Chiiz Volume 17 Flower Photography

THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE

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Florent Serfati is a French photographer living on the beautiful island of Cozumel Mexico. He instantly fell in love with photography when he took his first picture three years ago. Florent shoots with his Fujifilm XT2 and was sold on the camera as soon as he held it. He is, currently, the main photographer and owner at “Serfati Photography�.

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Pathway to the Universe Fujifilm XT2 16mm F/2 1/20 ISO1000

Revvin’ it Up Riding from Manali to Srinagar through some of the highest passes, breathtaking valleys, scenic hamlets and braving formidable terrains, K2K Expeditions takes us on a wild ride to the land of high passes.

themed cafes that were teeming with travellers, jazz music and mouthwatering aroma that promised good food.

Festooned with dreamcatchers big and small, the cafes were just that- a traveller’s dream, where one could just sit, play games like chess and scrabble, read in solitude and dine admiring the gorgeous view that they presented.

That’s how we spent our evening until night caught up to us and we had to get back to the hotel where we were to be briefed about the trip.

K2K Expeditions Canon 1300D 46mm F/10 1/200 ISO400

Someone once told me to live for the little things in life.

Live for the sunrises and sunsets where you’ll see the sky painted in colors you never thought belonged. Live for the road trips and bike rides with music in your ears and the wind in your hair. Live for the days when you are surrounded by amazing people who make your journey in this cold harsh world, worthwhile. Live for the little things because they will make you realize that this is what life is about, this is what it means to be alive.

The briefing took place where the riders were acquainted with the laws of the mountains and were instructed to ride with the convoy without overtaking each other. We were also told to follow the lead of the Marshal and were given certain hacks of riding in the mountains. The mountains, beautiful as they are, can be brutal sometimes and so we were asked to take certain measures to ensure that we do not experience the dreaded AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness).

Everybody was pumped up for the ride the next morning as they were assigned their bikes which were tested and made ready for the rigorous journey ahead. With high spirits and the Marshal leading the convoy, all 27 Royal That’s exactly what K2K Expeditions promised and Enfields, aka, the beasts of the mountains, rode towards delivered when they took a group of 54 riders to the land the first pass of the journey- the ‘Rohtang La’, which is at a of high passes, Ladakh, for a 1700 km ride of their dreams. gruelling altitude of 13000 ft. The gateway to the Leh and It was 10 days of sheer adventure, fun and making lasting Pangi Valleys, Rohtang Pass is replete with spellbinding memories on the sands of this cold desert. escapades of nature with the imposing twin-peaks of Geypan looming large on the pass. The bottleneck roads, The journey began from Delhi that acted as an ancient trade route between the either from where we were to travel side of the Pir Panjal range, are unforgiving and do not overnight to reach Manali the entertain novice riders. next morning. 54 strangers boarded the bus to Manali, After riding through daunting obstructions like Rani apprehensive yet excited Nallah that made the journey tricky, the convoy reached to check off the highly Keylong, tired yet happy to have completed the first leg anticipated Ladakh bike trip of the journey. The riders woke up early the next day off their bucket lists.

As we woke in the bus, the beautiful valley of Pandoh welcomed us. With the Gearing Up sun rising, the Beas looked Canon 60D 70mm F/22 1/200 ISO1250 like a river of molten gold.

Travelling through Pandoh and Kullu, we finally reached Manali at the time of the lunch where we were well received by the organizers and were allotted rooms.

In the evening, we went for a little sightseeing to Old Manali. We climbed up to the Manu Temple amidst many 18 FEATURE

Water Crossings Canon 1300D 21mm F/20 1/1250 ISO3200

and prepped for the journey ahead, which was to be the longest and the most challenging as we were to cross many high altitude regions in a short span of time.

The riders commenced their journey and passed Jispa and Darcha with ease but came across a bump in the form of the nallah at Zingzingbar. Here the team work of the riders came into play and all were able to cross the muddy terrain. The convoy then forged ahead to the ‘Baralacha La’ which is at an altitude of 16040 ft, braving slippery roads, their dangerous curves, and sometimes

Soil Mates Canon 60D 18mm F/13 1/400 ISO500

extremely cold weather. We were rewarded for this effort by being greeted by snow-capped mountains, riding along the marvellous Suraj Taal and experiencing the thrill of a challenging journey.

After crossing Sarchu, where the AMS usually kicks in, the signboard that read ‘GATA Loops Start’ had the adrenaline pumping in the veins of the riders as the series of 21 hairpin bends at a height of 15302 ft were both bone-jarring and formidable. These loops lead to the 3rd high-altitude pass in the region, Nakee La which stands at an altitude of 15,647 ft above the sea level. This pass, along with Lachulung La tests the patience of even the most seasoned riders with its gravel sections and frequent patches of ice on the paved surface of the roads.

By the time we reached Pang, most of the riders were beat, exhausted to the bone and running low on motivation.

The early symptoms of AMS had started to set in, it was already dark, temperatures were going down and we were yet to reach Tsokar. Our Marshals then stepped up and motivated the riders to complete the journey to Tsokar.

Riders on the Move Nikon D800 26mm F/20 1/2000 ISO1000

War Dogs Canon 60D 18mm F/22 1/400 ISO1000

Illuminating Blooms Living in Tilburg, Netherlands, Jeanine Sparla is a full-time mother and a very creative person. She started her career 10 years ago with sculpting statues but had to quit it because of her serious back problems. Later she found photography as her new hobby.

Jeanine feels that every kind of art connects people as it touches the soul. Her favourite images are those which she captures in the natural sunlight. Flowers catches her attention because of their colours and structures. She shares her work on her Instagram @Catchthemoment_nl

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Q. You had taken up a 100-day challenge on Instagram from where you started your photography journey.

Which photograph out of those is your favourite and why?

A. My most favourite isn’t just one photo (my husband is waiting for my most favourite photo for the wall). I love capturing flowers in their purest- e state that is when the light catches them perfectly. I love the details of beauty that they show on a black background. But if I have to choose, it will be the pink one, reflected on a mirror. It was amazing how beautifully it reflected the light. It took me by surprise, like they all do when the light falls perfectly on them.

Q. Photography for you started as a cathartic release.

What made you choose flowers as your subject and what is the creative process that goes behind creating such spectacular pictures?

A. I am always triggered by colours, details and how light falls on things. My passion for flowers came from my mom.

She died when I was 30 and ever since I have flowers

Reflected Samsung S9+ 4.2mm F/1.7 1/30 ISO100

around me. They remind me of her. I shoot all my photos on intuition. Before I shoot, I always search for the light. It’s amazing what effect it has on even the simplest of flowers.

When I see a flower, the first thing I do is that I search for the details I want to capture and then I look for the perfect light. After that I edit them in an app named Snapseed in which I mostly edit the background because I want to focus only on the beauty of nature which can be found everyday right in front of us.

Q. You tend to play a lot with light that gives your photographs a surreal effect. Why do you shoot your photos this way?

A. I love the outcome of the flower’s natural beauty. Just the way it looks with no distractions, especially when the light enhances its beauty.

Q. What is the most important thing that you learnt about flowers through your photographic journey with them?

A. They are amazing. The structure of the leaves, the

different shades of color, the similarities and synchronicity, like they were sculptured or drawn before they became a flower. The difference in color variety. I cannot stop watching them. The details are awesome, even the pestle and stamen are beautiful.

Q. Any advice to new photographers for finding their own vision?

A. Just start shooting everyday and don’t think too much.

I shoot everything on my smartphone and all my shots are intuitive. Join a photography group on Instagram or Facebook which have daily challenges. It helps you to keep being creative and to try different things. Truly, it also stimulates you, which I feel is a huge motivator. In time, you will find your own vision.

Mandeep Kaur mandeep@chiiz.com

An attractive personality, Mandeep finds her refuge in good books, good food and a good conversation. Open to receiving and giving new ideas, she feels that the world will be a better place to live in if people are more helpful and open towards others.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall Samsung S9+ 4.3mm F/1.5 1/350 ISO100

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Maelstrom Nikon D300S 10mm 1/80 F/16 ISO250

Being a digital nomad Hansle Guichardo has travelled the globe in search of that one perfect moment to capture the essence of what the stunningly beautiful Earth, it’s wonderful people and the variety of cultures have to offer. One can see his work on colourful landscape, cityscape and self-portraits images from 94 countries on his Instagram handle: @nomad_traveler2018 70 TRIGGERS

Lonely Tree Among a Sea of Baby Blue Flowers Nikon D700 32mm F/8 1/400 ISO160

Chinmoy Biswas Kolkata, India

72 CHIIZ GALLERY

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The Pattern within the Sunflower Nikon D7200 105mm F/7.1 1/250 ISO400