Photographer

Kashmir Stories

(Through Photography)

M.K. Gautam aka MKG is a gypsy soul self taught photographer on a mission to bring the world closer to you through his photos under his banner “MKGpictures”. His picturesque narrative blossoms the soul of the story embedded in each frame celebrating the existence. His visual poetry has won 126 awards and recognition’s from various national and international organisations including National Geographic and World Photographic Forum, featured in 17 exhibitions across the globe. MKG has been voted top creative photographer in the world by WPF and Rediff.com selected his work among the “10 mesmerising photographs in India”. His travelogue has graced the pages of 19 world leading publications including Chiiz, Parliament Street, Diplomats, Indian Photo Arts and Construction World.

(Picture is upside down showing the beauty of Dal Lake)

Episode 1

Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast. (If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this)

Whenever someone utter ‘Wow’ and ‘Wah’ admiring the beauty of Kashmir Valley from the Shikara at Dal Lake, it is a tribute to the Amir Khusrau eternal couplet in Farsi which he famously said after seeing the Kashmir first time. These words are most near to express the inexpressible ...the beauty of Kashmir.

Episode 2

Completely submerged in the morning silence of the Dal (Lake)

On the misty morning of day one of the vacations, half awake I came to the deck of the houseboat. He was on a ‘Shikara’ wearing a traditional Kashmiri ‘pheran’ busy with his ‘hookah’ (water pipe), completely submerged in the morning silence of the Dal (Lake). `I sat and looked at him, i was on vacation and he was relaxed, at peace, away from the worldly chaos, enjoying solitude and hookah at 6.30 am.

Episode 3

Beautiful Dal Lake at Click Night at Sight

खूबसूरती को अक्सर भटकते हुए देखा है, हां, इन चंद शब्दों में मैंने कश्मीर लिखा है।

Episode 4

A happy soul spread the fragrance of its existence wherever it goes and in return the existence bestow the best of the nature.

Episode 5

Episode 6

As we stopped on a beautiful ridge enroute to chandanwadi, I saw her. She was like a prayer directly from the pure heart connecting with the ultimate. As everyone was busy enjoying the scene, little heart was upset with cool winds. I clicked, took her parents whatsapp number and shared the pic. “Beautiful Sir, best of our tour” message came from the strangers on other side. Whenever little angel will look at this photo, she will recall cool winds and a cool photographer. Little Whistle Blower

He asked nothing in words but his eyes were demanding. He was standing near the nail on which rope of the makeshift restaurant was tied where we were sitting on the plastic chairs under partly cloudy blue sky at Sonamarg base camp. As I focused my camera’s lens on his face he turned away, reminding me lunches are not free. I called him and paid little money to make his day. He smiled and whistled to his friends, inviting them to “let’s party”, job is done.