Photography has never really been capturing a moments, but more about the journey that I am on with my camera. I would love to hear your stories too! Go ahead and drop me a line if you would like to.
~ Lucky Ali's Safarnama ~
Meeting and photographing a legend comes with its own set of challenges and pressures. I had a very strict brief about not using any artificial lighting and no posed photos. My hardest and most memorable shoot was with Lucky Ali and his band mates a day before they took Bangalore on a timeless musical journey. The images you see below were some of my favourites from the set.
~ Light. A Coffee Table Book ~
Light is a book about the people I met and lessons I learnt during a difficult period in my life. The 15 stories featured here, with photographs completely shot over the course of 2020, mean a lot to me because when I look back at that time, they were the light at the end of my tunnel.
I hope these stories inspire and make you believe in second chances as they did for me.
This book is dedicated to life’s surprises.
~ New York ~
On one of my trips to New York, I had some spare time while I waited for a friend to show me around. 'Meet me at Times Square' he said. While I waited patiently, I couldn't help but enjoy the energy and vibe of the space I was in. I simply loved every bit of shooting and experimenting with street photography in the Big Apple.
~ Georgia Page ~
On a trip to Australia in 2020 I found myself getting stuck there through the year due to what we today call a global pandemic. Trying to make ends meet and keep sane were easily a core part of what I did for most of the year. It was during this time that I had the opportunity to work with Georgia Page, an aspiring model with a tragic story but easily one of the most inspiring people I've met in my life. She features in my coffee table book 'Light' and you can read all about her journey of life in the book but here's a film I made as well.
~ Malabar River Festival ~
I've always wanted to dabble and experiment with new kinds of photography. Adventure Sports Photographer, Film Maker and a good friend Neil John Dsouza, asked me if I'd wanted to join his team and shoot the Malabar River Festival which is Asia's biggest white water kayaking festival. The challenges with this shoot were quite extreme, with no cellular network and unpredictable weather we would find ourselves climbing rocks in the middle of the river and just waiting for kayakers to zip by us. Here are a few of my favourites from that shoot.
~ River. Home ~
Travelling to different parts of India has shown me how strong the spirit of community is amongst us all. I was fortunate to travel on a project Tirunelvelli a small town in Tamil Nadu, where this river plays host to the community inviting them everyday to bathe, wash and come together as one. It was a humbling experience to be able to photograph these people while they go about their everyday lives.
~ Ride ~
I rode for long enough this morning. I knew there wasn't a cross or a corner that I missed in the neighbourhood. The empty parks that I used to play in or take tiger who was a beast of a mongrel for a long walk at night with friends singing old english songs and holding him tight at the leash fully understanding his anger issues.
Passing by the Iyengar bakery or one of the oldest Sweet Chariot shops that shouted celebration and happiness every time I passed by it. They made it so worthwhile to wait for birthdays. I still eat that black-forest pastry that simply melts the minute you put it into your mouth. Such a nostalgic rush, and here I was thinking that by becoming a chef I'd probably know how they manage to keep it that way, even today. Guess not.
I used to love riding and make it a point to take my bike out at least once in a while. It's an old hog my 1942 Norton, Built from scratch and as stock as a new born. Hard to maintain but a pleasure to ride. I rode for long enough this morning, it felt good, gave me a rush and a sense of nostalgia or was it just the feeling of riding on empty streets?
I pulled over, sat on the footpath with my cutting chai across my bike, admiring it from afar and thinking about the places it's taken me. I wonder why I don't take the time to do what makes me feel good these days?
A voice or a fleeting thought said to me,
I ride to remember or perhaps to forget.
- Written for Sarabjeet Singh
