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Shoot to eternity

Call of the wild A photograph of Ladakh by Varun Gupta

A century. That's how much longer it took for us to understand photography, the art of expressing through visuals, than our counterparts in the West.

But once this art was accepted by us, somewhere around 1901, the flower of photography blossomed like a lotus in India's sombre colonial milieu. And after that, it's a tale told a million times.

Eventually the novices began to compete with those they had learnt it from. By 2011, it is no news to say India produces exponents of photographic talent on par with any in the world. “Rightly so, it's an exciting time to be a photographer, and in India, where there is a dearth of good photographers, the prospects are even better,” feels Varun Gupta, who is amongst India's second-generation photographers.

Varun started photography at the age of eight.

“ I used to travel a lot. So, I thought why not freeze the beauty of the place and make it eternal. And there is nothing better than a camera to do this,” explains Varun.

He feels Ladakh stands out for its ethereal beauty.

This expedition, he explains, will provide amateur photographers an opportunity to capture the beauty of these areas, with professional experience.

Organised by his troupe Travelling Lens, this tour will also include wayfarers, who will be there just for leisure.

This makes one wonder what Travelling Lens really is — a lensmen's association or a tour company?

“Well, unlike a tour company, we don't give our explorers a strict schedule, which other companies in the market do. Rather, we believe in customising every minute of their journey, with respect to one's age, preferences or agility,” he clarifies

But with so many members, with disparate backgrounds and inhibitions, how does he manage to knit them into a group? “Actually, we have specialists in every field from trekking to camping and photography, of course. They all keep their respective groups busy and happy,” explains Varun.

It has not always been a smooth path though. Varun was stranded in Ladakh during last year's flash floods. But to his amazement, his group did not lose hope, and was not scared at all.

“We did some relief work for the victims too.”

Like teacher, like pupils!

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