, I just took out my wallet,
tossed a coin and went ahead with it.
A message that you want to convey through your words that people
might be missing in your actions?
I am not qualified enough to send out messages but one thing I can
say with conviction is that travel teaches you a lot. What my life could
not teach me in fifty years, roads have taught me in fifty days! Roads
are like a library and they offer a lot if you are willing to learn. And
learning is organic!
Vol 5 53
 Natapong Supalertsophon
Natapong Supalertsophon’s interest
in photography started in 2001 during
his undergraduate course at Faculty of
Communication Arts, major in Advertising
at Assumption University. His passion
has only increased from then. He believes
that photography is a way to express his
feelings and it allows him to convey his
messages in different perspectives. For
him every single shutter is meaningful
and he intends to make the most of every
picture as he travels the world.

Miles To Go Before.... Walking The Sunset

Nikon D750 55mm F/8 1/2000s ISO200 FUJIFILM X-E2 205mm F/6.7 1/500s ISO200

Atoms of Snow
Nikon D750 18mm F/10 1/250s ISO50
 To The Stars And Beyond
Nikon D750 18mm F/3.5 30s ISO3200
 To Eternity

Lost In Transition
Nikon D750 145mm F/8 1/200s ISO200
 A Painted World By Love
Nikon D750 200mm F/5.6 1/400s ISO200

The Castle Of Spiti

Nikon D750 18mm F/8 1/640s ISO200

Humayun Tomb, New Delhi, India
Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/9 1/40s ISO160
Diaries Worth Keeping
I always knew that I wanted to travel the
world and see how other people live their
lives. I wanted to see the incredible nature,
taste authentic foreign food and go on as
many adventures as I could. My school life
was pretty uneventful, so I soon discovered
that I get bored very easily and that routine
was abhorrent to me. So after I graduated
from high school last summer, I decided to
take a year off before starting university to
finally do everything I ever wanted to do, with
nothing to hold me back. However, I had to
save up some money first and to that end, I
worked at a bakery for four months.
Even though the work got tough sometimes,
the feeling of accomplishment that I got
after earning my own money was worth it. I
intended to use my salary to make my dreams
come true. So this January, I finally packed
my bags and took off on a flight to New Delhi.
I spent five days in the capital city of India,
which was very overwhelming at first but it
prepared me really well for what was yet to
come. After a lot of research, I decided to
spend the first six weeks of my trip living at a
farm in Nepal. I wanted to see a life that was
completely different from the life I was living
at home, while learning more about the third
world countries and how we can help the
people there. With that view, I volunteered
for a project called “Her Farm” which is the
58 Vol 5
only farm in the country that’s entirely owned
and operated by women. The farm is also
home to homeless children and mentally
challenged women. There I learnt a lot about
the hardships of being a woman in Nepal
and seeing these women fighting for a better
future was invigorating and empowering.
I made friends with some women there and
we spent a lot of time talking about how
different and yet familiar our lives are. I
discovered that despite everything, we face
similar problems that girls our age do- about
love, going to universities, meeting parents'
expectations and so on. I also really loved
working with the children and taking lots of
pictures with them. It was amazing to see how
everyone was interested in my camera and
how they gradually started taking pictures
themselves. They have a few cameras at the
farm and I hope they will continue with
clicking photographs. It is important for
Nepalese women to be in the media and to
share their stories. After quite a long stay
at the farm, it was time for me to explore
other places in Nepal. I traveled by bus to
Kathmandu, visited the Chitwan National
Park and then went to Pokhara. It, being my
first time as a solo traveller, I was naturally
apprehensive, but all that disappeared when
I met some amazing people at the places I
visited and stayed in. It was interesting to
Kids, Nepal
Canon PowerShot G7-X 9mm F/1.8 1/15s ISO6400
Osaka
Canon EOS 700D 45mm F/9 1/250s ISO100
Franca Marquardt
know their stories and why they ventured
out of their homes to travel the world. I
especially remember this one, a retired man
from Switzerland who sold his house and is
now riding through Asia on his motorbike.
It was exhilarating to see the spirit of life in
these people, something a lot of people lack
back home.
The month of April brought me to the city of
Bangkok where I met my friend, Carly. We
spent a few days exploring Bangkok and then
took the overnight train to Koh Samui. My love
for big cities grew even more with Bangkok
and its incredible food, street markets, and its
vibrant nightlife. After roaming around the
bustling city, the islands were nothing short of
a traveller's dream come true as we spent our
last days in Thailand swimming and relaxing
on the hot sun-kissed beaches.
Following Robert Frost's advice on taking
the road less travelled, I had decided to visit
the places that weren't frequented by tourists.
This decision led me to book a tour through
Sumatra, the northern part of Indonesia. We
went from Medan to Padang, passing through
big cities, lush tropical rainforests and lonely
islands. It was thrilling to see the places that
nobody has ever heard of and to witness
nature in its pure untouched form. I learnt
there that beauty is all around us and that you
sometimes have to get off the beaten track to
find it.
After two weeks in Sumatra, Carly and I
spent a few days in Bali and on Gili Air.
Despite it being quite touristy as compared
to Sumatra, we had a lot of fun discovering
different places, riding on motorbikes, going
snorkelling, and getting foot massages. Carly
had to leave after Bali and I found a cheap
ticket to Sydney so I decided to go to Australia
for a few days before moving on towards east
Asia. Five days obviously weren't enough to
experience Australia but it definitely gave
me an insight. I did a day trip to the Blue
Mountains and was yet once again floored
by the wonders of nature. It was nice to be
in a country again where communication
was easy and where I could escape the heat
as it was autumn in Sydney. I then flew to
Singapore for a few days. It was refreshing to
see the interesting mix of people and some
incredible skyscrapers in Singapore. I also
made a quick stop in Hong Kong which was
quite a culture shock again. Being a world
class city, I expected it to be easier to explore.
My hostel was located in a neighbourhood
with only local Chinese people so I felt a bit
lost and had a hard time finding food the first
day. I got used to it gradually and now I’m
grateful for the experience as I got an insight
into the Chinese culture. I also happened to
Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/7.1 1/40s ISO125
meet a photographer with whom I went to the
outskirts of the city and took some great shots
of the massive apartment buildings and the
beautiful temples.
For the final month of my travels, I met my
friend, Sahra. We spent around three weeks
in Japan and two in South Korea. I took a lot
of photographs in Japan and started to take
more and more people portraits. Initially, I
used to be hesitant to ask people if I could
take their pictures, but seeing the interesting
people, cute babies and adorable couples, I
just could not resist. We had about a week in
Tokyo where we had our own little apartment
and it truly felt like home. I absolutely loved
Tokyo for its loud and colorful nightlife
as well as for the quiet streets and temples
during the day. We visited Mount Fuji and
went up the mountain even though the
official path was closed. Fuji is the absolute
definition of beauty and I could not stop
myself from capturing as much of it in my
camera as I could. In Nagoya, we stayed at my
mom’s friend’s house. She was kind enough
to show us around town and also introduced
us to her neighbours. One night we went to a
bar by Swiss expat called Heinz where we got
very drunk and had a lot of fun. After that,
we moved on to Kyoto, which is probably one
of the most beautiful places I've ever been to.
Riding into the sunset in our bikes was one of
Hong Kong
those experiences that take your breath away.
Our last few days together were in Osaka, the
second largest city in Japan. We met some
cool Japanese people there and made a few
day trips to Nara and Mount Roco in Kobe.
The very last country I visited was South
Korea. I’ve been interested in Korean culture
for some time so it was amazing to finally be
there. Seoul is a really cool place and Sahra
and I are already making plans to move
there after uni. I loved the cute little shops,
the palaces, the underground shopping
centres, the nightlife, the food and the people.
Everyone in Japan and Korea dress really well
and their way of living is something I really
admire. After three days at the coastal city of
Busan, I had to take my flight home. While
watching a sad movie on the plane, it was the
first time in five months that I had to cry. It
still feels strange being home now but I’m
eternally grateful for all the experiences and
for all the incredible people I’ve met along
the way. I’ve grown so much creatively and
intellectually and it feels like I've only started
living this year.
'In my head the visions never stop'.
For now, I'm refusing to unpack my
backpack. What is 'home' anyway?'
Busan
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/1.4 1/1250s ISO100
Seoul
Canon EOS 700D 34mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO100
Vol 5 59
 Kyoto
Canon EOS 700D 35mm F/8 1/100s ISO100

Tokyo Nagoya
Canon EOS 700D 55mm F/5.6 1/60s ISO1600 Canon EOS 700D 29mm F/6.3 1/50s ISO400

Tokyo
Canon EOS 700D 35mm F/6.3 1/50s ISO2500

Mt. Fuji Nagoya

Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/13 1/250s ISO100 Canon EOS 700D 48mm F/5.6 1/1000s ISO320

60 Vol 5
 Chinese Folk Religion
Since the late Qing Dynasty Chinese folk
religion has been blamed for a host of the
country’s woes, from being a source of China’s
“century of humiliation” to hindering the
nation from becoming a glorious communist
utopia. During the Cultural Revolution it was
the focus of vicious mass campaigns intent
on destroying the traditional belief system
and cultural practices. After Mao’s death the
Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took a
more laissez-faire attitude towards religion.
Since that time folk religion has made a
surprising comeback.
Folk religion’s rapid resurgence reveals
that sustained official antipathy did not
successfully obliterate the practice, but instead
drove it underground. Accurate statistics
about religion in China can be difficult to
come by, but one recent survey estimates
that more than 417 million people practice
folk religion. This number is 50 million more
people than the total adherents of the five
officially recognized religions (Buddhism,
Catholicism, Christianity, Daoism and Islam)
combined.
The CCP does not recognize folk religion as a
religion. Instead, the government views it as a
set of traditional beliefs and practices. Because
of this, believers who want to revive religious
customs and local government officials who
by Ariana Lindquist
wish to increase tourism revenue may pursue
a political strategy of classifying folk religious
practice as cultural heritage.
Mazu ( ) is a popular folk goddess, the
protector of seafarers. In 2009 UNESCO
designated Mazu worship as “intangible
cultural heritage of humanity.” Registering
Mazu as cultural heritage cleared the way
for government officials to promote Mazu
tourism. There are an estimated 200 million
Mazu believers worldwide and thousands
pilgrimage to her birthplace on Meizhou
Island each year.
The following documents Mazu’s birthday
festivities on Meizhou Island, Fujian province.

Village ladies, dressed in lucky red clothing, put last minute touches on the elaborate food offerings
Enjoying the festive atmosphere, opera performers play mahjong during their free time before a placed before the altar of the Mazu, where the temple’s icon is placed. Food offerings are given in
performance at Wenxing Temple. thanks for the goddess’s protection.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO3200 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/3.5 1/30s ISO500

A villager prays to the goddess Mazu at the Wenxing temple.

Meizhou is a fishing island and many women pray to Mazu for the safe return of their menfolk.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 35mm F/2.8 1/100s ISO2000
 Ari also traveled the
world, from Iowa to
Oman, photographing
culinary culture for
Saveur magazine. She is
now based in New York.
Ariana Lindquist
I n 2005, Ariana Lindquist moved to China
on a Fulbright grant, while there she lived
with Chinese farmers and Tibetan nomads,
climbed Mt. Hua’s to stay in a hidden Daoist
retreat and crisscrossed the country by bus,
train and "loaf of bread" vans. After the
Fulbright she stayed in China an additional
six years to photograph the sweeping
changes taking place there for The New York
Times. BARKHA CHANDRA from Chiiz
gets in talks with Ariana over her journey
so far. You can check out her work at www.
arianalindquist.com.
How was it to experience being an outsider
and cover one of the history defining
moments in a foreign country?
While I was living in China the eyes of the
world were on the country as two major
international events took place: the Olympics
and the World Expo. But for me, the far
more interesting story was the massive
infrastructure boom that opened up many
remote areas of the country; early 19th
century Chinese culture was meeting 21st
century globalization in the blink of an eye.
This convergence of traditional and modern
culture was happening everywhere in the
world, but nowhere more so than China.
It was a time of great wonder and terrible
tragedies.
I was documenting historic change and with
that came the responsibility to do my job well.
For that reason, I set the goal to be a bridge
of cultural understanding between China and
the United States. I challenged myself to learn
64 Vol 5
about the lives of ordinary Chinese citizens
so that I could authentically photograph their
experience in a way that audiences in America
could comprehend. I lived with Chinese
farmers and Tibetan nomads and traveled
the countryside by train, bus and car. I also
always worked to create visual stories rather
than single images, so that written reportage
would be better contextualized.
What made you stay back in China for 6
additional years? Other than the fact that
you were working for one of the biggest
publications in the world?
During my first year in China, while I was on
a Fulbright grant, I struggled to understand
what was going on in the country. Chinese
citizens were adapting to a radically different
economy. The government was attempting
to direct a vast and diverse society in both
positive and negative ways. One year simply
was not enough time to have any sort of real
idea of what was going on. So I stayed. The
longer I was in the country, the better I could
interpret the complexities of Chinese society,
the better I could do my job. This is what
motivated me to continue to live in China for
an additional six years.
Green Card Stories, your other series, is a
fantastic amalgamation of some very strong
people and their lives. Is there a story which
you took a special liking towards?
There are so many amazing stories in the
book Green Card Stories, it is impossible
from me to choose a favorite. Some stories are
of surprising successes, others are of simply
about surviving and making due. Below are
two examples of people profiled in the book
whom I greatly admire.
When Luis De La Cruz was a child, his mother
abandoned him and his younger brother in a
church parking lot. When he was a teenager,
his father was deported. Orphaned, the
Early in the morning of the goddess Mazu's birthday celebration, man sleeps upon the opera theater
stage in Wenxing village, Meizhou Island, Fujian province, China.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/4 1/80s ISO1000
brothers moved into a sweltering garage. Luis
struggled to keep up with his high school
studies while working to pay the bills and
caring for his brother. He managed against
the odds to graduate high school. When I
met him he was an honors student at Arizona
State University and about to intern at the
U.S. House of Representatives.
Hayder Abdulwahab worked as a bodyguard
for a U.S. military contractor in Iraq. He
was blinded by a bomb blast intended to kill
American soldiers and nearly died. Once
his family’s provider and protector, but now
dependent, Hayder’s successes in America are
about knowing his children are flourishing in
school and supporting his wife as she learns
English and begins to work. His story is not
only of quiet perseverance, but also speaks
to how important it is for Americans to
recognize the enormous risks many Muslims
took to partner with and protect Americans
during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Your photographs are more towards a social
cause. Is there a message you want to convey
through that?
Apart the more thematic book project, Green
Card Stories, I don’t intend to convey a
particular message through my photographs.
I’m an anthropologist and visual journalist
by training and am very invested in the
philosophy of photographing the story as
it is, rather than what I (or perhaps more
relevantly, editors) think it should be. I
document the human condition generally,
rather than specific social causes, and am
fascinated by the various ways that people,
communities, societies and nations navigate
the world we all share.
Barkha Chandra
barkha@chiiz.com
She is the laughter dose of Team Chiiz
currently rocking up the PR dept. She
is always high on life and hooked to
freedom.
 Palanquin bearers carefully maneuver Mazu into a temple. Reflecting one way in which Mazu
reinforced cultural identity while Fujianese were in foreign lands, Mazu scholar Lin Qitang says,
“Businessmen from Fujian built Mazu temples wherever they went.”
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/4.5 1/60s ISO3200

An opera troupe performs in honor of Mazu in the Wenxing village square. As folk religion has made A woman, wearing auspicious red, prays at the altar of a Mazu temple.
a comeback in the post-Mao era, so has traditional opera, which is an important element of temple In recent years, there has been a perceived shift in government opinion about folk religion from
festivals. benign neglect to active favor.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/4 1/30s ISO1000 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO320

Guardian demons dance and twirl in Mazu's parade. A Mazu icon in the parade. A recent survey estimates that more than 417 million people in China
Because religion was suppressed for so many years by the Communist government, festival organizers practice folk religion. This number is 50 million more people than the adherents of Buddhism,
had to consult elderly villagers in order to properly reconstruct the procession for the goddess. Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and Islam combined.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/2.8 1/40s ISO4000 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/5 1/250s ISO250
 The Mazu procession wends its way down the length of Meizhou Island.
Chinese religion acts not only as a means to commune with the divine, but also as an entire religious
ecology designed to create stability and harmony within society.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/4 1/2000s ISO250

Just as the temple festivals of times gone past, Mazu’s birthday brings together the entire village The Wenxing Temple Mazu is loaded on a truck to be transported to meet her sister Mazu icons at the
together in shared celebration of their vibrant cultural heritage and resilient religious beliefs. island's main temple. There are 20 Mazu temples on the 6-mile-long island.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/2.8 1/50s ISO5000 Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/4.5 1/250s ISO160

The record of the Wenxing Temple is the collective history of this village’s worship of the goddess
Mazu. Mazu is the protector of seafarers. Originally she was a local deity worshipped in the area
near her birthplace on Meizhou Island. But her fame grew as she was credited for sailors’ miraculous
passages through tumultuous seas.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/6.3 1/100s ISO400
 Symbiosis Focuses on Photography
Symbiosis School of Photography celebrated
the beginning of a journey for the batch 2017-
20 with a panel of honorable guests and a
room full of young budding photographers.
As a part of the event, a display of a hundred
vintage cameras, dating back to 1870 was
organized for the students to enjoy a hands-
on experience!
Mr. Sanjeev Deorukhkar, the Guest of Honor,
is a renowned photographer and a proud
owner of over eight hundred vintage cameras
and equipment. Thanks to Mr. Deorukhkar’s
passion for collecting cameras in Kolhapur,
the students went back in time and developed
a realistic understanding of the history of
photography. What would normally be
learned via a traditional lecture could be
learned by physically seeing how cameras
developed over centuries.
From the early 19th century-made pinhole
camera to the then “trendy” polaroids, the
students understood the functioning and
output of every camera displayed. They even
had their very own “Kodak” moment when
they witnessed ‘the Brownie’, a camera from
early 1900s in action. ‘The brownie’ is a basic
cardboard box with a simple meniscus lens
that took 2 1/4 –inch square pictures on a
117 roll film. The display of antique cameras
kept the crowd captivated as they saw various
kinds of pinhole cameras, large format,
underwater, and even spy cameras!
The learning that took place through this
display of vintage cameras, gave the students
a higher regard for the inventors and their
inventions. It definitely instilled a sense
of gratitude and admiration among the
spectators of this terrific exhibit.
Dr. Rajini Gupte, Vice Chancellor, Symbiosis
International University (SIU) prompted
the students to broaden their horizons by
thinking differently and dealing with their
environments more effectively to realise
their potential. Mr. Harminder Singh, one
of the top ranked photographers in the
country with an experience of over thirty
years in the industry was the Chief Guest. He
emphasized on the importance of thought
process over technology. Mr. Singh also
vehementlyadvocated that there were no
shortcuts to success and one must strive for
Amy Mehta
excellence through
hard work – he said, “to
cut down a tree in five
minutes, spend three
minutes sharpening it.”
In closing, Mr. Nithil
Dennis, Director of
Symbiosis School of
Photography cheered students to strive for
excellence and seek beauty in the little things!
Symbiosis School of Photography offers a
unique three-year Bachelor of Arts degree
in Visual art and Photography at SIU’s
picturesque Lavale campus. With an intake
of 50 students every year, the programmeis
designed with a holistic viewin the domain
of photography to train and guide students
in ten specializations. Students enjoy state-
of-the-art facilities with access to five full-
fledged studios and quality photography
equipment. The course is designed to drive
students to excel in decision making, digital
understanding, communication, self-
confidence, oral presentation, collaboration,
self-analysis, research, and marketing skills.
Vol 5 67
 Legendary Photographer
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky

We all take photos and we all are photographers in ourselves. The life
is full splendid moments and they are to be captured and preserved
for life. We all try to do so; try to capture images to create history
sometimes. One such man who tried to preserve the wonderful
moments of life and who created history with his invention in the field
of photography was, Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky.

slides, each in three different color filters red, blue and green. Then
these three slides were projected using three different projectors and
when these projections were perfectly aligned they produced the first
color photograph.
The photographic technique used by Gorsky, Color Seperation was
similar to Maxwell’s work but it took almost 40 years of work of many

great scientists to develop quality photos. Gorsky used a camera

Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky
A successful Russian scientist and photographer, Prokuding-Gorsky
created history with his futuristic works in color photography in the
early 20th century. Belonging to a Russian noble family having a long
military background, he travelled a lot. He went to study chemistry
in Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology and also music and
painting at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He had a new passion now
‘color photography’,
using photo using all
natural colors of the
surrounding world.
that worked according to Maxwell’s tricolor process. The camera
was designed and was his own creation but it was based on existing
cameras invented by Mithe and Ives. He took three black and white
photographs in rapid succession using a geared spring motor that
pulled a cassette loaded with rectangular glass plate negative. To
produce color pictures from them, he used a specialized projector
with the red, blue and green color filters, fitted between the image and
lens.
In the year 1902, Gorsky worked on three-color photography under
the guidance of Prof. Adolf Miethe, one of the main specialists on the

The invention of
photography took
place in the late
1830s and the color
photography was
also to come. In the
year 1861 Scottish
physicist James
Clerk Maxwell
produced the first
color photograph Simple, unretouched color composite of Alim Khan, Emir of Bukhara,
with photographic 1911. At right, the original triple negative on glass, shown here in positive
form. Prokudin-Gorsky photographed the upper, middle and lower images

68 Vol 5

Lithograph print of Leo Tolstoy in front
of Prokudin-Gorsky's camera in Yasnaya
Polyana, 1908.
Mary Magdalene Church of the city Perm, 1910
later took place in 2001, all his works were scanned and uploaded to
the internet and became the cultural heritage. It was the internet that
helped Gorsky’s work to return back home at the beginning of the 21st
century.
Ankit Tyagi
ankit@chiiz.com
Ankit, a journalism student, with intense love towards photography. He
writes for a digital marketing company and believes in the power of
words. The dream is to explore and find different perceptions in life. He
likes watching classic movies and follows Alfred Hitchcock.
color separation method. A. Miethe had managed to design a special
camera for developing three-color shots. In the year 1903, Germany’s
best companies Görtz and Bermpohl designed special equipment for
taking three-color picture and projecting color slides.
This was the time when Prokudin-Gorsky could print color
photographs with quality and in the form of postcards and book
illustrations. The exact date of the first color shot made in Russia by
Gorsky is still unknown to the world but by the spring of 1908 he got
the idea of making a color photograph of the famous contemporary
writer Leo Tolstoy, to mark his 80th birthday.
His love for photography gave him his famous works, color portrait
of Leo Tolstoy. This portrait was reproduced in various publications,
postcards, and larger prints for framing we made too. The specific
photo of Leo Tolstoy opened up a wide area, where he could show his
works to the Russian elites. This was the time when his works were
getting to be appreciated by Dukes and his wonderful projections were
attended by the high society of Russia.
He was getting under the influence of the high society and was given an
opportunity and funding to document Russia in color by the famous
emperor Tsar. With the blessing and permission of Tsar Nicholas II,
the photographer started his expedition throughout Russia to build
a collection of ten thousand photos in a span of 10 years. Prokudin-
Gorsky wanted to use these photographs for the purpose of education
and this project became the photographer’s course of life.
He went on creating and shooting masterpieces till September 27, 1944
the day Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky died in his Russian
House. His collections have been stored in Paris for many years till
1948 and later in 1986 they were shown at the Library of Congress
in Washington. But his creations were to be preserved for life, which
Young Russian peasant women in a rural area along the
Sheksna River near the small town of Kirillov.
Vol 5 69
 FiLmY rEaLiTy
I n India movies not only represents a mere art form it constitutes a virtually alternative lifestyle. Film posters have always fascinated me
with their surreal like imagery. In a third world country like India the presence of these illustrations in the streets certainly adds multiple
dimensions to art form and also to the society. In a multilingual country the existence of different film industries only tribes those dimensions
further.

With more than 2 million people of the country living in the streets makes me question my romantic aspirations. I was born and brought up in
Kolkata and naturally fell in love with city. But that’s the thing with
love you can’t undo your feeling even when you despair some certain
aspects of it. The people abiding most of their daily regime in the
streets go on to make a special bond with film posters.

I started this project with a simple vision to capture the contrast

between the film posters that dominate the streets with its all radiant
glory and between those who live on the street. The disparity among
that of motion picture romanticism and that of grinding truth
inspired me to capture my idea of a “Filmy Reality”.

Subhajit Naskar
Subhajit is a Kolkata-based freelance photographer
and blogger and loves to capture every little emotion
through his lens. He believes that every frame is not
just a painting, but conveys a story- a story of emotions.
For him, photography is not only a hobby or a passion,
it’s a part of politics and a mirror of human life and their
emotions.

I Hate Love Stories

Canon EOS 700D 24mm F/4 1/250s ISO200
 The Kiss
Canon EOS 700D 29mm F/5.6 1/200s ISO100

Split Inception
Canon EOS 700D 24mm F/5.6 1/60s ISO200 Canon EOS 700D 34mm F/4.5 1/200s ISO2000

Pride And Prejudice The Disturbance

Canon EOS 700D 55mm F/5.6 1/50s ISO100 Canon EOS 700D 39mm F/5 1/100s ISO100
Daniel Saputra
Padang, Indonesia
 Happiness
Nikon D7000 11mm F/6.3 1/125s ISO100
Daniel Saputra Reading Al-Quran
Padang, Indonesia Nikon D3100 11mm F/2.8 1/30s ISO200

Daniel Saputra Masquerades Mayukh Mukherjee Goddess Durga

Padang, Indonesia Canon EOS 70D 50mmF/1.8 1/1600s ISO200 Kolkata, India SONY SLT-A58 70mm F/5.6 1/15s ISO400

Mayukh Mukherjee Men Within The Wall Mayukh Mukherjee Monsoon And Fun
Kolkata, India Nikon D750 48mm F/16 1/40s ISO3600 Kolkata, India Nikon D750 85mm F/3.5 1/500s ISO500
Sayanava Saha Biswas Colors Of Prayer
Kolkata, India Nikon D810 11mm F/8 1/30s ISO1250

Sayanava Saha Biswas Working For Tomorrow

Kolkata, India Nikon D5100 10mm F/8 1/320s ISO500

Vineet Singh Smoking Joints Vineet Singh The Boy In The Blue
New Delhi, India Canon EOS 7D 35mm F/1.8 1/125s ISO640 New Delhi, India Canon EOS 7D 36mm F/5 1/200s ISO320
Pehelwans rising
from the soil Indrajit Khambe

Kushti’s history in Kolhapur is relatively recent – only since the eighteenth

century – but the sport flourished here during the reign of Shri Chatrapati
Shahu Maharaj, the King of Kolhapur, who ascended the throne in 1894.
During this golden age, the monarch built hundreds of Akhadas all over the Indrajit Khambe (b.1981) is a
documentary photographer based
city and held tournaments, inviting best wrestlers from all over India and
in Kankavli, a small town situated in
beyond. Kolhapur is a small city by India’s standards with a population of South West India near Goa-Maharashtra
some 700,000 nestled in the southwest corner of the state of Maharashtra. Border. He is making images since 2012
Soil wrestling is under threat of disappearing. The reason behind is, and inspired by photographers like Josef
since Indian wrestlers won medals in Olympic, wresting authorities in Koudelka, Robert Frank and India’s Pablo
country pushing wrestlers to practice on a mat and train in the more Bartholomew. His work is exhibited in
Indian photography festival, Hyderabad
recognized wrestling style. The soil wrestling is not allowed in national in 2015 and 2016. His work is published
and international tournaments, though new generation wrestlers are not in various magazines as well.
interested to spend time for soil practice in akhadas. Once upon a time
there was hundreds of akhadas where wrestlers use to practice Kushti. Now
there are only 5 left in a whole city. This is why I think it’s very important to
document this traditional wrestling for upcoming generations.

An Evening Session
Canon EOS 7D 22mm F/4 1/80s ISO3200
 Motibag Akhada
FUJIFILM X20 15mm F/2.5 1/6s ISO400

Practise In Akhada A Beginner's Lesson

FUJIFILM X20 9mm F/2.2 1/8s ISO400 Canon EOS 7D 28mm F/4.5 1/15s ISO3200

Practise In Akhada A Beginner's Lesson

Canon EOS 7D 67mm F/5.6 1/13s ISO1600 Canon EOS 7D 22mm F/4 1/100s ISO3200
 Faithful Participants Of The Exercise
FUJIFILM X20 7mm F/2 1/10s ISO800

Morning Light Pouring In Gangavesh Akhada

Canon EOS 7D 15mm F/3.5 1/40s ISO500

Category: Photo and Video
Rating: 4.5/5
Platform: iOS, Android
Cost: Free (offers in-app purchases)
I n a world where a photograph’s post production is just as important
as the photo itself, a powerful photo editing app almost always goes
hand in hand with a good quality camera and an enticing subject.
In this month’s Chiiz app of the month, we look at a photo editing
app which not only meets, but exceeds all expectations you could hold
from an app which edits photos on your phone.
When you first power the app up, you notice the UI. Clean, simple,
sophisticated. It’s everything you could possibly require. It fires off
with a quick, to-the-point tutorial that keeps intrigue in the user and
helpfully points out what the user really wants and needs to know.
80 Vol 5
App of the Month
Polarr Photo Editor
Polarr lets you decide that for yourself. Polarr maintains minimalism
and simplicity while giving the user access to every feature they could
possibly need. From basic rookie features to advanced tools like HSL,
denoise, toning, and the like; the app is a small but jam-packed tool
essential for any photography connoisseur.
The option of completely customizing your theme as well as copy and
pasting your edits to other photos, this app provides features and styles
you’ve never heard of before. Features like multi-face detection and
auto detection of multiple features work wonders while smoothing or
removing marks from a face .
Loaded with a full EXIF viewer, this app manages to also contain pre-
set themes (like another popular app VSCO) and shapes (outlines
as well as blocks) to add more character to your photograph. The
accuracy of the brush and color selection adjustments are imperative
in an editing app and Polarr does it precisely despite it being restricted
to a small screen in a mobile phone.
The app’s various purchasable features fall on the pricey side, but the
capabilities of the included features are limitless.
The newer versions of the app can enable you to create watermarks
for your masterpieces, as well as availability of new free filters. It also
enables users to make use of the clone, stamp and healing tools in the
newest update.
CHIIZ OPINION: It’s about time you say goodbye to multiple photo
editing tools and softwares, and hop aboard the Polarr Express, one
of the most powerful, user friendly, and capable photo editing apps
of all time.
Dwija Vashishth
dwija@chiiz.com
A published novelist, steak connoisseur and to-be electronics engineer,
Dwija is a workaholic who functions solely on her passion for words and
a staggering amount of caffeine.
 Asep Bowie Jerry's Boot
Cilegon, Indonesia OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 62mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO640

Asep Bowie Master Oogway Asep Bowie Eternal Love

Cilegon, Indonesia OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 49mm F/4.2 1/25s ISO800 Cilegon, Indonesia OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 62mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO640

Asep Bowie Peeping Tom

Cilegon, Indonesia OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 85mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO200
Lie Natalia Reflecting Souls
Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 105mm F/9 1/100s ISO400

Lie Natalia Tiger Beetle

Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Jewel Bug Lie Natalia Headshot For Mr. Ant
Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 105mm F/16 1/100s ISO100 Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100
Lie Natalia After The Rain
Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Robberflies

Bali, Indonesia Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100
That Long Awaited Solo
Trip...
Sabrina Andrea Sachs
M y name is Sabrina and I’m a former corporate ladder climber
turned digital storyteller and full-time traveller in 2015. That
year, I left my former life in London, sold most of my possessions,
packed a 14kg bag and set off to explore the world while pursuing my
childhood passions for writing and photography. After a brief stop in
the UAE, I spent three months travelling around India before moving
to Australia where I lived for 10 months and then hit the road again to
go to New Zealand, the Pacific islands and later moved to south east
Asia where I lived for 6 months.
I never thought I could travel alone. Even though I left my hometown
and moved abroad at the age of 23, travelling alone was something that
really scared me. Before embarking on this 20-month journey around
the world, I had only been alone on business trips, long weekend
exploring Europe or relaxed solo beach holidays on the shores of Spain
or Greece. I never believed I had what it takes to endure a solitary
exploration around the world, but time proved me wrong and I truly
enjoyed my time alone exploring our beautiful planet. I’ve been asked
to share with you a few secrets, tips and tricks that I’ve learnt from my
experience and so let’s start with the basics.
• Whenever you are travelling, remember to always carry a passport
with at minimum 6 months of validity. Also, make sure to check
the visa requirements of the country you are heading to far in
advance. My essentials include my camera, my smartphone, my
reading tablet, my battery pack, a headlight, a pen and a journal
•
and a silk sheet. Since I work online as a marketing strategist and
storyteller, I always carry my laptop with me. 
• Talking about safety, remember that there are some dangers
everywhere in the world, especially for female solo travellers.
For this reason, during my time on the road, I avoided going
to  certain roads or neighbourhoods  alone after dark; I also
respected the dress code of the country I was visiting and made
sure I was always alert and aware if I was going to an area I wasn’t
familiar with. Remember to keep your credit cards separate from
your cash or at least make sure to hide your valuables in different
places so that if you get robbed you don’t lose everything. Also,
don’t walk around playing on your smartphone and never leave
your bags unattended. 
•
•  I truly enjoy travelling alone, but it can be quite tiring sometimes.
Most people think that travelling is a walk in the park because
they only see the final destinations, without considering what's in
between. They forget the entire part of the preparation, planning,
booking, checking and comparing as well as physically moving
from one place to the next which sometimes included 26 hours
bus ride or a 12 hour flight delay.  If you are travelling alone, all of
this is upon you only and you can’t rely on anybody else for that or
other small things like to look after your bags while you check the
time of the train at the station or someone to buy a bottle of water
while you load the bus/car. Let’s just say that for certain practical
 Andaman Islands
OLYMPUS E-M10 42mm F/6.3 1/125s ISO200

aspects it is nice to have some company and someone to hang on

to in case of need or sickness. On the other hand, travelling alone
is the only way to truly connect with the places you are visiting
and yourself.
•
• Being alone in a foreign country allowed me to feel truly free
and let me have a total control of my life. When nobody knows
you and you don’t know anyone, you can fully be yourself or
reinvent yourself every day. You can spend time alone or meet
loads of people. You can precisely decide where, when and how
you want to go without having to make compromises. You are in
total control of your journey and it’s a feeling I love. Travelling
alone also allows you to connect better with the locals and other
travellers since you are not “distracted” by a companion. Being
alone is the only way that will really push you outside your
comfort zone and force you to grow and learn about yourself. 
•
• And finally, talking about social media, the first tip I can share for
someone looking to gain a quality audience is to always produce
great content. Nowadays, everybody has a phone and a few editing
apps and most people are trying to find a place in the wild world
of social media. I think that the trick that allowed me to grow a
loyal base of followers was to stay loyal to my values (always),
to find a niche where I could talk directly to people like me and
to add value to my audience. I slowly learnt  what my audience
liked the most, I listened to them and tried to answer all their
questions. It’s a hard job,  especially in a space that’s becoming
more and more commercial and less authentic, but despite it all, I
try to give my readers/followers something new, creative or useful
on my Instagram account,  Facebook page and my blog- http://
sabrina-andrea-sachs.com.

Jama Masjid
 Jodhpur, India Hampi
iPhone6 4mm F/2.2 1/2083s ISO32 OLYMPUS E-M10 14mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO200

The Walled City Of Destinations Sunset In Mumbai

OLYMPUS E-M10 42mm F/11 1/1000s ISO200 OLYMPUS E-M10 34mm F/5.4 1/15s ISO1600
 Fly Me To The Moon
Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/4 1/100s ISO1000
 Akshaya Vaidyanathan, by her own admission, is a clueless youngster
turned professional photographer.

As she groomed her skills in Light and Life Academy, she also discovered
her passion for photography in the field of fashion, food and architecture.
She believes that the world has way too many raw feelings and a part of our
souls is preserved in photographs. So she developed a passion for capturing
those raw emotions and preserving them. That’s how shooting portraits
started inspiring her and thus leading me into documenting weddings.

Bronze Beauty
Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/1.4 1/640s ISO500

Beautiful Indian Goddesses Minimalistic Royale

Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/4 1/320s ISO800 Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/1.4 1/160s ISO800
 Symmetric Bodylines
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/10 1/160s ISO100
 Foiled Emotions
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/4 1/160s ISO100

Anton Belovodchenko

A nton Belovodchenko (4 May 1980) born in

Novosibirsk, Russia, started to shoot the
series ‘Bodyscape’ with a view to show the beauty
of the body and with it, the beauty of the world as
a whole. He also wanted to experiment and practise
in a setting where light is in low key with minimum
number of light sources.

When working in the studio, he uses a pulsed light source. From the tips
"I use octagonal softbox great size for soft light or portrait the plate to
produce a hard light."

The forms taken by the models accentuate the beauty of their bodies. The
form of the models adds to the graphic quality of the photographs and at
the same time provide symmetry and a sort of bulky light to the picture.

Any pose which doesn't look strained and the model appears as if she is
soaring in a space of bright light. It should be noted that for a photo to
be pleasant to the viewer, symmetry in the photograph is appreciated and
Anton intends to attain just that.

Black and white photography is not just a tool which is used by the
photographer to achieve graphic quality in his work but it is rather like a
miraculously preserved puzzle. As one deeply studies each frame, one
involuntarily tends to think up colors and make up dreams.

Bodyscapes
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/6.3 1/200s ISO160
 Rapunzel Of Dreams
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO100

Bodyscapes- 2
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO160
 Bodyscapes- 3
Canon EOS 60D 50mm F/5.6 1/160s ISO160
Mark Rhodes Summer McInerny
FUJIFILM X-T2 56mm F/7.1 1/250s ISO400
Brisbane, Australia
Mark Rhodes Scarlett Bow - Studio
Brisbane, Australia FUJIFILM X-T2 56mm F/10 1/250s ISO 200

Mark Rhodes Lucy Artmodel - La Perouse Mark Rhodes Lingerie Rosee - Studio
Brisbane, Australia FUJIFILM X-T1 56mm F/1.2 1/500s ISO200 Brisbane, Australia FUJIFILM X-T1 56mm F/1.2 1/500s ISO200
 Mark Rhodes Miss Bunnypenny - Toyoview
Brisbane, Australia

96 Vol 5
 India’s 1st

WEDDING
PHOTOGRAPHY
FESTIVAL
GOA 6th-10th October 2017

LEARN, INTERACT
BE INSPIRED
Photo: Sergey Ivanov

SILK INSPIRE app

is now available!
Download the app from the App Store

Tickets now on sale at www.silkphotos.com/inspire