Udantya Issue # 7 by Udantya *

THE PHOTOGRAPHY ISSUE © Udantya 2011

Welcome to the seventh issue of Udantya! ________________________________ This month on Udantya, we delve deep into the world of fiction, so prepare yourself for a wonderful journey! __________________________ Backstage Pass The Essence of Udantya Megaphone A Word from the Editors Spotlight Down My Yellow Brick Road – Namita Azad IMAWSNAP (acronym) – Aparna Vidyasagar Darkroom Face Frames Armchair Critic Picture Books Jam Session Camera Tricks © Aparna Vidyasagar

Around Town Cameo Akshay Bhoan AB Aditya Ghule Cameo II D MAD Photography- Divya Maiya and Madhu BG FAQ

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BACKSTAGE PASS The very essence of artistic expression is that, it is captured in many different ways.

A picture, a word or a tune. Your rebellion, your journey and your destination. Here, we aim to capture it all. Join us or explore with us. Welcome to Udantya. Welcome to our creative space!

Udantya aims to be a collaborative effort. If you have any articles, photos or music you would like to share, please email us at udantya@gmail.com. Future themed issues will be announced a month in advance.

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MEGAPHONE

From the Editors Click! This month on Udantya, the focus is on photography!

was assassinated in 1991. The book highlights a lesser known talent of the young politician.

We share with you the personal stories of those passionate about photography. We share with you their journeys; their unique styles and points of view. And of course lots and lots of wonderful photographs!

Jam Session is filled with some wonderful tidbits. We have some camera tips garnered through the course of our own experiments and a collection of nifty websites that will be of interest to those interested in photography.

In this month’s Spotlight, Namita and Aparna share stories of their journey into the world of cameras and color. Namita talks of her evolution as an artist, first creating art with paint and pencil and now with her eye through the lens. Aparna speaks of lessons learned through her photography- lessons of self and lessons of the lens.

And finally, our Cameo appearances this month! We have a group of wonderful first time contributors who tell their photographic perspectives and share with us some of their favorite work.

Darkroom features a wonderful collection of photographs taken by Namita- ‘Face Frames’. Namita tells us a little bit about her motivation to capture people and their expressions-in their many moods and shades. Each photograph is a slice of humanity, and in anonymity is a story waiting to be told. We hope you enjoy them all! In Armchair Critic this month, Aparna talks about a little known photo book, ‘Rajiv’s World: Photographs by Rajiv Gandhi’. This is a collection of photographs by the late Indian Prime Minister, whose young life came to a tragic end when he

Akshay Bhoan contributes a poetic vision of photography. AB (who wishes to be anonymous) shares with us her childhood inspiration which prompted an exploration of the world through a lens. Aditya Ghule, a budding photographer, shares with us his love for nature. And last but not least, D MAD Photography- a creative collaboration between Divya Maiya and Madhu BG. They share with us their stories and a collection of photographs from their travels during the past year.

We hope you enjoy this month’s issue! It certainly is a delight for the sight!

Aparna Vidyasagar My Camera - Nikon D60 My Lens - 55-200 Zoom Lens My Current Favorite Theme - People My Next Experiment - Black & White Film and Exploring Manual Lenses

Namita Azad My Camera - Canon XS Rebel My Lens - 55-250mm Zoom, Fish-eye & Macro Lens My Current Favorite Theme - Black & White Film My Next Experiment - Colored Film

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SPOTLIGHT

Down My Yellow Brick Road In my mind, life is a sum of individual small stories. Some, which arise from emotions, some from experiences, some from visions or some from dreams; but mostly stories which arise from just the world that surrounds us. These may have nothing to do with an end or a beginning. And these may be completely disconnected from a process. I once thought them to be simple tales- of the colors; the spring blossoms or a goldfish that sits alone in an apartment all day; tales of the commute or the journey, and even a cup of coffee. Nothing complex; nothing deeper. It is ideas like this that excited my eyes and tickled my instincts. Perhaps this is what drew me to pick up a pencil to sketch at the age of five. I was too young to know why I started but something compelled me. Tracing back however, I can assert that it was the quest to capture simple ideas. A church whose clock had struck noon and a bird flying above through a single cloud. A mother holding a child crying out of hunger. A pair of eyes looking one way, adorned with a big red bindi*. Life was simplest seen in black and white by me and yet it appealed to all the colors of my mind.

Some early pencil sketches. © Namita Azad

Soon enough, however, the creative nerve in me wanted to experiment. The paintbrush had fascinated me for a long time and yet scared me off because painting always seemed to be a territory too out of control. In a pencil sketch you could erase and trace back the lines; shade an area that didn’t fit darker and smudge parts that didn’t align. A paintbrush would just run along and each bristle would make its own journey. Once painted, that was it; whether the lines matched, whether the angles blended, you could do nothing more – except paint over it some more. But after all the inhibitions, I finally ventured and slowly realized that painting gifted me the vision of colors.

To be able to splash together and mix any color in my palette was the most liberating creative experience. The reds, the yellows, the dark purples, the greens, all seemed to make sense. After many painting experiments, I noticed that I had a tendency to depict faces. Most of them never looked like a typical face yet each narrated it’s own story. This seemed to be the beginning of my next creative encounter.

of everything under the sun! I realized that every frame had a story to tell and this continues to be my pursuit with each photograph. To depict a mood in inanimate objects, to extend out an emotion, to persuade with blank expressions- this is what challenges my creative streak today.

A few of my favorite paintings portraying my love for color. © Namita Azad

A selection of photographs I've taken with my digital SLR. © Namita Azad

A few summers ago, the popularity of digital SLR’s I began by stating that the stories around me were seemed to have grown almost overnight and soon enough ‘nothing complex and nothing deeper’. Yet through my everyone was carrying one around. A few friends of mine had creative escapades thus far, I now believe that the stories told begun experimenting with these cameras too and through are only as deep and as complex as the canvas used and the numerous photography expeditions with them, I also began lens through which they are viewed. Some days the brick wall seeing the world through that lens. Colors, scenes, faces, of a rundown building is my canvas and my lens- my objects, everything seemed to jump out at me, screaming a paintbrush. On other days my canvas is the setting sun and my story. I convinced my father to buy me my first SLR camera. lens-my camera. Both give me the opportunity to tie my And with that, began my journey into a form of creativity and dreams and realities to the stories of the world around me; and expression that excited and challenged me with every click. sometimes, the exact opposite. My journey from art to My first few sets were simple experiments with different light photography has been the most enriching and liberating. My settings, exposures and focal lengths. But after getting all the pencils and paintbrushes gave my visions a form. My camera technicalities down, I really began enjoying taking photographs © Udantya 2011

has become my best friend who accompanies me around the world, and allows me to bring the world back home with me. The last year and a half of photographing has brought my creative mind full circle. I strongly encourage each and every individual to find their creative solace. It is a playground where you can never get too old to play and a perspective that you can never get enough of. You can find more of my photography experiments on my Flickr Photostream and my Tumblr page. *Bindi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A traditional forehead decoration commonly worn by Hindu women, commonly in India and Nepal.

- Namita

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Inner Monologues and Attempted Wisdom of a Slightly Neurotic Amateur Photographer By nature, I tend to hop from thought to thought. I invite you on a ramble (the walking kind!) as I ponder my tryst with photography. *** There’s a black and white photograph that is a particular favorite of mine. It was taken by my grandfather of his family- my grandmother reading ‘Good Housekeeping’, with my mother and uncle sitting next to her; one of my uncles lying on the living room floor, reading a book and sitting in the middle of the room, bathed in sunlight is another uncle, building a tower from an engineer’s set. The photograph didn’t capture a special moment but it captured a moment characteristic of the family, for all posterity to see. My granny often spoke of the embroidery patterns she would take out of the magazine. My uncle, then a budding engineer, always played with model sets of various kinds. And here they were, just as I had always pictured them! The most striking aspect of that photograph is that it didn’t need color to convey the sense of family, love, harmony and the joys of childhood. That single stream of sunlight seemed to not just illuminate, but color the photograph with various hues of character and emotion. Thus began my fascination with photography and light play, as well my later experiments with color. Somehow to photograph in the style of that one particular snapshot is a personal goal of perfection!

To me, time stands still with black and white photography. © Aparna Vidyasagar_

Light and color work to set a tenor and tell a story of the animate and inanimate alike. © Aparna Vidyasagar

Over time I found myself knowing what I liked to photograph and what I could do well. While that meant that I was getting comfortable with my camera and gaining confidence as a photographer, I also worried about the possibility of a plateau. As a result, my photographing philosophy turned into something of a continuous dare. Shooting in auto mode was unacceptable, I just had to figure

my camera out. When I found myself taking pictures of mostly the inanimate, I worried that my pictures lacked life and energy and challenged myself to take pictures of people and activity. If I found my pictures to be tired, I told myself I needed to tweak my perceptions of what made for a good picture. The thing is, I’m not striving to be better or competing with prior versions of myself. What it boils down to has far reaching consequences to me. By training my photographer’s eye to see beyond what meets the eye, unobscured by preconceptions, I hope to always remain uninhibited and open to change. And so developed my photographer’s eye and it remains an ever evolving skill. When I pick up my camera I feel as if I am somehow more observant and aware. All at once, I am a student of nature- how beautifully does the light kiss that leaf! Or I become student of human nature and body language- is that new love or old; are they friends or lovers? But through my experiences I have also seen that for all its merits the photographer’s eye can turn into a bit of a paradox. You run the risk of becoming myopic. I’ve missed out on some events because I’ve been rather fixated at getting the perfect set of pictures instead of just being there, as me, enjoying the present. The worst feeling is when you are left without both photographs and memories.

And so, I sat in the ferry, traveling the Dutch waterways, stretching across the seats, twisting out the window trying to capture everything in sight. Then, this wizened gentleman who looked rather like Albert Einstein, tapped me on my shoulder and said, “Keep it in your head”. I always remember this simple profundity on days when my camera cannot see what I see and refuses to cooperate; I remember it on days when I don’t have my camera to capture something wonderful and I remember it especially on days when I need to just sit back savor a moment. There will always be a small tussle between capturing a moment with my mind or my camera. But which wins for me? I suppose, in the end, memories are wonderful but there is nothing better than to capture them in a photograph. Memories will slowly fade, only to perish with us one day, but a photograph will linger a while longer.

And that brings me to the best piece of advice I have ever received. Oddly, it has to do with putting the camera down, instead of picking it up. It was given to me when I was about fourteen or fifteen, on a trip to the Netherlands. It was my first trip abroad in many many years and I was extremely excited. It was also the first time my father gave me charge of the family camera, which was something of a rite of passage. © Udantya 2011

You can find more of my work at www.flickr.com/interferon - Aparna *Bandh is the Hindi word for ‘stop’. It refers to cities coming to a halt, due union strikes, violence or political rallies or strife.

A visit to my ancestral home. © Aparna Vidyasagar

Memories I am glad to have captured. At the engagement ceremony of a very dear friend. © Aparna Vidyasagar

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DARKROOM

Face Frames The thousand words spoken with a gaze; the many experiences captured between the lines of an aged face and innumerable memories linked to that one smile. Faces tell a million tales of the dreams and realities of a single mind. People can identify entire life stories from one expression and also be bewildered by a glance. In either case, human beings carry their inner soul on their face, in my opinion. Whether you can chart out the narrative or not, it’s still a story worth telling.

When I walk with my camera, I capture the world in different lights, expressions, and moods. But my lens always comes to a standstill when it spots a face. Through my nineboxed framer, I can visualize a story written on a face. I can connect with emotions in one’s eyes and the way they move. I position myself so the light falls just the way I want it to. I make sure there is as less traffic around my subject so that nothing takes away from that one moment. I pick between color or black and white tones; which will give me a perfect mood? The focal points align, the shutter speed is made accurate and I click away!

THE ARMCHAIR CRITIC

Picture Books

Rajiv’s World: Photographs by Rajiv Gandhi The illusion of public figures is that we somehow feel as if we know them. That is perhaps their strategy for mass appeal; but in the end all it means is that we have a one dimensional perception of their personalities- what they want us to see or what their advisers think they should show. Rajiv’s World is the type of book that adds a new dimension to a man who catapulted into the public eye, only to perish gruesomely a short while later. Rajiv Gandhi was best known as India’s youngest prime minister and Indira Gandhi’s eldest son. Whether one agreed with his politics or not, it is certain that he was a reluctant entrant into the political arena. Rajiv’s World allows for a glimpse into the personal life of Rajiv Gandhi, through his eyes- his camera lens. It gives a sense of his interests and chronicles his travels. It captures his family and his friends. Most interestingly, it lends a degree of humanity and vulnerability to his personality and those around him. I remember perusing the book as a teenager at the Gangaram’s bookstore in Bangalore. At the time, Rajiv Gandhi’s wife Sonia (an Italian by birth) was entering Indian politics, throwing the country into a tumult- a foreigner who could one day become India’s next prime minister? Her active

participation in the Indian political process brought to light many of the quirks, intricacies and flaws of the system. There was an arms scandal. There was the question of the Indian-ness of an Italian bride who had spent over two decades in the country. Then there was the question of whether a foreign national should be allowed to participate in politics and to what degree. And, whether being the wife of a politician was qualification enough. Needless to say that was how I perceived her as well- a controversial political figure and not much more. And then, I browsed through the book and was at once arrested by a portrait of a young Sonia Gandhi. She was looking through a glass window, sprinkled with water drops and under a soft light. The artistic vision and execution of the portrait were wonderful but there was a depth and layers to the photograph. Through the photographer’s eye I saw his love for, and enthrallment with a beautiful and exotic young woman. I saw his desire to capture her as he saw her. And in the subject I saw a lover and wife. All of a sudden the political roles, controversies and public tragedy receded into the background. All that mattered was love, the promise of a happy future of togetherness and personal tragedy. The photographs in the book are beautiful, skillfully taken and varied. The portraits are especially interesting. Being from a political dynasty, Rajiv Gandhi’s work allows for a peek into the personal lives of several famous figures. But most importantly the photographs are those of a well traveled young family man, on a journey with his camera, capturing his world as he saw it.

- Aparna

JAM SESSION

Camera Tricks Here are some handy tips for a variety of cameras and all levels of photographers *** Gloomy days got you down? It is best to shot under natural light conditions; but what do you do on a gloomy day when you all you want to do is take your camera out for a spin? A friend of mine once told me this very useful tip and I use it rather often. Just shoot in black and white! The cloudy conditions make for just the right amount of contrast for your black and white shot. This also works well under low (indoor) light or at dusk. And, most importantly, with all types of cameras!

'B&W Photos Under Low Light Conditions'. Lake Mendota and UW-Madison Terrace at dusk (left). A scarecrow at the Eagle Heights Community Garden, on a very gloomy late fall evening (center). One of the Brothers Grimm, performing at Dobra Tea in Madison, Wisconsin- an indoor concert in low light (right). All images ÂŠ Aparna Vidyasagar

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__ To Process or Not to Process Post-processing can be a loaded term in the world of photography. Some photographers are purists and loathe tweaking of any kind while some photographers process quite a bit. The end result is rather stunning in both cases, so the question remains- which way is best? The answer is neither. The most important thing to remember is that post processing is not necessarily ‘cheating’. Yes, a good camera will most often produce a good picture. The more adept you are at using your camera, the less you will have to adjust after the fact. But sometimes the camera cannot see what you see and at those times post processing helps. It is a means to make your vision come to fruition. But there is yet another aspect to post-processing and that is- art. Sometimes a processed picture will look nothing like the original but will be beautiful in itself. There are layers to the processing and a thought driving the end result. So do not be quick to judge every highly processed photo as a poor one. It just isn’t traditional. Start small, with minor contrast and exposure adjustments. Find your style and your comfort level, and process away! __ __ Points of Focus (for SLR cameras) If you have an SLR be sure to go to your programmable mode and explore your points of focus. I have a Nikon D60 and I have 3 points of focus*. One can adjust the depth of focus (DOF) by adjusting the F stop but manipulating and choosing the points of focus adds further complexity and interest to a photograph.

'Choosing Between Green and Blue'. Adjusting the point of focus can create rather different pictures. (Left- green cup in focus. Right- blue cup in focus). © Aparna Vidyasagar.

* Other cameras can have more. Namita’s Canon Rebel XS has a whopping 9! Did anyone say precision?

___ Bokeh (for SLR cameras) For those of you out there that are unfamiliar with this term, ‘bokeh’ is photography lingo for the ‘blur effect’. It occurs when all parts of the photograph except the main subject are out of focus. It can also refer to a type of photograph when the main subject is purposely out of focus. The extent to which the background is out of focus is determined by the F stop. Basically, the lower your F number (lower DOF), the greater the bokeh. In my experience the best bokeh effect can be achieved with a smaller depth of focus against strong small light sources. In particular, night shots in a home against artificial lights make for great bokehs. Additionally, using external zoom and macro lenses produce better bokeh effects because they can go to a lower F number than standard SLR lenses. To take ‘bokeh style’ photographs use your camera’s manual focus. Adjust until the subject is blurry, and there you have it!

Examples of the bokeh effect under artificial light taken at night (right) and in natural light during the day (left). Both pictures were taken with a zoom lens (55mm-250mm) and an F stop of 4.3. All images © Namita Azad.

The Photography Frame of Mind The last but certainly not the least, and in some ways the most essential, is the photography frame of mind. This is something that has no protocol or adjustable value. It is the simple thought you had before picking up the camera – to capture a moment and memory. Don’t get weighed down by the technicalities of the machine. Rather, pick it up and keep clicking. You will only take better photographs if you keep taking photographs. This will help you identify your choice of subjects, settings, lighting and your style. And like any form of art, practice will make you a more confident photographer. There is no such thing as good photographers, there are only good photographs!

Around Town We would like to share with you, five websites that have made our photographing experiences over the years a lot more creative, interesting and fun! * Flickr – A popular photo sharing website used by amateur photographers around the world to show case their work within a community of peers. This encourages a constant flow of constructive feedback and the opportunity to view the work of budding photographers. Photojojo Store - This is a fun web store that carries a variety of exciting photography paraphernalia- from accessories for your camera to prints. Our personal favorites are the Canon and Nikon ‘camera lens mugs’! Flickr Labs - This is a Flickr ‘toy’ which offers a variety of creative additions that you can make to your photographs- from editing and designing to printing! Picnik - A popular online photo editing website that allows photographers to practice the art of post-processing through a wide variety of free tools and effects. Big Pictures - This is a great website to view world events, festivities, traditions as well as news events or natural disasters. These are all showcased through a series of amazing photographs.

CAMEO I Akshay Bhoan

Over time you realize that there are moments of refined dreams which show themselves through peepholes in stark blank walls. That moment revels itself for the smallest minute; overwhelming everything else, draining the chaos out. Photographs for me, are a way of keeping those moments suspended in ether. I once read a quote that said, when we photograph, we become observers and start to just see life rather than participate. Maybe as an individual I don’t have much to contribute to life, and so I consider myself a spotter of dreams and truth. Naksha Firyaadi Hai Kis Ki Shokhi E Thereer Ka, Kaagazi Hai Pairhan Har Paikar E Tasveer Ka A picture speaks for itself, what learned exposition does it need? The paper on which its painted, it just its outer garment, it tells its own tale indeed (A short poem by Ghalib)___

Find a collection of Akshay’s photographs on flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/akycamera/ and his blog, Constellation Cafe.

AB I am a beginner in this field of photography with fits of excitement to take good pictures from time to time. My interest in this art sparked off when one day when we were cleaning our house in preparation for Diwali*. My mom asked me to hold some huge tripods and other camera accessories while she wiped the dust off of them. These devices were part of my father’s young photographic days. As I was growing up my father would walk me to the bus stop to catch the school bus on cold wintry Delhi mornings or we would drive together while sunlight flickered through the thick trees on the roadsides. He always made it a point to tell me of what subject, at which angle and which frame to take a photograph. He would then ask me to decide as to which page of the newspaper that particular photograph would be placed on and under what caption. Once there was a garbage cart being driven by a poor father and his son was playing at the back with a broken mobile phone that he found in the rubbish. My dad made a frame with his hands and asked me to capture the sight with the thin fog of the January morning in the background. He titled it ‘Information Technology Catching Up!’. He would ask me to picture the India Gate through the front windshield of our car, with rain droplets on it and tell me that it could be a photograph on the front page of the newspaper heralding the arrival of the monsoons in Delhi. Taught. Lead. Inspired. I do not know how to sum it up but here I am today finding an angle and a subject in everything in my sight. I feel photography is one art on this planet that can enhance your own vision and perspective of life. It can add manifolds to the beauty and shape of everything existing around us. And most of all it is a skill that cannot be lost or forgotten as we age, or with work and life! After all photography is all about capturing your memories! So for all you people who are yet to embark on this beautiful endeavor. I have just one thing to say- everything is beautiful through the lens! * Diwali is the Indian festival of lights.

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Aditya Ghule Aditya is a newcomer to the world of photography and is sharing a few from his nature collection. *** I like to travel a lot and photography helps me capture the beauty of the natural world! Most of my photographs are depictions of nature through macros shots of flowers, plants and landscapes. ***

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CAMEO II D-MAD Photography ___ D MAD Photography is the brainchild and creative collaboration of Divya Maiya and Madhu BG. Explore their work at https://www.facebook.com/DivyaMadhuPhotos and http://www.flickr.com/photos/dmadphotography * We try not to restrict ourselves to one type of photography. We love photographing people, wildlife, the abstract, landscapes and events. We enjoy travelling a lot and this year in particular, we were lucky to get an opportunity to visit a few great national parks in the United States. Our passion for landscape and nature photography has increased ever since. The beauty of nature actually challenges us to add our own perspective and to make it look more beautiful. We would like to dedicate today’s set of photos to Nature! Keep clicking! ~ D MAD Photography ***

Divya_ I flipped the pages of my parents’ wedding album and a smile escaped my lips. My mom looked so gorgeous in her silk saree and my dad looked so majestic; but beyond all this I could see a shy smile on my mom’s face which was captured so beautifully! The photograph conveyed emotions and weaved a story, and I felt I was right there on that day! During my childhood days we never had a camera and my mom would borrow my aunt’s camera or someone else’s to capture those happy moments– when I first crawled, when I stood for the first time, my first day at school, my birthdays, my beautiful frocks that she would stitch for me and of course those embarrassing nude baby pictures! Four years later when my brother was born, it started all over again. My brother was the victim and now I was the partner in crime. We clicked the most ridiculous pictures of my chubby brother – him crying (after I had pinched him), him wearing my cousin’s © Udantya 2011

frock and my trinkets and him in a “gubbi” (sparrow) outfit and more! Whenever I look through my childhood albums my smile gets wider. Then came the phase of friends! By then, I had procured a nice little Kodak film camera. I still remember the days when I would give the rolls of film for printing and wait for a day, hoping and praying that all those crazy pictures we took would turn out well. But well, most of them would be overexposed or underexposed and at the time I did not even know what those terms were or why it was happening to me! Digital cameras were the best thing that happened to me. No more printing and no more fretting about bad pictures- just click, click and click! This is when I got more involved and obsessed with the camera. I can safely say that my passion for photography has been triggered from all these experiences and it is only getting deeper by day. I am learning the science and technology behind each smile captured and it has been so much fun! My friend just uploaded an album full of old photos from years ago and yet again I am filled with joy which transforms into a wide smile! ***

Madhu__ As a kid, I loved to be in photographs. One of my uncles who was very keen about photography used to come home to take photos of myself and my cousin with his Yashica camera. Me, being the naughty one, was always restricted by my parents from ever touching the camera. This got me curious about photography at a very young age! During my school days I convinced my parents to get me an ‘automatic film camera’. These cameras could take photos without you having to advance the film each time. This was quite an innovation back then! The use of my first camera was initially limited to just capturing moments during various occasions. But once I held the camera, the fact that I could see things with a different perspective inspired me to take up photography with a passion. My first digital camera (which I got from my friend who was in the US) cost me more than my monthly salary, but it was totally worth it! It made me realize that photography was not just a hobby, it was also a great journey of self discovery. From seeing beauty in every form of art, to seeing art in every form of beauty, I have learned to appreciate life a lot better with a camera in my hand.

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FAQ We’ve had a few questions over the past few months, so we thought it would be a good idea to chart out our very own FAQ page. Do you have specific requirements to submit to Udantya? Absolutely not! We love it all; the quirky, the unexpected and the conventional. Share your ideas with us. We want to highlight creativity and artistic expression in all forms. Since we are a web-magazine, we have not yet felt the need to set any page limits or length restrictions. If that changes, we will let you know! How much time do I get to submit a piece? We usually announce the following month’s theme when we release an issue. Our rough editing scheme is as follows. (When you email us to contribute to a particular issue, you will get a set dates for that month). -We usually ask for a short summary of your idea for the intended piece by the end of the first week of the month. -The first draft follows roughly a week to ten days later. You can submit a first draft even if you didn’t tell us your overall summary. Partial drafts are also accepted, so that we get an idea of the direction of your piece. -We like to work closely with you and reserve a week thereafter to finalize a draft. Our goal is to facilitate your vision for your piece and we view this portion of the process as a team effort. Can I send you stuff even if it doesn’t fit a theme? Yes, of course! We will try to find a place for it. You may even give us ideas for more themes! Might I make a suggestion? Yes! Questions, comments, suggestions and ideas are all welcome. Just email us at udantya@gmail.com