Chiiz Volume 5

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THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE

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EDITORIAL

Editorial

John Edwards Prakhar Garg Chief Visualizer

There’s something about the way each road paves way for another, making way for an adventure that refuses to be forgotten. There’s a sense of calm that washes over our senses after watching the sun rising over the horizon. How refreshing the blast of wind feels against our faces as we ride towards a destination in mind but not a care in the world of whether we’ll make it in time. As R.L. Stevenson once put it, “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. The great affair is to move.”

Sheetal Mann Design

Yasmeen Sheikh Priyashi Negi Analysis

Prateek Kashyap Ankit Bhanot Vimran Singh Writer

Rahul Batra RB Vishakha Jha Karishma Rana Sana Singh Dwija Vashisht Ankit Tyagi

Chiiz joins Devyani Nighoskar in her travels to the scenic Spiti Valley where she documents her experiences in the form of photographs, poems and prose. James Samarji, the globetrotter, shares with us his experiences in India, the Great Himalayas, Vietnam and Bali.

Technology

Sachin Arora Ashvin Gajbhiye Vasanth Ranganathan Rishabh Jain Bharat Bhushan Abhishek Sharma Akhil Jain

Devang Sethi tells us the importance of judicial expenditure while travelling as he backpacks in Europe in just $2000. James Morgan brings to the table the story of the last of sea nomads in Indonesia and how they have resorted to illegal and destructive practices that are detrimental to the environment.

Franca Marquardt embarks on a journey to South-East Asia and tells us the story of how she caught the travelling bug. Photographer Ariana Lindquist exhibits the vibrant world of Chinese mythology and folk religion and how it is practiced nowadays.

Business Development

Rajesh Basu Aishwarya Bharthuar Amit Ghosh Shweta Singh

All these people with us, are just the common guys who found solace in the 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 is not about the place you visit, it is about the intent you visit it with. Being happy and content in our own being is the sole purpose of travelling.

And some places, they impart new vigor to the mind. Wherever you go, becomes a part of you somehow and that, according to me, is contentment.

Sales

Parth Gurjar Insaf Khan Dipesh Kumar Marketing

In this travel edition, we invoke you to satiate your wanderlust. Take that trip you’ve been meaning to for the past few months. Taste 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 in the process. It’s like Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Kanika Maurya Himanshu Diwakar Anurag Khaneja Public Relations

Barkha Chandra Mohit Rastogi Finance

Neelu Singh Consultant

Apratim Saha Mansa Inc. CEO

Mukesh Kumar

John Edwards

CONTENTS 8 A Walk Through India, Himalayas 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 Photographer 70 Filmy Reality Subhajit Naskar

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That Long Awaited Solo Trip

Sabrina Andrea Sachs

Tips And Tricks

20 Long Exposure Photoraphy 46 Famine In Sudan

Old Is Gold

47 The Bang Bang Club

Movie Review

80 Polarr Photo Editor

App Of The Month

A walk through

India, Himalayas and Vietnam James Samarji

"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

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.

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.

do not capture the true magnificence of this wonder, which is simply mesmerizing.”

“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

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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

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

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.

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2.

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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 petalless 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 starlit 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.

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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. "

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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

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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, reminded 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.

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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 Jassi Oberai Chasers Photography, believes in delivering 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.

Canon EOD 5D Mark IV 20mm F/8 59s ISO100

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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 the light.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 24mm F/8 130s ISO100

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.

- 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.

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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 can check out her instagram handle @notoutofthebox.

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Rice Camera Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/5.6 1/40s ISO400

Fishes & Spices Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/1.8 1/50s ISO100

Crab Canon EOS 600D 50mm F/3.2 1/50s ISO200

Garam Masala 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

Devang Sethi

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.

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,

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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

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

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.

Amsterdam- Keukenhof Nikon D5300 35mm F/9 1/100s ISO400

A North Indian in Europe can very well be surprised by the food people eat there. The 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

Devang Sethi

Budapest- Shoes on the Danube River Nikon D5300 35mm F/8 1/400s ISO200

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.

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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 SideThe People's Photographer

Martin Puddy

Myanmar, Bagan, Buddhist monk standing on temple top at dawn.

M

a r t i n Puddy is an awardwinning 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

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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.

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.

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?

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.

My first extensive travels took me to southern africa at the age of 19. By then, I was already

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?

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.

Cambodia, Siem Reap, Angkor Wat, Buddhist Monks walking Along sunken tree,crossing river at sunset.

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 standing in front, holding prayer beads.

Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Buddhist monk standing on platform, adjusting robes, over water at sunset.

Cambodia, Angkor Wat, Buddhist monks standing on waters edge.

Myanmar, Bagan, Buddhist monks on temple top.

Buddhist monk sitting on bridge at sunrise, 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

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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.

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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 latest venture, ‘Seven’ – a short film set in the high Arctic, produced through JMF in association with The British Film Institute and Creative England, will be released this summer. James’ broadcast and

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 is nothing short of paradise for Priyashi. Books and poetry are her refuge.

She is a foodie at heart and seems to be blessed a love for all things 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.

JAMES MORGAN

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.

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 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

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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

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and traditions. Ancient architecture also marvels her 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.

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

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

Canon EOS 700D 112mm F/8 1/320s ISO100

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 Old Is Gold

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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

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.

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The Bang Bang Club Movie Review

Duration: 1hr 46mins IMDB Rating: 7.0/10 Released: 2010

short and dense and the ending is subpar. There are very few scenes that contain the heart of the story and they are so overwhelming 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.

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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 be appreciated in the modern era.

The individuals of today are all hard working who understand what struggles people of different races face, they understand the struggle of becoming- something. Seeing four privileged white kids act as if they’re changing the world does not bode well with the audience. The perception of these four men could have been changed if who they 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 character development, but it clearly was meant to shape the men as 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

The story is one that is to be recommended but the movie did not do 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 it affected many people, and this was a chance to change that. Rather than being a teaching experience, it becomes one filled with distaste for too many reasons. It is a story much better told by the individuals who suffered through it. As in many cases, the book again is better than the movie.

Karishma Rana karishma@chiiz.com

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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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 crowdfunding 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!

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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....

Nikon D750 55mm F/8 1/2000s ISO200

Walking The Sunset 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

Kids, Nepal Canon PowerShot G7-X 9mm F/1.8 1/15s ISO6400

Humayun Tomb, New Delhi, India Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/9 1/40s ISO160

Osaka Canon EOS 700D 45mm F/9 1/250s ISO100

Diaries Worth Keeping Franca Marquardt

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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

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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

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

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

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

Hong Kong Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/7.1 1/40s ISO125

Seoul Canon EOS 700D 34mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO100 Vol 5

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

Tokyo Canon EOS 700D 55mm F/5.6 1/60s ISO1600

Nagoya Canon EOS 700D 29mm F/6.3 1/50s ISO400

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

Mt. Fuji Canon EOS 700D 18mm F/13 1/250s ISO100

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Nagoya Canon EOS 700D 48mm F/5.6 1/1000s ISO320

Chinese Folk Religion

by Ariana Lindquist 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

Enjoying the festive atmosphere, opera performers play mahjong during their free time before a performance at Wenxing Temple.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO3200

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 placed before the altar of the Mazu, where the temple’s icon is placed. Food offerings are given in thanks for the goddess’s protection.

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

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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

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

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.

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

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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 comeback in the post-Mao era, so has traditional opera, which is an important element of temple festivals.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/4 1/30s ISO1000

Guardian demons dance and twirl in Mazu's parade.

Because religion was suppressed for so many years by the Communist government, festival organizers had to consult elderly villagers in order to properly reconstruct the procession for the goddess.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/2.8 1/40s ISO4000

A woman, wearing auspicious red, prays at the altar of a Mazu temple.

In recent years, there has been a perceived shift in government opinion about folk religion from benign neglect to active favor.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 24mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO320

A Mazu icon in the parade. A recent survey estimates that more than 417 million people in China practice folk religion. This number is 50 million more people than the adherents of Buddhism, Christianity, Taoism, Confucianism and Islam combined.

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 together in shared celebration of their vibrant cultural heritage and resilient religious beliefs.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/2.8 1/50s ISO5000

The Wenxing Temple Mazu is loaded on a truck to be transported to meet her sister Mazu icons at the island's main temple. There are 20 Mazu temples on the 6-mile-long island.

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 Amy Mehta Symbiosis School of Photography celebrated the beginning of a journey for the batch 201720 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 handson 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

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 stateof-the-art facilities with access to five fullfledged studios and quality photography equipment. The course is designed to drive students to excel in decision making, digital understanding, communication, selfconfidence, oral presentation, collaboration, self-analysis, research, and marketing skills.

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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

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.

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 with photographic

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great scientists to develop quality photos. Gorsky used a camera 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

Simple, unretouched color composite of Alim Khan, Emir of Bukhara, 1911. At right, the original triple negative on glass, shown here in positive form. Prokudin-Gorsky photographed the upper, middle and lower images

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. ProkudinGorsky wanted to use these photographs for the purpose of education and this project became the photographer’s course of life.

Lithograph print of Leo Tolstoy in front of Prokudin-Gorsky's camera in Yasnaya Polyana, 1908.

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

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.

Young Russian peasant women in a rural area along the Sheksna River near the small town of Kirillov.

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FiLmY

rEaLiTy

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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 Canon EOS 700D 24mm F/5.6 1/60s ISO200

Inception Canon EOS 700D 34mm F/4.5 1/200s ISO2000

Pride And Prejudice Canon EOS 700D 55mm F/5.6 1/50s ISO100

The Disturbance 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 Padang, Indonesia

Daniel Saputra Padang, Indonesia

Mayukh Mukherjee Kolkata, India

Reading Al-Quran Nikon D3100 11mm F/2.8 1/30s ISO200

Masquerades Canon EOS 70D 50mmF/1.8 1/1600s ISO200

Mayukh Mukherjee Kolkata, India

Goddess Durga SONY SLT-A58 70mm F/5.6 1/15s ISO400

Men Within The Wall Nikon D750 48mm F/16 1/40s ISO3600

Mayukh Mukherjee Kolkata, India

Monsoon And Fun Nikon D750 85mm F/3.5 1/500s ISO500

Sayanava Saha Biswas Kolkata, India

Sayanava Saha Biswas Kolkata, India

Vineet Singh New Delhi, India

Colors Of Prayer Nikon D810 11mm F/8 1/30s ISO1250

Working For Tomorrow Nikon D5100 10mm F/8 1/320s ISO500

Smoking Joints Canon EOS 7D 35mm F/1.8 1/125s ISO640

Vineet Singh New Delhi, India

The Boy In The Blue 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 city and held tournaments, inviting best wrestlers from all over India and beyond. Kolhapur is a small city by India’s standards with a population of some 700,000 nestled in the southwest corner of the state of Maharashtra.

Soil wrestling is under threat of disappearing. The reason behind is, since Indian wrestlers won medals in Olympic, wresting authorities in country pushing wrestlers to practice on a mat and train in the more recognized wrestling style. The soil wrestling is not allowed in national and international tournaments, though new generation wrestlers are not 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.

Indrajit Khambe (b.1981) is a documentary photographer based in Kankavli, a small town situated in South West India near Goa-Maharashtra Border. He is making images since 2012 and inspired by photographers like Josef Koudelka, Robert Frank and India’s Pablo Bartholomew. His work is exhibited in Indian photography festival, Hyderabad in 2015 and 2016. His work is published in various magazines as well.

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 FUJIFILM X20 9mm F/2.2 1/8s ISO400

A Beginner's Lesson Canon EOS 7D 28mm F/4.5 1/15s ISO3200

Practise In Akhada Canon EOS 7D 67mm F/5.6 1/13s ISO1600

A Beginner's Lesson 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

App of the Month Polarr Photo Editor

Category: Photo and Video Rating: 4.5/5 Platform: iOS, Android Cost: Free (offers in-app purchases)

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.

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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.

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 .

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.

Loaded with a full EXIF viewer, this app manages to also contain preset 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.

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Vol 5

Asep Bowie Cilegon, Indonesia

Asep Bowie Cilegon, Indonesia

Master Oogway OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 49mm F/4.2 1/25s ISO800

Asep Bowie Cilegon, Indonesia

Jerry's Boot OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 62mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO640

Asep Bowie Cilegon, Indonesia

Eternal Love OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 62mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO640

Peeping Tom OLYMPUS E-M10MarkII 85mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO200

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

Reflecting Souls Nikon D7000 105mm F/9 1/100s ISO400

Jewel Bug Nikon D7000 105mm F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

Tiger Beetle Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

Headshot For Mr. Ant Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

After The Rain Nikon D7000 F/16 1/100s ISO100

Lie Natalia Bali, Indonesia

Robberflies 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.

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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

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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

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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 iPhone6 4mm F/2.2 1/2083s ISO32

Hampi OLYMPUS E-M10 14mm F/6.3 1/250s ISO200

The Walled City Of Destinations OLYMPUS E-M10 42mm F/11 1/1000s ISO200

Sunset In Mumbai 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 Canon EOS 5D MarkIII 35mm F/4 1/320s ISO800

Minimalistic Royale 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 Brisbane, Australia

Summer McInerny FUJIFILM X-T2 56mm F/7.1 1/250s ISO400

Mark Rhodes Brisbane, Australia

Mark Rhodes Brisbane, Australia

Scarlett Bow - Studio FUJIFILM X-T2 56mm F/10 1/250s ISO 200

Lucy Artmodel - La Perouse FUJIFILM X-T1 56mm F/1.2 1/500s ISO200

Mark Rhodes Brisbane, Australia

Lingerie Rosee - Studio FUJIFILM X-T1 56mm F/1.2 1/500s ISO200

Mark Rhodes Brisbane, Australia

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Vol 5

Miss Bunnypenny - Toyoview

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