THOSE WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE
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Editorial
Beth Barklage Watson Prakhar Garg Priyashi Negi Ankit Tyagi Chief Visualiser
Sheetal Mann Design
Bhavyaa Parashar Abhishek Gangwar Research & Operations
Prateek Kashyap Writers
Rahul Batra Vishakha Jha Shimran Epari Sana Singh Technology
Sachin Arora Rishabh Jain Bharat Bhushan Aditya Baghel Business Development
Rajesh Basu Amit Ghosh Dimas Fajar Sales
Krishna Srinivas Amit Gupta Marketing
Rahul Gandhi Disha Tomar Public Relations
Barkha Chandra Akriti Bajpai
Editorial In the words of Wyland, “The world’s finest wilderness lies beneath the waves.” Beneath the shimmering surfaces of oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers lies an inspiring world. This world is vastly different from our own, with fascinating creatures, bubbling landscapes, and in some cases man-made treasures that haven’t been seen in centuries. Only a handful have got the pleasure of witnessing these different dimensions with their own eyes. The rest of us just have to settle for pictures. Some of the world’s most beautiful and captivating sceneries are beyond the views of the average person; these are the underwater ones. Underwater photography enables the average person to get a small peek at this beautiful world. Some underwater photographs might capture marine wildlife, like fish and plants, while other underwater photographs may focus on the landscape. Anup J Kat takes us into a vibrant world and shows us a glimpse of the flora and fauna under the water. The amazing cover by Ken Kiefer is a testament to just how wonderful underwater photography can be. Jai Thakur explores Nepal and takes the audience along with him to the mystical land in his series, ‘Through Doors and Windows’. The fantastic take of Henley Spears on marine life is a treat to the eyes and leave you wanting for more. Andrey Shpatak has some amazing shots of the various species of Jellyfish that will leave you spellbound. Emotion hunter, Andrea Izzotti’s work on marine life is bound to take your breath away as he captures the life of sea creatures in a way that will leave you in amazement . You might as well hold your breath while you’re at it because this issue also features Randy Rocket’s extraordinary photographs on fashion as they compel you to think beyond what you can see. We also have the product of Muses Photography Workshop on Fine Art Figure Study. The participants’ photographs are on display and are a visual delight for anybody who lays eyes on them.
Consultant
There’s nothing wrong with looking at the surface of the ocean and enjoying the view, except that when you finally see what goes underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the bigger picture. Underwater photography is the essential evolution for the world so that it can discover another world beneath the shimmering sheet of blue. This art of underwater photography opens up a path to incite emotions with a different vision window. It’s a challenging way to showcase the world in the substratum of the “Blue surface”. So dive in and explore the endless depths of a whole new world!
Apratim Saha Mansa Inc.
Happy Clicking!
Staff Photographers
Saransh Pithauria Susana Gomez Tarundeep Singh Urshita Saini Abdul Momin Finance
Neelu Singh
CEO
Mukesh Kumar Cover Photo
Ken Kiefer
Regards, Beth Barklage Watson
Nemo’s Blue World Olympus O-MD E-M1 mark II 60mm F/8 1/250 ISO200
For Andrey Savin, a day is successful only if he spends five hours underwater. He has a special passion for underwater macro photography. He publishes his best works in his Instagram account @uw.art. Andrey has had many long travels and collaborations during dive trips with dive resorts, dive boats and dive brands. By education, a mathematician and a programmer and currently, an award-winning photographer, SM-expert and a successful businessman, Andrey teaches how to make Instagram and Facebook work for the benefit of your business, tests new products for diving and underwater photography along with organizing worldwide photo dive tours for advanced divers with a passion for underwater photography. 8 TRIGGERS
Steppe Eagle Nikon D300 200mm F/7.1 1/200 ISO640
Snowy Owl Nikon D3 600mm F/7.1 1/640 ISO1600
White Stork Nikon D3 460mm F/7.1 1/2000 ISO2000
Christian Riese was born in a small town in the Teutoburger Wald, and is now living near Frankfurt Main in Germany. He has been doing photography since 1980 and has been using Nikon mostly. Even though wildlife and nature photography are his personal favorites, he also does portraits, wedding shoots, night shots of skyline and more. He finds it fascinating to hold the eye contact of a wolf or a tiger and gets so engrossed in it that sometimes he forgets to push the shutter. Looking into the eyes of the subject and staying in tune with them makes him feel as if he is looking into the soul of the subject.
Eurasian Wildcat Nikon D3 600mm F/8 1/160 ISO1600
Bengal Tiger Nikon D300 600mm F/9 1/1000 ISO800
Tundra Wolf Nikon D3 600mm F/7.1 1/640 ISO2000
“Taking photos and sharing them is a balance to all the daily things I see and go through. Spreading nature and life and maybe some smiles.� - Christian Riese
12 TRIGGERS
Through Doors & Windows Being a native of Bagdogra, fondly known as the replica of secular India, I have lots of Nepali friends and have the advantage of knowing their language. So, when my friends asked me to plan a trip to Nepal, I knew that it would be easier for me to communicate in a foreign land and immediately got down to it.
Friend From Bandipur Nikon D810 24mm F/4 1/200 ISO100
noticed that there were hardly any people in the market. After talking to a few locals, we came to know they all had gone to witness Sindoor Jatra in a small village called Thimi which comes under the municipality of Bhaktapur District.
We narrowed it down to three places – Kathmandu, Pokhara and Bandipur, all thanks to Instagram. It was April 14, 2017 around 10:30 PM when we landed in Kathmandu. After filling the demarcation form, we booked two taxis and headed towards our hotel in Thamel. The moment we reached Thamel, our driver told us that it was the Nepali New Year (2074), because of which the area was crowded and we had to walk beyond that point. It was indeed an experience in itself- loud music, young crowd, tourists from different countries and the decorated lanes. Amidst of all these, we finally reached to our hotel around 11:00 PM. The next morning when we opened our windows, much to our surprise, we saw a different Nepal from the one we saw last night.
If you have witnessed or heard of Sunburn parties or Holi of Braj Bhoomi, I can assure you that the festival of Sindoor Jatra is the mother of all those events. With madness all around and the locals singing songs on the beats of ancient musical instruments, dancing, enjoying their respective bottles of beer and making merry, I spoke to one of the shopkeepers to allow us to stand at the roof of his shop from where we could see the Jatra and click photographs. The moment this big procession crossed us, I thanked my lucky stars for making me witness this madness. I was shooting with both hands, with the camera in my right hand and recording the entire event using a cellphone from my left hand. The entire event lasted for an hour and has us all reeling with the ambience that it created.
Surrounding buildings (mostly hotels) were festooned with colorful banners hanging over the streets. The refined morning light was a bliss, promising beautiful days ahead. Though the hotel lane was narrow and congested, it still looked beautiful in the morning light. After breakfast, we went to explore the suburbs of Kathmandu specially Bhaktapur. On our way, we stopped at Thamel market to get a local cell phone connection. Bhaktapur is an ancient city in the east corner of Kathmandu Valley. Strangely, we
Post this event, we decided to explore the inner parts of that village. While clicking photographs of the event, the ladies and the children popping out of their beautifully designed windows touched me the most. I decided that from then onwards I was going to shoot only windows and doors and developed a story out of it. The beauty of this 200-years-old village cannot be defined in words. The people, their house and the doors and windows engraved with their rich culture blew my mind.
14 FEATURE
Jai Thakur, 30 and Business Research Analyst with one of the top rated Wall Street firms, started photography out of his passion for traveling and storytelling. Brought up in Bengdubi cantonment of Darjeeling district, he is now based in Delhi. His work has been selected and displayed at various art exhibitions and film festivals and has been published in various media platforms. He has won Honourable/Jury awards at the repute of International Photography Awards (Harmony) - 2018, Monochrome Black and White International Photography Awards 2017 & 2016 and International Photography Awards 2017 & 2016 among many others. Other than photography, he loves cooking and writing poems. You can find more of his work here: jaithakur.in, Blog: Ghumantra, Instagram: @jaithakurpix Leisure Day On The Streets Of Kathmandu Valley Nikon D810 120mm F/4 1/160 ISO125
Girl Welcoming Us In Bhaktapur Nikon D810 120mm F/4 1/200 ISO200
Window Conversation At Thimi Nikon D810 52mm F/4 1/400 ISO100
Colorful Shop Of Bhaktapur Nikon D810 65mm F/4 1/125 ISO80
Andrea Izzotti is an Italian photographer born in 1968. Passionate about travelling and nature, he has visited some of the most remote places of the planet and is always searching for “fragments of reality” to capture. His photo are, therefore, often the result of sudden intuition, little preparation and instant realization. “The nature is the best and the humblest artist, it’s up to us to try to pick up the endless differences of its proposals”, says Andrea Izzotti who is
Deep Down in the Heart of the Ocean - Andrea Izzotti
an emotion hunter. His photographic philosophy found him on the concept that to transmit an emotion it is necessary to get emotional about what you are viewing. So if while taking a shot you get touched by an image, you can transmit the same emotion to the spectator. White Pearl Teeth Nikon D810 24mm F/5.6 1/160 ISO400
Enchanted Garden Nikon D800E 60mm F/20 1/125 ISO200
Q. Which are your favorite places to travel for wildlife and underwater photography? A. My favorite place is the Indian Ocean. The best underwater place I have ever dived in is Raja Ampat, Papua, Indonesia. For macro photography, Cebu Island, in Philippines is great. For sharks and mantas, I love Maldives, and Cortez Sea in Mexico for sea lion encounters underwater. Q. Are there any specific techniques and equipments that you use while doing underwater photography? A. I use different techniques depending on the subject. Basically all my underwater photography is done in manual mode. I do love using a fisheye lens underwater and try to get very close to the subject. I use the fastest shutter speed possible (considering lights and depth) and use two underwater flashlights. I manually control the amount of light of flashes, starting from ¼ power arriving to full power depending on the subject, light situation and underwater visibility. I use flash light diffusers every time, for underwater landscapes I use very long flash arms, to avoid reflection on dome and water suspension reflection. For macro I usually prefer a 60mm lens, sometimes with the magnifier and very short flash arms. Sometimes I do ambient macro with fisheye. In that case, I shoot very close to the subject and use the inverse flash technique. Basically this means that I aim the flashes not on the subject but on the side of cameras. Subject, thanks to diffusors, takes the light, but the landscape also has a good light. Q. What has been your perception when it comes to marine life? Did you always love water so much? A. I do live in a town by the sea, so since I was young sea is part of my life, but I started diving in 2001 when I was already 33 years old. After the first moment underwater I realised that this world is really magic, and my eyes started to see it in a completely different way. Q. Which was the toughest shoot of your life and how did you manage to work it out? What has been your experience with sharks?
Dugong Sony DSC T1 7mm F/3.5 1/50 ISO100
A. The toughest shoot of my life has yet to come! All jokes apart, it has been a “downunder” shot in Indonesia. I was trying to take a picture of a whale shark underwater and a fisherman on the fishing platform above. It has been really difficult because you have to focus the subject underwater then raise the camera near the sea line (that became the “horizon”) and shoot in the fastest time you can, as you can imagine everything is moving: the shark, the fisher man...and the photographer. I had swum with sharks several times. After the movie “Jaws”, I was afraid of sharks, and like all the others, I had the feeling that a terrible monster coming from the deep blue would have dragged me to the most terrible of deaths. Only when I saw my first shark while diving, I overcame that fear. It was in red sea twenty years ago. I remember my buddy making the signal of a shark, the perpendicular right hand to the forehead as a fin. As soon as I saw the shark, it swam away, literally escaping from the group of divers. The knowledge is respect and we have to respect who live in the seas since thousand of years. The shark encounter is one of the thing I could recommend to everyone, since we can stop and observe the sinuosity of the majestic swim of a superb animal. Humans are not prey for the shark and every year only 2-3 deadly attacks are registered, while wasp, only in Europe, provokes 60 deaths. I had the confirmation when I dived with The Great White Shark near the Guadalupe Island, in Pacific Ocean. A sea lion approached two white sharks. I expected a bath of blood and an epic photo. The first shark has literally escaped away “with it’s tail between it’s legs”, while the seal swam to the other that ran away in opposite direction. That is when I realized that the shark is really not a scarecrow. Q. What are the animals you are looking forward to shoot in the upcoming years? A. I miss all the Africa fauna, so my aim is to travel that part of the world. I would also like to come back to the polar region to see polar bears again. For underwater photography, I would like to come back to the Kingdom of Tonga, to swim again with Humpback whales and go to Norway to swim with Orcas. Priyashi Negi priyashi@chiiz.com
20 FEATURE
Trekking in 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 with a sweet tooth (sweet-teeth rather) and a love for all things cheese (pun-intended).
The Offer Nikon D810 14mm F/8 1/320 ISO250
The Ghost Turtle Nikon D810 26mm F/11 1/3 ISO100
Mr. Muscle Nikon D800E 60mm F/18 1/200 SO200
Cormorant Hunt Nikon D810 16mm F/9 1/250 ISO200
Sardines Wall Nikon D810 16mm F/13 1/250 ISO250
Barracudas In The Air Canon 5D Mark IV 15mm F/13 1/100 ISO250
Living and working for the past 20 years as a professional diver in the Cayman Islands, Jason Washington has become the go-to underwater photographer in the Caribbean. His style represents the true nature of his surroundings, focusing on the unique tonality provided by one of mother-nature’s most challenging environments. Jason’s work has been featured on many platforms from National Geographic, to documentaries and feature films. For more of Jason’s work follow him on Instagram, or check out his new YouTube channel on underwater photography tips.
Hawksbill Close Up Canon 5D Mark IV 15mm F/8 1/125 ISO160
Underwater Umbrella Canon 5D Mark III 15mm F/13 1/125 ISO2000
Bathing In Light Canon 5D Mark IV 14mm F/13 1/100 ISO400
Surface Light Turtle Canon 5D Mark IV 15mm F/13 1/100 ISO800
Stingray Grey Gull Canon 5D Mark IV 15mm F/4 1/100 ISO100
Blue Eyes Triplefins SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/11 1/250 ISO80
Simone Matucci is a PADI diving instructor from Italy, born in Florence and has travelled the world accumulating lots of dives in differents places like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Honduras. He has a deep passion for the ocean and has always been fascinated by the sea and all of its marine inhabitants. He started underwater photography a year and a half ago, and says that it is a huge world where there is always something new to learn. He actually works for a dive company (Dive!Tutukaka) in New Zealand, particularly oriented on marine conservation and banning plastics, so he has learnet a lot about environmental awareness and he hopes that by capturing the beauty of various marine life, he will be able to spread awareness about the dangerous state that our oceans are now in. The equipment he used for all his pictures is the compact camera SONY RX100 Mark4 in aluminium Housing Aquapazza with wide/macro wet lens, 2 strobes Sea&sea YS-D2. Show Me Your Smile SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/4 1/125 ISO125
Scorpion Fish And His Big Mouth SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/6.3 1/250 ISO150
Free Dive In A Tornado Of Blue MaoMao SONY RX100M lV 8.80mm F/5.6 1/125 ISO200
Cuddle Time SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/7.1 1/250 ISO100
Jellyfish At Middle Arch SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/11 1/160 ISO80
Dancing With The Giants SONY RX100 Mark lV 8.80mm F/7.1 1/400 ISO100
Picasso Triggerfish Nikon D7200 24mm F/29 1/15 ISO100
Henley Spiers is an underwater photographer, writer and diving instructor with an all-consuming passion for the sea. His images have been awarded in numerous competitions, including the Sony World Photography Awards, Asia Pacific UW Challenge and the Underwater Photographer of the Year contest. He is a regular contributor to Diver magazine with numerous cover shots to his name. Conservation plays an important part in his philosophy and he collaborates with the Marine Conservation Society, Mission Blue and the Devon and Cornwall Wildlife Trusts. He is half British half French and lives in Exeter with his fiancĂŠe (and favourite dive buddy) Jade and their daughter Apolline. Henley runs personalized underwater photography tours and workshops combining his love for diving, teaching and underwater photography. You can find more of his work at: henleyspiers.com, Facebook: @henleyspiersphotography, Instagram: @henleyspiersphoto
Cuttlefish Swirl Nikon D7200 60mm F/5.6 1/125 ISO320
Lizardfish With Cleaner Shrimp Nikon D7200 105mm F/16 1/320 ISO200
Three False Clown Anemonefish Nikon D850 70mm F/22 1/8 ISO64
Yellowhead Jawfish Nikon D7200 105mm F/13 1/320 ISO100
Blenny Nikon D7200 105mm F/22 1/320 ISO100
Brain Coral Planet Nikon D7200 17mm F/16 1/250 ISO100
Battle Of The Tompots Nikon D7200 60mm F/4.5 1/125 ISO100
Movie Review The Salt of the Earth
Duration: 110 minutes IMDB Rating: 8.4/10 Released: 2014 Starring: Sebastiao Salgado, Hugo Barbier Directed: Julianao Riberio Salgado and Wim Wenders Genre: Biography/History Documentary
Bringing Life to a Film About Photographs — and Healing a Father-Son Relationship. The Salt of the Earth, a documentary portrait of Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Ribeiro Salgado made by his son Juliano and German director Wim Wenders. As the story revolves around, the Brazilian-born Salgado originally studied economics and worked for the World Bank in France after being exiled from his home country in 1969, before deciding to give it all up in order to pursue a career in photography . After his first major project, a photographic chronicle of South America that allowed him to at least get near to his homeland, he began a series of expansive projects in which he used his keen eye and ability to create striking images to create works that allowed viewers to bear witness to glimmers of hope and humanity in the face of almost unimaginable misery. “The Workers,” for example, famously illustrated such locations as a massive Sierra Pelada mine and the countless people employed to dig out the gold in the hopes that their back-breaking labor will one day pay off and the burning oil fields of Kuwait in the wake of Desert Storm. “Sahel,” which he produced in conjunction with Doctors Without Borders, looked at the famine in Ethiopia and the attempt by many to journey to what they hoped to be a better life in the Sudan. In a similar vein, “Exodus” looked at the plight of refugees from Rwanda and Yugoslavia during their respective troubles in the Nineties. Salgado’s work explored natural environments and the humans who inhabit them. His black and white photographs illuminated how the environment and humans are exploited to maximize profit for the global economic market. The lens revolves around Salgado as he began his career as an economist with his wife, Lelia. She bought a camera, and Salgado discovered his love for photography. Following the timeline of his life, the film uses his own photos and videos to illustrate Salgado’s life and work beginning with his exile from Brazil and his subsequent transition from economist to artist and explorer Salgado began working full time as a photographer in 1973, first news photography then documentary style, with Lelia supporting him. As he moves towards South America and exploring the neighboring countries and native places of Brazil, broke the connection with modern world and got indulge more into photographing native tribes. The film contains recollections from childhood of a father who was absent much of the time and the times he accompanied his 36 CLASSICS
father on trips to discover who Salgado was beyond his childhood conception. As he covers his path towards Sehel region of Africa, showcased some of the depriving and heartbreaking video and photographs. He documented the largest ever refugee camps and the innumerable deaths that occurred there, from hunger, cholera, and cold. His work covering Africa brought worldwide attention to the region and the underlying causes. The whole frame of the lens covers the 40 years of Salgado’s work and captured his journey from South America, to Africa, Europe and to Arctic and back to his home Brazil. This journey with a new subject is a refreshing material for the audience as the film tells “how beauty of emotions can be captured” and “how to followup your dreams”. This film with totally different vision window depicts an artist in a particular field to figure out a way to channel that person’s craft into meaningful cinematic . Conclusion: This documentary is ultimately about the powerlessness of photography with regard to both the misery and richness of the world, so while ethics is never discussed or revealed without vagueness , it is the indeed the driving force of the film. “The Salt of the Earth”, one of the nominees for Oscar as a Best Documentary. It is a visually stunning and oftentimes affecting tribute to one artist to another . It is, hence, a movie worth investing our time into, probably not just a movie, but a guided journey of a photographer along with misery and richness of the world.
Disha Tomar disha@chiiz.com Disha is a driven original who paves her way to be on cloud nine. Disha is as equally invested in her personal relationships as she is in her professional ones and knows how to balance both. An ambitious girl, she knows exactly where she wants to be and how to reach there.
Andrey Shpatak was born in Russia in a village on the coast of the Sea of Japan. He started underwater photography, in 1998, with a simple underwater camera a “Nikonos-5�, complete with wide-angle and close-up lens. He became a 38 TRIGGERS
PADI MSDT in November 2011 andalso participated in the Asian championship of underwater photography on Cebu City (Philippines).He got third place in the “Wide� and two of his photos reached the final in the other two sections. Jellyfish Cyanea Capillata Russia, Japan Sea Nikon D800 15mm F/13 1/60 ISO400
Jellyfish Chrysaora Pacifica, Japan Sea Nikon D80 17mm F/25 1/125 ISO100
Jellyfish Philippines, Cebu Nikon D700 15mm F/16 1/125 ISO200
Jellyfish Polyorchis Karafuto Ensis, Japan Sea Nikon D800 60mm F/16 1/125 ISO200
Jellyfish Mastigias Papua, Palau Nikon D70 17mm F/10 1/125 ISO200
Jellyfish Size 20 mm, Japan Sea Nikon D800 60mm F/20 1/125 ISO320
Jellyfish Aurelia Limbata, Japan Sea Nikon D800 15mm F/11 1/60 ISO640
Jellyfish Aurelia Aurita, Japan Sea Nikon D800 15mm F/13 1/320 ISO320
Jellyfish Aurelia Limbata, Japan Sea Nikon D800 15mm F/14 1/60 ISO400
Two master predators of the Arthropod World
Jumping Spiders: These are right up there, as one of the top predators among arthropods. If at all a comparison of sorts is needed, I think it would be safe to say that they are the ‘Tigers’ in the world of arthropods. They don’t build webs to capture their prey. Majority of the jumping spiders don’t lie in wait for the unsuspecting prey to come by. Instead, they actively go looking for one. They are masters at stalking. Slowly and stealthily they close in on their potential prey and at that opportune moment, with one quick dash, grasp and bite, bring it down, very much like a big cat, a Tiger more so, as these are solitary hunters too! Jumping spiders have all the qualities that are needed to be a successful hunters. Powerful sight, stealth and speed enable them to bring down prey, often bigger in size than themselves. They have four pair of eyes, just like most of the other spiders. However, the arrangement and their size relative to the jumper’s overall body size, is what makes them different. Two pair of eyes in the front and two pair on top of their head ( cephalothorax ). These eyes together, create a field of vision that is almost 360 degrees. With them, they are able to detect the slightest of movements around them and act accordingly. If you try to move back and forth or sideways while looking at a jumper, you will see that they too respond by tracking your movement. In addition to help detecting movement, their eyes help in assessing distance between them and their target. Very powerful vision indeed. A jumping spider may be anywhere between 1 and 22 mm in body length. Mind you, ‘millimeter’, but
Goggled Guy Jumping Spider Nikon D800 105mm F/16 1/320 ISO1000
with loads of attitude all the same. Among jumping spiders, size definitely doesn’t matter !! An internal, hydraulic kind of system, enables them to make those quick jumps and they can be really fast when required, thus giving them the much needed speed to dash towards their prey. Jumpers are the true inspiration for Spiderman. Just like all spiders, they do have silk producing glands at the rear end of their abdomens. They use silk to create drop lines, to hold on to in case of a fall during hunt or for generally moving around, as bridges between disconnected places in their paths. So does the spider man, just that they made him spurt out silk from his wrists, as it would have been quite inappropriate for him to do so from the rear. Jumping spiders also use the silk to make small webs, commonly underneath the leaves wherein they take shelter and also lay their eggs. As mentioned before, they are very skilled at stalking their prey. Their strong vision and distance assessment abilities aid a lot in this. And the drop lines of silk help in situations like this. After catching a big prey, if the jumper is unable to control it, it might drop but will safely be hanging down by the thin strand of silk, while still holding onto it kill. Jumpers are notorious hunters and hunt other jumping spiders too. Jumping spiders are very aggressive, agile and efficient hunters. Their powerful vision and attitude give them a great ability to interact with their environment in a very effective way. They can, without a question be considered as the master predators in the world of arthropods.
Jumper And A Leaf Nikon D800 105mm F/14 1/250 ISO180
Jumping Spider On Yellow Peacock Flower Bulb Nikon D800 105mm F/13 1/250 ISO2000
Jumping Spider Nikon D90 105mm F/9 1/200 ISO640
Spider Hangs Onto Its Kill By A Thin Thread Nikon D90 105mm F/8 1/125 ISO800
Jumping Spider With Orb Spider Kill Nikon D800 105mm F/11 1/200 ISO100
“A jumping spider may be anywhere between 1 and 22 mm in body length. Mind you, ‘millimeter’, but with loads of attitude all the same.”
Jumping Spider Nikon D90 105mm F/16 1/125 ISO500
Jumper Kills Ant-Mimic Spider Nikon D800 105mm F/13 1/160 ISO400
Jumper Kills Jumper Nikon D800 105mm F/13 1/160 ISO500
Santhosh Krishnamoorthy He is a passionate naturalist and an award winning nature photographer. He likes to observe and document the interesting aspects of nature and its inhabitants using photography as a medium. He runs Birdwing Travel & Photography where he mentors budding and amateur nature photographers. Visit birdwing.in to know more about the various photography tours and workshops that he runs. He also posts as @ksanthosh.photography on Instagram and blogs @framesofnature.com
Mantis The Poser Nikon D800 105mm F/13 1/250 ISO360
Praying Mantis Showsoff Its Kill Nikon D800 105mm F/10 1/160 ISO1000
46 TRIGGERS
Mantis Kills Another Mantis Nikon D800 105mm F/16 1/160 ISO200
Bark Mantis Camouflage Nikon D90 105mm F/8 1/50 ISO2000
Mantis Hatchlings Nikon D800 105mm F/8 1/200 ISO1250
Praying Mantis: Here’s another family of arthropods that are as much, if not more notorious hunters, as the jumpers. They are the Mantises. Mantis, more popularly known as the Praying Mantis (owing to the way it’s front pair of legs are held, raised up as if in a position of prayer) also depends on powerful vision and stealth for hunting and has the necessary equipment for getting the job done. It’s huge, widely spaced and laterally positioned eyes provide a spread out field of vision. A flexible joint at the intersection of its head and the thorax region enables the mantis to swivel its head a full 180 degrees! This helps it to be very aware of its surroundings and spot any potential prey very effectively. The powerful, slightly elongated pair of forelegs are divided into a couple of folding sections and are adorned with sharp, saw-toothed, spikes. These help in capturing and securely holding on to its prey. With one quick swipe of its spiked forelegs, a mantis is capable of snapping the head out of its prey, all too easily. If I were an insect on the food menu of a mantis, I would be very, very prudent and keep my distance. In addition to the above, some of the species of mantises have the ability to camouflage very well. This, along with their ability to stay completely motionless, makes them quite literally, invisible in their environment. As they depend on sight for hunting, they are mostly diurnal (active during the day) hunters. Also, most of them do not chase around their prey. Instead, they prefer using their camouflage and stillness to lie in wait for an unsuspecting prey to wander within reach. And,
Praying Mantis Egg Case Nikon D800 105mm F/10 1/250 ISO1250
when one does fall in their zone, they snap it up in a flash and start feeding on it, almost instantly. They use the powerful mandibles in their mouthparts, to chew out the prey while securely gripping on to it with one of their spiked forelegs. The other foreleg could be used to dismember the prey. Very, very raw but very effective. They are not prejudiced about their menu per se. They do sometimes eat their own kind, when such an opportunity comes by. Size does seem to matter in this case. The smaller mantis here had no chance against a much bigger opponent. A female mantis deposits her eggs usually on a stalk of a plant or a stem. Sometimes, they seem to use strange places, like here, it has used the grills of a mosquito net in my house. After laying the eggs, the female covers them with some kind of a Styrofoam-like material it secretes, which hardens into a protective shell. This egg case or the ‘ootheca’, provides very effective protection against external elements.After time, tiny mantises slowly begin emerging from the egg case. One or two heads start popping out. Soon, there is a bunch of them, teeming all over the place. The newly emerged mantis nymphs look very similar to a bunch of ants. They use this similarity as protection against predation and also as a way to be among ants and use them as a source of their food. These tiny mantis nymphs are instinctively aggressive, right from the start and could eat their siblings if food is scarce. Once out, slowly they start dispersing and are on their way to run, on their cycle of life.
Mantis Hatchlings Hanging Onto The Egg Case Nikon D90 105mm F/11 1/200 ISO400
Old is Gold Louis Marie-Auguste Boutan A pioneer in the field of underwater photography Most photos are worth a thousand words. Underwater ones are worth at least a million. There’s a lot of what we see above the land but there’s a deeper existence below the sea. Underwater photography brings all those existences to us in pictures. On records, the first underwater photograph was taken by William Thompsom & Mr Kenyon in 1856 but officially the work began in the year 1893. The year 1893, marked an accomplishing milestone in the timeline of photography and more precisely, in the genre of underwater photography. Frenchman Louis Boutan came up with a brilliantly developed equipment with his engineer brother, Auguste. Him being a marine biologist brought him opportunities to dive and explore the world beneath the waves. It is well said that if you are enthusiastic enough to follow what you are doing, you will surely come across a beautiful aspect of the same and that very thing will be your belonging. So attracted and inspired was Boutan with the life underwater that he wanted this to be portrayed to the world above the surface. This is when he got an idea of making a blue print of underwater equipment with his brother that allowed some adjustments to the diaphragm, plates and shutter. The hard work paid off the same year and Boutan started working on his experiments. Like every other experiment, this one also had to face many failures. The problem was in the element of lighting as backend flash photography required oxygen. In this needful time M. Chouffer came into the picture and helped Boutan to create an alternative way to whatever was missing by trying to make a bulb just to find out if this method was hazardous. With failed experiments of clearing the need of an alternative with a bulb, the idea of flashbulb came up from Boutan’s assistant Joseph David which had more reliability but the only disadvantageous fact was that it had to be attached to a wooden barrel thus adding a factor of inconvenience. One established usage of elements systematically led to Boutan’s passion to come up with more compact and more portable flashes, smaller camera boxes and improved lenses. Boutan’s passion didn’t stop only with photography. He
has also written a book “La Photographie sous-marine et les progrès de la photographie” which talks about his journey to what the world knows today with some of the pictures that he had clicked throughout and also included several of his illustrations. This book is one of the most reliable books for all the underwater photographers. When photographer clicks a picture, he doesn’t objectifies it but gives it some subjective factors which creates a story so connected that pleases the eyes of the viewer. Throughout his journey, from being a biologist to a photographer, Boutan did justice to whatever he did. Despite the fact that his journey in photography was gaining momentum he also did amazingly well as a biologist. He had done emmense research in rice cultivation and pearl oysters which made him one of the most sought after people to investigate this subject. He had been named Director of Station Biologique d’Arcachon after the many researches that he had conducted. Boutan is seen to be a passionate energetic man who was in eager watch of opportunities to exploit his own talents and skills. Besides writing a book, he had an article published “The Century Illustrated” Magazine in which he showcased his skills behind the cameras, some illustration describing his devices and some of his underwater clicks. He always believed in spreading awareness of what one has acknowledged and acted on it very generously. He has mentioned in his book that those undersea landscapes had made him wonder how will he ever carry what he sees deep below the seawater & will it ever be justifiable to what he really visualizes. It is always what a good diver always falls in the thoughts of. Once in a while the photographs around leave us amazed and with the growing technology and the features in the compact phones that we hold in our hands, even with very less knowledge of photography one can end up clicking a good picture. But underwater photography is one such genre of photography that needs a lot more focus on the subtle details and next time when you go diving to capture some underwater pictures, remember Boutan to put all this in a railing track of events to make the magic happen.
Shimran Epari simran@chiiz.com
48 CLASSICS
Shimran is an exceptional thinker and an excessively expressive person. She is passionate towards literature and enjoys writing as a medium of expressing thoughts. Shimran is also a good orator with an excellent grip over language and is skillful while handling an audience
50 FEATURE
Diversified Blues - Anup J Kat
Anup J Kat is the main man and chief optimist at First December Films. His encounter with photography, in true poetic passion-story-style, was pure chance. For Anup, more than shooting great photos, it’s about being able to capture a special memory in a completely unique way. When he isn’t busy shooting weddings, you’re likely to find him diving into some deep ocean, photographing magically elusive marine life. Wanderers Canon 5D Mark IV 16mm F/14 1/200 ISO500
Q. What has been your experience with underwater photography? A. From my first breath underwater to finding new and interesting marine life it’s been a beautiful experience. When it comes to photographing underwater, it’s not very different from shooting on land. One of the most important skills one should have to shoot underwater is to be comfortable and to be a good diver. I have so much more to experience and photograph. My journey has just started. Q. How do you train yourself for this kind of photography, especially with gears? A. The most important part of shooting underwater is to be a good diver. One must learn how to dive well. Find a good dive school/instructor. Practice your buoyancy well and perfect it. When it comes to gears, you will need an underwater housing for the camera you already own. Most cameras have an underwater housing which can be bought from the same manufacturer or from a 3rd party manufacturer. Knowing your camera gear well is very important. Safety! Learning how to dive and knowing your limits is very very important.
Without You! Canon 5D Mark II 17mm F/22 1/125 ISO160
Q. Which one is do you prefer, wedding or underwater photography and why? A. I love weddings. Weddings are fun, beautiful and you get to meet a lot of new and interesting people. Oh and especially the wedding food I love! Underwater photography for me is not only to capture the marine life or just for good images. I feel the need to show people around me what they don’t see everyday. Telling them stories through the images I have shot. Being underwater is also a time of peace. Q. What is the concept behind First December Films and what is your USP? A. First december films is an inspirational date. It was the date when one of the 1st commercial movies was shown to the world in the year 1903 on the 1st of December. The movie is called “The Great Train Robbery!” We love cinema and this just made sense. FDF is an amazing place to work at. The producer Ganesh Pareek, director Atul Kattukaran and I have done films we relate to and films where the subject is well known to us. Even though it’s a fun place to work at, when a project is in the team is very focused. Q. Are there any new projects that you are working on and would like to share with our readers? A. Haha! We are working on a bunch of things but I can’t talk about it. But I can tell you we have a bunch of very interesting work coming up soon.
Saransh Pithauria saransh@chiiz.com Saransh who found his passion in photography, tells a story in each and every picture that he takes. He understands the science behind his art and also the meaning behind it. His creativity brings out the true meaning behind his images. One can clearly see the vivid imagination and thought put into his pictures.
Chasing Coral Canon 5D Mark III 35mm F/10 1/100 ISO1600
“From my first breath underwater to finding new and interesting marine life it’s been a beautiful experience.” - Anup J Kat
Gang Up! Canon 5D Mark II 17mm F/7.1 1/320 ISO500
Wet White Land Canon 5D Mark III 19mm F/10 1/160 ISO1000
Wonder Forever Canon 5D Mark IV 35mm F/22 1/160 ISO100
Voodoo Dive Canon 5D Mark IV 16mm F/11 1/200 ISO500
Estefi / Other Dimensions Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/4 1/200 ISO200
56 TRIGGERS
Aaron / Into The Blue Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/9 1/200 ISO100
Michael DK is the man behind ‘Suahuatica’ underwater freediving/art photography. His mission is to share the beauty of the underwater world and the almost meditative experience of free diving in the sea and clear lakes. ”It’s another world and another dimension that can be easily explored by the people on this planet with a bit of training. It’s a mysterious, dark blue place. Sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s wild. It can be unforgiving, dangerous but it is almost always very rewarding - physically, spiritually and visually” says Micheal. According to him underwater photography comes with it’s own set of technical and mental challenges - nothing ever goes quite as planned. He particularly loves to photograph in caves for their surreal lighting and clearer waters; although they are more dangerous than open waters. The images shown were created through a combination of experience, luck (sic) and hard work. And, of course, only made possible by the talented models who patiently held their breaths! You can see more of his underwater frames on Instagram @suahuatica. Maryna / Lost Treasure Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/3.5 1/500 ISO100
Miguel / Divine Blast Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/8 1/250 ISO100
“Sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s wild. It can be unforgiving, dangerous but it is almost always very rewarding physically, spiritually and visually” - Michael DK Veronica / Goddess Of The Caves Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/3.5 1/250 ISO200
Veronica Flying Angels Sony Alpha 6000 16mm F/3.5 1/200 ISO200
Fabrice Guerin is a 50-years-old wildlife photographer living in Paris, but spends a lot of time in Marseille. He was always passionate about wildlife documentaries since a young age. “This world is fascinating because nature is prioritized over all. An animal doesn’t lie, it’s authentic.” That’s what he likes. He began photography in a forest near his house in France with a reflex and a telephoto lens. There he began to explore new places and tried new genres like macro photography. A few years later, he got the opportunity to try scuba diving and discovered a new dimension, a new world. 60 TRIGGERS
By doing wildlife photography, he learnt to be patient, to watch animals and to understand their behaviour. For him, the key is the ability to come across animals, because it’s the animal who decides, not you. He usually does his research to knows the ideal places to find a certain species. But sometimes, they see nothing for days and days: “Nature’s like that, wild and unpredictable” he says. He photographs by instinct and trusts his luck trying to be in the right place at the right time. The photo should tell a story, arouse feelings and questions: that’s what he’s looking for. Vertical Happiness Canon 5D Mark III 16mm F/8 1/400 ISO800
Gentle Giant Canon 5D mark III 15mm F/8 1/500 ISO800
Sardine Run Canon 5D mark III 16mm F/8 1/250 ISO250
In The Heart Of Jurassic Canon 5D mark III 16mm F/8 1/125 ISO640
The Twins Canon 5D mark III 24mm F/8 1/640 ISO800
The Hunter Canon 5D mark III 24mm F/4.5 1/640 ISO800
Devil’s Smile Canon 5D mark III 24mm F/7.1 1/320 ISO800
Follow Me Canon 5D mark III 24mm F/6.3 1/250 ISO400
64 TRIGGERS
The Intimidator Canon 5D Mark III 100mm F/29 1/160 ISO200
Yellow Tail Canon 5D Mark III 15mm F/11 1/80 ISO320
Photography and scuba diving are Beth’s passions. She adores the ocean and everything it has to offer and Strivies to capture images that are unique, creative and thought-provoking by illustrating the beauty and wonders of the sea. Ultimately, she hopes to raise awareness and inspire others to conserve and preserve our ocean environment. Beth is fascinated by it all. She enjoys the challenges of photographing wide-angle reefs and wrecks but also has the deepest adoration for the tiniest animals in the sea. Being a bit of a perfectionist, she is continually learning and experimenting with lighting, techniques and equipment. Her motivation comes from those around her, who support and their encouragement is a source of inspiration. Beth is an international multi-award winning photographer, a judge for international photo competitions, and invited guest speaker at dive exhibitions. Her images have been published in books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, websites and have been selected for juried art exhibitions.
Safe House Canon 5D Mark III 15mm F/13 1/125 ISO320
Aqua Fire Canon 5D Mark III 100mm F/29 1/125 ISO160
Surreal Seahorse Canon 5D Mark III 100mm F/10 1/30 ISO160
Grumpy Canon 5D Mark III 100mm F/18 1/160 ISO160
Photography Club of India was created on 2nd July, 2015 as a Facebook Page to give a platform to beginners, amateurs and professional photographers so that everyone can showcase their work. Today, they have 41000+ members and are growing steadily. They have so far conducted two international exhibitions with more than 130 entries from different countries. Their last exhibition was in collaboration with Chiiz Magazine, held at the Academy of Fine Arts where they had more than 2500 entries from different countries from which only 130 entries were selected and 25 were awarded. Apart from the exhibitions, they regularly conduct photo walks and workshops, the last of which was on Street Photography held at Kolkata with the support from Tamron. Photography Club of India have another international show coming up in December at the Academy of Fine Arts in collaboration with Chiiz. Meanwhile, every month they will conduct workshops on Street, Portrait, Model shoots and Nature.
WINNER
Asaf Ud Daula Dhaka, Bangladesh
Journey NIKON D7000 18.0mm F/11 1/30 ISO100
Street
1st Runner Up
Head To Head Canon 1000D 25mm F/7.1 1/50 ISO100
Anupam Roy Chowdhury Kolkata, India
2nd Runner Up
Destiny Nikon D800 55mm F/4 1/8000 ISO400
Sandeep Raj Hyderabad, India
Portrait
1st Runner Up
Subhajyoti Chatterjee Kolkata, India
2nd Runner Up
GSon Biswas Dhaka, Bangladesh
Gloomy Eyes Nikon D3300 35mm F/1.8 1/800 ISO100
The Tale of a Happy Man Canon 7D 10mm F/4 1/640 ISO200
WINNER
Anindita Roy Dhaka, Bangladesh
Ornamented Woman Nikon D5500 18mm F/5.3 1/200 ISO250
Landscape
1st Runner Up
Blessings Canon 5D Mark III 82mm F/5 1/640 ISO100
2nd Runner Up
The Wrecked Samsung S8 4.2mm F/1.7 1/310 ISO40
1st Runner Up
Footloose Nikon D7000 18mm F/7.1 1/125 ISO100
2nd Runner Up
Dream Canon 60D 18mm F/5.6 1/40 ISO500
Raghav Gautam Delhi, India
WINNER
Ab Rashid Dhaka, Bangladesh
Cross Canon 700D 8mm F/5 1/640 ISO200
Sreejit Karimbil Kerala, India
Artificial Light
Santu Adhikary Kolkata, India
WINNER
Sanhita Bhattacharjee Kalyanpur, India
Devi NIKON D7000 35mm F/2 1/2000 ISO640
Pankaj Chakraborty Kolkata, India
Social
1st Runner Up
Ashutosh Tripathi Lucknow, India
Chehlum Jaloos Canon 5D Mark III 185mm F/2.8 1/800 ISO320
WINNER
2nd Runner Up
Joy Mukhopadhyay Kolkata, India
PRONAM
Anat Shushan Israel
Mother’s Courage Canon 70D 18mm F/3.5 1/100 ISO3200
Wildlife
1st Runner Up
Awesome Threesome Canon 1200D 160mm F/5.6 1/500 ISO200
2nd Runner Up
Please Save Me Canon 60D 55mm F/8 1/320 ISO250
Rifat Zayoed Dhaka, Bangladesh
Partha Chakraborty Maynaguri, India
WINNER
Abhiroop Gosh Dastidar Bangalore, India
Twin Brothers’ Serenity Nikon D500 150mm F/5.6 1/800 ISO100
In-Street is a collective of passionate street and documentary photographers, mainly based out of India, sharing a common passion – “walking the streets, seeing the seemingly common life around us in different, unusual and original ways and representing the same through our own visual language”. It is committed to promote the works of the In-Street members and the overall street photography in India and beyond. In-Street also encourages other photographers to participate in different street photography programs, which will be showcased on In-Street website. Finally, it is a platform for collective learning and growing together as photographers. The In-Street Collective members are Manish Khattry (Varanasi), Saumalya Ghosh (Kolkata), Raj Sarkar (Kolkata), Sankar Ghose (Kolkata), Swarat Ghosh (Hyderabad), Zahir Abbas (Gurgaon), Jayati Saha (Kolkata) and Sreeranj Sreedhar (Dubai).
Contest Theme : FACELESS Contest Month : May, 2018
Leica Q 28mm F/11 1/1250 ISO400
For the Winning Photograph This image expresses perfect interpretation of the theme ‘faceless’. The positioning of the fried egg replacing the head of the man gives an impression of someone from another planet. The perfect light has taken this image to a different level. In-street Collective
WINNER Yves Vernin France
Nikon D5200 18mm F/16 1/500
1st Runner Up
Sydul Islam Sayed Bangladesh
FUJIFILM X-Pro1 18mm F/9 1/500
2nd Runner Up Forrest Walker Vietnam
App of the Month Facetune
Rating: 4/5 Platform: iOS/Android Cost: Free
Photography, at its best, is one of the most powerful means of capturing the gawkiest moments and all the heartfelt emotions. While, photography is the effective way of framing the world around us, the after effects have become equally prevalent. Editors have the ability to intensify and dilute the details and makes the photographs spellbinding, by tweaking the pictures a little. Over the years the technology advancement has improved and made the world more affordable and reachable to us. While photographers, commercials and magazines use some really expensive tools for post processing. Facetune provides us with a myriad of features that help you to squeeze out the best possible edited image. For every picture, we could use some touch-up, improve lighting, add a little more texture and test the image with some extreme variations. They pack a lot of features and are at par with lightweight desktop editors. Facetune is an app that is used especially with portraits and selfies. It provides us with all the pro features that lets you bend and transform a very basic click into a professional appearing shot. The app has features of a full-blown image editor and provides us with excellent built-in tutorials that gives a chance to familiarize with the app and introduces you to its manifold features. With a simple and minimalistic super intuitive interface it gives quick, easy and powerful editing on devices. The reason Facetune is such a standout is because of the sheer number of options you have for customizing your photos. It lets you brighten up and ameliorate your perfect intrinsic smile through widening or further refinement. It brings to you all the tools to achieve immaculate skin along with perfect hair-do and vivid shades of makeup with blush, volumes of lashes, tinch of shades to the colour of your lips and teeth whitening characteristic. Facetune helps you treat red and white-eye effect, reshapes the nose and enlarges or contracts the specified area of an image. This app doesn’t let its users settle for just
the unsullied beautifying characteristics; rather, on top of usual cropping and rotation, it also features options that allows you to modify perspective, depth of field, curves and brightness. To have an everlasting effect on the viewer, it allows us to defocus the background, improves the lighting, adds custom filters and special effects along with re-dimensioning of the image. Once you are done with editing, you can save your creation to the gallery, share it using social media or send it as an email. The upgraded version of Facetune is still limited to iOS supporting JPEG and PNG file type. It comes with enhanced portrait retouching tools and localized brushing effect. It has strong face recognition that supports the editing and improved skin toning and blemishing effect. Though it has limited support to social media and falls on the pricey side to avail all the features, the included elements provides a limitless bound of options. Chiiz Opinion In the ever-advancing world full of extrinsic expressions a photo editing application could always come handy to make yourself look perfect even on your imperfect days. Especially for the inquisitive minds, it comes with an option to undo any of the previously applied enhancements which altogether makes it extremely engaging and a capable app. Vishakha Jha vishakha@chiiz.com
74 TOOLS
Believer in magic of words and power of pronoia, that’s who Vishakha is. On a crusade to discover the marvel of life, she is the ever glowing shimmer of hope. Her idea of perfect living includes tea in cold December morning with her choice of literature.
CHIIZ GALLERY To get published, upload your photos on chiiz.com
WINNER Street Contest Ratagnik Bhattacharya Kolkata, India
Layers Of The Mind Fujifilm X-T1 18mm F/9 1/180 ISO500
Bird Man Nikon D7200 32mm F/9 1/320 ISO1000
1st Runner Up Debrani Das Wisconsin, USA
2nd Runner Up Shweta Agarwal Mumbai, India
The Lady In Red Canon 6D 191mm F/2.8 1/1000 ISO100
* Previously published in chiiz magazine
Street Contest
WINNER Sarathi Thamodaran Tamil Nadu, India
Powerful Eyes SONY ILCE-6000 50mm F/1.8 1/500 ISO200
* Published as the cover of chiiz magazine
1st Runner Up Sanket Khuntale Mumbai, India
2nd Runner Up Udday Bhattacharya Kolkata, India
Black & White Contest
The Indifest SONY ILCE-6000 50mm F/1.8 1/500 ISO200
Happy Gossip NIKON D610 31mm F/5 1/640 ISO400
Pune Photography Contest
WINNER Partha Chakroborty Kolkata, India
Please Save Me (The Last Call) Canon 60D 250mm F/8 1/320 ISO250
1st Runner Up Sharad Patil Maharashtra, India
Model….? Brick Factory Girl Canon Rebel T3i 157mm F/5 1/320 ISO800
* Also a winner in the PCOI Contest
2nd Runner Up Raghav Gautam Delhi, India
80 CHIIZ GALLERY
The Perfect Countryside Home Canon 5D Mark III 24mm F/4 1/640 ISO100
Gilded Soul Canon 550D 50mm F/9 1/200 ISO100
Tarun Gupta is a glamour and commercial photographer based in India, with over 10 years of experience in art & design, CGI and photography industry. He graduated from Centennial College, Toronto, in 2007 with majors in digital design and creative arts and that’s where he got acquainted with photography and direction. He started his career as a creative director and a CGI artist but shifted towards photography full time from 2015, after which he founded NSPD Studios and Northeastern School of Photography & Design. He is now working as a glamour and conceptual photographer and retoucher with a magnitude of models, designers and even global organizations like Adidas.
82 TRIGGERS
Light Canvas Canon 80D 100mm F/5 1/200 ISO 100
Heart On Fire Canon 80D 65mm F/7.1 1/200 ISO100
Akshee Canon 6D 84mm F/9 1/160 ISO100
Gleaming Light Canon 80D 50mm F/1.8 1/125 ISO400
Shadow Cage Canon 80D 50mm F/1.8 1/125 ISO400
Stats Bust 32.7” Waist 24.8” Hip 36.6” Height 5’9”
Model of the Month Katerina Bolinger is based in Moscow and is an international fashion model. She started her career in modelling in 2011 but took a sabbatical and resumed her career in 2018. Inspite of taking a break, she is very much in demand. She has walked in the Mercedes Fashion Week in Moscow, was in the cover of one of the Russian magazines and has worked with different brands of swimwear and lingerie in Russia and Spain. She dreams of becoming a Victoria’s Secret model, cover girl of PlayBoy and Maxim magazines and of creating her own swimwear brand.
84 HALL OF FAME
Clicked By: Fedor Simm
Clicked By: Margo Serebryakova, IG @margo4kas
Clicked By: Katerina Morozova, IG @kataka_ka
Clicked By: Margo Serebryakova, IG @margo4kas
Clicked By: Tatiana Goydenko, IG @tati_goydenko
Clicked By: Alex Talyuka, IG @talyuka_alex
Clicked By: Margo Serebryakova, IG @margo4kas
Eye For An Eye Canon 5D Mark III 85mm F/3.5 1/80 ISO400
Instillating Thoughts Randy Rocket, an artist and a freelance photographer shares his work and views on conceptual photography Q. First of all, how do you come up with all the creative ideas for your photoshoots? A. Inspiration is everywhere. I try to do as much non-job related activities as possible. I believe that only a free mind can be creative. Traveling and meditation works as well. Q. There is a very clear audacity in your work, but there is also the fact that the society needs to see it. What do you have to say about it? A. For me there’s nothing more boring than photography without a meaning. Some pictures are just beautiful, but you forget them after a few seconds. I like to tickle the mind of the viewer, it’s not relevant if you like the picture or not. But it triggers something in your mind, and gives you something to think about. So if you want or not, you have to deal with it, think about it and maybe it changes your point of view. Q. In your field of work, a model should be as comfortable as the photographer. How do you achieve it during the shoots? A. I’m very down to earth, and that’s how I treat my models as well. Avoiding stress with a good set preparation helps. I create a very relaxed atmosphere where you can just be yourself. For most models,
On Patrol Canon 5D Mark III 34mm F/5.6 1/60 ISO800
it’s unfamiliar in the beginning because mostly, shooting is very stressful. But with good planning and enough time for every department involved, it can be very easy to handle. I keep enough time to spare for some joking around, a coffee break, or to do some talking in between the sets. Q. Is there a social message you want to convey through your art? Because every art
has something to say and projecting it through art is what the artist wants to do. A. Think! That’s probably my message. Don’t take everything just as it is without questioning it. Q. A photographic advice that you would want to tell the newbies in the business? A. Just do it. Learn the rules but practice as much as you
Circle Of Life Canon 5D Mark III 28mm F/4.5 1/80 ISO400
can. Only by doing it yourself, making mistakes and learning from them, you can get better. Treat your models and co-workers like you want to be treated. Find what suits you best- people, landscapes, etc. Don’t be afraid of failing, it will happen, but you will grow from it. Don’t take 90 FEATURE
things too seriously and never lose the element of fun and curiosity.
Akriti Bajpai akriti@chiiz.com Being the youngest member of chiiz, Akriti is highly dedicated towards her work. She loves to travel and can tap her feet to groovy tunes. A free bird, Akriti loves to explore the depth of life in every way she can.
Blacklight Cross Canon 5D Mark III 50mm F/4.5 1/50 ISO1250
Gardening For Lovers Canon 5D Mark III 85mm F/4 1/13 ISO6400
Showtime Canon 5D Mark III 42mm F/5.6 1/160 ISO100
Passion In Red Canon 5D Mark III 50mm F/5 1/250 ISO640
Plastic Paradise Canon 5D Mark III 34mm F/5.6 1/100 ISO100
Jeet Mukerji Kolkata, India
94 FEATURE
WORKSHOP BY JEET MUKERJI
Since the birth of photography, Nude photography is a genre which most photographers dabble in every now and then. Fine Art Nude Photography is all about capturing the beauty of the human form by using light, shadows, and creative expression. Anybody can click pictures these days; however, only very few can project their art through their lens. Telling the most intriguing stories and eliciting emotions through a picture is what makes a photograph a piece of art. Clicking nude subjects is never easy, especially with the taboo around the genre. There is a fine line that distinguishes Fine Art Nude photography from porn photography. While nude photography is meant for portraying the creative skills by filling the world around with emotions, porn photography is meant for sexuality. It is an opportunity to create art for the sake of art. But how can one learn this art? How can one use the lightings, backdrop, and props in a manner that aids in creating a fine piece of art? Well, here comes experience into play which Jeet Mukerji, a globally renowned Low Key Fine Art Figure Study photographer, shares in his professionally acclaimed workshops. Overwhelmed by the success of the earlier worshops, Jeet Mukerji recently organised the next installment in the series of Muses workshops - Muses En Ludhiana - in collaboration with Chiiz photography magazine. In an enigmatic experience to explore the art, several enthusiastic photographers assembled to participate in the jam-packed studio in Ludhiana. “It is the eye that makes the images and not the camera,� says Mukerji who teaches his students how to focus specifically on the fine art nude photography with an emphasis on light, shape, form, storytelling, and mood. Mukerji helps the exotic photographers to visualise the poses, and to set-up the studio
effectively by using different shades of lights. From model hunt, stage setup to final editing, the workshop covers all aspects of nude photography. The second part of the workshop started with some apprehension from the participants which gradually vanished as the workshop progressed and left the participants in awe and confidence that with the interplay of lights and shadows, a normal shot can be materialised into a sensual work of art. Understanding the concept of light holds key bearing in Nude Photography. To this end, a few exercises were practiced to make the participants perceive the source and the path of light as the projection of light is something which needs to be felt and not set up. This concept helps in creating drama and enigma around the subject, hence creating an impression of implied vision nudity among the viewers. On the first day, participants were told about the lighting adjustments followed by a live demo shoot with the model by the master. Mukerji not only explained the participants about how they can choose the right model but also advised them about the conversation a photographer can have with the model. Based on what they have learnt in the workshop, the participants then worked independently with the model. Mukerji later had a one-on-one session with the photographers which further helped the participants in fine-tuning the shots and mastering the art of creating flattering photographs. As their photographs were processed next day, the participants learned the nuances of post-processing. Overall, the workshop was an enlightening experience for all the participants and helped them to reach the next level.
Rahul Batra rahul@chiiz.com Rahul is a culture based writer who left his engineering job to pursue a career in writing. He is a flaneur who thinks that the ideas brewing up in his skullsized kingdom can transform this world into a better one. He wishes to write a psychological thriller one day. Sonnet Nikon D850 70mm F/10 1/100 ISO560
Kabir Malik Ludhiana, India
Karamveer Sandhu Ludhiana, India
Escape Nikon D5300 55mm F/16 1/80 ISO400
Femme Fatale Nikon D810 80mm F/11 1/160 ISO400
Abhishek Gupta Ludhiana, India
Ragani Anand Ludhiana, India
Vision In White Nikon D5600 48mm F/8 1/125 ISO200
Manoj Gupta Ludhiana, India
Venus’ Allure Sony 7RM3 39mm F/6.3 1/200 ISO200
Jeet Mukerji Kolkata, India
The The Bazooka Bazooka Burst Burst Nikon Nikon D850 D850 62mm 62mm F/16 F/16 1/60 1/60 ISO280 ISO280
Amit Ahuja Ludhiana, India
Gaze Sony ILCE 7RM3 158mm F/4 1/60 ISO50
Arun Kumar Ludhiana, India
Artemis Nikon D810 200mm F/8 1/250 ISO200
Intoxication Canon 60D 31mm F/18 1/200 ISO100
Lokesh Jain Ludhiana, India
The Embrace Nikon D750 116mm F/7.1 1/200 ISO200
Prabhjit S Kalsi Ludhiana, India
Demure Canon 5D MKIII 42mm F/8 1/200 ISO400