Chiiz Volume 2 : Maternity Photography

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EDITORIAL 

Editorial 

Donatella Nicolini 

Prakhar Garg 

Mukesh Kumar 

Design 

Sheetal Mann 

Prateek Bhardwaj 

Mayank Sehgal 

Writer 

Sana Singh 

Rahul Batra RB 

Tushar Sharma 

Business 

Urshita Saini 

Sahil Gupta 

Neha Arora 

Marketing 

Kanika Maurya 

Joel Hiekha 

Anurag Khaneja 

Analysis 

Prateek Kashyap 

Audrey White 

Technology 

Lee Nguyen 

Rishabh Jain 

Public Relations 

Barkha Chandra 

Priyashi Negi 

Finance 

Neelu Singh 

Anjali Chaudhary 

Consultant 

Mansa Inc. 

Cover Photo 

Tina Sokolovskaya 

Birth is like magic, that too of the purest form a woman can 

experience. Birth is something that widens our thinking about 

the world. It makes us realize that no matter how small things 

are, they surely can hold a greater importance. 

Many of us think that having babies is magical. But for a miracle 

to happen, you don’t need a prayer or a wish granting kiss, you 

just have to actually believe in it. The actual reason of it being 

magical lies in the transitions one undergoes after it. It makes 

the two rather carefree individuals more responsible and 

mature towards life, not just for the sake of baby but also for 

the bond they share with the baby. Through this journey of the 

story of pregnancy, birth and the newborns, we hope that many 

photographers will explore unique avenues related to the field. 

And talking about the avenues and endeavors that a photographer can achieve, Julia has set a perfect 

example for the upcoming and aspiring photographers. Her idea of photography defines much more 

than just creating something new, but it pushes you to push the limits, to scourge the grounds for the 

mere possibility of an idea, and to always keep finding that lone source of inspiration that has kept 

you going all this while. 

Not only this, but the amount of dedication and perfection you get to see in Benny’s work is 

commendable. His feelings and his understanding of the wild beasts has brought a face changing 

revolution in the protection of these animals. Believe it or not, but it is the hour of the need. We all 

have to come together to eradicate this strong and evil force of illegal animal killing from the face of 

the earth and only that can help in saving our beautiful abode. 

Festivals like Holi and Hornbill are something that indicate the celebration of the ways of our lives. 

But the sad truth is that our ways have changed drastically and they are surely not for the good. Man 

has ever been in search of farthest lands for serene beauty and solace, but he has only damaged those 

districts upon arrival. Kashmir, the paradise of India, was once one of the most beautiful places, but 

time and man has taken its toll on it. The Tulip Festival is a way to tell people the tales of forgotten 

times, the times we so fondly cherish but never made an effort to preserve. Dr. Kaynat, a well read 

person and a female solo traveler, knows the importance of keeping our ways a bit on the older side. 

In the end, it’s not about what we have achieved so far or what we are going to achieve, it’s about 

being responsible for the generations to come and leave behind a better place for them to live in. 

That’s the only way we can work it out and strive towards a happier and peaceful world. 

Donatella Nicolini

CONTENTS 

8 

Hues of Holi 

The Streets of Vrindavan 

75 

Gear Review 

Sony Cyber-shot HX350 

Nurses And I 

Benny Rebel 

21 

Tulip Festival 

The Tulip Bulbs 

76 

37 

Old Is Gold 

Wait For Me, Daddy 

79 

App of the Month 

VSCO 

45 

70 

The Story Of A Life 

Maternity, Birth & Newborn 

Guess What 

Hornbill Festival 

Symbol Of Unity In Diversity 

Concepts of Solo Travel 

Swati Rawat 

38 

66 

82 

Model Of The Month 

Tatiana Abramenko 

MakeUp Artist 

Pratishtha Arora 

Paint It Snail 

Julia Wimmerlin 

80 

84 

74 

Tips and Tricks 

Tilt Shift Photography 

Movie Review 

City Of God 

72 

87 

Group Of The Month 

Your Shot India 

Fashionista Behind The 

Camera 


88

HUES OF HOLI 

The Streets of Vrindavan 

Mukesh Kumar 

New Delhi, India

Bloody Faith 

Nikon D800 31mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO2000

Every year as the month of March 

approaches, my heart starts to swell 

with excitement, for with this month 

comes my year-long hope of being there 

in Vrindavan once again for the festival of 

Holi. Though, since the last 7-years of my 

life, I have been celebrating the festival in 

the bewitching streets of Vrindavan, but 

still, there is something that keeps enticing 

me to this place. I don’t know whether it’s 

the place, or the people or the temples or 

the sound of ‘Radhe Radhe’ which lures me 

to be there every year. 

Amit Nimade 

Bhopal, India 

Rahul Batra RB 

rahul@chiiz.com 

Rahul is a culture 

based writer who left 

his engineering job 

to pursue a career in 

writing. He wishes to 

write a psychological 

bestseller one day. 

I eagerly wait for the Holi festival every year 

to celebrate it in the streets of Vrindavan 

and the memories of this festival remain 

always fresh in my mind throughout the 

year. Vrindavan is a place where, I believe, 

people lose their heart in the divine beauty 

of the place and its enchanting streets, but 

find a connection within their soul. 

This year, I reached there a day before 

the main Holi festival (also known as 

Dhulandi) and my Holi started at 4.30 am 

with an ‘early morning Puja’ at the ISKCON 

temple which is colloquial for its Hare 

Krishna movement all around the globe. 

After the Puja, I took some rest and then 

headed towards Shri Banke Bihari temple. 

As the temple got nearer, the narrow 

streets of the Vrindavan got jammed by 

the swarms of devotees. This temple is the 

heart of Vrindavan; and if you are there and 

didn’t go to this temple, your visit would 

always remain incomplete and you would 

not get the blessings of the lord. 

Devotees from all around the globe come 

here to celebrate Holi with Lord Krishna 

himself. Inside the temple, the priests throw 

colors and holy water from their pichkaris 

(water guns) and the crowd chants ‘Radhe 

Radhe’ in unison. In this very same temple, 

just a few days before the Holi, flower petals 

are showered over the devotees to celebrate 

a unique Phoolon wali Holi (Flowers’ Holi) 

without the conventional dry or wet colors. 

People were awestruck by the divine beauty 

of the moment and were celebrating as 

if it was their first Holi. From every nook 

& corner of the temple, only one sound – 

Radhe Radhe - was audible. And believe 

me, had the police and security personnel 

were not in action, nobody would have left. 

After somehow managing to get out 

of the temple, I headed towards Radha 

Vallabh temple. In this very same temple, 

2-days before the Holi, widows gather and 

celebrate Holi with the lord. Holy water 

from huge water guns is sprayed in the air 

which gives a feeling as if the lord is himself 

showering his blessings over his admirers. 

Holi festival also comes as a treat to the 

photographers. For the colors and the joy of 

happiness is so enticing that they can’t stop 

themselves from picking up their lenses and 

getting out on the streets drenched with 

vibrant emotions. All around Vrindavan, 

I could see photographers from around 

the world, trying to capture some of these 

enthralling moments. 

A Child’s Play 

Nikon D750 44mm F/8 1/320s ISO560 

After that, I 

moved towards 

ISKCON temple 

which is a very 

famous tourist 

hotspot and for 

the same reason, 

it is also called 

angrejo ka mandir 

(or the temple 

of foreigners). 

The music, the 

dance and the 

tranquilizing 

sound of ‘Hare 

Krishna Hare 

Krishna, Krishna 

Krishna Hare 

Hare’ are what 

exactly defines 

this temple. 

One of the 

defining moments 

of this year’s Holi 

was when I saw 

3 boys disguised 

in the form of 

female (or Radha’s friends), playing kikli, 

and frolicking in the Lord’s name. The 

genuine smiles on their faces (which rather 

signified their devotion towards the Lord) 

gave a jaw-dropping view which left me 

wondering whether the lord was visible 

to them. Some things are meant only to 

observe and you can’t give words to them, 

such was that feeling. 

The dance which these boys were 

performing is traditionally known as Raas 

Leela – the dance of passion - depicting the 

life of Lord Krishna and, his beloved, Radha; 

and how their love painted this world in 

the colorful essence of togetherness and 

belonging. 

This very moment reminded me of the first 

time when I was there in the temple as an 

atheist. I could easily recall the scenario 

where an old man of around 70 was

dancing and being completely immersed 

in the name of Krishna to bewitch the lord. 

I was not only enthralled and overjoyed 

by the scene but also my senses found a 

new rhythm. My feet started moving and I 

knew not when I started 

dancing and jumping 

with only ‘Hare Krishna 

Hare Krishna, Krishna 

Krishna Hare Hare’ on 

my mouth. This very 

same feeling is what, I 

believe, connects me to 

this temple. I feel it’s not 

my body that takes me 

there, it is as if they want 

me there every time 

around. 

People strolling in the streets of this holy 

city often get surprised when mildly hot 

water is pelted over them from different 

corners. They try to run away as quickly as 

possible but only to find someone else color 

around 12-years-old playing with her water 

gun and coloring people on the streets, a 

bewitching smile emanated from her face 

every time she made a successful attempt. It 

was such a beautiful sight for which I could 

Similarly, after a while, I 

lost myself again in the 

divine name of the lord 

and didn’t know what 

happened next, until it 

was the time to close 

the darbars (or gates) 

of the temple. I had to 

undesirably leave the 

temple and felt as if the 

hours passed in minutes 

that day. 

Abbas Baig 

New Delhi,India 

Street Hunter 

Canon EOS70D 18mm F/3.5 1/1250s ISO1000 

Holi is celebrated to depict the victory of 

good over evil and has a very religious 

purpose associated with it, symbolising the 

legend of Holika. The night before Holi, 

bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as 

Holika Dehan (burning of Holika Demon). 

People gather near the bonfire, sing, dance 

and pray to the Lord. 

As the Holika was being 

burned in the evening, 

I met a Brazilian 

man, who being fully 

disguised in the attire 

of a yogi with a rosary (a 

string of prayer beads) in 

his hand, asked me what Holika 

Dehan was about. After explaining its 

history, I asked him if he was doing okay 

because he looked depressed. He said, 

rather broken-heartedly that the next day 

would be his last day in the city and he 

would be leaving for Rio after staying in the 

country for 5 months. Then I realised that 

there was something spiritual in this place, 

as everybody who comes here finds some 

kind of solace within their soul. 

The next day which is celebrated as 

Dhulandi all over the country, I decided to 

explore the streets of Vrindavan, to catch a 

sight of some smiling faces of the devotees 

who get lost in the moments of pure bliss. 

their face in frenzy. 

Holi festival also comes as a treat 

to the photographers. For the 

colors and the joy of happiness 

is so enticing that they can’t 

stop themselves from picking up 

their lenses and getting out on 

the streets drenched with vibrant 

emotions. 

The cows and monkeys strolling around 

are an intrinsic part of Vrindavan. Cows 

with festoons of flowers around their neck 

and monkeys who are always ready to grab 

your eyewear in return of some food are 

discernible in its every street. 

Shops with lassi, bhang 

and sweets (especially 

peda) sprinkled with 

color are present at 

almost every corner. 

The city and its streets 

are mired in colors, even 

the clouds turned red on that 

particular day, bringing a spectacular sight 

from below. 

You could see people all around spraying 

colors at each other, be it a friend or 

stranger. But herein lies the downside 

associated with it, which would refrain any 

women from visiting the festival. Women 

are especially colored on their faces, necks 

and sometimes even their intimate parts 

which was very disheartening to see. 

Soon it was 11.30 A.M. with all the major 

doors leading to the temples getting closed, 

marking the culmination of this year’s Holi. 

While walking back home, I saw a girl of 

have given everything if I could see that for 

the rest of my life - which literally summed 

up my Holi for the year. 

HOLI AROUND THE WORLD 

Holi is celebrated as a social event in parts 

of the United States. For example, at Sri Sri 

Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, 

Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New 

York and Festival of Colors, Holi NYC in 

Brooklyn. In New York, Holi is celebrated 

as the Festival of Color, where thousands 

of people gather from all over the United 

States to celebrate. 

A number of Holi-inspired social events 

have also surfaced, particularly in Europe 

and the United States and UK, often 

organized by companies as for-profit or 

charity events with paid admission, and 

with varying scheduling that does not 

coincide with the actual Holi festival. Some 

places you can head to, are: 

LIFE IN COLOR, MIAMI, FLORIDA 

‘Life In Color’ is the biggest color festival 

out there. A concept that started out as a 

college festival in Florida, it has progressed 

into a worldwide color party. This festival 

takes places all over the world in short 

intervals and you can head to this festival 

for the perfect combination of music and 

colors.

Their website has everything you will want 

to checkout before heading out to LIC. 

www.lifeincolor.com 

COLORJAM COLOR MUSIC FESTIVAL, 

TEXAS 

‘Colorjam’ is a color music festival that took 

place in Texas in 2014. With the euphoric 

combination of music and color, this festival 

captures the essence of Holi perfectly. Their 

line-up also featured acts such as Green 

River Ordinance, Sunny Sweeney, etc. Till 

now, no one can speculate their next date, 

but keep an eye out on this one. It’s worth it. 

Amit Nimade 

Bhopal, India 

FESTIVAL OF COLORS 

This festival goes on all summer around 

the whole world in about 30 countries. 

‘Festival of Colors’ is a hippie’s paradise. 

It’s a music festival with a dash of color, 

featuring bands like The Bhakti Dance, 

this festival has a peaceful 

and tranquil demeanor. 

Promising good vibes, 

great music and above all, 

an incredible time, this 

fest is a must. 

www.holifestival.com 

HOLI ONE 

‘Holi One’ is a color festival 

held in Cape Town where 

it commenced. This event 

aims to adapt our vivid 

culture of celebrating Holi 

with music and colors and 

cherish the power of one. 

It took place in August 

last year in London and 

no dates have yet been 

released for 2017. 

www.holione.com 

Prismatic Happiness 


Luigi Roberto Spano 

Bari, Italy 

MUMBAI COLOR FESTIVAL, 

UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS 

Based on the traditional Hindu festival, 

Fort Vechten will become alive with color 

as festival-goers party hard to house and 

techno. Breaking down all distinctions 

of race, gender and sexuality, electronic 

music lovers come together for a day 

under a blanket of color, embracing their 

individuality and becoming part of one 

of Europe’s most creative music festivals. 

Sadly, organisers have decided that this year 

will be the last for the festival, calling it their 

final countdown. But there’s always a silver 

lining in every situation. Head out, the date 

is 5th May 2017. www.mumbaifestival.nl 

HOLI GARDEN FESTIVAL, IBIZA 

‘Holi Garden Festival’ held annually in 

Ibiza, is the brightest music/color stage 

there is. Propagating their agenda of joy and 

amiability, this festival is as happy as it gets. 

Check out their website for the upcoming 

ones, www.holigardenfestivalibiza.com 

PROTECTING YOUR CAMERA 

Cover your camera 

You can use camera raincoats which are 

available on Amazon or www.lenscoat. 

com. Now you could take your expensive 

underwater housing and use that, or a 

plastic bag also works just fine. Make sure 

your lens hood is attached as it can provide 

extra protection from the powder getting 

into your lens. Duct tape is also a good 

option. 

Don’t open/change anything! 

DON’T change your lenses and same goes 

for batteries and SD card. Do not open that 

camera body at all! Photographers solve 

the lens’ problem by simply bringing two 

cameras. 

Cover the details. 

When capturing the festival, don’t forget to 

shoot the details – often the smallest things 

are the most beautiful, like this shock of red 

powder in a blue hand. 

Shoot in a comfortable mode. 

Don’t plan on fiddling around with manual 

settings unless you are a pro at it. Go 

with auto focus mode. Do test shots first 

and ensure you have your ISO, aperture, 

metering, focal point set as much as you 

can for each Holi situation before you walk 

into it. Then just keep those settings and 

fire rapidly. 

Get on top of anything. 

Images displaying colorful powder with a 

view from above are always great. Get on 

top chairs, balconies or anywhere you find 

space. Shots of powder being thrown in the 

air are loved by many. 

Some do’s and dont’s. 

Watch out for colored water at all times. 

Cover your camera at all costs. 

Take a lot of duct tape for emergencies. 

Don’t change or open any component. 

Be ready to go to auto focus, for color in the 

air can interfere with manual. 

Take extra batteries and memory. 

Holi is celebrated to depict the victory of 

good over evil or so they say. I think the 

reason it is celebrated is to show people 

how beautiful it is to live in harmony and 

peace, and let us do that, not just for one 

day but for eternity. Let’s show the world 

how colorful it is to live in peace. 

The Color Run 

Samsung SMG920I 4mm F/1.9 1/220s ISO40

Prakhar Tripathi 

Mumbai, India 

Blissful Drizzle 

Nikon D4S 18mm F/5.6 1/30s ISO1000 

Amit Nimade 

Bhopal, India 

Jai Shri Radhe 


Sourabh Gandhi 


Breaking Old Impediments 

Nikon D810 24mm F/3.5 1/640s ISO200

Somia Mallick 

Calcutta, India 

Showering Blessings 

Sony SLT 50mm F/1.8 1/500s ISO100 

Amit Nimade 

Bhopal, India 

Sparkling Colors 


Prakhar Tripathi 

Mumbai, India 

Caught In Action 

Nikon D4S 50mm F/2 1/800s ISO200

Beluga Whale, also called White Whale, is an 

Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. Beluga whales 

are among the smallest species of whales. The 

absence of a dorsal fin allows them to swim under 

ice with ease. They are now protected under 

the Endangered Act because of the reducing 

numbers. The Beluga was placed on the International 

Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red 

List in 2008 as being “near threatened”. 

Andrea Izzotti 

Genova, Italy 

Smiling Beluga 

Nikon D4 70mm F/5 1/500s ISO1600


Genova, Italy 

Lost under water 



Genova, Italy 

The one 

Nikon D810 16mm F/8 1/250s ISO100


Genova, Italy 

Take me skywards tonight 



Genova, Italy 

Puffed with Pride 

Nikon D800E 60mm F/18 1/320s ISO200


Genova, Italy 

Long time, Friend 

Nikon D4 16mm F/6.3 1/200s ISO1600 

Anthony Britten 

Queensland, Australia 

Gliding 

Nikon D800 15mm F/8.0 1/400s ISO400



Looking Out 


45 



Halfway There 

Nikon D800 16mm F/8 1/800s ISO400

other words, many Chinese people hope to 

become more sexually potent. This alleged 

effect is, to this day, nowhere proven! 

In order to produce these questionable 

products, thousands of rhinos were killed. 

They were brutally slaughtered to the brink 

of extinction. Only by harsher punishments 

to the perpetrators and a paramilitary 

surveillance on the last of the rhinoceroses 

could a complete extermination of these 

wonderful animals be prevented. Although 

in the end, animal protectionists won and 

the number of rhinos gradually increased. 

The Nurses And I 

By Benny Rebel 

More than 20 years ago, I came in 

contact with several environment 

protection organizations and learned about 

the various abuses caused to wild animals 

by greedy people and companies. They 

ruthlessly destroyed nature and had already 

exterminated many species of animals, 

while others were on the brink of it. 

Benny with a Friend 

When we started helping out endangered 

species, mainly elephants, whales and 

rhinoceroses, we had to take several 

extensive measures to protect them. 

During that time, I was very busy helping 

different species, especially rhinoceroses. 

They were, then poached to make dagger 

from their horns for the rich Arabs of the 

Middle East, and their horns were pulverized 

to be used for the often questionable 

Chinese medicines. In traditional Chinese 

medicine, the powdered horn of the rhino 

is said to have an aphrodisiac effect. In 

Years later, I flew to South Africa to do 

some sort of ranger training. I wanted to 

learn more about the world of animals, and 

the behavioral patterns of certain species. 

During this time I lived with the rangers 

and was with them round the clock and 

helped wherever and whenever assistance 

was needed. 

At that time, a drought period plagued 

the reserve where I was traveling as an 

apprentice. In order not to lose the precious 

rhinos, elephants and some other species of 

animals by the drought, we were forced to 

import tons of grass from the water holes, 

which had been bought from other greener 

regions of South Africa and transported 

to us. We had to load a few tons of grass 

every day on a large pickup - bring to the 

The mother and child 

Canon EOS D60 14mm F/8 1/500s ISO200

waterholes - unload the grass there - loosen 

up with a manure fork - enrich with a 

special syrup with minerals and vitamins 

and leave the animals to eat. By the fact 

that the animals could hardly find anything 

in the wilderness, they were waiting for 

our arrival every day and plunged into the 

food as soon as we arrived. Often they gave 

us little chance of loosening the grass or 

enriching it with the minerals and when 

the big ones arrived hungry, we quickly had 

to clear the field before they attacked us. 

For me, this was one of the most beautiful 

experiences of my life, although it was 

extremely dangerous and a tiresome effort. 

Had it not been for my colleague, the 

ranger, I would be dead by now because the 

drought had increased the animal’s natural 

fear of humans and also the animals were in 

competition with each other. It was about 

naked survival and everyone fought for 

their share of the food. 

We had to work at dangerous distances 

with buffaloes, rhinoceroses or elephants, 

at times as less than 10 meters. We had 

to get out of the car and carry the heavy 

grass balls to the water holes by hand. Our 

work almost always took place under the 

observation of these hungry animals. 

One day I saw a rhinoceros with her baby 

about 100 meters from a waterhole. They 

were standing next to an acacia tree trunk 

and the mother animal did not seem 

particularly aggressive. I told my colleagues 

that I would like to take my camera to 

photograph these animals up close. He 

surely had a lot of confidence in me, so 

simply said, “Try it!”. 

I walked up alone and unarmed to this 

rhinoceros and her baby. A rhinoceros 

with a small calf is like a ticking bomb in 

the wilderness. She would do anything to 

protect her baby and her tolerance limit 

is much smaller than if she did not have a 

child to defend. I was aware of this; yet I 

was confident that I could stalk a bit closer. 

I somehow ran a few steps and took a photo. 

I stopped for a few seconds and watched 

the behavior of the mother animal. Then I 

came step by step up to about two meters 

close to these two animals. Meanwhile, 

the car was about 100 meters further 

away and there my colleague stood and 

watched the situation with astonishment. 

When I reached the two-meter limit, I 

knew that I should not risk any more with 

these animals. I took a moment to take a 

picture from a bit below. This makes the 

animals look even more spectacular and 

the perspective is more unusual, which is 

good for the picture. While clicking, the 

rhinoceros gave me the sign that it is now 

enough. It was a loud snort, accompanied 

by a kick on the ground, which also stirred 

up a lot of dust. 

I got up and walked very confidently 

and slowly backwards. My colleague was 

totally surprised that I went so close to the 

rhinoceros without being attacked. So it 

came to this photo showing the rhinoceros 

with her baby. Two days later, a picture of 

another rhinoceros, which I recorded from 

less than a meter, was created. Here, too, I 

have continually observed the state of mind 

of the rhinoceros and approached him step 

by step. When I took the last picture of this 

rhinoceros, I could have touched the horn 

of the three-toned rhinoceros with my arm 

outstretched. The picture of the individual 

rhinoceros, which you see here, has been so 

developed. 

The ranger, who was with me, said he 

had never seen or heard that a human 

being can stalk up to a few centimeters 

of wild rhinoceroses without the animals 

running away or attacking. I have my own 

explanation for this: by applying many 

years to the protection of rhinoceroses and 

emotionally loving these animals, I radiate 

a positive energy towards these creatures. 

This energy is perceived by the animals so 

that they do not conceive me as frightening 

or aggressive. That is why they have allowed 

me several times to approach them close 

to a few centimeters. I am convinced that 

this would never be possible if a person 

emanates fear or aggression! 

When I see baby rhinos in the wilderness 

today, I am particularly happy because I 

feel that they are like my own children. 

Through this strong connection to the 

rhinoceroses I radiate a deep sympathy 

towards these wonderful creatures. 

The poaching of the rhinoceroses 

unfortunately has been booming since 

about 2009. Since the Chinese are doing well 

financially, they pay horrendous amounts 

for the horns of these animals, and wherever 

a lot of money is paid for something, there 

will also be unscrupulous people to cover 

this need. Several environmental protection 

organizations have also developed plans to 

solve the problem. Thus, we must take up 

the fight against the poachers and much 

more against the mafia in order to save the 

rhinos from extinction. 

Prakhar Garg 

prakhar@chiiz.com 

Prakhar is always engrossed in his books and his 

diary. He believes in the saying ‘It Is What It Is.’ A 

wanderer by temperament, he wants to walk out on 

his story when the day comes. 

Born in Iran and living in Germany ever since, Benny is one 

the most successful wildlife photographers of this century. Until 

now he has organized and carried out numerous film, photo, 

environmental protection, and adventure expeditions to several 

countries. He is famous for his extreme close-up portraits of dangerous 

wildlife of Africa by approaching within feet of the animals. 

Recently, PRAKHAR GARG from Chiiz chatted with Benny about 

his wildlife excursions and what all he has earned from the wild. 

What gears do you use while shooting wildlife? 

I have been using Sony’s Equipment for the past 8 years. I mainly 

shoot with Sony A7R II with lenses from 10mm up to 600mm. 

Some survival tips when out there in the wild. 

Always take enough water with you. Study the behavior patterns 

of the animals that you want to photograph. 

Most important lesson you’ve learned from your work? 

Take your time and give your 100% towards it. 

Any one photograph of yours that inspires you the most? 

There are many photos that inspire me in different ways. 

According to you, how our world would look like in one photograph 

as a whole? 

If you shoot a photo from a flying balloon, during the wildebeests’ 

migration in Tanzania or Kenya, you will see, how beautiful and 

wonderful still our planet is and you will get the feeling that you 

are already living in paradise.

Want a kiss, now? 

Canon EOS D60 14mm F/8 1/750s ISO200 

Bush Baby 

Canon EOS 5D 17mm F/9 1/500s ISO200

Lurking Shadows 

Sony DSC NEX-5 27mm F/5.6 1/500s ISO200

The Last Laugh 

Into The Wild 

Canon EOS 1D Mark II F/8 1/80s ISO200

Not So Lowland 

Canon EOS 1D Mark II F/8 1/50s ISO100 

Celebrations All The Way 

Canon EOS 1D Mark II 28mm F/3.5 1/2s ISO800

www.Benny-Rebel.com 

„SAFARI“ - The most luxurious FINE-ART-BOOK in the world! 

- a FINE-ART-BOOK with a limited edition of only 111 

copies 

- 110 pages / 105 photos 

- handmade 

- XXL-size = 200 x 70 cm when opened / ca. 60 KG 

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- made of the very best materials 

- the cover is made of luxury acrylic glass 

- the back of the book is made of the finest Italian 

leather 

- the highest quality photo book paper from Japan 

- with a certificate of authenticity and a serial number 

- with a luxurious and exclusive case 

- with its own exclusive designer high table 

- with built-in multimedia tablet PC 

- the tablet PC contains information about the photos 

The most beautiful share in the world! 

Price: XXL version with all accessories $ 30.000 

(XXL version is already sold out) 

Price: XL version with all accessories $ 10.000 

Please visit the following link for more information about „SAFARI“ - The most luxurious photo book: 

http://www.benny-rebel.de/solutions-view/the-fine-art-book/?lang=en 

Backlit Gigapixel panorama 

High resolution photos for luxury large format prints 

of up to 100 square meters - in limited editions. 

Fine Art Prints in limited editions 

Tailor-made photographic safaris in Africa 

www.Benny-Rebel.com


Genova, Italy 

Tails Of Lemur 

Nikon D800E 200mm F/4.5 1/200s ISO200 


La Côte, Switzerland 

You Heard it too 

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 27mm F/2.8 1/800s ISO200

Andreas Karyadi 

Pangkalpinang, Indonesia 

Oops moment 

Canon 550D 100mm F/6.3 1/100s ISO250 



Dancing Frog 




The Green Eye’s 

Canon 550D 100mm F/14 1/160s ISO100 



Eye of the Fly 

Canon 550D 100mm F/14 1/160s ISO100



Peek-a-Boo 




Hey, It’s me 




Better Together 

Canon EOS 550D 100mm F/3.2 1/320s ISO200 



The Human 

Canon EOS 60D 200mm F/5 1/250s ISO400

Garett Patz 

San Diego, USA 

The Ironwool Magic 

Garett Patz 


Lost Stars 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F/2.8 30s ISO1600

Garett Patz 


To Eternity 

Garett Patz 


Star Trails 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F/2.8 30s ISO100 

Abhishek Deopurkar 

Pune, India 

Camping Under The Sky 

Canon 550D 11mm F/3.5 30s ISO400

Saravut Whanset 

Sakolnakhon,Thailand 

Attaining Peace 




Food Hunters 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 17mm F/9 1/400s ISO320



Work Call 




Carefree Monks 




Honors’ Fight 




Go Fetch It 




A Day’s Labour 

Nikon D4 24mm F/8 1/400s ISO640



Lost in the Peace 




Gateway To Stars 

Nikon D800 14mm F/2.8 25s ISO2500

If you ever happen 

to be in the City 

of New Westminster, 

Canada, just walk up 

to Hyack Square near 

the 8th Street. There, 

right in the middle, is 

a glorious sculpture 

commemorated in the 

memory of the very 

famous photograph 

clicked by Claude 

P. Dettloff of The 

Province. ‘Wait for me 

daddy’ is considered as 

one of the most iconic 

photographs clicked 

during World War II. 

The photograph actually 

meant to showcase the 

marching of The British 

Columbia Regiment 

(Duke of Connaught’s 

Own Rifles) on October 

1, 1940 but suddenly, 

a kid, Warren ‘Whitey’ 

Bernard, no more than 

five year old at the time 

ran off, freeing his hand 

from his mother’s just to 

have one last moment 

with his father, Jack 

Bernard, an officer in the 

regiment. The mother, 

Bernice Bernard, was 

totally surprised by 

Whitey’s actions and 

her expressions clearly 

justify the story. 

“Whitey” Bernard was in Grade 1 at General 

Wolfe Elementary. Whitey’s Dad was enlisted 

in the British Columbia Regiment and was 

stationed in the city on various sentry points 

throughout the city. Since the declaration of 

war in 1939 the men of the BC regiment had 

been doing various guard duty assignments 

which were boring and monotonous. Finally 

after months of waiting the regiment received 

Claude P. Dettloff 

word that it was to be moving to a secret 

destination “Overseas”. The secret destination 

the regiment was heading to turned out to be Nanaimo, only three 

hours away. The regiment spent time on the coast defending 

against German and then Japanese attack. But it wasn’t until later 

in August 1942 that they all sailed for England. They didn’t see any 

action until July 23, 1944 when they participated in Operation 

Totalize, one of the first attempts to close the Falaise Gap. The last 

battle they took part in was on April 17, 1945 when they crossed 

the Kusten Canal. A month later, Victory in Europe day (VE-Day) 

was declared on May 5, 1945. 

Anurag Khaneja 

anurag@chiiz.com 

Youngest member of our team, Anurag 

handles the marketing department. He 

loves adventure and is a quick learner 

and motivator for people around him. 

Old Is Gold 

Wait for me, Daddy 

Whitney’s dad, Jack 

survived the war and 

came back home in 

October 1945. By the 

time Jack Bernard 

showed up in the town, 

Dettloff was ready to 

capture the return of 

Whitney’s dad. This 

was the most talked 

about photograph of 

that time, and it hung in 

every school in British 

Columbia during the 

war. 

The City of New 

Westminster also 

commissioned a bronze 

statue honoring the 

photo to be placed at 

the bottom of 8th Street, 

in Hyack Square. The 

city unveiled the statue 

on October 4, 2014. 

At the same event, 

the Royal Canadian 

Mint announced the 

issue of a series of 

three coins featuring a 

scene adapted from the 

image. It was released 

in denominations of $2 

(alloy), $3 (1/4 ounce 

silver) and $10 (1/2 

ounce silver). Canada 

Post also issued a stamp 

featuring the iconic 

image. 

Although there is a second story hidden in the photograph and 

not many people are aware of it. Dettloff unwittingly captured a 

lesser known story in this photograph. On the left-hand side of 

the photograph, the third woman behind Whitey’s mother (in a 

dark long coat and staring directly towards the camera) is Agnes 

Confortin who had accompanied her friend Phyllis Daem that day 

to see the young men of Westminster off. Even with the limited 

resolution of the photo, Agnes’ somber expression reflects her 

concern for her two 

brothers, Wilfred 

and Larry Power, 

who have already 

enlisted in the Nova 

Scotia Highlanders. 

Larry returned to 

Canada in 1944 with 

severe post traumatic 

stress disorder. 

Wilfred was killed 

in action in March 

1945 near Arnhem 

as part of Canadian 

Forces preparation 

for the Liberation 

of Arnhem in April 

1945.

Tiffany Burke 

Washington, USA 

Rewards Of It 

The Story of Life : Maternity, Birth and Babies 

Keeping a human being inside the 

womb and giving it a chance to grow 

is a fascinating journey in the life of any 

woman and any woman would be blessed 

to have given birth to another human. And 

documenting that journey is the new trend 

that has literally taken the world by storm. 

A lot of couples these days try to get their 

entire journey documented. This involves 

clicking pictures during pregnancy and 

moving on to capture the birth of the child 

and then the newborn shoots as well. 

Yes, we agree, maternity shoots are not a 

new concept. A lot of women have already 

got their baby bumps captured on film by 

professionals. But because of the growing 

trend in this genre, photographers are 

being challenged to look for new ways of 

conceptualized shots that can really stand 

out. 

As a photographer, it is a challenging 

task to conclude the shoot without any 

38 Vol 2 

Urshita Saini 

urshita@chiiz.com 

Photography is her passion, 

wedding shoots is her forte. She is a 

lawyer turned photographer turned 

businesswoman. The transition was 

quick but it was what the camera 

ordered. 

uncomfortable situations being faced. So, 

the mental and physical comfort of the 

mother is the first priority during such 

shoots. 

Although there are certain clichéd shots 

that every mother-to-be wants, but it is 

the photographer’s responsibility to make 

sure that each client gets a unique take on 

her pregnancy shoot. Being creative and 

incorporating people or elements in the 

pictures that mean something to the couple 

and the family is a great way of ensuring 

such uniqueness. 

Involvement of the siblings in the pictures, 

or maybe the family dog can also help. 

Instead of having an outdoor shoot, 

taking pictures at the couple’s house can 

be considered as well. It will be a better 

backdrop for the pictures because of the 

emotional connection and it will also be 

cozier to the expecting parents. 

Maternity shoots are a great way to 

announce a pregnancy or even the gender 

of the child. More and more 

photographers are coming up 

with unique ideas to capture this 

magical journey of the expecting 

couple. 

Coming on to it, birth is considered 

as the most beautiful and rewarding 

moment for any woman. Also at 

the same time, it is exhausting, gory and, 

extremely graphic, yet women around 

the world are now embracing the idea of 

getting their baby’s birth journey captured 

by professional photographers. 

Though the world is slowly warming up to 

the idea of birth photography, it is still a 

sensitive topic for the majority of people. It 

is, after all, capturing a woman when she is 

at her most vulnerable state. It also involves 

her privacy and the medical implications of 

having another person in the room when 

things tend to go in any direction. And no, 

it is not always about photographing the 

private parts of the woman, but that is what 

people generally conceive of this genre. 

In many countries, there are still some 

restrictions on any person other than the 

father to be present during birth. Although 

the couple can request the doctors and 

get due permissions for the photographer 

to be present during the birth, but it is 

not always guaranteed that the doctors 

will allow it. From the medical point of 

view, a third person can be a disturbance 

in the procedure and the doctor’s word 

is final. Despite a lot of questions and 

controversies, couples are really eager to 

get a photographer to capture the process. 

Nicole Hoschke, a family and fine art 

photographer, says that it is very important 

for the parents to feel comfortable with

the photographer and they should make 

acquaintances beforehand. 

As a photographer, there are certain things 

that a person should keep in mind. 

Be very open and communicate extensively 

with your client. She is already going 

through a very exhausting phase so respect 

her decisions and comply with every 

detail. There may be a point when she 

feels uncomfortable with you around her 

especially if a medical procedure is going 

on. You may not get the shots of the baby’s 

birth but you can always take pictures of 

the baby right after it has been born. 

Being a birth photographer is not a 9 to 5 

job. Be ready for a call in the middle of the 

night. Labour can go on for hours as well. 

Ensure that you wear comfortable clothes 

and be prepared to stay for the entire haul. 

You need to be committed until the end. 

Never post pictures of the woman or the 

photographs you took, on the internet 

without her permission. During birth, a 

woman may expose more of her body than 

what she would otherwise be comfortable 

with. Be sensitive to her privacy and make 

sure that she is comfortable. 

Births can take place in a dark room with 

very dim light. Do not ask to switch on the 

lights or use flash. It can be very disturbing 

for the mother if there is a constant flash 

of light around her especially when she is 

working so hard on her body. Ensure that 

you can work in low light and are not in any 

way, creating any disturbance or getting in 

the way of anybody just to take that perfect 

shot. 

Once the baby is born, you get the chance 

to capture some amazing newborn shots. 

Capturing the expressions of the mother 

and the father when the baby is born is very 

much recommended. It is a surreal journey 

to bring a child into this world. 

Newborns are an amazing subject for 

any photographer. A tiny little being all 

bundled up in a blanket can give you the 

most adorable expressions. 

Babies change appearance very rapidly. So 

photographing a newborn when he or she 

is just 3 hours old would be very different 

from what you would get after three days. 

Ideally, newborn babies are photographed 

within the first 2 weeks of them being 

born. That is primarily because during this 

time they sleep more and can curl up in a 

‘womb-like’ position. 

Although babies are considered newborn 

for the first three months after birth, the 

older they get, the lesser they sleep and their 

feeding schedule gets more frequent which 

could end up in a longer photo shoot. 

While photographing newborns, the 

following points can be considered helpful: 

Capture details. Yawning or crying babies 

can give you amazing shots. Macro shots 

of their hands and feet are also a very 

important part in capturing the details. 

Try and use more of natural light. Babies 

are sensitive to light and it can potentially 

harm them. Ensure that the studio or the 

location where the photo shoot takes place 

is warm and comfortable for the baby. 

Ensure that you are well equipped to take 

care of a baby. Babies can be fussy and need 

lots of attention. Ensure that you stay calm 

and the baby is always comfortable and well 

fed. A cranky baby is not what you want. 

Try and incorporate a personal touch to 

the photographs. Props are amazing, but 

try and get something that the family feels 

more connected to. 

Be gentle and understand that the parents 

of the baby are probably sleep-deprived 

and high on adrenaline rush. Ensure that 

they are active at all times and keep them 

involved in the entire process. 

A baby can be of the fourth generation in 

a family. Try and get as creative as you can 

while photographing babies, keeping it’s 

family background in mind. 

A baby is worth everything in this world, 

and after a few years, when you want to 

look back at the moments from his/her 

childhood, make sure you don’t regret that 

chance. 

Expert Opinion: Take instructions from 

the midwives, they are incredibly helpful, 

and will let you know where you can move. 

Place yourself in one position and take 

several shots from there. Using a zoom lens 

can give you more variety in images. Then 

after a while move to another position in 

the room, that way you are not moving 

a lot, but also covering the birth from 

different angles. 

Nicole Hoschke 

Sunshine Coast, Australia 

Have Patience, Love 

Nikon D800 14mm F/2.8 25s ISO2500


Kiev, Ukraine 


Tiffany Burke 


Zanele Nyembe 

Tshwane, South Africa 

Nikon D3200 22mm F/5 1/80s ISO200




Tiffany Burke 


Reginald Thermidor 

Miami, FL, USA

Paula Galvao 

Natal, Brazil 


Paula Galvao 

Natal, Brazil 


Paula Galvao 

Natal, Brazil 


Paula Galvao 

Natal, Brazil 

Nikon D610 24mm F/5 1/250s ISO1000




Paula Galvao 

Natal, Brazil 







Nikon D750 70mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO1000

Sandra El-Ayoubi 

Sydney, Australia 

Let Me Love You 


Taran Rai 

Vancouver, Canada 

Prized Possesions 

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 50mm F/3.5 1/100s ISO500 

Taran Rai 


Sugar 






Sleeping Beauties 


Saurav Dhyani 

Noida, India 

It’s Not Over Yet-2 

Nikon D90 50mm F/1.8 1/250s ISO160



It’s Not Over Yet 

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 50mm F/2.8 1/250s ISO250 

Taran Rai 


It’s Not Over Yet-2 


Tiffany Burke 


Smile My Love 

Guess What ? 

“Guess the subject in this photo correctly and 

stand a chance to win Chiiz goodies, 

by sending your responses to editor@chiiz.com” 

Photo Credits : Emmanuel Canaan 

Vol 2 

45

Brandon Mikesell 

Seattle, WA, USA 



GoPro Hero4

GoPro Hero4 



GoPro Hero4 



GoPro Hero4

Rudolph Comeaux 

Chicago, USA 

Garreau vs Hammons 

Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2.5 1/320s ISO1600 


Chicago, USA 

Pearl Ground and Pound 

Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2 1/400s ISO3200


Chicago, USA 

Quartus vs Sultan 

Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2.5 1/320s ISO3200 


Chicago, USA 

Figueroa vs Wheeler 

Canon EOS 7D Mark II 96mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO3200 


Chicago, USA 

Derrick Rose LayUp 


Jim De Sitter 

Dendermonde, Belgium 

Triumphant Strokes 

Canon EOS 7D 50mm F/2.8 1/1000s ISO5000

Henry Do is an adventure seeker, 

passionate traveler and a professional 

photographer from Las Vegas, 

Nevada. His love for seeking new 

destination and passion for photography 

have led to the creation for 

some of the most beautiful images 

that are truly unique and captivating 

to the viewers around the world. 

The Golden Gates Aligned 

F/2.8 1/720s ISO100 

Dubai-Marina 

F/10 15s ISO64

NYC Skyline 

F/9 1/250s ISO500 

Atop Burj Khalifa 

F/2.8 1/500s ISO100

The photo(right) depicts people 

praying on the last Friday of the 

auspicious month of Ramadan in 

Jama Masjid, the biggest mosque 

in Asia. Eid marks the end of the 

month long fasting festival and 

festivities are held across the 

nations. The prayer is also called 

Juma tul Mubarak of Ramadan. 






Caught In Blizzard 

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/5 1/640s ISO800 

Smikash Mohapatra 

Orissa India 


Vivekananda Rock Memorial(left) is a popular 

tourist monument in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari, 

India. The memorial stands on one of two rocks 

located about 500 meters east off mainland of 

Vavathurai, India’s southernmost tip. It was built 

in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is 

said to have attained enlightenment on the rock.

Jukka Heinovirta 

Matkaniva, Finland 

To the Other Side 

Canon EOS 50D 1/2s ISO800 

Tassapon Vongkittipong 

Bangkok, Thailand 

Concrete Jungle 

Nikon Df 290mm F/8 6s ISO50



When Love Came to Stay 


Zanele Nyembe 


Love Unconditional 


Zanele Nyembe 


When Love Came to Stay 

Nikon D3200 28mm F/7.1 1/125s ISO100



See The World Turn 


Manish Lakhani 

Gujarat, India 

Three Generations 

Nikon D810 24mm F/2.8 1/60s ISO220

Amit Nimade 

Bhopal, India 

Proud Parent 

Nikon D750 ISO100 



Dattatreya Patra 

Bhubaneshwar, India 

Blessed In Banaras 

Nikon D810 50mmF/4 1/250s ISO31 



Roadside Lullaby 

Nikon D810 50mm F/1.6 1/60s ISO1000

Chhath Trio 




Poker Face 

Nikon D800E 85mm F/7.1 1/40s ISO640 

Abbas Baig 


Lady In The Window 

Canon EOS 70D 50mm F/1.8 1/8000s ISO400

Paint Me Orange 


Thai Paradevatha Theyyam 

Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO500

In The Shadows 


Theyyam Dance Festival 

Theyyam festival, also known as Teyyam or Theyyattam, is a popular folk culture which is celebrated 

majorly in the northern Malabar region of Kerala. Theyyam is also referred as a God where the people 

of the region seek blessings from it. This culture dates back to almost 800 years and is associated not 

only with Hinduism but also with Islam. Also called the “Dance of God”, it is a unique dance festival 

where the dancers dress up and wear colorful make-ups and ornaments to imitate the mythological 

figures of gods and demons. It is believed that there are as many as 400 forms of Theyyam, each 

with their own unique style, music, choreography, make-up, costumes, etc. This festival showcases 

performances such as drama, music and mime, celebrated from north Malabar to south Malabar. 

This cultural festival is one of the most beautiful traditional festival in Kerala. Being a winter festival 

running from December to April annually, it is a must place to be for cultural and photo enthusiasts. 

Manish Lakhani, Photographer

Natalia Klenova 

Arendonk, Belgium 

Spiced Flavours 




Blood Soup 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50mm F/8 1/160s ISO100 



Winelust 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO100 



Fish Tails 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/8 1/160s ISO100 



Two To Tango 




HORNBILL FESTIVAL: Symbol Of Unity In Diversity 

Hornbill Festival is the most awaited, 

and anticipated festival for the people 

of Nagaland. This festival symbolizes 

solidarity which binds the inhabitants 

of different tribes who come to a single 

platform to showcase their culture and 

traditions to the outside world. These 

are the customs which they have been 

following for centuries, and were passed 

down to them by their ancestors. 

The state of Nagaland is one of the smallest 

states in India, which shares its borders with 

Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Burma, and 

Manipur and is inhabited by 17 tribes which 

are known for their unique and unorthodox 

practices. Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, 

Chang, Kachari, Khiamniungan, Konyak, 

Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, 

Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchunger, and Zeme- 

Liangmai (Zeliang) are the major tribes as 

well as some of the subtribes are among the 

few major participants. 

This festival is celebrated in an open air 

museum at the Naga Heritage Village, 

Kisama which is located 12 kms to the 

south of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland. 

Being known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’, 

this open-air museum offers a vibrant 

culture of the 16 officially recognized 

66 Vol 2 

tribes of Nagaland which are exhibited 

with each tribe being represented in their 

respective traditional houses or Morungs 

(Youth dormitory). The festival is named 

after the majestic hornbill, which has its 

history rooted in most of the state’s tribal 

folklores. All members of the different 

tribes talk about the majestical stories of 

this bird when they meet at the festival. 

Traditionally, hornbill’s feathers are used 

for display on headwear, which is made of 

boar’s teeth and orchid stems. 

This festival was the result of government’s 

step to promote tourism in the state, with 

an underlying objective of promoting the 

rich heritage & culture to the world and 

also to keep the tribal spirit ignited among 

the people of Nagaland. Different tribes in 

Nagaland enjoy myriad of festivals based 

on their agrarian calendar which makes 

it a land of festivals. Predominantly, the 

economy of the state is dependent on 

agriculture and is known for their principal 

crops like rice, corn, millets, pulses, 

tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes, 

and fibre. Most of the festivals of tribals 

in Nagaland revolves around agriculture 

based on the harvesting of different crops. 

Naga’s are also known for their highly 

spirited and brave warriors who have 

Will Kill You With My Smile 


gained the ability and art to conquer battles 

for their tribes. This Festival is the biggest 

celebration for all the indigenous warriors, 

who had fought battles for the protection 

and preservation of their tribes. On this 

special event, songs are sung for all the 

brave warriors. Each tribe in Nagaland 

has their own traditional ceremonial 

attire, including multi-colored spears, 

ivory armlets, dyed goat’s hair, and exotic 

headgears. 

This festival is organised by the State 

Tourism and Arts & Cultural Department 

of Nagaland. This festival is celebrated every 

year from 1st to December 10th with lots of 

enthusiasm and religious spirit among the 

members of each tribe. The place welcomes 

tourists with full warmth and love at the 

venue by addressing them with cultural 

artistry, music, multi-cuisine, dances, and 

Tushar Sharma 

tushar@chiiz.com 

Tushar Sharma is an 

advocate by profession. 

He believes that 

“thoughts are not just 

merely an expression of 

someone’s idea, rather 

they are a voice that brings a change and can 

provide the world with a new perspective to think and 

contemplate different ideas''

the Nagas. Another fact is that 

each tribe has their own unique 

cuisine so there are a number of 

delicacies to try. 

Hornbill festival boggles 

the mind as it has attractive 

distractions at every corner, 

be it the film festival, cultural 

performances, indigenous 

games, craft bazaar, art, music, 

literature, fashion events, the 

intriguing Vintage Car Rally 

and various other activities 

including competitive shows. 

The natives have kept their 

traditions alive amidst the 

changing times with great pride 

of their respective ancestry. 

Shiva Rajvanshi 

Lucknow, India 

games. The festival gathers festivities of all 

different tribes of Nagaland at one place 

under a common roof to cherish and enjoy 

their different culture and tradition gifted 

to them by their ancestors. The excitement 

and fun gets doubled with lots of love 

for music when you attend the Hornbill 

International Rock Contest, wherein there 

are regional, national, and international 

bands who participate in it. The night of the 

festival is followed by the amazing market 

where one can go buy souvenirs, different 

traditional clothing, and other handmade 

products. 

The significant idea behind organizing 

this festival is to develop a sense of 

belongingness among the various tribes of 

Nagaland which 

uniquely stands on 

its own with their 

rich culture and 

traditions. Though 

being a state with 

less demographic 

population per sq. 

km, it has so much 

to offer among 

themselves from 

their practices and 

traditions. 

mesmerized. The land of festivals is also 

abode to great art and culture which makes 

it amazing for visitors to explore traditional 

clothing filled with vibrant colors, art on 

canvas and tribal paintings which exhibit 

the feeling of tradition and culture. 

Be it for a pleasure seeker, history buff, 

photo enthusiast or a foodie, this is an all 

in one package. Tourists and visitors are 

warmly welcomed to the land of festivals, 

which was once fiercely protected by 

brave warriors. One can participate in 

the ‘Pork Fat Eating Competition’ or the 

renowned ‘Naga Chilli (Bhut Jolokia) 

Eating Competition’. A must try for the 

visitors is the locally brewed Rice beer 

(Zutho or Thuthse) which is famous among 

Food Cravings 


Apart from the festival, the 

lands have been blessed with 

natural and scenic beauty, 

making it a tourist hotspot, which also 

made its way to a traveler’s itinerary. 

The land of uncontested wild and primeval 

beauty will leave you in awe and solace as 

the festival concludes. The ride through 

the mountains cutting across green fields 

with ever smiling people waving at you and 

the hills covered in fog and the sound of 

the tribal triumphant echoing within the 

landscape will be all that you’ll miss in the 

end. But always remember that behind all 

this was a community who made it possible 

for you to experience all that is obscure 

under the canopy of its vast forest cover. 

For those people 

who have a love for 

fusion of different 

colors, this would 

be something 

which should 

be experienced 

as different 

colors of clothes 

and makeup 

of performers 

will leave you 

Ramakrishnan Krishnan 

Bangalore, India 

Why So Serious? 

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT 135mm F/5 1/125s ISO100



Male Taurean 




Generations Of Hope 




King In The North East 

Nikon D700 38mm F/2.8 1/4000s ISO200

Shiva Rajvanshi 

Lucknow, India 

Games In The Wild 




Battle Formations 

Nikon D700 16mm F/4 1/640s ISO200

Swati Rawat 

New Delhi, India 

The Concepts Of Solo Travel: 

Swati Rawat 

T ravel. 

One word, two syllables, and a deep 

feeling of contentment at the core of your 

being. 

Just one word, when in action can suddenly 

make your day a lot brighter. 

One word, endless memories. 

So much power…….all enclosed in just one 

word! 

The Solitary Reaper: Swati Rawat 

swati@chiiz.com 

Strange, isn’t it? How just a word can 

instantly make you feel alive, a word as 

powerful and lively as ‘love’. But would it be 

fair to give the credit to just the characters 

that arranged themselves to form this term 

while forgetting the essence behind it’s 

all so subjective meaning and associated 

feelings? Maybe not, but travelling like 

many great things, is easier said than done. 

People always make plans, some for the 

upcoming weeks, other for the coming 

Mud Houses 


years and many times, these eggs remain 

unhatched and the undeveloped baby 

never really comes out of their thin cracked 

shells. 

I don’t blame them. In this era where people 

work hard not just to cope-up with each 

other but with the evolving technologies 

too, one hardly gets time to take out for 

themselves, let alone travel. We get so 

consumed in the process of creating a future 

that we press a skip button for creating our 

present. We trade our bucket full of travel 

wishes with shabby procrastination and 

we do it until we come face to face with 

‘The Push’. Like many travellers, I too was 

made familiar ‘The Push’ during my early 

twenties and I had never been so grateful in 

my life for such a horrid thing because if it 

wasn’t for that, I would have never travelled 

solo. 

Being a 90’s kid, I witnessed the evolving 

hues of life before and after the social media 

apocalypse. In a digital era with ‘update’ 

overload where someone at some corner of 

the world has something to share, you are in 

a constant state of decision making of either 

responding to the information (physically 

or mentally) or completely ignoring it with 

a down scroll. And when you are somebody 

who’s fresh out of college, still trying to 

figure out your place in the universe and 

employed in an office where work is dull 

and burdensome, every little new update 

looks unnerving. My personal life was 

draining down a spiralling rabbit hole and 

I was getting consumed by the constant 

hammering of existential crisis and a search 

for self-identity - all in all, I was having a 

millennial’s quarter life crisis at the age of 

22. One day, I had a panic attack on my way 

to work and I knew, this was a sign of my 

mind yelling, It had ENOUGH. 

And in this unconventional way, I met my 

‘Push’. 

I wanted to run away to the farthest 

possible place as soon as possible but a 

quick casual glimpse into my bank account 

burst my hopes in the cold mid-air of 

December, like a balloon crushed by some 

angry kid and my soul gave an involuntary 

cry whose low range mosquito frequency 

was limited to my mind. As per my poor 

calculations, I had money to afford only 

two things out of the three - Transportation, 

Accommodation, and Food. This thought 

in itself was daunting enough to give me 

another anxiety attack, but I knew I had to 

get away and I had to do it before I lose my 

mind. 

So like any person standing on a tightrope 

hanging between the chasm of sanity and 

its other darker half, I started evaluating 

my options. I made a list of close friends 

and family residing at least 1000 kms away. 

I didn’t hold myself back when the search 

began. I pushed my callow ego to the 

backdoors of my mind and included every 

single person I had once called my friend. 

As Hippocrates aptly puts it - ‘Desperate 

times calls for desperate measures!’. I 

forecasted that rejection would be inevitable 

and mental preparations were needed to 

cushion the blow. Within next couple of 

months, there had to be a considerable leap 

of physical distance between my past and 

my then present, come what may. 

It’s funny how we can reach out to the far 

extents of our imagination in building 

worst case scenarios when we approach 

a long forgotten friend, while at the 

same time we underestimate the power 

of building meaningful relationships. 

Almost every person responded with an 

enthusiasm I could never fathom in my 

wildest dreams. Most of them were happy 

to hear from me and all of them welcomed 

to accommodate me to their place for few 

days. The silver lining was shining brighter 

than I imagined and it only made me more 

determined to take the next bold move, to 

travel solo. Amongst the long list of replies, 

there was a little blue notification from 

my cousin. She was living in the lands of 

palm beaches and corals and mangroves, 

and I was already captivated with my vivid 

imagination of white sand grains and the 

passing cool breeze of the deep blue ocean. 

My fingers couldn’t resist, and the next 

thing I knew, I had a flight booked to the 

70 Vol 2

Andaman Islands. 

I embarked on my first solo trip on 12th 

January 2015 and that day I realised how 

rudimentary my idea of the term ‘living’ 

had been ever since I gained consciousness, 

up until now. 

The minute we entered Andaman airspace, 

my sight shot out of the window. I held my 

breath and my world stopped. I fell in love, 

I fell in love with that place and it was the 

first time I ever realised that apart from 

people, one could fall sincerely in love with 

places too. That thought took few minutes 

to sink in my practical and pessimistic 

mind. 

Andaman welcomed a scared, skeptic, lost 

girl from Delhi, with a warmth of a mother 

and it ushered me with the sheer revelation 

of what it meant to be alive. Suddenly it 

dawned on me, all the beautiful texts, vivid 

imagery, stupendous stories that I ever saw 

and read about people’s travel tales, this was 

how they were revelling in the pure ecstasy 

of life all along. I was tripping on this newly 

found drug that my mind immediately 

registered and in turn pumped up my brain 

chemicals to bolster this escapade. 

In hindsight, those twelve days 

metamorphosed me into a better version of 

myself, like a new human update installed 

by my processor. But now that I think of 

it, at what moment did it exactly happen? 

Was it a cumulative result of the series of 

events which unfolded with each passing 

moment of that journey? Did it happen 

on that evening when the freshly painted 

shamrock bench at the end of the pavement 

comforted me with the breathtaking view 

of the setting sun? Or did it happen during 

that refreshing afternoon I spent devouring 

delicious prawns under the sky with 

nothing but the sound of blowing wind 

creating a mesmerizing symphony for me 

to make my meal more enjoyable? I still 

don’t know. 

What I do know is that every street felt like 

home and every person familiar. I found 

myself in bits and pieces in the Islands I 

visited, the sunsets I enjoyed, the travellers 

I met, and the places I dusted with my 

footprints. I connected to every narrow 

passage and every passing picturesque 

scenery. I found solace under the generous 

shadow of ageing trees and met some 

beautiful souls along the way. 

It’s quite enthralling how a change in 

horizon in your sight can literally change 

the horizon of your perceived self, how 

a place can make you weak in your knees 

and wet your cheeks at the same time with 

a smile on your face, how you can have 

the most meaningful conversation with a 

stranger knowing very well that you too 

will share this intimate bond and then 

shoot off to completely opposite directions 

and most of all, it’s enthralling how these 

events gets imprinted on your soul, forever. 

Ever since then, I haven’t stopped. Even 

though I have travelled to many places, 

only a few of them being solo, I always 

carry that discovered solitude within my 

heart. I still see every new thing with the 

vision of a child and experience the same 

exhilaration on encountering beauty. I find 

peace being with myself, contemplating 

at natural and man-made marvels. I find 

contentment in getting lost and discovering 

unbeaten paths, off the map. Even if I’m not 

able to create a luxurious life for myself in 

the future, I’ll still be rich with my collected 

tales and experiences. 

My definition of ‘Travel’ has a spectrum 

that reaches far out to the limits of this 

world and myself. 

One word, which upon embracing, can 

set you on a path of self-discovery that’s 

going to alter your physical, spiritual, 

psychological, moral, and mental self. 

Are you willing to find your own meaning 

to it or are you going to wait for your ‘Push’ 

forever? 

Raghav Khanna 

New Delhi, India 

Breathing Serenity 

Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80

Tips and Tricks: 

Tilt Shift Photography 

Tilt–shift photography is a really interesting form of photography that is catching up some interests now. It involves the use of camera 

movements on small and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus, often for 

simulating a miniature scene. 

Tilt is used to control the orientation of the plane of focus (PoF), and hence the part of an image that appears sharp. Shift is used to adjust 

the position of the subject in the image area without moving the camera back; this is often helpful in avoiding the convergence of parallel 

lines when photographing tall buildings. 

In photography, a perspective control lens allows the photographer to control the appearance of perspective 

in the image; the lens can be moved parallel to the film, the terms PC and TS are also used by some 

manufacturers to refer to this type of lens. 

Short-focus perspective-control (PC) lenses (i.e., 17 mm through 35 

mm) are used mostly in architectural photography. Longer focal lengths 

may also be used in other applications such as landscape, product, and 

closeup photography. 

The first PC lens manufactured for an SLR camera in any format was 

Nikon’s 1961 f/3.5 35 mm PC-Nikkor. Other manufacturers, including 

Olympus, Pentax, Schneider Kreuznach (produced as well for Leica), 

and Minolta, made their own versions of PC lenses. Olympus produced 

-The 1961 35 mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor lens—the first perspective 

control lens for a 35 mm camera. 

35 mm and 24 mm shift lenses. Canon currently offers 17 mm, 24 mm, 45 mm, and 90 mm tilt/shift 

lenses, whereas Nikon currently offers 19 mm, 24 mm, 45 mm, and 85 mm PC lenses with tilt and 

shift capability. 

Shape control 

With a PC lens, the camera’s back can be kept parallel to the subject while the lens is moved to achieve the desired positioning of the 

subject in the image area. 

Aperture control 

Most SLR cameras provide automatic aperture control, which allows viewing and metering at the lens’s maximum aperture, stops the lens 

down to the working aperture during exposure, and returns the lens to maximum aperture after exposure. 

Tilt 

Using tilt changes the shape of the depth of field (DoF). When the lens and image planes 

are parallel, the DoF extends between parallel planes on either side of the PoF. With tilt or 

swing, the DoF is wedge shaped. The DoF is zero at the apex, remains shallow at the edge 

of the lens’s field of view, and increases with distance from the camera. The angular DoF 

increases with lens f-number, the angular DoF decreases with increasing tilt. 

Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II 

Shift 

Shift is a displacement of the lens parallel to the image plane that allows adjusting the 

position of the subject in the image area without changing the camera angle; in effect the 

camera can be aimed with the shift movement. 

Nikon 24 mm lens which tilts (as seen above) and also shifts 

Miniature Faking 

Selective focus via tilt is often used to simulate a miniature scene, so much that “tilt-and-shift effect” has been used as a general term for 

some miniature faking techniques. Basic digital post-processing techniques can give results similar to those achieved with tilt, and afford 

greater flexibility and control, such as choosing the region that is sharp and the amount of blur for the unsharp regions. Moreover, these 

choices can be made after the photograph is taken. One advanced technique, Smallgantics, is used for motion-pictures; it was first seen 

in the 2006 Thom Yorke music video “Harrowdown Hill”, directed by Chel White. Artist Olivo Barbieri is well known for his miniaturefaking 

skills in the 1990s. Artist Ben Thomas’s series Cityshrinker extended this concept to miniature faking major cities around the 

world, one such example is in his first book, Tiny Tokyo: The Big City Made Mini (Chronicle Books, 2014), which depicts Tokyo in 

miniature. 

Applications 

With a perspective control lens, however, the lens may be shifted upwards in 

relation to the image area, placing more of the subject within the frame. 

Another use of shifting is in taking pictures of a mirror. By moving the camera off 

to one side of the mirror and shifting the lens in the opposite direction, an image of 

the mirror can be captured without the reflection of the camera or photographer. 

72 Vol 2 

Rishabh Jain 

rishabh@chiiz .com 

Youngest member and tech guy of the 

team. He loves finding bugs not in 

the backyard but in the servers. An 

ardent soccer fan, Rishabh is also the 

sports freak of chiiz.

Movie Review 

City Of God 

Cidade de Deus (Portugese) 

Duration: 2hrs 10 mins. 

IMDB Rating: 8.7/10 

Released: 2002 

Directed by Fernando Meirelles and 

Katia Lund, the movie revolves around 

the lives of some hoodlums in the Cidade 

de Deus(City Of God), a slum(ghetto) in 

the suburbs of Rio De Janeiro. The movie is 

based on a novel by Paulo Lins, who grew up 

in the City of God, somehow escaped it, and 

spent eight years writing his book. A note at 

the end says it is partly based on the life of 

Wilson Rodriguez, a Brazilian photographer. 

The tagline of the movie was, ‘Damned if you 

do, damned if you don’t.’ The movie depicts 

drug abuse, violent crime, and a boy’s struggle 

to free himself from the slums’ grasp. 

Plot Summary: 

It starts with a rather more jovial scene of a party, when a chicken escapes and the whole gang runs after it with their guns drawn. They 

end up being seized by the police, although the cops retreat and another gang jumps in headed by Knockout Ned(played by Seu Jorge, 

the rival to Li’l Z, a major character in the movie.The character, Li’l Z, played by Leandro Firmino, portrays the role of a sadistic person 

who enjoys killing people for no reason. 

The movie has a furious energy to it and it never gets low. It gets more and more intense with every passing minute. Tender Trio, the very 

first gang of the city, loots government and from business and share their loot with the residents of the ghetto, so they are liked by all and 

no one speaks against them. The gangs have money and guns because they sell drugs and commit robberies. But they are not very rich 

because their activities are limited to the City of God, where no one has much money. 

Although the film is grim all the way, but it has a dash of coolness as well. Benny, played by Phellipe Haagensen, is the accomplice of Li’l 

Z and the coolest hoodlum in the vicinity. He is loved by all and holds the gangs together upto some level. 

Rocket, the narrator, wants to get away from the chaos of the ghetto, so he moves to the city. He obtains a (stolen) camera that he treasures 

and takes pictures from his privileged position as a kid on the streets. He gets a job as an assistant on a newspaper delivery truck, asks a 

photographer to develop his film, and is startled to see his portrait of an armed gang leader on the front page of the paper one day. 

He, later on, joins the newspaper as a photographer since no other photographer was able to get in the ghetto because of all the raucous 

amongst the gangs. 

74 Vol 2 

Review: 

The movie ends very well for everyone and 

is a superb eye-opener. It narrates the tales 

of people and their everyday fight to survive 

in such a god forsaken place. The most 

important lesson we get from the movie is 

no matter what the circumstances are, it all 

depends how you turn out to be. So, that’s all 

it is about, survival of the fittest and not just 

the bravest. 

Prateek Kashyap 

prateek@chiiz.com 

A n 

adventure seeker by heart, 

his passion for photography 

was ignited in the Great 

Himalayas. Clicking clear 

frames and solving the 

mysteries of life, he just 

wants to spend his time as a 

confused photographer.

Gear Review: 

Sony CyberShot HX350 

Sony has recently launched a new Cyber-shot HX350 

camera with high zoom capabilities. The camera will 

be available exclusively via Amazon for a price of Rs 

28,990. The new high-zoom camera claims to pack in a 

commendable performance into a compact body. 

The camera comes with Carl ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T 

coating lens which offers a 50x optical zoom capability 

from 24mm wide-angle to 1200mm super-telephoto. It goes from wide to full zoom in a jiffy, and that too very smoothly. Complementing 

the hardware, the Clear Image Zoom feature built-into the software further maximise the magnification to 100x. Further, the device 

comes equipped with 20.4-megapixel high-resolution illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X imaging processor to provide 

seamless and accurate image processing. The color of the photographs are very good, especially with the outdoor photography. The 

camera can also handle indoor and low-light photography and videography efficiently, claims Sony. 

We also get an Optical SteadyShot which prevents any kind of casual wobbles and camera shakes to help provide stable and steady shots. 

This enables rapidly shifting of a group of lens elements to correct the slightest hand 

tremors. Also, to record Full HD videos with maximum sharpness and blue-free 

quality, Sony has given an Intelligent Active Mode inside. Talking about the video 

recording, the new HX350 camera comes with a manual focus and zoom ring along 

with an easily-accessible mode dial and a custom button for quick adjustment of 

favourite settings. The camera comes with all the exposure options and also offer 

24p shooting option. Also, the video capabilities are very good. It even comes with 

a stereo microphone inbuilt. Given that, adding a zoom lens of this kind on a DSLR 

would cost a bomb, this could end up being a good video camera option for those 

who need the extra zoom to shoot birds or the moon. Another nifty little software 

feature is the Motion Shot Video which can basically trace a tennis serve or golf 

swing as a split-second series of superimposed images. 

Coming to the viewfinder, we get a 7.5 cm (3.0-type) LCD screen with 921k dot resolution. It lacks precision and you will end up using 

more of the screen almost all the times. It is quite a transition for DSLR users. Lastly, we also get the ability to connect the camera to a 

4K TV with the support for TRILUMINOS Color on the device with BRAVIA TVs enhancing the overall viewing. 

QUICK SPECIFICATIONS 

Body type 

SLR 

Max resolution 5184 x 3456 

Effective pixels 

20 megapixels 

Sensor type 

BSI-CMOS 

ISO Auto, 80-3200 

(up to 12800 in Multi-Frame NR 

hbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbh-mode) 

Focal length (equiv.) 24–1000 mm 

Max aperture 

F2.8–6.3 

Articulated LCD Tilting 

Screen size 3” 

Max shutter speed 1/4000 sec 

USB 

USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) 

Weight (inc. batteries) 652 g 

Dimensions 

130 x 93 x 103 mm 

(5.12 x 3.66 x 4.06”) 

Vol 2 75


Born in India, Kaynat is an avid traveller and photographer. She decided to travel beyond the cliched 

destinations and discover the new. Her enthusiasm to travel and love for writing finds expression in her 

photography too. She has travelled 1,000,00 Kms in just 3 years. Kaynat’s passion for travel, writing and 

photography paved way for ‘Rahagiri’, her blog. ‘Colors of India’, her solo debut exhibition celebrates the 

rich culture, spectacular crafts & exotic artifacts, great traditions and rituals of India. In her experience, 

she discovered the real India in the streets of old cities, in the smiles of innocent children running on streets, 

in the skilled hands of the craftsmen, and in the eyes of the people who are beautiful from within. 

Dr. Kaynat Kazi 

kaynat@chiiz.com 

The Tulip Bulbs: 

Shining Bright in Paradise 

I love tulips. Maybe that’s the reason 

why, when spring arrives, my traveler 

mind starts wandering in search of 

tulips. I believe, deep inside me there 

is a soul of a “Flower Hunter”. Last year 

during spring, I was in Keukenhof, 

Holland, to see the world’s largest tulip 

garden. This time, I decided to visit 

the Tulip Festival in Kashmir which 

takes place in the month of April every 

year. It is organized by the Kashmir 

Tourism Board, which was opened in 

2007. One will be surprised to know 

that this tulip garden is the biggest tulip 

garden in the whole of Asia. The Tulip 

Festival takes place in Srinagar’s Indira 

Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden. Set at 

the foothills of The Zabarwan Range, 

the Botanical Garden spreads over 30 

hectares of land, which is a feast to the 

eyes. 

Over 2 million tulips were on display 

in the garden, with people from all over 

the world visiting to catch a glimpse of 

this beautiful sight. Kashmir, known 

as the ‘Heaven on Earth’, was once 

under the reign of the Mughal Empire 

in the past, so one can see the Persian 

influence on the designs of the gardens 

as well. The terraced fashion gardens 

were considered an essential part in the 

Persian horticultural architecture. One 

could see its influence on the Nishat 

Bagh and Shalimar Gardens as well. 

This garden which is open for a period 

of 15 days to the crowds is a view which 

will remain forever in the memory of 

a visitor. The bulbs which are used to 

cultivate the tulips are brought in from 

Holland. As the festival culminates, 

all the tulip bulbs are color-coded and 

preserved with utmost care for the 

next season. All this work takes place 

under the expert eye of the floriculture 

department. 

Flowers are nature’s gift to us which 

refreshes our mood and rejuvenates 

us all. No matter what the mood of a 

person is, flowers can bring a smile 

on everyone’s face. According to a 

recent study conducted by the State 

University of New Jersey, people who 

receive flowers or remain surrounded 

by flowers, experienced a substantial 

decrease in their stress level, they were 

happier and contented. Flowers are also 

the most powerful medium to express 

our emotions, they say. 

The magnificent tulips cover a long 

distance from the great Himalayas to 

Europe. In spite of being the national 

flower of Netherlands, it is not a native 

crop of Europe. It’s from the great 

76 Vol 2

Himalayas, which became a status symbol 

for the people of Europe over a period of 

time. The Europeans loved, cherished, and 

made it an integral part of their culture. 

Here in Srinagar, seeing these colorful 

tulips, one can easily acknowledge the 

amount of hard work & efforts put behind 

to transform this land into a colorful and 

vibrant meadow. No wonder Kashmir is 

called a paradise on earth. 

About the Garden 

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip 

garden is situated very close to Dal Lake, 

giving it a spectacular look. This threetiered 

tulip garden is home to around 60 

varieties of tulips. Many fountains have 

also been placed in the garden to make 

the garden more splendid. There is a small 

food point here too, where one can savor 

typical Kashmiri foods like Bakarkhani, 

chocolate cakes, and Kashmiri Kehwa. This 

festival also showcases cultural programs, 

Kashmiri folk songs, and an exhibition of 

traditional handicrafts. 

When to go 

The Tulip Festival is organized every year in 

the month of April at Indira Gandhi Tulip 

Memorial Garden, Srinagar, Kashmir. The 

dates are liable to change, due to weather 

conditions. However, it is advisable that 

you check the dates on the website of the 

Kashmiri Tourism before planning a visit. 

How to reach 

Srinagar is well connected to various big 

cities through air and roadways. If you wish 

to travel by railways, then you can take a 

train till Jammu, beyond which one has to 

travel by road. And there are regular flights, 

flying in and out of Srinagar. 

Travel tips 

Though India is pretty warm in the month 

of April, the weather in Kashmir remains 

pleasant. Chances of rainfall are high 

too due to which the temperature drops. 

Do check on the weather forecast before 

working out on your plans. 

Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/8 1/100s ISO100




App of The Month 

VSCO: A sharing friendly editor 

Platforms: iOS and Android 

Price: Free 

Ratings: 4.4(Android), 4/5(iOS) 

the month, this edition 

Though there are numerous 

choices available for photography 

lovers these days, there’s always a 

room for an app like VSCO Cam 

which combines photo taking, photo 

editing and photo sharing. With it’s 

robust assortment of editing tools 

producing elegant photo effects, 

VSCO Cam makes it to Chiiz app of 

The Oakland, California, based VSCO lets users use its gorgeous 

filters and editing options to turn their otherwise boring pictures 

into masterpieces. Plus, like instagram, you can create a profile 

on VSCO Cam and follow other users, although it is essentially 

a more artistic and curated version of Instagram. VSCO Cam, 

which is available as a free app (with in-app filter purchases) on 

both iOS and Android stores, is a great option among artistic 

and photography-focused users. Its minimalist interface lets you 

to create great-looking shots in only a few steps. It might take a 

little time getting acclimatised to its over-simplified and wordless 

iconographic interface, but once you learn its working, it is a joy 

to use. 

VSCO is a versatile app that lets you shoot with its built-in camera 

interface while allowing you to import images from your phone’s 

gallery. VSCO camera toolbar lets you toggle the flash, change the 

display (you can select a square preview, ‘rule of thirds’ or nothing). 

Though most of the features available on both iOS and Android 

platforms are similar, but only iOS users can apply the two-finger 

swipe to set different locations for focus and reading the exposure. 

The iOS users also have access to a white balance lock which allows 

them to apply the color temperature of one scene to another. 

Editing Tools 

The editing part of this app is where things get a little odd and 

somewhat fascinating too. When you tap on a photo to edit it, 

you’ll find a dozen of filters called “presets” that you can apply to 

provide a different look to your pictures. These Presets doesn’t have 

any fancy names — they’re simply called B3, F2, C3, P5, X1 and so 

on — so you are expected to just try them out and see what you can 

make out of it. Presets are not a one-tap and done affair, instead 

they’re applied as layers and can be used in different intensities. 

Going one step further, you can also edit “traditional” aspects of 

your pictures like exposure, contrast, straighten, crop, sharpen, 

saturation, highlights save, shadows save, color temperature, 

tint and fade. With all of these tools, you could easily spend 

hours editing photos for different looks. Edits that you apply are 

completely non-destructive, meaning you can backup your last 

edits — one at a time — or completely remove them all — even 

after you’ve “saved” an image with edits to it. 

Sharing 

VSCO Cam also provides a Grid - its social network platform - 

where you can browse photos, follow users and share pictures and 

there’s no spammy likes, comments or other cruft getting in the 

way like other platforms. 

When you are finished working with your photos, you can share 

them on other apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, 

email, etc. which are installed on your phone or tablet. While if 

you share your images on VSCO’s Grid, it’s not necessary that they 

will be displayed to the public because only high-quality images are 

curated on the platform. 

Chiiz Opinion 

VSCO Cam is a great camera and editing app with a half-baked 

online sharing experience bolted onto the side. The editing tools 

and filters are better than what you’ll find in many other apps, and 

most of the experience is free (you only need to pay for additional 

filters). And while the sparse icon-driven UI is initially confusing, 

it’s easy to figure out. VSCO needs only to find a way to smooth 

the rough edges in its interface to be a truly essential camera app 

alternative. 

Joel Hiekha 

joel@chiiz.com 

A patient and an open minded guy, Joel is madly in 

love with Electronic Dance Music. He is an ardent 

game lover and a fashion enthusiast who loves to try 

out latest trends. 

Vol 2 

79

Her career at a glance: 

Theater: 

How important it is to be serious (Sessili) 

Tartuffe (Marianne) 

A Midsummer Night's Dream (Germany) 

It shines and does not heat (Reneva) 

The Last Victim (Julia Pavlovna Turgina) 

Wolves and sheep (Murzavetskaya, Anfusa 

Tikhonovna) 

The Old New Year (Dasha) 

Tram Desire (Blanche Dubois) 

Filmography: 

The Last Face 

Zemsky doctor 

Fortune-teller 

Dark World: Equilibrium 

Practice 

High kitchen 

Cold front 

Chiiz’s correspondent, ANJALI CHAUDHARY got in talks with 

Tatiana about her preferences in world of fashion. Here is the 

excerpt: 

What does fashion mean to you? 

I’m an actress, a loving wife and a happy mother of two. When 

I have time I attend runway shows and fashion events. I watch 

Fashion TV occasionally to stay in touch with what’s going on in 

the fashion world. That’s it. 

Model of The Month: 

Tatiana Abramenko 

Tatiana Abramenko was born on October 4, in the city of 

Taganrog, Russia. Since childhood, she was fascinated by 

theatre and cinema, and kept herself engaged in various dance 

related activities. By the time she completed her school, she had 

already planned to enter a theatre school, but in an agreement 

with her family, she first had to graduate from Taganrog Radio 

Engineering University, with major in Economics and Enterprise 

Management. 

Also donning an actor’s skills, Tatiana joined the Theater School 

of Konstantin Raikin. Simultaneously, she was engaged in 

modeling as well, which provided a nourishing environment and 

an opportunity to perform on stage even while her studies were 

going on. 

She was also the winner of an Internet contest for “Best Fashion 

Model”. She has worked globally in China, Korea, France, Italy, 

Poland, Lithuania and Spain. In 2006, Tatiana was among the top 

five finalists for Miss Russia and in 2008, she stood second in the 

Italian contest, Miss Cinema. Again in 2011, she was named the 

“Best Fashion Model 2011” by the popular fashion and lifestyle TV 

channel, “Fashion TV”. Her debut in the movies took place in 2007 

in the film, “The Last Slaughter”. She is happily married now, and 

was blessed with a daughter in 2013, named Vika and very soon 

she will become a mother of two. 

Your favourite designer? 

Christian Dior and Chanel. It’s classic, it’s always on point, and it’s 

mesmerizing. Among Russian designers I like Ulyana Sergeenko, 

Alexander Terekhov and Alena Akhmadullina. 

What would be your ideal outfit for – a fun party/casual day out 

with friends/hot date/a formal work setting? 

For a party or any casual occasion I’d wear some jeans and top or 

denim skirt with t-shirt and blazer. When you’re going to a friend's 

gathering you can wear anything you want because it’s your people 

and you should feel comfortable in all ways. When on a hot date, 

it would be a sexy dress or skirt but nothing too much. The only 

appropriate outfit for formal work meeting is strict costume either 

with trousers or skirt plus white shirt. 

A fragrance you swear by? 

I like a lot of fragrances. These days I often wear Versace Bright 

Crystal and Kenzo World Eau De Parfum. Right now I have Chanel 

Coco Mademoiselle on me. 

Three essentials of a man/woman’s wardrobe? 

For a man it is pair of decent shoes, solid watch and tie. Woman 

should have at least a pair of high heels, one black dress no matter 

how short or long it is and a leather jacket. If it fits you well then, 

you can wear it with anything. That’s why I consider it essential. 

Anjali Chaudhary 

anjali@chiiz.com 

Although a portrait of innocence, she is our one of 

the boldest member. She’s like a bird, ready to spread 

her wings and fly, for living & learning, a celebration 

in herself. She is sharp, quick-witted and discerning, 

often a dreamer who sees her life as having a higher 

purpose than simply earning a living. 

80 Vol 2

MakeUp Artist of The Month: 

Pratishtha Arora 

akeup is all about enhancing 

‘Mone’s features, without making 

them look plastic!!’ 

These are the beliefs of our very young 

and talented makeup artist, Pratishtha 

Arora. 

She, so fondly, narrates the story of her 

life to our correspondent, KANIKA 

MAURYA. 

Pratishtha is the founder of the makeup company, Rupasso that 

provides one-stop makeup solutions for all the occasions like 

weddings, editorials, pre-weddings, fashion shows and shoots. 

Her achievements include working with big brands like En Vogue 

Dubai, Kaltblut Magazine, MensXp, Clarions Miss Indian Diva, 

Times Internet, etc. 

From having a degree in philosophy to being the founder of 

Rupasso, it’s a journey that surely had its ups and downs. 

Recalling her time as a makeup student, she apprised us what a life 

changing experience it was to finally learn what she loved. After 

attaining a double certification in makeup artistry from Singapore 

and Delhi, she further went on to doing her makeup diploma from 

VTCT, London. 

For her, it feels like a dream come true. Pratishtha says, “I was born 

to do makeup. When I close my eyes, I don’t see the usual black, 

it’s the rainbow rings dancing round in that void. And that’s how I 

always knew I was born to play with colors.” 

She worked as a senior makeup trainer with a well known 

international academy before starting her very own successful 

brand ‘Rupasso’ and still wishes to continue teaching makeup apart 

from freelancing for fashion world, weddings and events. ‘Teaching 

and Makeup have always resulted in a state of contentment for me, 

and MSTC gave me the most blissful opportunity to be a makeup 

teacher,’ she says. 

Bridal makeup is her forte and Pratishtha feels that getting one’s 

makeup done on their Big Day should be an experience in itself. 

She is well known for her attention to detail and likes to work with 

each one of her client to create a customized look that will bring 

out the best in them. The whole process is definitely a collaboration 

and the end result is a confident and gorgeous face. 

This enthusiastic artist believes that half of the revenue she generates 

from her work is purely emotional. It cannot be calculated in 

monetary terms and solely depends on the satisfaction level of her 

clients. “The bright accomplished smile on the faces of my brides is 

my reward. And that confidence they get by looking at themselves 

in the mirror makes all the difference.”, says Pratishtha. 

On being questioned about the effects Rupasso brought with it and 

how it has changed her life since, she so sincerely answered that 

it gives her more power to exercise and more flexibility to work 

with. She was very flattered when unexpected recognition started 

coming her way and people started recognising her in public 

through her work. “A girl just randomly came up to me while I 

was out shopping and said, ‘you are Pratishtha, right? I have been 

following your work on Insta and I just love what you do’, - I 

couldn’t stop blushing”, she recalls with a smile. 

Having a brand of her own is the biggest achievement for Pratishtha 

so far. She nourishes Rupasso as a mother feeds her only child and 

believes her busy schedule is a must in her life. ‘Sitting idle is just 

not for me, it gets on me in a negative way!’ 

Out of her personal choices, Estee Lauder, Giorgio Armani, Morphe 

and Urban Decay stand a steady ground as she keeps utmost trust 

in these brands. 

In her words, “It is important for people to follow their heart. 

Things will fall in place but for that you need to work hard. Never 

stop your practice, for it enhances your skills!!” 

Kanika Maurya 

Kanika@chiiz.com 

Hit by wanderlust, Kanika is a hard core food addict. 

A dancer who danced her way happily out of college, 

Kanika is a photographer keen on capturing things 

or moments that are majestic. When not capturing or 

eating, Kanika is exploring places in and around delhi 

with her friends. 

82 Vol 2

A Photo Series by Julia Wimmerlin 

Paint It Snail 

What do you think of snails? Snails 

– the soft-bodied, thick-shelled 

molluscs - which you must have seen in 

and around ponds, rivers or at sea. Have 

you ever thought of snails entering into 

the makeup wardrobe and becoming 

an inspiration to a fashion designer or a 

makeup artist? 


Well, it’s very hard to put your thinking cap 

and create a story around such a matter 

but Julia Wimmerlin, a Ukrainian-born 

photographer, used snails to portray her 

creativity and imagination in her latest 

“paint it snail” photography collection. She 

chatted with SHEETAL MANN about how 

she went on to create such masterpiece. 

84 Vol 2 

Sheetal Mann 

sheetal@chiiz.com 

A silent tigress working up 

her way against the societal 

norms. One hell of an interior 

designer for your beautiful 

homes and thoughts, she is 

quite an introvert and serenity 

drips from her face. 

Don’t Touch My Shoes 


“Snails are known for leaving traces behind 

them, and in a fantasy world, snails and 

their traces could be multi-colored. ‘Paint it 

Snail’ is a series of snapshots of this fantasy 

world where snails would become makeup 

artists, fashion designers and jewellery,” 

says the award-winning photographer 

Wimmerlin, in an email conversation 

from Switzerland, where she is currently 

residing. 

Wimmerlin is a marketing professional 

turned photographer who loves 

photography as a whole and always brings 

something personal whether it’s a business 

portrait or a famous landmark. She believes 

her strength is the creative approach with an 

amalgamation of true emotions in them. In 

her short but fairy tale-like career, she has 

pushed all the boundaries of photography 

to create images that are not only creatively 

enthralling but tell stories of their own. 

“The snail story was shot in studio and the 

snail models come from around my house 

in Switzerland as well as from the rural 

areas in Alsace, France. The snails lived 

with me for a few weeks whilst the series 

was shot, and now I am an experienced 

snails’ feeder and cleaner”, she replies with 

a smiley face. “All colors on the model 

– Anastasia Konetskaya – were painted 

with acrylic paints and all the snails were 

painted later in Photoshop. No snail was 

harmed during the shoot. All snails were 

let go next to a river on a rainy Swiss day 

after the series was finished”. she explains 

further on how she shot the story. 

Wimmerlin, who won a silver medal in 

Color Open category at International 

Salon of Photography PhotoArtist 2016 

for her ‘Snow Monkeys, believes that, in 

her nearly self-taught career, she relied 

a lot on her advertising and marketing 

experience to construct an image. “First 

there is an idea that can become a theme 

for the series. It takes time for an idea 

to settle and develop into a story that 

later becomes a series of photographs. 

Sometimes I make a detailed storyboard 

of a hat on how each shot would look like 

and other times I just go with a general 

idea and mood and let the model find 

her way,” she says while explaining how 

she works around a story. 

Her fashion portfolio includes 

collaborations with famous Filipino 

designer Pia Gladys Perey who enjoyed 

an international uprising after dressing 

Angelina Jolie. She has worked with Pia 

Gladys Perey for her Junior Bridesmaids 

and High Tea Collections, and 

advertising images for Spring-Summer 

Collection 2015 which were presented 

at the World Fashion Week in Paris. Her 

celebrity fashion portfolio also includes 

collaboration with another Filipino actress 

and model, Rhian Ramos. 

The most prized accessory for her, while 

on the shoot, is her ‘compact hood loupe’ 

without which she can’t live. “I can’t live 

without it as it allows me to see the shot 

on camera’s LCD magnified enough to see 

some particular details, and shields the shot 

from any ambient light that might influence 

my perception of the shot,” replies National 

Geographic & Vogue photographer, 

Wimmerlin. 

Wimmerlin has received 2 Honourable 

Mentions at IPA’s (International 

Photography Award) in One Shot Climate 

Change Competition (2016). Her travel, 

animal and creative photographs have 

been published in various travel magazines 

including National Geographic(USA), 

National Geographic Travel(USA), Digital 

Photo(UK), GEO(Germany, France), “DJI 

Focus”(China), Animan(Switzerland), 

Travelife(Philippines), travel section of 

The Telegraph(UK), The Times(UK), 

The Guardian(UK), Daily Star(UK), 

Metro(UK), Le Matin(Switzerland), 20 

minutes(France), etc. She is a regular 

contributor to the PhotoVogue site of 

Vogue Italia having several shots selected 

as “Best Of ” and “Photo of the Day”. 

Before Julia signed off to prepare for her 

shoot, we managed to ask her if she had 

to define the world in a single photograph, 

what would it be? She took some time and 

replied after few minutes, “Though I have 

never thought about it, but if I were to 

show the world in a single shot, it would 

be a macro shot of one’s eye – you have the 

whole world there”.

MakeUp Artists 


Making Me Smile 


Eye Shadows 


Nail It Snail 


The Necklace 


Black Seam Tights 


Bracelet Diaries 


Group OF The Month 

@yourshot_india 

We 

believe 

t h a t 

photography is not 

just a talent, it’s a 

lifestyle. Each one 

of us experiences 

moments which 

we wish to absorb 

and capture as it is, keeping them alive 

forever. 

It all began in 2016, when Arpit Verma (@ 

explorer_eye), 20, an engineering student 

and a freelancer photographer decided to 

set the page up on Instagram naming it @ 

yourshot_india. As the page soon gained 

recognition and started getting bigger and 

better, it was joined by Harsh Agrawal (@ 

harshagrawa.l), 20 and Malvika Srivastava 

(@malvikasrivastava),20. 

The basic idea behind @yourshot_india 

is to surface the talents of budding 

photographers and provide them a platform 

to showcase their vision all over the world. 

With the course of time more and more 

photographers sent us their photos, used 

our hashtags and tagged us in their photos 

to get them featured on our Instagram page. 

Also, we took to Instagram stories and 

live session to share tips, suggestions and 

resolve the queries of our followers enabling 

us to connect better with them. 

The love and appreciation we receive have 

@kartik231987 

helped us come so far and motivates us to 

grow and work harder each day in the same 

direction. 

Our motive is to promote the art of 

photography, introduce to this world the 

best of photographers with the best of their 

photos and to inspire and help others find a 

photographer within themselves. . 

11mm F/6.3 1/320s ISO100 

@vignesh_snaper 

15mm F/2.8 1/160s ISO1600

Fashionista Behind The Camera 


Starting with night clubs and ending up with Playboy Ukraine’s 

magazine, this isn’t just luck, but it is when hard work pays off 

and Tina Sokolovskaya surely has her way with it. This Ukraine 

based photographer now works with celebrities, famous artists, 

and singers all over the globe. BARKHA CHANDRA from Chiiz 

gets in talk with her on her successful career and lots more. 

When did you first think of becoming a photographer and how did 

you get into fashion photography? 

Since childhood, I liked the art of photography. I did my first 

experiment when I was very young, and at the age of 17, I seriously 

thought about photography as a profession and began to learn it. 

I was a student, living in a city away from my parents and needed 

money. But soon, my work w recognised and people began to 

notice me. Magazines and Television channels started approaching 

me to work with them. During the first 1 to 2 years, I chose to focus 

mainly on portrait and fashion photography. 

Also, tell us about all your beloved possessions and some tips for 

fashion photography? 

I love working with natural lighting and playing with shadows. I 

always try to use all sources of natural light as much as possible, 

and when I do not have it, I rent photo studios to avoid the impulse 

flash as much as possible. 

It is important to keep in mind that 90% of the results of a 

beautiful photo is in the model itself. If you are just starting out 

in photography, train with professional models. They know much 

more about the work, as you can focus only on the process and 

learn quicker. Also, all the best shots are spontaneous, so relax 

and just have fun with what you do. Love your profession or your 

hobby. 

We hear a lot about the obstacles women face in the workforce, but 

surely there are advantages. So what do you think are the benefits 

of being a female photographers? 

Perhaps my words will not 

sound right, but I really 

think that it is much easier 

for men to succeed in this 

profession than women. 

In addition, men are more 

enduring. A photographer’s 

work implies that you work 

for approximately 15 hours 

a day without food, with 

almost 20 kgs of equipments 

behind you. Not everyone 

can do it, but I myself think 

that I’m strong enough to 

take it. And of course, there 

are also a lot of advantages of 

being a female photographer. 

Many female models are 

very shy, so it makes it much 

more comfortable for them 

to work with fellow female 

photographers, or in some 

countries, for example, in the 

United Arab Emirates, male 

photographers are not allowed 

to take the photographs of female models for religious reasons. 

What do you consider the most important break in your career 

and why? 

I don’t know about the most important, but one of the last is my 

photo “On the wave”, where a model is lying on the beach and the 

wave is hugging her. It went viral in a matter of days after it was first 

published, and has been published in more than 100 well-known 

publications. It was a huge surprise for me. 

What is the one quality that you possess as a Playboy Ukraine’s 

Official Photographer that sets you apart? 

I was invited to work in Playboy magazine because I have a special 

ability of observation of the female body and my own style of post 

production. I always preserve the naturalness, and do not like a lot 

of photoshop on my photos. And at the same time, I try to show 

only the best side of a female model. 

What advice do you have for other female photographers who are 

looking to get into photography? 

The main advice that I can give them is to believe in themselves. 

In the past few years, some of the goals that I had already achieved 

seemed impossible to me, but by hard work, constant development 

and self-confidence, it has helped me achieve what I wanted. The 

main thing is to never stand still and always keep moving forward. 

In 2014, when the war hit Ukraine, most of the cities were in state 

of utter unrest. Tina had to move to Kiev from Donetsk, where she 

basically had to start from scratch. After a year in Kiev, she moved 

to Odessa, where she met a wonderful makeup artist name Vika, 

with whom she is now practically inseparable at work. 

Barkha Chandra 

barkha@chiiz.com 

She is the laughter dose of Team Chiiz currently 

rocking up the PR dept. She is always high on life 

and hooked to freedom. A great philosopher, living in 

her own imaginary world as she juggles through the 

highs and lows of life. 

88 Vol 2

“By the way, my famous pic “On the Wave” was made in Dubai. 

This was an “accidental” shot. It was a usual commercial 

shooting for our client from Latvia, we were on the beach, and 

thou`ght to shoot some interesting. Nearby there was a bridge, 

and I said: “Let me try to take a picture of you from above!” 

The sea was just a little restless, there was a wave, and this shot 

turned out. In fact, all the best is the result of the right moment.” 

On The Wave 

Nikon D700 50mm F/3.5 1/640s ISO280

I 

n 2015, she was invited to become an official photographer for Playboy Ukraine’s magazine. Europe, Seychelles, Santorini and 

Dubai are the major places for their photoshoots. Tina was contented when she talked about how most of the influential and 

powerful people of Ukraine knows and trusts her work. We are proud that she could still hang on and be strong enough to start from 

scratch even after the war devastated her home. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors. 

Dance Away 

Nikon D200 105mm F/5 1/800s ISO100

Santorini Stories-1 


Heartthrobs 


A La Mode 

Nikon D200 35mm F/3.5 1/100s ISO250




Nikon D700 50mm F/3.5 1/4000s ISO200

Sandeep MV 


Meera Lost In Happiness 

Canon EOS-1D X 50mm F/1.6 1/500s ISO100 

Sandeep MV 


Supermodels 

Canon EOS-1D X 70mm F/2.8 1/80s ISO2000 

Bernadette Newberry 

Ohio, USA 

Yellow Lips 

Canon EOS 5D Mark II 75mm F/4 1/200s ISO100

ANDREY KELS 

Andrey Kels was born in Siberia. Andrey was 

introduced to photography by his parents at a 

very small age, when they presented him with 

the FED-3 film camera and taught him how 

to develop and print photos. He really enjoys 

working with black and white photographs in 

the nude, as it portrays a certain charm and 

atmosphere of the shot, without distracting 

the viewer.

Cruising On High Tide 


Fading Footsteps 


Over The Bridge 


The Harp Effect 


Bernadette Newberry 

Ohio, USA 

Carry Me Home 


Miss Lollipop 


Hips Don’t Lie 




Bedroom Pearls 




Around The Mysticals 

Nikon D750 58mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO640

Chiiz Volume 2 : Maternity Photography

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