“There is much to know about a person through the photographs he captures. The Uncommon Box likes to delve beneath the surface and highlight the talent of promising individuals who take their passion seriously. We see the soul behind the face and bring it to the world.”
Meet Dhairya Gulati our Uncommon photographer from Lucknow, who just began photography two years ago. This quiet and extremely well spoken individual, who is a lawyer by profession, pursues his love for photography wherever he goes. We caught up with him and convinced him to chat with us about what really matters to him- that is, his photography.
#TUB : What sparked off your interest in photography ?
My brother liked photography, and few of my relatives were into photography as well. Over time I felt compelled to take up the hobby myself. But what really sparked off my interest my trip to Shimla/Shoghi couple of years back. After coming back from that trip, first thing I did was to get myself a DSLR.
#TUB : Tell us in brief about your journey so far as a photographer ?
The journey so far has been very fulfilling. Also, it has been a fairly steep learning curve for me.
“I have started experiencing my surroundings in a more intimate manner, and developed a deeper appreciation for nature, architecture, and human emotions.”
Photography has helped me interact with more people from India and around the world, and get to know about their cultures, lifestyles, and beliefs.
#TUB : What were the challenges you faced?
One major challenge that I continue to face is finding time for photography. Being a lawyer by profession, doing photography or even thinking about it, is what keeps me sane. Photography acts as my stress-buster. The other challenge is to find a suitable place and time to get the right shot which at times may require lots of patience and effort.
#TUB : What genre of photography do you find the most challenging, and most creative ?
Challenges and photography go hand in hand. Every genre of photography has some or the other kind of challenge to deal with. In my opinion, street photography is especially challenging. It is challenging because you can’t go about doing street photography without intruding into others’ space. Maintaining a distance from the subject and having the consent where necessary is the key to street photography. That said, street photography also gives the creative fulfilment of working with myriad of subjects and emotions.
#TUB : What are your goals, plans and dreams for yourself ?
Being passionate about photography, I hope to keep improving my photography skills while making efforts to get my work noticed at a larger scale. I also plan to travel extensively so that I get to explore new avenues and gain more experience in photography.
#TUB : Any word of advice, as per your experience, for budding photographers ?
I get a lot of questions from people regarding various aspects of photography, two of which are the most frequently asked. First, they want to learn photography from me. I believe that you don’t learn photography from anyone, it should involve more of self-learning and experience. Internet is such a great medium to learn, and then are photography workshops. Attend those frequently, gain knowledge and put it to test. Keep practicing and keep improving.
Second is about the camera and lens. Anyone starting out with photography should get an entry level DSLR and practice with it. It’s okay if you use the same camera for a good period of time. Make sure you have learnt every aspect of your camera first. One important thing to remember is, even though you get yourself a better camera after the initial one and also you’ll get sharper images with a better camera, your photography will only be as good as the amount of your learning and experience gained.
Wise words indeed! In the pursuit of any passion, one’s determination plays a key role and Dhairya is definitely one such example. He has set himself no limits as far as his goals are concerned – and knows the farther he goes, there is more to accomplish and learn. We, at The Uncommon Box wish him the very best for all his endeavours. You can find him at Instagram & Facebook Page.
Do you have a similar passion you follow? It could be anything else too. Or do you know someone who deserves a special feature? Use the submission portal on our website www.theuncommonbox.com to write into us or email us at theuncommonbox@gmail.com
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