Chiiz Volume 2 : Maternity Photography
Chiiz is a unique photography magazine that is dedicated to descriptive photography. In our second volume, we have tried to showcase the diversity of photography genres ranging from Birth Photography to Wildlife Photography and from Underwater Photography to Fashion Photography. It is an astounding fiesta to eyes and there is not a single photograph that can elude your attention. We are sure that the works of Brandon Mikesell, Garrett Patz and Tina Sokolovskaya is all you have to take home for a nice indulgence over a sojourn.
Chiiz is a unique photography magazine that is dedicated to descriptive photography. In our second volume, we have tried to showcase the diversity of photography genres ranging from Birth Photography to Wildlife Photography and from Underwater Photography to Fashion Photography. It is an astounding fiesta to eyes and there is not a single photograph that can elude your attention. We are sure that the works of Brandon Mikesell, Garrett Patz and Tina Sokolovskaya is all you have to take home for a nice indulgence over a sojourn.
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EDITORIAL<br />
Editorial<br />
Donatella Nicolini<br />
Prakhar Garg<br />
Mukesh Kumar<br />
Design<br />
Sheetal Mann<br />
Prateek Bhardwaj<br />
Mayank Sehgal<br />
Writer<br />
Sana Singh<br />
Rahul Batra RB<br />
Tushar Sharma<br />
Business<br />
Urshita Saini<br />
Sahil Gupta<br />
Neha Arora<br />
Marketing<br />
Kanika Maurya<br />
Joel Hiekha<br />
Anurag Khaneja<br />
Analysis<br />
Prateek Kashyap<br />
Audrey White<br />
Technology<br />
Lee Nguyen<br />
Rishabh Jain<br />
Public Relations<br />
Barkha Chandra<br />
Priyashi Negi<br />
Finance<br />
Neelu Singh<br />
Anjali Chaudhary<br />
Consultant<br />
Mansa Inc.<br />
Cover Photo<br />
Tina Sokolovskaya<br />
Birth is like magic, that too of the purest form a woman can<br />
experience. Birth is something that widens our thinking about<br />
the world. It makes us realize that no matter how small things<br />
are, they surely can hold a greater importance.<br />
Many of us think that having babies is magical. But for a miracle<br />
to happen, you don’t need a prayer or a wish granting kiss, you<br />
just have to actually believe in it. The actual reason of it being<br />
magical lies in the transitions one undergoes after it. It makes<br />
the two rather carefree individuals more responsible and<br />
mature towards life, not just for the sake of baby but also for<br />
the bond they share with the baby. Through this journey of the<br />
story of pregnancy, birth and the newborns, we hope that many<br />
photographers will explore unique avenues related to the field.<br />
And talking about the avenues and endeavors that a photographer can achieve, Julia has set a perfect<br />
example for the upcoming and aspiring photographers. Her idea of photography defines much more<br />
than just creating something new, but it pushes you to push the limits, to scourge the grounds for the<br />
mere possibility of an idea, and to always keep finding that lone source of inspiration that has kept<br />
you going all this while.<br />
Not only this, but the amount of dedication and perfection you get to see in Benny’s work is<br />
commendable. His feelings and his understanding of the wild beasts has brought a face changing<br />
revolution in the protection of these animals. Believe it or not, but it is the hour of the need. We all<br />
have to come together to eradicate this strong and evil force of illegal animal killing from the face of<br />
the earth and only that can help in saving our beautiful abode.<br />
Festivals like Holi and Hornbill are something that indicate the celebration of the ways of our lives.<br />
But the sad truth is that our ways have changed drastically and they are surely not for the good. Man<br />
has ever been in search of farthest lands for serene beauty and solace, but he has only damaged those<br />
districts upon arrival. Kashmir, the paradise of India, was once one of the most beautiful places, but<br />
time and man has taken its toll on it. The Tulip Festival is a way to tell people the tales of forgotten<br />
times, the times we so fondly cherish but never made an effort to preserve. Dr. Kaynat, a well read<br />
person and a female solo traveler, knows the importance of keeping our ways a bit on the older side.<br />
In the end, it’s not about what we have achieved so far or what we are going to achieve, it’s about<br />
being responsible for the generations to come and leave behind a better place for them to live in.<br />
That’s the only way we can work it out and strive towards a happier and peaceful world.<br />
Donatella Nicolini
CONTENTS<br />
8<br />
Hues of Holi<br />
The Streets of Vrindavan<br />
75<br />
Gear Review<br />
Sony Cyber-shot HX350<br />
Nurses And I<br />
Benny Rebel<br />
21<br />
Tulip Festival<br />
The Tulip Bulbs<br />
76<br />
37<br />
Old Is Gold<br />
Wait For Me, Daddy<br />
79<br />
App of the Month<br />
VSCO<br />
45<br />
70<br />
The Story Of A Life<br />
<strong>Maternity</strong>, Birth & Newborn<br />
Guess What<br />
Hornbill Festival<br />
Symbol Of Unity In Diversity<br />
Concepts of Solo Travel<br />
Swati Rawat<br />
38<br />
66<br />
82<br />
Model Of The Month<br />
Tatiana Abramenko<br />
MakeUp Artist<br />
Pratishtha Arora<br />
Paint It Snail<br />
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
80<br />
84<br />
74<br />
Tips and Tricks<br />
Tilt Shift <strong>Photography</strong><br />
Movie Review<br />
City Of God<br />
72<br />
87<br />
Group Of The Month<br />
Your Shot India<br />
Fashionista Behind The<br />
Camera<br />
Tina Sokolovskaya<br />
88
HUES OF HOLI<br />
The Streets of Vrindavan<br />
Mukesh Kumar<br />
New Delhi, India
Bloody Faith<br />
Nikon D800 31mm F/4.5 1/125s ISO2000
Every year as the month of March<br />
approaches, my heart starts to swell<br />
with excitement, for with this month<br />
comes my year-long hope of being there<br />
in Vrindavan once again for the festival of<br />
Holi. Though, since the last 7-years of my<br />
life, I have been celebrating the festival in<br />
the bewitching streets of Vrindavan, but<br />
still, there is something that keeps enticing<br />
me to this place. I don’t know whether it’s<br />
the place, or the people or the temples or<br />
the sound of ‘Radhe Radhe’ which lures me<br />
to be there every year.<br />
Amit Nimade<br />
Bhopal, India<br />
Rahul Batra RB<br />
rahul@chiiz.com<br />
Rahul is a culture<br />
based writer who left<br />
his engineering job<br />
to pursue a career in<br />
writing. He wishes to<br />
write a psychological<br />
bestseller one day.<br />
I eagerly wait for the Holi festival every year<br />
to celebrate it in the streets of Vrindavan<br />
and the memories of this festival remain<br />
always fresh in my mind throughout the<br />
year. Vrindavan is a place where, I believe,<br />
people lose their heart in the divine beauty<br />
of the place and its enchanting streets, but<br />
find a connection within their soul.<br />
This year, I reached there a day before<br />
the main Holi festival (also known as<br />
Dhulandi) and my Holi started at 4.30 am<br />
with an ‘early morning Puja’ at the ISKCON<br />
temple which is colloquial for its Hare<br />
Krishna movement all around the globe.<br />
After the Puja, I took some rest and then<br />
headed towards Shri Banke Bihari temple.<br />
As the temple got nearer, the narrow<br />
streets of the Vrindavan got jammed by<br />
the swarms of devotees. This temple is the<br />
heart of Vrindavan; and if you are there and<br />
didn’t go to this temple, your visit would<br />
always remain incomplete and you would<br />
not get the blessings of the lord.<br />
Devotees from all around the globe come<br />
here to celebrate Holi with Lord Krishna<br />
himself. Inside the temple, the priests throw<br />
colors and holy water from their pichkaris<br />
(water guns) and the crowd chants ‘Radhe<br />
Radhe’ in unison. In this very same temple,<br />
just a few days before the Holi, flower petals<br />
are showered over the devotees to celebrate<br />
a unique Phoolon wali Holi (Flowers’ Holi)<br />
without the conventional dry or wet colors.<br />
People were awestruck by the divine beauty<br />
of the moment and were celebrating as<br />
if it was their first Holi. From every nook<br />
& corner of the temple, only one sound –<br />
Radhe Radhe - was audible. And believe<br />
me, had the police and security personnel<br />
were not in action, nobody would have left.<br />
After somehow managing to get out<br />
of the temple, I headed towards Radha<br />
Vallabh temple. In this very same temple,<br />
2-days before the Holi, widows gather and<br />
celebrate Holi with the lord. Holy water<br />
from huge water guns is sprayed in the air<br />
which gives a feeling as if the lord is himself<br />
showering his blessings over his admirers.<br />
Holi festival also comes as a treat to the<br />
photographers. For the colors and the joy of<br />
happiness is so enticing that they can’t stop<br />
themselves from picking up their lenses and<br />
getting out on the streets drenched with<br />
vibrant emotions. All around Vrindavan,<br />
I could see photographers from around<br />
the world, trying to capture some of these<br />
enthralling moments.<br />
A Child’s Play<br />
Nikon D750 44mm F/8 1/320s ISO560<br />
After that, I<br />
moved towards<br />
ISKCON temple<br />
which is a very<br />
famous tourist<br />
hotspot and for<br />
the same reason,<br />
it is also called<br />
angrejo ka mandir<br />
(or the temple<br />
of foreigners).<br />
The music, the<br />
dance and the<br />
tranquilizing<br />
sound of ‘Hare<br />
Krishna Hare<br />
Krishna, Krishna<br />
Krishna Hare<br />
Hare’ are what<br />
exactly defines<br />
this temple.<br />
One of the<br />
defining moments<br />
of this year’s Holi<br />
was when I saw<br />
3 boys disguised<br />
in the form of<br />
female (or Radha’s friends), playing kikli,<br />
and frolicking in the Lord’s name. The<br />
genuine smiles on their faces (which rather<br />
signified their devotion towards the Lord)<br />
gave a jaw-dropping view which left me<br />
wondering whether the lord was visible<br />
to them. Some things are meant only to<br />
observe and you can’t give words to them,<br />
such was that feeling.<br />
The dance which these boys were<br />
performing is traditionally known as Raas<br />
Leela – the dance of passion - depicting the<br />
life of Lord Krishna and, his beloved, Radha;<br />
and how their love painted this world in<br />
the colorful essence of togetherness and<br />
belonging.<br />
This very moment reminded me of the first<br />
time when I was there in the temple as an<br />
atheist. I could easily recall the scenario<br />
where an old man of around 70 was
dancing and being completely immersed<br />
in the name of Krishna to bewitch the lord.<br />
I was not only enthralled and overjoyed<br />
by the scene but also my senses found a<br />
new rhythm. My feet started moving and I<br />
knew not when I started<br />
dancing and jumping<br />
with only ‘Hare Krishna<br />
Hare Krishna, Krishna<br />
Krishna Hare Hare’ on<br />
my mouth. This very<br />
same feeling is what, I<br />
believe, connects me to<br />
this temple. I feel it’s not<br />
my body that takes me<br />
there, it is as if they want<br />
me there every time<br />
around.<br />
People strolling in the streets of this holy<br />
city often get surprised when mildly hot<br />
water is pelted over them from different<br />
corners. They try to run away as quickly as<br />
possible but only to find someone else color<br />
around 12-years-old playing with her water<br />
gun and coloring people on the streets, a<br />
bewitching smile emanated from her face<br />
every time she made a successful attempt. It<br />
was such a beautiful sight for which I could<br />
Similarly, after a while, I<br />
lost myself again in the<br />
divine name of the lord<br />
and didn’t know what<br />
happened next, until it<br />
was the time to close<br />
the darbars (or gates)<br />
of the temple. I had to<br />
undesirably leave the<br />
temple and felt as if the<br />
hours passed in minutes<br />
that day.<br />
Abbas Baig<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Street Hunter<br />
Canon EOS70D 18mm F/3.5 1/1250s ISO1000<br />
Holi is celebrated to depict the victory of<br />
good over evil and has a very religious<br />
purpose associated with it, symbolising the<br />
legend of Holika. The night before Holi,<br />
bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as<br />
Holika Dehan (burning of Holika Demon).<br />
People gather near the bonfire, sing, dance<br />
and pray to the Lord.<br />
As the Holika was being<br />
burned in the evening,<br />
I met a Brazilian<br />
man, who being fully<br />
disguised in the attire<br />
of a yogi with a rosary (a<br />
string of prayer beads) in<br />
his hand, asked me what Holika<br />
Dehan was about. After explaining its<br />
history, I asked him if he was doing okay<br />
because he looked depressed. He said,<br />
rather broken-heartedly that the next day<br />
would be his last day in the city and he<br />
would be leaving for Rio after staying in the<br />
country for 5 months. Then I realised that<br />
there was something spiritual in this place,<br />
as everybody who comes here finds some<br />
kind of solace within their soul.<br />
The next day which is celebrated as<br />
Dhulandi all over the country, I decided to<br />
explore the streets of Vrindavan, to catch a<br />
sight of some smiling faces of the devotees<br />
who get lost in the moments of pure bliss.<br />
their face in frenzy.<br />
Holi festival also comes as a treat<br />
to the photographers. For the<br />
colors and the joy of happiness<br />
is so enticing that they can’t<br />
stop themselves from picking up<br />
their lenses and getting out on<br />
the streets drenched with vibrant<br />
emotions.<br />
The cows and monkeys strolling around<br />
are an intrinsic part of Vrindavan. Cows<br />
with festoons of flowers around their neck<br />
and monkeys who are always ready to grab<br />
your eyewear in return of some food are<br />
discernible in its every street.<br />
Shops with lassi, bhang<br />
and sweets (especially<br />
peda) sprinkled with<br />
color are present at<br />
almost every corner.<br />
The city and its streets<br />
are mired in colors, even<br />
the clouds turned red on that<br />
particular day, bringing a spectacular sight<br />
from below.<br />
You could see people all around spraying<br />
colors at each other, be it a friend or<br />
stranger. But herein lies the downside<br />
associated with it, which would refrain any<br />
women from visiting the festival. Women<br />
are especially colored on their faces, necks<br />
and sometimes even their intimate parts<br />
which was very disheartening to see.<br />
Soon it was 11.30 A.M. with all the major<br />
doors leading to the temples getting closed,<br />
marking the culmination of this year’s Holi.<br />
While walking back home, I saw a girl of<br />
have given everything if I could see that for<br />
the rest of my life - which literally summed<br />
up my Holi for the year.<br />
HOLI AROUND THE WORLD<br />
Holi is celebrated as a social event in parts<br />
of the United States. For example, at Sri Sri<br />
Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork,<br />
Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New<br />
York and Festival of Colors, Holi NYC in<br />
Brooklyn. In New York, Holi is celebrated<br />
as the Festival of Color, where thousands<br />
of people gather from all over the United<br />
States to celebrate.<br />
A number of Holi-inspired social events<br />
have also surfaced, particularly in Europe<br />
and the United States and UK, often<br />
organized by companies as for-profit or<br />
charity events with paid admission, and<br />
with varying scheduling that does not<br />
coincide with the actual Holi festival. Some<br />
places you can head to, are:<br />
LIFE IN COLOR, MIAMI, FLORIDA<br />
‘Life In Color’ is the biggest color festival<br />
out there. A concept that started out as a<br />
college festival in Florida, it has progressed<br />
into a worldwide color party. This festival<br />
takes places all over the world in short<br />
intervals and you can head to this festival<br />
for the perfect combination of music and<br />
colors.
Their website has everything you will want<br />
to checkout before heading out to LIC.<br />
www.lifeincolor.com<br />
COLORJAM COLOR MUSIC FESTIVAL,<br />
TEXAS<br />
‘Colorjam’ is a color music festival that took<br />
place in Texas in 2014. With the euphoric<br />
combination of music and color, this festival<br />
captures the essence of Holi perfectly. Their<br />
line-up also featured acts such as Green<br />
River Ordinance, Sunny Sweeney, etc. Till<br />
now, no one can speculate their next date,<br />
but keep an eye out on this one. It’s worth it.<br />
Amit Nimade<br />
Bhopal, India<br />
FESTIVAL OF COLORS<br />
This festival goes on all summer around<br />
the whole world in about 30 countries.<br />
‘Festival of Colors’ is a hippie’s paradise.<br />
It’s a music festival with a dash of color,<br />
featuring bands like The Bhakti Dance,<br />
this festival has a peaceful<br />
and tranquil demeanor.<br />
Promising good vibes,<br />
great music and above all,<br />
an incredible time, this<br />
fest is a must.<br />
www.holifestival.com<br />
HOLI ONE<br />
‘Holi One’ is a color festival<br />
held in Cape Town where<br />
it commenced. This event<br />
aims to adapt our vivid<br />
culture of celebrating Holi<br />
with music and colors and<br />
cherish the power of one.<br />
It took place in August<br />
last year in London and<br />
no dates have yet been<br />
released for 2017.<br />
www.holione.com<br />
Prismatic Happiness<br />
Nikon D750 120mm F/4 1/500s ISO2000<br />
Luigi Roberto Spano<br />
Bari, Italy<br />
MUMBAI COLOR FESTIVAL,<br />
UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS<br />
Based on the traditional Hindu festival,<br />
Fort Vechten will become alive with color<br />
as festival-goers party hard to house and<br />
techno. Breaking down all distinctions<br />
of race, gender and sexuality, electronic<br />
music lovers come together for a day<br />
under a blanket of color, embracing their<br />
individuality and becoming part of one<br />
of Europe’s most creative music festivals.<br />
Sadly, organisers have decided that this year<br />
will be the last for the festival, calling it their<br />
final countdown. But there’s always a silver<br />
lining in every situation. Head out, the date<br />
is 5th May 2017. www.mumbaifestival.nl<br />
HOLI GARDEN FESTIVAL, IBIZA<br />
‘Holi Garden Festival’ held annually in<br />
Ibiza, is the brightest music/color stage<br />
there is. Propagating their agenda of joy and<br />
amiability, this festival is as happy as it gets.<br />
Check out their website for the upcoming<br />
ones, www.holigardenfestivalibiza.com<br />
PROTECTING YOUR CAMERA<br />
Cover your camera<br />
You can use camera raincoats which are<br />
available on Amazon or www.lenscoat.<br />
com. Now you could take your expensive<br />
underwater housing and use that, or a<br />
plastic bag also works just fine. Make sure<br />
your lens hood is attached as it can provide<br />
extra protection from the powder getting<br />
into your lens. Duct tape is also a good<br />
option.<br />
Don’t open/change anything!<br />
DON’T change your lenses and same goes<br />
for batteries and SD card. Do not open that<br />
camera body at all! Photographers solve<br />
the lens’ problem by simply bringing two<br />
cameras.<br />
Cover the details.<br />
When capturing the festival, don’t forget to<br />
shoot the details – often the smallest things<br />
are the most beautiful, like this shock of red<br />
powder in a blue hand.<br />
Shoot in a comfortable mode.<br />
Don’t plan on fiddling around with manual<br />
settings unless you are a pro at it. Go<br />
with auto focus mode. Do test shots first<br />
and ensure you have your ISO, aperture,<br />
metering, focal point set as much as you<br />
can for each Holi situation before you walk<br />
into it. Then just keep those settings and<br />
fire rapidly.<br />
Get on top of anything.<br />
Images displaying colorful powder with a<br />
view from above are always great. Get on<br />
top chairs, balconies or anywhere you find<br />
space. Shots of powder being thrown in the<br />
air are loved by many.<br />
Some do’s and dont’s.<br />
Watch out for colored water at all times.<br />
Cover your camera at all costs.<br />
Take a lot of duct tape for emergencies.<br />
Don’t change or open any component.<br />
Be ready to go to auto focus, for color in the<br />
air can interfere with manual.<br />
Take extra batteries and memory.<br />
Holi is celebrated to depict the victory of<br />
good over evil or so they say. I think the<br />
reason it is celebrated is to show people<br />
how beautiful it is to live in harmony and<br />
peace, and let us do that, not just for one<br />
day but for eternity. Let’s show the world<br />
how colorful it is to live in peace.<br />
The Color Run<br />
Samsung SMG920I 4mm F/1.9 1/220s ISO40
Prakhar Tripathi<br />
Mumbai, India<br />
Blissful Drizzle<br />
Nikon D4S 18mm F/5.6 1/30s ISO1000<br />
Amit Nimade<br />
Bhopal, India<br />
Jai Shri Radhe<br />
Nikon D750 95mm F/4 1/640s ISO320<br />
Sourabh Gandhi<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Breaking Old Impediments<br />
Nikon D810 24mm F/3.5 1/640s ISO200
Somia Mallick<br />
Calcutta, India<br />
Showering Blessings<br />
Sony SLT 50mm F/1.8 1/500s ISO100<br />
Amit Nimade<br />
Bhopal, India<br />
Sparkling Colors<br />
Nikon D750 120mm F/5 1/640s ISO450<br />
Prakhar Tripathi<br />
Mumbai, India<br />
Caught In Action<br />
Nikon D4S 50mm F/2 1/800s ISO200
Beluga Whale, also called White Whale, is an<br />
Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. Beluga whales<br />
are among the smallest species of whales. The<br />
absence of a dorsal fin allows them to swim under<br />
ice with ease. They are now protected under<br />
the Endangered Act because of the reducing<br />
numbers. The Beluga was placed on the International<br />
Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red<br />
List in 2008 as being “near threatened”.<br />
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Smiling Beluga<br />
Nikon D4 70mm F/5 1/500s ISO1600
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Lost under water<br />
Nikon D810 16mm F/8 1/250s ISO100<br />
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
The one<br />
Nikon D810 16mm F/8 1/250s ISO100
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Take me skywards tonight<br />
Nikon D810 52mm F/5 1/100s ISO400<br />
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Puffed with Pride<br />
Nikon D800E 60mm F/18 1/320s ISO200
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Long time, Friend<br />
Nikon D4 16mm F/6.3 1/200s ISO1600<br />
Anthony Britten<br />
Queensland, Australia<br />
Gliding<br />
Nikon D800 15mm F/8.0 1/400s ISO400
Anthony Britten<br />
Queensland, Australia<br />
Looking Out<br />
Nikon D800 15mm F/8 1/1000s ISO200<br />
45<br />
Anthony Britten<br />
Queensland, Australia<br />
Halfway There<br />
Nikon D800 16mm F/8 1/800s ISO400
other words, many Chinese people hope to<br />
become more sexually potent. This alleged<br />
effect is, to this day, nowhere proven!<br />
In order to produce these questionable<br />
products, thousands of rhinos were killed.<br />
They were brutally slaughtered to the brink<br />
of extinction. Only by harsher punishments<br />
to the perpetrators and a paramilitary<br />
surveillance on the last of the rhinoceroses<br />
could a complete extermination of these<br />
wonderful animals be prevented. Although<br />
in the end, animal protectionists won and<br />
the number of rhinos gradually increased.<br />
The Nurses And I<br />
By Benny Rebel<br />
More than 20 years ago, I came in<br />
contact with several environment<br />
protection organizations and learned about<br />
the various abuses caused to wild animals<br />
by greedy people and companies. They<br />
ruthlessly destroyed nature and had already<br />
exterminated many species of animals,<br />
while others were on the brink of it.<br />
Benny with a Friend<br />
When we started helping out endangered<br />
species, mainly elephants, whales and<br />
rhinoceroses, we had to take several<br />
extensive measures to protect them.<br />
During that time, I was very busy helping<br />
different species, especially rhinoceroses.<br />
They were, then poached to make dagger<br />
from their horns for the rich Arabs of the<br />
Middle East, and their horns were pulverized<br />
to be used for the often questionable<br />
Chinese medicines. In traditional Chinese<br />
medicine, the powdered horn of the rhino<br />
is said to have an aphrodisiac effect. In<br />
Years later, I flew to South Africa to do<br />
some sort of ranger training. I wanted to<br />
learn more about the world of animals, and<br />
the behavioral patterns of certain species.<br />
During this time I lived with the rangers<br />
and was with them round the clock and<br />
helped wherever and whenever assistance<br />
was needed.<br />
At that time, a drought period plagued<br />
the reserve where I was traveling as an<br />
apprentice. In order not to lose the precious<br />
rhinos, elephants and some other species of<br />
animals by the drought, we were forced to<br />
import tons of grass from the water holes,<br />
which had been bought from other greener<br />
regions of South Africa and transported<br />
to us. We had to load a few tons of grass<br />
every day on a large pickup - bring to the<br />
The mother and child<br />
Canon EOS D60 14mm F/8 1/500s ISO200
waterholes - unload the grass there - loosen<br />
up with a manure fork - enrich with a<br />
special syrup with minerals and vitamins<br />
and leave the animals to eat. By the fact<br />
that the animals could hardly find anything<br />
in the wilderness, they were waiting for<br />
our arrival every day and plunged into the<br />
food as soon as we arrived. Often they gave<br />
us little chance of loosening the grass or<br />
enriching it with the minerals and when<br />
the big ones arrived hungry, we quickly had<br />
to clear the field before they attacked us.<br />
For me, this was one of the most beautiful<br />
experiences of my life, although it was<br />
extremely dangerous and a tiresome effort.<br />
Had it not been for my colleague, the<br />
ranger, I would be dead by now because the<br />
drought had increased the animal’s natural<br />
fear of humans and also the animals were in<br />
competition with each other. It was about<br />
naked survival and everyone fought for<br />
their share of the food.<br />
We had to work at dangerous distances<br />
with buffaloes, rhinoceroses or elephants,<br />
at times as less than 10 meters. We had<br />
to get out of the car and carry the heavy<br />
grass balls to the water holes by hand. Our<br />
work almost always took place under the<br />
observation of these hungry animals.<br />
One day I saw a rhinoceros with her baby<br />
about 100 meters from a waterhole. They<br />
were standing next to an acacia tree trunk<br />
and the mother animal did not seem<br />
particularly aggressive. I told my colleagues<br />
that I would like to take my camera to<br />
photograph these animals up close. He<br />
surely had a lot of confidence in me, so<br />
simply said, “Try it!”.<br />
I walked up alone and unarmed to this<br />
rhinoceros and her baby. A rhinoceros<br />
with a small calf is like a ticking bomb in<br />
the wilderness. She would do anything to<br />
protect her baby and her tolerance limit<br />
is much smaller than if she did not have a<br />
child to defend. I was aware of this; yet I<br />
was confident that I could stalk a bit closer.<br />
I somehow ran a few steps and took a photo.<br />
I stopped for a few seconds and watched<br />
the behavior of the mother animal. Then I<br />
came step by step up to about two meters<br />
close to these two animals. Meanwhile,<br />
the car was about 100 meters further<br />
away and there my colleague stood and<br />
watched the situation with astonishment.<br />
When I reached the two-meter limit, I<br />
knew that I should not risk any more with<br />
these animals. I took a moment to take a<br />
picture from a bit below. This makes the<br />
animals look even more spectacular and<br />
the perspective is more unusual, which is<br />
good for the picture. While clicking, the<br />
rhinoceros gave me the sign that it is now<br />
enough. It was a loud snort, accompanied<br />
by a kick on the ground, which also stirred<br />
up a lot of dust.<br />
I got up and walked very confidently<br />
and slowly backwards. My colleague was<br />
totally surprised that I went so close to the<br />
rhinoceros without being attacked. So it<br />
came to this photo showing the rhinoceros<br />
with her baby. Two days later, a picture of<br />
another rhinoceros, which I recorded from<br />
less than a meter, was created. Here, too, I<br />
have continually observed the state of mind<br />
of the rhinoceros and approached him step<br />
by step. When I took the last picture of this<br />
rhinoceros, I could have touched the horn<br />
of the three-toned rhinoceros with my arm<br />
outstretched. The picture of the individual<br />
rhinoceros, which you see here, has been so<br />
developed.<br />
The ranger, who was with me, said he<br />
had never seen or heard that a human<br />
being can stalk up to a few centimeters<br />
of wild rhinoceroses without the animals<br />
running away or attacking. I have my own<br />
explanation for this: by applying many<br />
years to the protection of rhinoceroses and<br />
emotionally loving these animals, I radiate<br />
a positive energy towards these creatures.<br />
This energy is perceived by the animals so<br />
that they do not conceive me as frightening<br />
or aggressive. That is why they have allowed<br />
me several times to approach them close<br />
to a few centimeters. I am convinced that<br />
this would never be possible if a person<br />
emanates fear or aggression!<br />
When I see baby rhinos in the wilderness<br />
today, I am particularly happy because I<br />
feel that they are like my own children.<br />
Through this strong connection to the<br />
rhinoceroses I radiate a deep sympathy<br />
towards these wonderful creatures.<br />
The poaching of the rhinoceroses<br />
unfortunately has been booming since<br />
about 2009. Since the Chinese are doing well<br />
financially, they pay horrendous amounts<br />
for the horns of these animals, and wherever<br />
a lot of money is paid for something, there<br />
will also be unscrupulous people to cover<br />
this need. Several environmental protection<br />
organizations have also developed plans to<br />
solve the problem. Thus, we must take up<br />
the fight against the poachers and much<br />
more against the mafia in order to save the<br />
rhinos from extinction.<br />
Prakhar Garg<br />
prakhar@chiiz.com<br />
Prakhar is always engrossed in his books and his<br />
diary. He believes in the saying ‘It Is What It Is.’ A<br />
wanderer by temperament, he wants to walk out on<br />
his story when the day comes.<br />
Born in Iran and living in Germany ever since, Benny is one<br />
the most successful wildlife photographers of this century. Until<br />
now he has organized and carried out numerous film, photo,<br />
environmental protection, and adventure expeditions to several<br />
countries. He is famous for his extreme close-up portraits of dangerous<br />
wildlife of Africa by approaching within feet of the animals.<br />
Recently, PRAKHAR GARG from <strong>Chiiz</strong> chatted with Benny about<br />
his wildlife excursions and what all he has earned from the wild.<br />
What gears do you use while shooting wildlife?<br />
I have been using Sony’s Equipment for the past 8 years. I mainly<br />
shoot with Sony A7R II with lenses from 10mm up to 600mm.<br />
Some survival tips when out there in the wild.<br />
Always take enough water with you. Study the behavior patterns<br />
of the animals that you want to photograph.<br />
Most important lesson you’ve learned from your work?<br />
Take your time and give your 100% towards it.<br />
Any one photograph of yours that inspires you the most?<br />
There are many photos that inspire me in different ways.<br />
According to you, how our world would look like in one photograph<br />
as a whole?<br />
If you shoot a photo from a flying balloon, during the wildebeests’<br />
migration in Tanzania or Kenya, you will see, how beautiful and<br />
wonderful still our planet is and you will get the feeling that you<br />
are already living in paradise.
Want a kiss, now?<br />
Canon EOS D60 14mm F/8 1/750s ISO200<br />
Bush Baby<br />
Canon EOS 5D 17mm F/9 1/500s ISO200
Lurking Shadows<br />
Sony DSC NEX-5 27mm F/5.6 1/500s ISO200
The Last Laugh<br />
Into The Wild<br />
Canon EOS 1D Mark II F/8 1/80s ISO200
Not So Lowland<br />
Canon EOS 1D Mark II F/8 1/50s ISO100<br />
Celebrations All The Way<br />
Canon EOS 1D Mark II 28mm F/3.5 1/2s ISO800
www.Benny-Rebel.com<br />
„SAFARI“ - The most luxurious FINE-ART-BOOK in the world!<br />
- a FINE-ART-BOOK with a limited edition of only 111<br />
copies<br />
- 110 pages / 105 photos<br />
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- XXL-size = 200 x 70 cm when opened / ca. 60 KG<br />
- XL-size = 100 x 35 cm when opened / ca. 11 KG<br />
- made of the very best materials<br />
- the cover is made of luxury acrylic glass<br />
- the back of the book is made of the finest Italian<br />
leather<br />
- the highest quality photo book paper from Japan<br />
- with a certificate of authenticity and a serial number<br />
- with a luxurious and exclusive case<br />
- with its own exclusive designer high table<br />
- with built-in multimedia tablet PC<br />
- the tablet PC contains information about the photos<br />
The most beautiful share in the world!<br />
Price: XXL version with all accessories $ 30.000<br />
(XXL version is already sold out)<br />
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Please visit the following link for more information about „SAFARI“ - The most luxurious photo book:<br />
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Backlit Gigapixel panorama<br />
High resolution photos for luxury large format prints<br />
of up to 100 square meters - in limited editions.<br />
Fine Art Prints in limited editions<br />
Tailor-made photographic safaris in Africa<br />
www.Benny-Rebel.com
Andrea Izzotti<br />
Genova, Italy<br />
Tails Of Lemur<br />
Nikon D800E 200mm F/4.5 1/200s ISO200<br />
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
La Côte, Switzerland<br />
You Heard it too<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 27mm F/2.8 1/800s ISO200
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Oops moment<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/6.3 1/100s ISO250<br />
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Dancing Frog<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/4.5 1/160s ISO400<br />
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
The Green Eye’s<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/14 1/160s ISO100<br />
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Eye of the Fly<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/14 1/160s ISO100
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Peek-a-Boo<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/5.6 1/500s ISO400<br />
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Hey, It’s me<br />
Canon 550D 100mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO400<br />
Andreas Karyadi<br />
Pangkalpinang, Indonesia<br />
Better Together<br />
Canon EOS 550D 100mm F/3.2 1/320s ISO200<br />
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
La Côte, Switzerland<br />
The Human<br />
Canon EOS 60D 200mm F/5 1/250s ISO400
Garett Patz<br />
San Diego, USA<br />
The Ironwool Magic<br />
Garett Patz<br />
San Diego, USA<br />
Lost Stars<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F/2.8 30s ISO1600
Garett Patz<br />
San Diego, USA<br />
To Eternity<br />
Garett Patz<br />
San Diego, USA<br />
Star Trails<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 15mm F/2.8 30s ISO100<br />
Abhishek Deopurkar<br />
Pune, India<br />
Camping Under The Sky<br />
Canon 550D 11mm F/3.5 30s ISO400
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Attaining Peace<br />
Nikon D800 155mm F/3.2 1/1000s ISO400<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Food Hunters<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 17mm F/9 1/400s ISO320
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Work Call<br />
Nikon D800 24mm F/8 1/25s ISO1000<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Carefree Monks<br />
Nikon D800 140mm F/3.2 1/160s ISO160<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Honors’ Fight<br />
Nikon D800 16mm F/9 1/500s ISO250<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Go Fetch It<br />
Nikon D800 200mm F/3.5 1/1250s ISO200<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
A Day’s Labour<br />
Nikon D4 24mm F/8 1/400s ISO640
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Lost in the Peace<br />
Nikon D4 32mm F/8 1/200s ISO200<br />
Saravut Whanset<br />
Sakolnakhon,Thailand<br />
Gateway To Stars<br />
Nikon D800 14mm F/2.8 25s ISO2500
If you ever happen<br />
to be in the City<br />
of New Westminster,<br />
Canada, just walk up<br />
to Hyack Square near<br />
the 8th Street. There,<br />
right in the middle, is<br />
a glorious sculpture<br />
commemorated in the<br />
memory of the very<br />
famous photograph<br />
clicked by Claude<br />
P. Dettloff of The<br />
Province. ‘Wait for me<br />
daddy’ is considered as<br />
one of the most iconic<br />
photographs clicked<br />
during World War II.<br />
The photograph actually<br />
meant to showcase the<br />
marching of The British<br />
Columbia Regiment<br />
(Duke of Connaught’s<br />
Own Rifles) on October<br />
1, 1940 but suddenly,<br />
a kid, Warren ‘Whitey’<br />
Bernard, no more than<br />
five year old at the time<br />
ran off, freeing his hand<br />
from his mother’s just to<br />
have one last moment<br />
with his father, Jack<br />
Bernard, an officer in the<br />
regiment. The mother,<br />
Bernice Bernard, was<br />
totally surprised by<br />
Whitey’s actions and<br />
her expressions clearly<br />
justify the story.<br />
“Whitey” Bernard was in Grade 1 at General<br />
Wolfe Elementary. Whitey’s Dad was enlisted<br />
in the British Columbia Regiment and was<br />
stationed in the city on various sentry points<br />
throughout the city. Since the declaration of<br />
war in 1939 the men of the BC regiment had<br />
been doing various guard duty assignments<br />
which were boring and monotonous. Finally<br />
after months of waiting the regiment received<br />
Claude P. Dettloff<br />
word that it was to be moving to a secret<br />
destination “Overseas”. The secret destination<br />
the regiment was heading to turned out to be Nanaimo, only three<br />
hours away. The regiment spent time on the coast defending<br />
against German and then Japanese attack. But it wasn’t until later<br />
in August 1942 that they all sailed for England. They didn’t see any<br />
action until July 23, 1944 when they participated in Operation<br />
Totalize, one of the first attempts to close the Falaise Gap. The last<br />
battle they took part in was on April 17, 1945 when they crossed<br />
the Kusten Canal. A month later, Victory in Europe day (VE-Day)<br />
was declared on May 5, 1945.<br />
Anurag Khaneja<br />
anurag@chiiz.com<br />
Youngest member of our team, Anurag<br />
handles the marketing department. He<br />
loves adventure and is a quick learner<br />
and motivator for people around him.<br />
Old Is Gold<br />
Wait for me, Daddy<br />
Whitney’s dad, Jack<br />
survived the war and<br />
came back home in<br />
October 1945. By the<br />
time Jack Bernard<br />
showed up in the town,<br />
Dettloff was ready to<br />
capture the return of<br />
Whitney’s dad. This<br />
was the most talked<br />
about photograph of<br />
that time, and it hung in<br />
every school in British<br />
Columbia during the<br />
war.<br />
The City of New<br />
Westminster also<br />
commissioned a bronze<br />
statue honoring the<br />
photo to be placed at<br />
the bottom of 8th Street,<br />
in Hyack Square. The<br />
city unveiled the statue<br />
on October 4, 2014.<br />
At the same event,<br />
the Royal Canadian<br />
Mint announced the<br />
issue of a series of<br />
three coins featuring a<br />
scene adapted from the<br />
image. It was released<br />
in denominations of $2<br />
(alloy), $3 (1/4 ounce<br />
silver) and $10 (1/2<br />
ounce silver). Canada<br />
Post also issued a stamp<br />
featuring the iconic<br />
image.<br />
Although there is a second story hidden in the photograph and<br />
not many people are aware of it. Dettloff unwittingly captured a<br />
lesser known story in this photograph. On the left-hand side of<br />
the photograph, the third woman behind Whitey’s mother (in a<br />
dark long coat and staring directly towards the camera) is Agnes<br />
Confortin who had accompanied her friend Phyllis Daem that day<br />
to see the young men of Westminster off. Even with the limited<br />
resolution of the photo, Agnes’ somber expression reflects her<br />
concern for her two<br />
brothers, Wilfred<br />
and Larry Power,<br />
who have already<br />
enlisted in the Nova<br />
Scotia Highlanders.<br />
Larry returned to<br />
Canada in 1944 with<br />
severe post traumatic<br />
stress disorder.<br />
Wilfred was killed<br />
in action in March<br />
1945 near Arnhem<br />
as part of Canadian<br />
Forces preparation<br />
for the Liberation<br />
of Arnhem in April<br />
1945.
Tiffany Burke<br />
Washington, USA<br />
Rewards Of It<br />
The Story of Life : <strong>Maternity</strong>, Birth and Babies<br />
Keeping a human being inside the<br />
womb and giving it a chance to grow<br />
is a fascinating journey in the life of any<br />
woman and any woman would be blessed<br />
to have given birth to another human. And<br />
documenting that journey is the new trend<br />
that has literally taken the world by storm.<br />
A lot of couples these days try to get their<br />
entire journey documented. This involves<br />
clicking pictures during pregnancy and<br />
moving on to capture the birth of the child<br />
and then the newborn shoots as well.<br />
Yes, we agree, maternity shoots are not a<br />
new concept. A lot of women have already<br />
got their baby bumps captured on film by<br />
professionals. But because of the growing<br />
trend in this genre, photographers are<br />
being challenged to look for new ways of<br />
conceptualized shots that can really stand<br />
out.<br />
As a photographer, it is a challenging<br />
task to conclude the shoot without any<br />
38 Vol 2<br />
Urshita Saini<br />
urshita@chiiz.com<br />
<strong>Photography</strong> is her passion,<br />
wedding shoots is her forte. She is a<br />
lawyer turned photographer turned<br />
businesswoman. The transition was<br />
quick but it was what the camera<br />
ordered.<br />
uncomfortable situations being faced. So,<br />
the mental and physical comfort of the<br />
mother is the first priority during such<br />
shoots.<br />
Although there are certain clichéd shots<br />
that every mother-to-be wants, but it is<br />
the photographer’s responsibility to make<br />
sure that each client gets a unique take on<br />
her pregnancy shoot. Being creative and<br />
incorporating people or elements in the<br />
pictures that mean something to the couple<br />
and the family is a great way of ensuring<br />
such uniqueness.<br />
Involvement of the siblings in the pictures,<br />
or maybe the family dog can also help.<br />
Instead of having an outdoor shoot,<br />
taking pictures at the couple’s house can<br />
be considered as well. It will be a better<br />
backdrop for the pictures because of the<br />
emotional connection and it will also be<br />
cozier to the expecting parents.<br />
<strong>Maternity</strong> shoots are a great way to<br />
announce a pregnancy or even the gender<br />
of the child. More and more<br />
photographers are coming up<br />
with unique ideas to capture this<br />
magical journey of the expecting<br />
couple.<br />
Coming on to it, birth is considered<br />
as the most beautiful and rewarding<br />
moment for any woman. Also at<br />
the same time, it is exhausting, gory and,<br />
extremely graphic, yet women around<br />
the world are now embracing the idea of<br />
getting their baby’s birth journey captured<br />
by professional photographers.<br />
Though the world is slowly warming up to<br />
the idea of birth photography, it is still a<br />
sensitive topic for the majority of people. It<br />
is, after all, capturing a woman when she is<br />
at her most vulnerable state. It also involves<br />
her privacy and the medical implications of<br />
having another person in the room when<br />
things tend to go in any direction. And no,<br />
it is not always about photographing the<br />
private parts of the woman, but that is what<br />
people generally conceive of this genre.<br />
In many countries, there are still some<br />
restrictions on any person other than the<br />
father to be present during birth. Although<br />
the couple can request the doctors and<br />
get due permissions for the photographer<br />
to be present during the birth, but it is<br />
not always guaranteed that the doctors<br />
will allow it. From the medical point of<br />
view, a third person can be a disturbance<br />
in the procedure and the doctor’s word<br />
is final. Despite a lot of questions and<br />
controversies, couples are really eager to<br />
get a photographer to capture the process.<br />
Nicole Hoschke, a family and fine art<br />
photographer, says that it is very important<br />
for the parents to feel comfortable with
the photographer and they should make<br />
acquaintances beforehand.<br />
As a photographer, there are certain things<br />
that a person should keep in mind.<br />
Be very open and communicate extensively<br />
with your client. She is already going<br />
through a very exhausting phase so respect<br />
her decisions and comply with every<br />
detail. There may be a point when she<br />
feels uncomfortable with you around her<br />
especially if a medical procedure is going<br />
on. You may not get the shots of the baby’s<br />
birth but you can always take pictures of<br />
the baby right after it has been born.<br />
Being a birth photographer is not a 9 to 5<br />
job. Be ready for a call in the middle of the<br />
night. Labour can go on for hours as well.<br />
Ensure that you wear comfortable clothes<br />
and be prepared to stay for the entire haul.<br />
You need to be committed until the end.<br />
Never post pictures of the woman or the<br />
photographs you took, on the internet<br />
without her permission. During birth, a<br />
woman may expose more of her body than<br />
what she would otherwise be comfortable<br />
with. Be sensitive to her privacy and make<br />
sure that she is comfortable.<br />
Births can take place in a dark room with<br />
very dim light. Do not ask to switch on the<br />
lights or use flash. It can be very disturbing<br />
for the mother if there is a constant flash<br />
of light around her especially when she is<br />
working so hard on her body. Ensure that<br />
you can work in low light and are not in any<br />
way, creating any disturbance or getting in<br />
the way of anybody just to take that perfect<br />
shot.<br />
Once the baby is born, you get the chance<br />
to capture some amazing newborn shots.<br />
Capturing the expressions of the mother<br />
and the father when the baby is born is very<br />
much recommended. It is a surreal journey<br />
to bring a child into this world.<br />
Newborns are an amazing subject for<br />
any photographer. A tiny little being all<br />
bundled up in a blanket can give you the<br />
most adorable expressions.<br />
Babies change appearance very rapidly. So<br />
photographing a newborn when he or she<br />
is just 3 hours old would be very different<br />
from what you would get after three days.<br />
Ideally, newborn babies are photographed<br />
within the first 2 weeks of them being<br />
born. That is primarily because during this<br />
time they sleep more and can curl up in a<br />
‘womb-like’ position.<br />
Although babies are considered newborn<br />
for the first three months after birth, the<br />
older they get, the lesser they sleep and their<br />
feeding schedule gets more frequent which<br />
could end up in a longer photo shoot.<br />
While photographing newborns, the<br />
following points can be considered helpful:<br />
Capture details. Yawning or crying babies<br />
can give you amazing shots. Macro shots<br />
of their hands and feet are also a very<br />
important part in capturing the details.<br />
Try and use more of natural light. Babies<br />
are sensitive to light and it can potentially<br />
harm them. Ensure that the studio or the<br />
location where the photo shoot takes place<br />
is warm and comfortable for the baby.<br />
Ensure that you are well equipped to take<br />
care of a baby. Babies can be fussy and need<br />
lots of attention. Ensure that you stay calm<br />
and the baby is always comfortable and well<br />
fed. A cranky baby is not what you want.<br />
Try and incorporate a personal touch to<br />
the photographs. Props are amazing, but<br />
try and get something that the family feels<br />
more connected to.<br />
Be gentle and understand that the parents<br />
of the baby are probably sleep-deprived<br />
and high on adrenaline rush. Ensure that<br />
they are active at all times and keep them<br />
involved in the entire process.<br />
A baby can be of the fourth generation in<br />
a family. Try and get as creative as you can<br />
while photographing babies, keeping it’s<br />
family background in mind.<br />
A baby is worth everything in this world,<br />
and after a few years, when you want to<br />
look back at the moments from his/her<br />
childhood, make sure you don’t regret that<br />
chance.<br />
Expert Opinion: Take instructions from<br />
the midwives, they are incredibly helpful,<br />
and will let you know where you can move.<br />
Place yourself in one position and take<br />
several shots from there. Using a zoom lens<br />
can give you more variety in images. Then<br />
after a while move to another position in<br />
the room, that way you are not moving<br />
a lot, but also covering the birth from<br />
different angles.<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Have Patience, Love<br />
Nikon D800 14mm F/2.8 25s ISO2500
Tina Sokolovskaya<br />
Kiev, Ukraine<br />
Nikon D700 50mm F/11 1/125s ISO200<br />
Tiffany Burke<br />
Washington, USA<br />
Zanele Nyembe<br />
Tshwane, South Africa<br />
Nikon D3200 22mm F/5 1/80s ISO200
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Nikon D750 60mm F/2.8 1/100s ISO100<br />
Tiffany Burke<br />
Washington, USA<br />
Reginald Thermidor<br />
Miami, FL, USA
Paula Galvao<br />
Natal, Brazil<br />
Nikon D610 24mm F/5.6 1/250s ISO2000<br />
Paula Galvao<br />
Natal, Brazil<br />
Nikon D610 44mm F/7.1 1/320s ISO640<br />
Paula Galvao<br />
Natal, Brazil<br />
Nikon D610 24mm F/8 1/60s ISO640<br />
Paula Galvao<br />
Natal, Brazil<br />
Nikon D610 24mm F/5 1/250s ISO1000
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Nikon D750 70mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO1000<br />
Paula Galvao<br />
Natal, Brazil<br />
Nikon D610 32mm F/5 1/50s ISO1800<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Nikon D750 70mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO1000<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Nikon D750 70mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO1000
Sandra El-Ayoubi<br />
Sydney, Australia<br />
Let Me Love You<br />
Canon EOS 6D 70mm F/3.2 1/320s ISO500<br />
Taran Rai<br />
Vancouver, Canada<br />
Prized Possesions<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 50mm F/3.5 1/100s ISO500<br />
Taran Rai<br />
Vancouver, Canada<br />
Sugar<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 50mm F/2.5 1/160s ISO800<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Sandra El-Ayoubi<br />
Sydney, Australia<br />
Sleeping Beauties<br />
Canon EOS 6D 44mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO800<br />
Saurav Dhyani<br />
Noida, India<br />
It’s Not Over Yet-2<br />
Nikon D90 50mm F/1.8 1/250s ISO160
Sandra El-Ayoubi<br />
Sydney, Australia<br />
It’s Not Over Yet<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV 50mm F/2.8 1/250s ISO250<br />
Taran Rai<br />
Vancouver, Canada<br />
It’s Not Over Yet-2<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 70mm F/3.2 1/125s ISO160<br />
Tiffany Burke<br />
Washington, USA<br />
Smile My Love<br />
Guess What ?<br />
“Guess the subject in this photo correctly and<br />
stand a chance to win <strong>Chiiz</strong> goodies,<br />
by sending your responses to editor@chiiz.com”<br />
Photo Credits : Emmanuel Canaan<br />
Vol 2<br />
45
Brandon Mikesell<br />
Seattle, WA, USA<br />
Brandon Mikesell<br />
Seattle, WA, USA<br />
GoPro Hero4
GoPro Hero4<br />
Brandon Mikesell<br />
Seattle, WA, USA<br />
GoPro Hero4<br />
Brandon Mikesell<br />
Seattle, WA, USA<br />
GoPro Hero4
Rudolph Comeaux<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Garreau vs Hammons<br />
Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2.5 1/320s ISO1600<br />
Rudolph Comeaux<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Pearl Ground and Pound<br />
Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2 1/400s ISO3200
Rudolph Comeaux<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Quartus vs Sultan<br />
Canon EOS REBEL T3i 50mm F/2.5 1/320s ISO3200<br />
Rudolph Comeaux<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Figueroa vs Wheeler<br />
Canon EOS 7D Mark II 96mm F/5.6 1/640s ISO3200<br />
Rudolph Comeaux<br />
Chicago, USA<br />
Derrick Rose LayUp<br />
Canon EOS 7D 50mm F/2.8 1/1000s ISO5000<br />
Jim De Sitter<br />
Dendermonde, Belgium<br />
Triumphant Strokes<br />
Canon EOS 7D 50mm F/2.8 1/1000s ISO5000
Henry Do is an adventure seeker,<br />
passionate traveler and a professional<br />
photographer from Las Vegas,<br />
Nevada. His love for seeking new<br />
destination and passion for photography<br />
have led to the creation for<br />
some of the most beautiful images<br />
that are truly unique and captivating<br />
to the viewers around the world.<br />
The Golden Gates Aligned<br />
F/2.8 1/720s ISO100<br />
Dubai-Marina<br />
F/10 15s ISO64
NYC Skyline<br />
F/9 1/250s ISO500<br />
Atop Burj Khalifa<br />
F/2.8 1/500s ISO100
The photo(right) depicts people<br />
praying on the last Friday of the<br />
auspicious month of Ramadan in<br />
Jama Masjid, the biggest mosque<br />
in Asia. Eid marks the end of the<br />
month long fasting festival and<br />
festivities are held across the<br />
nations. The prayer is also called<br />
Juma tul Mubarak of Ramadan.<br />
Sourabh Gandhi<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Nikon D810 24mm F/6.3 1/500s ISO31<br />
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
La Côte, Switzerland<br />
Caught In Blizzard<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/5 1/640s ISO800<br />
Smikash Mohapatra<br />
Orissa India<br />
Nikon D7000 50mm F/13 1/320s ISO100<br />
Vivekananda Rock Memorial(left) is a popular<br />
tourist monument in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari,<br />
India. The memorial stands on one of two rocks<br />
located about 500 meters east off mainland of<br />
Vavathurai, India’s southernmost tip. It was built<br />
in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is<br />
said to have attained enlightenment on the rock.
Jukka Heinovirta<br />
Matkaniva, Finland<br />
To the Other Side<br />
Canon EOS 50D 1/2s ISO800<br />
Tassapon Vongkittipong<br />
Bangkok, Thailand<br />
Concrete Jungle<br />
Nikon Df 290mm F/8 6s ISO50
Anthony Britten<br />
Queensland, Australia<br />
When Love Came to Stay<br />
Nikon D3200 28mm F/7.1 1/125s ISO100<br />
Zanele Nyembe<br />
Tshwane, South Africa<br />
Love Unconditional<br />
Nikon D3200 38mm F/11 1/160s ISO100<br />
Zanele Nyembe<br />
Tshwane, South Africa<br />
When Love Came to Stay<br />
Nikon D3200 28mm F/7.1 1/125s ISO100
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
La Côte, Switzerland<br />
See The World Turn<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 40mm F/4 1/60s ISO320<br />
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
Three Generations<br />
Nikon D810 24mm F/2.8 1/60s ISO220
Amit Nimade<br />
Bhopal, India<br />
Proud Parent<br />
Nikon D750 ISO100<br />
Sourabh Gandhi<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Dattatreya Patra<br />
Bhubaneshwar, India<br />
Blessed In Banaras<br />
Nikon D810 50mmF/4 1/250s ISO31<br />
Sourabh Gandhi<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Roadside Lullaby<br />
Nikon D810 50mm F/1.6 1/60s ISO1000
Chhath Trio<br />
Nikon D810 86mm F/4 1/320s ISO200<br />
Sourabh Gandhi<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Poker Face<br />
Nikon D800E 85mm F/7.1 1/40s ISO640<br />
Abbas Baig<br />
New Delhi,India<br />
Lady In The Window<br />
Canon EOS 70D 50mm F/1.8 1/8000s ISO400
Paint Me Orange<br />
Nikon D700 24mm F/2.8 1/20s ISO200<br />
Thai Paradevatha Theyyam<br />
Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO500
In The Shadows<br />
Nikon D810 175mm F/2.8 1/200s ISO220<br />
Theyyam Dance Festival<br />
Theyyam festival, also known as Teyyam or Theyyattam, is a popular folk culture which is celebrated<br />
majorly in the northern Malabar region of Kerala. Theyyam is also referred as a God where the people<br />
of the region seek blessings from it. This culture dates back to almost 800 years and is associated not<br />
only with Hinduism but also with Islam. Also called the “Dance of God”, it is a unique dance festival<br />
where the dancers dress up and wear colorful make-ups and ornaments to imitate the mythological<br />
figures of gods and demons. It is believed that there are as many as 400 forms of Theyyam, each<br />
with their own unique style, music, choreography, make-up, costumes, etc. This festival showcases<br />
performances such as drama, music and mime, celebrated from north Malabar to south Malabar.<br />
This cultural festival is one of the most beautiful traditional festival in Kerala. Being a winter festival<br />
running from December to April annually, it is a must place to be for cultural and photo enthusiasts.<br />
Manish Lakhani, Photographer
Natalia Klenova<br />
Arendonk, Belgium<br />
Spiced Flavours<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO100
Natalia Klenova<br />
Arendonk, Belgium<br />
Blood Soup<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50mm F/8 1/160s ISO100<br />
Natalia Klenova<br />
Arendonk, Belgium<br />
Winelust<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO100<br />
Natalia Klenova<br />
Arendonk, Belgium<br />
Fish Tails<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/8 1/160s ISO100<br />
Natalia Klenova<br />
Arendonk, Belgium<br />
Two To Tango<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 100mm F/7.1 1/160s ISO100
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
HORNBILL FESTIVAL: Symbol Of Unity In Diversity<br />
Hornbill Festival is the most awaited,<br />
and anticipated festival for the people<br />
of Nagaland. This festival symbolizes<br />
solidarity which binds the inhabitants<br />
of different tribes who come to a single<br />
platform to showcase their culture and<br />
traditions to the outside world. These<br />
are the customs which they have been<br />
following for centuries, and were passed<br />
down to them by their ancestors.<br />
The state of Nagaland is one of the smallest<br />
states in India, which shares its borders with<br />
Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Burma, and<br />
Manipur and is inhabited by 17 tribes which<br />
are known for their unique and unorthodox<br />
practices. Angami, Ao, Chakhesang,<br />
Chang, Kachari, Khiamniungan, Konyak,<br />
Kuki, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma,<br />
Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchunger, and Zeme-<br />
Liangmai (Zeliang) are the major tribes as<br />
well as some of the subtribes are among the<br />
few major participants.<br />
This festival is celebrated in an open air<br />
museum at the Naga Heritage Village,<br />
Kisama which is located 12 kms to the<br />
south of Kohima, the capital of Nagaland.<br />
Being known as the ‘Festival of Festivals’,<br />
this open-air museum offers a vibrant<br />
culture of the 16 officially recognized<br />
66 Vol 2<br />
tribes of Nagaland which are exhibited<br />
with each tribe being represented in their<br />
respective traditional houses or Morungs<br />
(Youth dormitory). The festival is named<br />
after the majestic hornbill, which has its<br />
history rooted in most of the state’s tribal<br />
folklores. All members of the different<br />
tribes talk about the majestical stories of<br />
this bird when they meet at the festival.<br />
Traditionally, hornbill’s feathers are used<br />
for display on headwear, which is made of<br />
boar’s teeth and orchid stems.<br />
This festival was the result of government’s<br />
step to promote tourism in the state, with<br />
an underlying objective of promoting the<br />
rich heritage & culture to the world and<br />
also to keep the tribal spirit ignited among<br />
the people of Nagaland. Different tribes in<br />
Nagaland enjoy myriad of festivals based<br />
on their agrarian calendar which makes<br />
it a land of festivals. Predominantly, the<br />
economy of the state is dependent on<br />
agriculture and is known for their principal<br />
crops like rice, corn, millets, pulses,<br />
tobacco, oilseeds, sugarcane, potatoes,<br />
and fibre. Most of the festivals of tribals<br />
in Nagaland revolves around agriculture<br />
based on the harvesting of different crops.<br />
Naga’s are also known for their highly<br />
spirited and brave warriors who have<br />
Will Kill You With My Smile<br />
Nikon D700 35mm F/4 1/1250s ISO200<br />
gained the ability and art to conquer battles<br />
for their tribes. This Festival is the biggest<br />
celebration for all the indigenous warriors,<br />
who had fought battles for the protection<br />
and preservation of their tribes. On this<br />
special event, songs are sung for all the<br />
brave warriors. Each tribe in Nagaland<br />
has their own traditional ceremonial<br />
attire, including multi-colored spears,<br />
ivory armlets, dyed goat’s hair, and exotic<br />
headgears.<br />
This festival is organised by the State<br />
Tourism and Arts & Cultural Department<br />
of Nagaland. This festival is celebrated every<br />
year from 1st to December 10th with lots of<br />
enthusiasm and religious spirit among the<br />
members of each tribe. The place welcomes<br />
tourists with full warmth and love at the<br />
venue by addressing them with cultural<br />
artistry, music, multi-cuisine, dances, and<br />
Tushar Sharma<br />
tushar@chiiz.com<br />
Tushar Sharma is an<br />
advocate by profession.<br />
He believes that<br />
“thoughts are not just<br />
merely an expression of<br />
someone’s idea, rather<br />
they are a voice that brings a change and can<br />
provide the world with a new perspective to think and<br />
contemplate different ideas''
the Nagas. Another fact is that<br />
each tribe has their own unique<br />
cuisine so there are a number of<br />
delicacies to try.<br />
Hornbill festival boggles<br />
the mind as it has attractive<br />
distractions at every corner,<br />
be it the film festival, cultural<br />
performances, indigenous<br />
games, craft bazaar, art, music,<br />
literature, fashion events, the<br />
intriguing Vintage Car Rally<br />
and various other activities<br />
including competitive shows.<br />
The natives have kept their<br />
traditions alive amidst the<br />
changing times with great pride<br />
of their respective ancestry.<br />
Shiva Rajvanshi<br />
Lucknow, India<br />
games. The festival gathers festivities of all<br />
different tribes of Nagaland at one place<br />
under a common roof to cherish and enjoy<br />
their different culture and tradition gifted<br />
to them by their ancestors. The excitement<br />
and fun gets doubled with lots of love<br />
for music when you attend the Hornbill<br />
International Rock Contest, wherein there<br />
are regional, national, and international<br />
bands who participate in it. The night of the<br />
festival is followed by the amazing market<br />
where one can go buy souvenirs, different<br />
traditional clothing, and other handmade<br />
products.<br />
The significant idea behind organizing<br />
this festival is to develop a sense of<br />
belongingness among the various tribes of<br />
Nagaland which<br />
uniquely stands on<br />
its own with their<br />
rich culture and<br />
traditions. Though<br />
being a state with<br />
less demographic<br />
population per sq.<br />
km, it has so much<br />
to offer among<br />
themselves from<br />
their practices and<br />
traditions.<br />
mesmerized. The land of festivals is also<br />
abode to great art and culture which makes<br />
it amazing for visitors to explore traditional<br />
clothing filled with vibrant colors, art on<br />
canvas and tribal paintings which exhibit<br />
the feeling of tradition and culture.<br />
Be it for a pleasure seeker, history buff,<br />
photo enthusiast or a foodie, this is an all<br />
in one package. Tourists and visitors are<br />
warmly welcomed to the land of festivals,<br />
which was once fiercely protected by<br />
brave warriors. One can participate in<br />
the ‘Pork Fat Eating Competition’ or the<br />
renowned ‘Naga Chilli (Bhut Jolokia)<br />
Eating Competition’. A must try for the<br />
visitors is the locally brewed Rice beer<br />
(Zutho or Thuthse) which is famous among<br />
Food Cravings<br />
Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80<br />
Apart from the festival, the<br />
lands have been blessed with<br />
natural and scenic beauty,<br />
making it a tourist hotspot, which also<br />
made its way to a traveler’s itinerary.<br />
The land of uncontested wild and primeval<br />
beauty will leave you in awe and solace as<br />
the festival concludes. The ride through<br />
the mountains cutting across green fields<br />
with ever smiling people waving at you and<br />
the hills covered in fog and the sound of<br />
the tribal triumphant echoing within the<br />
landscape will be all that you’ll miss in the<br />
end. But always remember that behind all<br />
this was a community who made it possible<br />
for you to experience all that is obscure<br />
under the canopy of its vast forest cover.<br />
For those people<br />
who have a love for<br />
fusion of different<br />
colors, this would<br />
be something<br />
which should<br />
be experienced<br />
as different<br />
colors of clothes<br />
and makeup<br />
of performers<br />
will leave you<br />
Ramakrishnan Krishnan<br />
Bangalore, India<br />
Why So Serious?<br />
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT 135mm F/5 1/125s ISO100
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
Male Taurean<br />
Nikon D700 195mm F/5.3 1/640s ISO200<br />
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
Generations Of Hope<br />
Nikon D700 60mm F/2.8 1/2000s ISO200<br />
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
King In The North East<br />
Nikon D700 38mm F/2.8 1/4000s ISO200
Shiva Rajvanshi<br />
Lucknow, India<br />
Games In The Wild<br />
Nikon D810 120mm F/2.8 1/1000s ISO100<br />
Manish Lakhani<br />
Gujarat, India<br />
Battle Formations<br />
Nikon D700 16mm F/4 1/640s ISO200
Swati Rawat<br />
New Delhi, India<br />
The Concepts Of Solo Travel:<br />
Swati Rawat<br />
T ravel.<br />
One word, two syllables, and a deep<br />
feeling of contentment at the core of your<br />
being.<br />
Just one word, when in action can suddenly<br />
make your day a lot brighter.<br />
One word, endless memories.<br />
So much power…….all enclosed in just one<br />
word!<br />
The Solitary Reaper: Swati Rawat<br />
swati@chiiz.com<br />
Strange, isn’t it? How just a word can<br />
instantly make you feel alive, a word as<br />
powerful and lively as ‘love’. But would it be<br />
fair to give the credit to just the characters<br />
that arranged themselves to form this term<br />
while forgetting the essence behind it’s<br />
all so subjective meaning and associated<br />
feelings? Maybe not, but travelling like<br />
many great things, is easier said than done.<br />
People always make plans, some for the<br />
upcoming weeks, other for the coming<br />
Mud Houses<br />
Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80<br />
years and many times, these eggs remain<br />
unhatched and the undeveloped baby<br />
never really comes out of their thin cracked<br />
shells.<br />
I don’t blame them. In this era where people<br />
work hard not just to cope-up with each<br />
other but with the evolving technologies<br />
too, one hardly gets time to take out for<br />
themselves, let alone travel. We get so<br />
consumed in the process of creating a future<br />
that we press a skip button for creating our<br />
present. We trade our bucket full of travel<br />
wishes with shabby procrastination and<br />
we do it until we come face to face with<br />
‘The Push’. Like many travellers, I too was<br />
made familiar ‘The Push’ during my early<br />
twenties and I had never been so grateful in<br />
my life for such a horrid thing because if it<br />
wasn’t for that, I would have never travelled<br />
solo.<br />
Being a 90’s kid, I witnessed the evolving<br />
hues of life before and after the social media<br />
apocalypse. In a digital era with ‘update’<br />
overload where someone at some corner of<br />
the world has something to share, you are in<br />
a constant state of decision making of either<br />
responding to the information (physically<br />
or mentally) or completely ignoring it with<br />
a down scroll. And when you are somebody<br />
who’s fresh out of college, still trying to<br />
figure out your place in the universe and<br />
employed in an office where work is dull<br />
and burdensome, every little new update<br />
looks unnerving. My personal life was<br />
draining down a spiralling rabbit hole and<br />
I was getting consumed by the constant<br />
hammering of existential crisis and a search<br />
for self-identity - all in all, I was having a<br />
millennial’s quarter life crisis at the age of<br />
22. One day, I had a panic attack on my way<br />
to work and I knew, this was a sign of my<br />
mind yelling, It had ENOUGH.<br />
And in this unconventional way, I met my<br />
‘Push’.<br />
I wanted to run away to the farthest<br />
possible place as soon as possible but a<br />
quick casual glimpse into my bank account<br />
burst my hopes in the cold mid-air of<br />
December, like a balloon crushed by some<br />
angry kid and my soul gave an involuntary<br />
cry whose low range mosquito frequency<br />
was limited to my mind. As per my poor<br />
calculations, I had money to afford only<br />
two things out of the three - Transportation,<br />
Accommodation, and Food. This thought<br />
in itself was daunting enough to give me<br />
another anxiety attack, but I knew I had to<br />
get away and I had to do it before I lose my<br />
mind.<br />
So like any person standing on a tightrope<br />
hanging between the chasm of sanity and<br />
its other darker half, I started evaluating<br />
my options. I made a list of close friends<br />
and family residing at least 1000 kms away.<br />
I didn’t hold myself back when the search<br />
began. I pushed my callow ego to the<br />
backdoors of my mind and included every<br />
single person I had once called my friend.<br />
As Hippocrates aptly puts it - ‘Desperate<br />
times calls for desperate measures!’. I<br />
forecasted that rejection would be inevitable<br />
and mental preparations were needed to<br />
cushion the blow. Within next couple of<br />
months, there had to be a considerable leap<br />
of physical distance between my past and<br />
my then present, come what may.<br />
It’s funny how we can reach out to the far<br />
extents of our imagination in building<br />
worst case scenarios when we approach<br />
a long forgotten friend, while at the<br />
same time we underestimate the power<br />
of building meaningful relationships.<br />
Almost every person responded with an<br />
enthusiasm I could never fathom in my<br />
wildest dreams. Most of them were happy<br />
to hear from me and all of them welcomed<br />
to accommodate me to their place for few<br />
days. The silver lining was shining brighter<br />
than I imagined and it only made me more<br />
determined to take the next bold move, to<br />
travel solo. Amongst the long list of replies,<br />
there was a little blue notification from<br />
my cousin. She was living in the lands of<br />
palm beaches and corals and mangroves,<br />
and I was already captivated with my vivid<br />
imagination of white sand grains and the<br />
passing cool breeze of the deep blue ocean.<br />
My fingers couldn’t resist, and the next<br />
thing I knew, I had a flight booked to the<br />
70 Vol 2
Andaman Islands.<br />
I embarked on my first solo trip on 12th<br />
January 2015 and that day I realised how<br />
rudimentary my idea of the term ‘living’<br />
had been ever since I gained consciousness,<br />
up until now.<br />
The minute we entered Andaman airspace,<br />
my sight shot out of the window. I held my<br />
breath and my world stopped. I fell in love,<br />
I fell in love with that place and it was the<br />
first time I ever realised that apart from<br />
people, one could fall sincerely in love with<br />
places too. That thought took few minutes<br />
to sink in my practical and pessimistic<br />
mind.<br />
Andaman welcomed a scared, skeptic, lost<br />
girl from Delhi, with a warmth of a mother<br />
and it ushered me with the sheer revelation<br />
of what it meant to be alive. Suddenly it<br />
dawned on me, all the beautiful texts, vivid<br />
imagery, stupendous stories that I ever saw<br />
and read about people’s travel tales, this was<br />
how they were revelling in the pure ecstasy<br />
of life all along. I was tripping on this newly<br />
found drug that my mind immediately<br />
registered and in turn pumped up my brain<br />
chemicals to bolster this escapade.<br />
In hindsight, those twelve days<br />
metamorphosed me into a better version of<br />
myself, like a new human update installed<br />
by my processor. But now that I think of<br />
it, at what moment did it exactly happen?<br />
Was it a cumulative result of the series of<br />
events which unfolded with each passing<br />
moment of that journey? Did it happen<br />
on that evening when the freshly painted<br />
shamrock bench at the end of the pavement<br />
comforted me with the breathtaking view<br />
of the setting sun? Or did it happen during<br />
that refreshing afternoon I spent devouring<br />
delicious prawns under the sky with<br />
nothing but the sound of blowing wind<br />
creating a mesmerizing symphony for me<br />
to make my meal more enjoyable? I still<br />
don’t know.<br />
What I do know is that every street felt like<br />
home and every person familiar. I found<br />
myself in bits and pieces in the Islands I<br />
visited, the sunsets I enjoyed, the travellers<br />
I met, and the places I dusted with my<br />
footprints. I connected to every narrow<br />
passage and every passing picturesque<br />
scenery. I found solace under the generous<br />
shadow of ageing trees and met some<br />
beautiful souls along the way.<br />
It’s quite enthralling how a change in<br />
horizon in your sight can literally change<br />
the horizon of your perceived self, how<br />
a place can make you weak in your knees<br />
and wet your cheeks at the same time with<br />
a smile on your face, how you can have<br />
the most meaningful conversation with a<br />
stranger knowing very well that you too<br />
will share this intimate bond and then<br />
shoot off to completely opposite directions<br />
and most of all, it’s enthralling how these<br />
events gets imprinted on your soul, forever.<br />
Ever since then, I haven’t stopped. Even<br />
though I have travelled to many places,<br />
only a few of them being solo, I always<br />
carry that discovered solitude within my<br />
heart. I still see every new thing with the<br />
vision of a child and experience the same<br />
exhilaration on encountering beauty. I find<br />
peace being with myself, contemplating<br />
at natural and man-made marvels. I find<br />
contentment in getting lost and discovering<br />
unbeaten paths, off the map. Even if I’m not<br />
able to create a luxurious life for myself in<br />
the future, I’ll still be rich with my collected<br />
tales and experiences.<br />
My definition of ‘Travel’ has a spectrum<br />
that reaches far out to the limits of this<br />
world and myself.<br />
One word, which upon embracing, can<br />
set you on a path of self-discovery that’s<br />
going to alter your physical, spiritual,<br />
psychological, moral, and mental self.<br />
Are you willing to find your own meaning<br />
to it or are you going to wait for your ‘Push’<br />
forever?<br />
Raghav Khanna<br />
New Delhi, India<br />
Breathing Serenity<br />
Nikon D810 200mm F/2.8 1/500s ISO80
Tips and Tricks:<br />
Tilt Shift <strong>Photography</strong><br />
Tilt–shift photography is a really interesting form of photography that is catching up some interests now. It involves the use of camera<br />
movements on small and medium-format cameras, and sometimes specifically refers to the use of tilt for selective focus, often for<br />
simulating a miniature scene.<br />
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<br />
the position of the subject in the image area without moving the camera back; this is often helpful in avoiding the convergence of parallel<br />
lines when photographing tall buildings.<br />
In photography, a perspective control lens allows the photographer to control the appearance of perspective<br />
in the image; the lens can be moved parallel to the film, the terms PC and TS are also used by some<br />
manufacturers to refer to this type of lens.<br />
Short-focus perspective-control (PC) lenses (i.e., 17 mm through 35<br />
mm) are used mostly in architectural photography. Longer focal lengths<br />
may also be used in other applications such as landscape, product, and<br />
closeup photography.<br />
The first PC lens manufactured for an SLR camera in any format was<br />
Nikon’s 1961 f/3.5 35 mm PC-Nikkor. Other manufacturers, including<br />
Olympus, Pentax, Schneider Kreuznach (produced as well for Leica),<br />
and Minolta, made their own versions of PC lenses. Olympus produced<br />
-The 1961 35 mm f/3.5 PC-Nikkor lens—the first perspective<br />
control lens for a 35 mm camera.<br />
35 mm and 24 mm shift lenses. Canon currently offers 17 mm, 24 mm, 45 mm, and 90 mm tilt/shift<br />
lenses, whereas Nikon currently offers 19 mm, 24 mm, 45 mm, and 85 mm PC lenses with tilt and<br />
shift capability.<br />
Shape control<br />
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<br />
subject in the image area.<br />
Aperture control<br />
Most SLR cameras provide automatic aperture control, which allows viewing and metering at the lens’s maximum aperture, stops the lens<br />
down to the working aperture during exposure, and returns the lens to maximum aperture after exposure.<br />
Tilt<br />
Using tilt changes the shape of the depth of field (DoF). When the lens and image planes<br />
are parallel, the DoF extends between parallel planes on either side of the PoF. With tilt or<br />
swing, the DoF is wedge shaped. The DoF is zero at the apex, remains shallow at the edge<br />
of the lens’s field of view, and increases with distance from the camera. The angular DoF<br />
increases with lens f-number, the angular DoF decreases with increasing tilt.<br />
Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II<br />
Shift<br />
Shift is a displacement of the lens parallel to the image plane that allows adjusting the<br />
position of the subject in the image area without changing the camera angle; in effect the<br />
camera can be aimed with the shift movement.<br />
Nikon 24 mm lens which tilts (as seen above) and also shifts<br />
Miniature Faking<br />
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<br />
some miniature faking techniques. Basic digital post-processing techniques can give results similar to those achieved with tilt, and afford<br />
greater flexibility and control, such as choosing the region that is sharp and the amount of blur for the unsharp regions. Moreover, these<br />
choices can be made after the photograph is taken. One advanced technique, Smallgantics, is used for motion-pictures; it was first seen<br />
in the 2006 Thom Yorke music video “Harrowdown Hill”, directed by Chel White. Artist Olivo Barbieri is well known for his miniaturefaking<br />
skills in the 1990s. Artist Ben Thomas’s series Cityshrinker extended this concept to miniature faking major cities around the<br />
world, one such example is in his first book, Tiny Tokyo: The Big City Made Mini (Chronicle Books, 2014), which depicts Tokyo in<br />
miniature.<br />
Applications<br />
With a perspective control lens, however, the lens may be shifted upwards in<br />
relation to the image area, placing more of the subject within the frame.<br />
Another use of shifting is in taking pictures of a mirror. By moving the camera off<br />
to one side of the mirror and shifting the lens in the opposite direction, an image of<br />
the mirror can be captured without the reflection of the camera or photographer.<br />
72 Vol 2<br />
Rishabh Jain<br />
rishabh@chiiz .com<br />
Youngest member and tech guy of the<br />
team. He loves finding bugs not in<br />
the backyard but in the servers. An<br />
ardent soccer fan, Rishabh is also the<br />
sports freak of chiiz.
Movie Review<br />
City Of God<br />
Cidade de Deus (Portugese)<br />
Duration: 2hrs 10 mins.<br />
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10<br />
Released: 2002<br />
Directed by Fernando Meirelles and<br />
Katia Lund, the movie revolves around<br />
the lives of some hoodlums in the Cidade<br />
de Deus(City Of God), a slum(ghetto) in<br />
the suburbs of Rio De Janeiro. The movie is<br />
based on a novel by Paulo Lins, who grew up<br />
in the City of God, somehow escaped it, and<br />
spent eight years writing his book. A note at<br />
the end says it is partly based on the life of<br />
Wilson Rodriguez, a Brazilian photographer.<br />
The tagline of the movie was, ‘Damned if you<br />
do, damned if you don’t.’ The movie depicts<br />
drug abuse, violent crime, and a boy’s struggle<br />
to free himself from the slums’ grasp.<br />
Plot Summary:<br />
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<br />
end up being seized by the police, although the cops retreat and another gang jumps in headed by Knockout Ned(played by Seu Jorge,<br />
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<br />
who enjoys killing people for no reason.<br />
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<br />
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<br />
no one speaks against them. The gangs have money and guns because they sell drugs and commit robberies. But they are not very rich<br />
because their activities are limited to the City of God, where no one has much money.<br />
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<br />
Z and the coolest hoodlum in the vicinity. He is loved by all and holds the gangs together upto some level.<br />
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<br />
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<br />
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.<br />
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<br />
amongst the gangs.<br />
74 Vol 2<br />
Review:<br />
The movie ends very well for everyone and<br />
is a superb eye-opener. It narrates the tales<br />
of people and their everyday fight to survive<br />
in such a god forsaken place. The most<br />
important lesson we get from the movie is<br />
no matter what the circumstances are, it all<br />
depends how you turn out to be. So, that’s all<br />
it is about, survival of the fittest and not just<br />
the bravest.<br />
Prateek Kashyap<br />
prateek@chiiz.com<br />
A n<br />
adventure seeker by heart,<br />
his passion for photography<br />
was ignited in the Great<br />
Himalayas. Clicking clear<br />
frames and solving the<br />
mysteries of life, he just<br />
wants to spend his time as a<br />
confused photographer.
Gear Review:<br />
Sony CyberShot HX350<br />
Sony has recently launched a new Cyber-shot HX350<br />
camera with high zoom capabilities. The camera will<br />
be available exclusively via Amazon for a price of Rs<br />
28,990. The new high-zoom camera claims to pack in a<br />
commendable performance into a compact body.<br />
The camera comes with Carl ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T<br />
coating lens which offers a 50x optical zoom capability<br />
from 24mm wide-angle to 1200mm super-telephoto. It goes from wide to full zoom in a jiffy, and that too very smoothly. Complementing<br />
the hardware, the Clear Image Zoom feature built-into the software further maximise the magnification to 100x. Further, the device<br />
comes equipped with 20.4-megapixel high-resolution illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor and BIONZ X imaging processor to provide<br />
seamless and accurate image processing. The color of the photographs are very good, especially with the outdoor photography. The<br />
camera can also handle indoor and low-light photography and videography efficiently, claims Sony.<br />
We also get an Optical SteadyShot which prevents any kind of casual wobbles and camera shakes to help provide stable and steady shots.<br />
This enables rapidly shifting of a group of lens elements to correct the slightest hand<br />
tremors. Also, to record Full HD videos with maximum sharpness and blue-free<br />
quality, Sony has given an Intelligent Active Mode inside. Talking about the video<br />
recording, the new HX350 camera comes with a manual focus and zoom ring along<br />
with an easily-accessible mode dial and a custom button for quick adjustment of<br />
favourite settings. The camera comes with all the exposure options and also offer<br />
24p shooting option. Also, the video capabilities are very good. It even comes with<br />
a stereo microphone inbuilt. Given that, adding a zoom lens of this kind on a DSLR<br />
would cost a bomb, this could end up being a good video camera option for those<br />
who need the extra zoom to shoot birds or the moon. Another nifty little software<br />
feature is the Motion Shot Video which can basically trace a tennis serve or golf<br />
swing as a split-second series of superimposed images.<br />
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<br />
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<br />
4K TV with the support for TRILUMINOS Color on the device with BRAVIA TVs enhancing the overall viewing.<br />
QUICK SPECIFICATIONS<br />
Body type<br />
SLR<br />
Max resolution 5184 x 3456<br />
Effective pixels<br />
20 megapixels<br />
Sensor type<br />
BSI-CMOS<br />
ISO Auto, 80-3200<br />
(up to 12800 in Multi-Frame NR<br />
hbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbhbh-mode)<br />
Focal length (equiv.) 24–1000 mm<br />
Max aperture<br />
F2.8–6.3<br />
Articulated LCD Tilting<br />
Screen size 3”<br />
Max shutter speed 1/4000 sec<br />
USB<br />
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)<br />
Weight (inc. batteries) 652 g<br />
Dimensions<br />
130 x 93 x 103 mm<br />
(5.12 x 3.66 x 4.06”)<br />
Vol 2 75
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 97mm F/4 1/250s ISO160<br />
Born in India, Kaynat is an avid traveller and photographer. She decided to travel beyond the cliched<br />
destinations and discover the new. Her enthusiasm to travel and love for writing finds expression in her<br />
photography too. She has travelled 1,000,00 Kms in just 3 years. Kaynat’s passion for travel, writing and<br />
photography paved way for ‘Rahagiri’, her blog. ‘Colors of India’, her solo debut exhibition celebrates the<br />
rich culture, spectacular crafts & exotic artifacts, great traditions and rituals of India. In her experience,<br />
she discovered the real India in the streets of old cities, in the smiles of innocent children running on streets,<br />
in the skilled hands of the craftsmen, and in the eyes of the people who are beautiful from within.<br />
Dr. Kaynat Kazi<br />
kaynat@chiiz.com<br />
The Tulip Bulbs:<br />
Shining Bright in Paradise<br />
I love tulips. Maybe that’s the reason<br />
why, when spring arrives, my traveler<br />
mind starts wandering in search of<br />
tulips. I believe, deep inside me there<br />
is a soul of a “Flower Hunter”. Last year<br />
during spring, I was in Keukenhof,<br />
Holland, to see the world’s largest tulip<br />
garden. This time, I decided to visit<br />
the Tulip Festival in Kashmir which<br />
takes place in the month of April every<br />
year. It is organized by the Kashmir<br />
Tourism Board, which was opened in<br />
2007. One will be surprised to know<br />
that this tulip garden is the biggest tulip<br />
garden in the whole of Asia. The Tulip<br />
Festival takes place in Srinagar’s Indira<br />
Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden. Set at<br />
the foothills of The Zabarwan Range,<br />
the Botanical Garden spreads over 30<br />
hectares of land, which is a feast to the<br />
eyes.<br />
Over 2 million tulips were on display<br />
in the garden, with people from all over<br />
the world visiting to catch a glimpse of<br />
this beautiful sight. Kashmir, known<br />
as the ‘Heaven on Earth’, was once<br />
under the reign of the Mughal Empire<br />
in the past, so one can see the Persian<br />
influence on the designs of the gardens<br />
as well. The terraced fashion gardens<br />
were considered an essential part in the<br />
Persian horticultural architecture. One<br />
could see its influence on the Nishat<br />
Bagh and Shalimar Gardens as well.<br />
This garden which is open for a period<br />
of 15 days to the crowds is a view which<br />
will remain forever in the memory of<br />
a visitor. The bulbs which are used to<br />
cultivate the tulips are brought in from<br />
Holland. As the festival culminates,<br />
all the tulip bulbs are color-coded and<br />
preserved with utmost care for the<br />
next season. All this work takes place<br />
under the expert eye of the floriculture<br />
department.<br />
Flowers are nature’s gift to us which<br />
refreshes our mood and rejuvenates<br />
us all. No matter what the mood of a<br />
person is, flowers can bring a smile<br />
on everyone’s face. According to a<br />
recent study conducted by the State<br />
University of New Jersey, people who<br />
receive flowers or remain surrounded<br />
by flowers, experienced a substantial<br />
decrease in their stress level, they were<br />
happier and contented. Flowers are also<br />
the most powerful medium to express<br />
our emotions, they say.<br />
The magnificent tulips cover a long<br />
distance from the great Himalayas to<br />
Europe. In spite of being the national<br />
flower of Netherlands, it is not a native<br />
crop of Europe. It’s from the great<br />
76 Vol 2
Himalayas, which became a status symbol<br />
for the people of Europe over a period of<br />
time. The Europeans loved, cherished, and<br />
made it an integral part of their culture.<br />
Here in Srinagar, seeing these colorful<br />
tulips, one can easily acknowledge the<br />
amount of hard work & efforts put behind<br />
to transform this land into a colorful and<br />
vibrant meadow. No wonder Kashmir is<br />
called a paradise on earth.<br />
About the Garden<br />
The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip<br />
garden is situated very close to Dal Lake,<br />
giving it a spectacular look. This threetiered<br />
tulip garden is home to around 60<br />
varieties of tulips. Many fountains have<br />
also been placed in the garden to make<br />
the garden more splendid. There is a small<br />
food point here too, where one can savor<br />
typical Kashmiri foods like Bakarkhani,<br />
chocolate cakes, and Kashmiri Kehwa. This<br />
festival also showcases cultural programs,<br />
Kashmiri folk songs, and an exhibition of<br />
traditional handicrafts.<br />
When to go<br />
The Tulip Festival is organized every year in<br />
the month of April at Indira Gandhi Tulip<br />
Memorial Garden, Srinagar, Kashmir. The<br />
dates are liable to change, due to weather<br />
conditions. However, it is advisable that<br />
you check the dates on the website of the<br />
Kashmiri Tourism before planning a visit.<br />
How to reach<br />
Srinagar is well connected to various big<br />
cities through air and roadways. If you wish<br />
to travel by railways, then you can take a<br />
train till Jammu, beyond which one has to<br />
travel by road. And there are regular flights,<br />
flying in and out of Srinagar.<br />
Travel tips<br />
Though India is pretty warm in the month<br />
of April, the weather in Kashmir remains<br />
pleasant. Chances of rainfall are high<br />
too due to which the temperature drops.<br />
Do check on the weather forecast before<br />
working out on your plans.<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/8 1/100s ISO100
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/4 1/640s ISO160<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/4 1/2000s ISO160<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 105mm F/4 1/1250s ISO160
App of The Month<br />
VSCO: A sharing friendly editor<br />
Platforms: iOS and Android<br />
Price: Free<br />
Ratings: 4.4(Android), 4/5(iOS)<br />
the month, this edition<br />
Though there are numerous<br />
choices available for photography<br />
lovers these days, there’s always a<br />
room for an app like VSCO Cam<br />
which combines photo taking, photo<br />
editing and photo sharing. With it’s<br />
robust assortment of editing tools<br />
producing elegant photo effects,<br />
VSCO Cam makes it to <strong>Chiiz</strong> app of<br />
The Oakland, California, based VSCO lets users use its gorgeous<br />
filters and editing options to turn their otherwise boring pictures<br />
into masterpieces. Plus, like instagram, you can create a profile<br />
on VSCO Cam and follow other users, although it is essentially<br />
a more artistic and curated version of Instagram. VSCO Cam,<br />
which is available as a free app (with in-app filter purchases) on<br />
both iOS and Android stores, is a great option among artistic<br />
and photography-focused users. Its minimalist interface lets you<br />
to create great-looking shots in only a few steps. It might take a<br />
little time getting acclimatised to its over-simplified and wordless<br />
iconographic interface, but once you learn its working, it is a joy<br />
to use.<br />
VSCO is a versatile app that lets you shoot with its built-in camera<br />
interface while allowing you to import images from your phone’s<br />
gallery. VSCO camera toolbar lets you toggle the flash, change the<br />
display (you can select a square preview, ‘rule of thirds’ or nothing).<br />
Though most of the features available on both iOS and Android<br />
platforms are similar, but only iOS users can apply the two-finger<br />
swipe to set different locations for focus and reading the exposure.<br />
The iOS users also have access to a white balance lock which allows<br />
them to apply the color temperature of one scene to another.<br />
Editing Tools<br />
The editing part of this app is where things get a little odd and<br />
somewhat fascinating too. When you tap on a photo to edit it,<br />
you’ll find a dozen of filters called “presets” that you can apply to<br />
provide a different look to your pictures. These Presets doesn’t have<br />
any fancy names — they’re simply called B3, F2, C3, P5, X1 and so<br />
on — so you are expected to just try them out and see what you can<br />
make out of it. Presets are not a one-tap and done affair, instead<br />
they’re applied as layers and can be used in different intensities.<br />
Going one step further, you can also edit “traditional” aspects of<br />
your pictures like exposure, contrast, straighten, crop, sharpen,<br />
saturation, highlights save, shadows save, color temperature,<br />
tint and fade. With all of these tools, you could easily spend<br />
hours editing photos for different looks. Edits that you apply are<br />
completely non-destructive, meaning you can backup your last<br />
edits — one at a time — or completely remove them all — even<br />
after you’ve “saved” an image with edits to it.<br />
Sharing<br />
VSCO Cam also provides a Grid - its social network platform -<br />
where you can browse photos, follow users and share pictures and<br />
there’s no spammy likes, comments or other cruft getting in the<br />
way like other platforms.<br />
When you are finished working with your photos, you can share<br />
them on other apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Google+,<br />
email, etc. which are installed on your phone or tablet. While if<br />
you share your images on VSCO’s Grid, it’s not necessary that they<br />
will be displayed to the public because only high-quality images are<br />
curated on the platform.<br />
<strong>Chiiz</strong> Opinion<br />
VSCO Cam is a great camera and editing app with a half-baked<br />
online sharing experience bolted onto the side. The editing tools<br />
and filters are better than what you’ll find in many other apps, and<br />
most of the experience is free (you only need to pay for additional<br />
filters). And while the sparse icon-driven UI is initially confusing,<br />
it’s easy to figure out. VSCO needs only to find a way to smooth<br />
the rough edges in its interface to be a truly essential camera app<br />
alternative.<br />
Joel Hiekha<br />
joel@chiiz.com<br />
A patient and an open minded guy, Joel is madly in<br />
love with Electronic Dance Music. He is an ardent<br />
game lover and a fashion enthusiast who loves to try<br />
out latest trends.<br />
Vol 2<br />
79
Her career at a glance:<br />
Theater:<br />
How important it is to be serious (Sessili)<br />
Tartuffe (Marianne)<br />
A Midsummer Night's Dream (Germany)<br />
It shines and does not heat (Reneva)<br />
The Last Victim (Julia Pavlovna Turgina)<br />
Wolves and sheep (Murzavetskaya, Anfusa<br />
Tikhonovna)<br />
The Old New Year (Dasha)<br />
Tram Desire (Blanche Dubois)<br />
Filmography:<br />
The Last Face<br />
Zemsky doctor<br />
Fortune-teller<br />
Dark World: Equilibrium<br />
Practice<br />
High kitchen<br />
Cold front<br />
<strong>Chiiz</strong>’s correspondent, ANJALI CHAUDHARY got in talks with<br />
Tatiana about her preferences in world of fashion. Here is the<br />
excerpt:<br />
What does fashion mean to you?<br />
I’m an actress, a loving wife and a happy mother of two. When<br />
I have time I attend runway shows and fashion events. I watch<br />
Fashion TV occasionally to stay in touch with what’s going on in<br />
the fashion world. That’s it.<br />
Model of The Month:<br />
Tatiana Abramenko<br />
Tatiana Abramenko was born on October 4, in the city of<br />
Taganrog, Russia. Since childhood, she was fascinated by<br />
theatre and cinema, and kept herself engaged in various dance<br />
related activities. By the time she completed her school, she had<br />
already planned to enter a theatre school, but in an agreement<br />
with her family, she first had to graduate from Taganrog Radio<br />
Engineering University, with major in Economics and Enterprise<br />
Management.<br />
Also donning an actor’s skills, Tatiana joined the Theater School<br />
of Konstantin Raikin. Simultaneously, she was engaged in<br />
modeling as well, which provided a nourishing environment and<br />
an opportunity to perform on stage even while her studies were<br />
going on.<br />
She was also the winner of an Internet contest for “Best Fashion<br />
Model”. She has worked globally in China, Korea, France, Italy,<br />
Poland, Lithuania and Spain. In 2006, Tatiana was among the top<br />
five finalists for Miss Russia and in 2008, she stood second in the<br />
Italian contest, Miss Cinema. Again in 2011, she was named the<br />
“Best Fashion Model 2011” by the popular fashion and lifestyle TV<br />
channel, “Fashion TV”. Her debut in the movies took place in 2007<br />
in the film, “The Last Slaughter”. She is happily married now, and<br />
was blessed with a daughter in 2013, named Vika and very soon<br />
she will become a mother of two.<br />
Your favourite designer?<br />
Christian Dior and Chanel. It’s classic, it’s always on point, and it’s<br />
mesmerizing. Among Russian designers I like Ulyana Sergeenko,<br />
Alexander Terekhov and Alena Akhmadullina.<br />
What would be your ideal outfit for – a fun party/casual day out<br />
with friends/hot date/a formal work setting?<br />
For a party or any casual occasion I’d wear some jeans and top or<br />
denim skirt with t-shirt and blazer. When you’re going to a friend's<br />
gathering you can wear anything you want because it’s your people<br />
and you should feel comfortable in all ways. When on a hot date,<br />
it would be a sexy dress or skirt but nothing too much. The only<br />
appropriate outfit for formal work meeting is strict costume either<br />
with trousers or skirt plus white shirt.<br />
A fragrance you swear by?<br />
I like a lot of fragrances. These days I often wear Versace Bright<br />
Crystal and Kenzo World Eau De Parfum. Right now I have Chanel<br />
Coco Mademoiselle on me.<br />
Three essentials of a man/woman’s wardrobe?<br />
For a man it is pair of decent shoes, solid watch and tie. Woman<br />
should have at least a pair of high heels, one black dress no matter<br />
how short or long it is and a leather jacket. If it fits you well then,<br />
you can wear it with anything. That’s why I consider it essential.<br />
Anjali Chaudhary<br />
anjali@chiiz.com<br />
Although a portrait of innocence, she is our one of<br />
the boldest member. She’s like a bird, ready to spread<br />
her wings and fly, for living & learning, a celebration<br />
in herself. She is sharp, quick-witted and discerning,<br />
often a dreamer who sees her life as having a higher<br />
purpose than simply earning a living.<br />
80 Vol 2
MakeUp Artist of The Month:<br />
Pratishtha Arora<br />
akeup is all about enhancing<br />
‘Mone’s features, without making<br />
them look plastic!!’<br />
These are the beliefs of our very young<br />
and talented makeup artist, Pratishtha<br />
Arora.<br />
She, so fondly, narrates the story of her<br />
life to our correspondent, KANIKA<br />
MAURYA.<br />
Pratishtha is the founder of the makeup company, Rupasso that<br />
provides one-stop makeup solutions for all the occasions like<br />
weddings, editorials, pre-weddings, fashion shows and shoots.<br />
Her achievements include working with big brands like En Vogue<br />
Dubai, Kaltblut Magazine, MensXp, Clarions Miss Indian Diva,<br />
Times Internet, etc.<br />
From having a degree in philosophy to being the founder of<br />
Rupasso, it’s a journey that surely had its ups and downs.<br />
Recalling her time as a makeup student, she apprised us what a life<br />
changing experience it was to finally learn what she loved. After<br />
attaining a double certification in makeup artistry from Singapore<br />
and Delhi, she further went on to doing her makeup diploma from<br />
VTCT, London.<br />
For her, it feels like a dream come true. Pratishtha says, “I was born<br />
to do makeup. When I close my eyes, I don’t see the usual black,<br />
it’s the rainbow rings dancing round in that void. And that’s how I<br />
always knew I was born to play with colors.”<br />
She worked as a senior makeup trainer with a well known<br />
international academy before starting her very own successful<br />
brand ‘Rupasso’ and still wishes to continue teaching makeup apart<br />
from freelancing for fashion world, weddings and events. ‘Teaching<br />
and Makeup have always resulted in a state of contentment for me,<br />
and MSTC gave me the most blissful opportunity to be a makeup<br />
teacher,’ she says.<br />
Bridal makeup is her forte and Pratishtha feels that getting one’s<br />
makeup done on their Big Day should be an experience in itself.<br />
She is well known for her attention to detail and likes to work with<br />
each one of her client to create a customized look that will bring<br />
out the best in them. The whole process is definitely a collaboration<br />
and the end result is a confident and gorgeous face.<br />
This enthusiastic artist believes that half of the revenue she generates<br />
from her work is purely emotional. It cannot be calculated in<br />
monetary terms and solely depends on the satisfaction level of her<br />
clients. “The bright accomplished smile on the faces of my brides is<br />
my reward. And that confidence they get by looking at themselves<br />
in the mirror makes all the difference.”, says Pratishtha.<br />
On being questioned about the effects Rupasso brought with it and<br />
how it has changed her life since, she so sincerely answered that<br />
it gives her more power to exercise and more flexibility to work<br />
with. She was very flattered when unexpected recognition started<br />
coming her way and people started recognising her in public<br />
through her work. “A girl just randomly came up to me while I<br />
was out shopping and said, ‘you are Pratishtha, right? I have been<br />
following your work on Insta and I just love what you do’, - I<br />
couldn’t stop blushing”, she recalls with a smile.<br />
Having a brand of her own is the biggest achievement for Pratishtha<br />
so far. She nourishes Rupasso as a mother feeds her only child and<br />
believes her busy schedule is a must in her life. ‘Sitting idle is just<br />
not for me, it gets on me in a negative way!’<br />
Out of her personal choices, Estee Lauder, Giorgio Armani, Morphe<br />
and Urban Decay stand a steady ground as she keeps utmost trust<br />
in these brands.<br />
In her words, “It is important for people to follow their heart.<br />
Things will fall in place but for that you need to work hard. Never<br />
stop your practice, for it enhances your skills!!”<br />
Kanika Maurya<br />
Kanika@chiiz.com<br />
Hit by wanderlust, Kanika is a hard core food addict.<br />
A dancer who danced her way happily out of college,<br />
Kanika is a photographer keen on capturing things<br />
or moments that are majestic. When not capturing or<br />
eating, Kanika is exploring places in and around delhi<br />
with her friends.<br />
82 Vol 2
A Photo Series by Julia Wimmerlin<br />
Paint It Snail<br />
What do you think of snails? Snails<br />
– the soft-bodied, thick-shelled<br />
molluscs - which you must have seen in<br />
and around ponds, rivers or at sea. Have<br />
you ever thought of snails entering into<br />
the makeup wardrobe and becoming<br />
an inspiration to a fashion designer or a<br />
makeup artist?<br />
Julia Wimmerlin<br />
Well, it’s very hard to put your thinking cap<br />
and create a story around such a matter<br />
but Julia Wimmerlin, a Ukrainian-born<br />
photographer, used snails to portray her<br />
creativity and imagination in her latest<br />
“paint it snail” photography collection. She<br />
chatted with SHEETAL MANN about how<br />
she went on to create such masterpiece.<br />
84 Vol 2<br />
Sheetal Mann<br />
sheetal@chiiz.com<br />
A silent tigress working up<br />
her way against the societal<br />
norms. One hell of an interior<br />
designer for your beautiful<br />
homes and thoughts, she is<br />
quite an introvert and serenity<br />
drips from her face.<br />
Don’t Touch My Shoes<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 23mm F/11 1/160s ISO100<br />
“Snails are known for leaving traces behind<br />
them, and in a fantasy world, snails and<br />
their traces could be multi-colored. ‘Paint it<br />
Snail’ is a series of snapshots of this fantasy<br />
world where snails would become makeup<br />
artists, fashion designers and jewellery,”<br />
says the award-winning photographer<br />
Wimmerlin, in an email conversation<br />
from Switzerland, where she is currently<br />
residing.<br />
Wimmerlin is a marketing professional<br />
turned photographer who loves<br />
photography as a whole and always brings<br />
something personal whether it’s a business<br />
portrait or a famous landmark. She believes<br />
her strength is the creative approach with an<br />
amalgamation of true emotions in them. In<br />
her short but fairy tale-like career, she has<br />
pushed all the boundaries of photography<br />
to create images that are not only creatively<br />
enthralling but tell stories of their own.<br />
“The snail story was shot in studio and the<br />
snail models come from around my house<br />
in Switzerland as well as from the rural<br />
areas in Alsace, France. The snails lived<br />
with me for a few weeks whilst the series<br />
was shot, and now I am an experienced<br />
snails’ feeder and cleaner”, she replies with<br />
a smiley face. “All colors on the model<br />
– Anastasia Konetskaya – were painted<br />
with acrylic paints and all the snails were<br />
painted later in Photoshop. No snail was<br />
harmed during the shoot. All snails were<br />
let go next to a river on a rainy Swiss day<br />
after the series was finished”. she explains<br />
further on how she shot the story.<br />
Wimmerlin, who won a silver medal in<br />
Color Open category at International<br />
Salon of <strong>Photography</strong> PhotoArtist 2016<br />
for her ‘Snow Monkeys, believes that, in<br />
her nearly self-taught career, she relied<br />
a lot on her advertising and marketing<br />
experience to construct an image. “First<br />
there is an idea that can become a theme<br />
for the series. It takes time for an idea<br />
to settle and develop into a story that<br />
later becomes a series of photographs.<br />
Sometimes I make a detailed storyboard<br />
of a hat on how each shot would look like<br />
and other times I just go with a general<br />
idea and mood and let the model find<br />
her way,” she says while explaining how<br />
she works around a story.<br />
Her fashion portfolio includes<br />
collaborations with famous Filipino<br />
designer Pia Gladys Perey who enjoyed<br />
an international uprising after dressing<br />
Angelina Jolie. She has worked with Pia<br />
Gladys Perey for her Junior Bridesmaids<br />
and High Tea Collections, and<br />
advertising images for Spring-Summer<br />
Collection 2015 which were presented<br />
at the World Fashion Week in Paris. Her<br />
celebrity fashion portfolio also includes<br />
collaboration with another Filipino actress<br />
and model, Rhian Ramos.<br />
The most prized accessory for her, while<br />
on the shoot, is her ‘compact hood loupe’<br />
without which she can’t live. “I can’t live<br />
without it as it allows me to see the shot<br />
on camera’s LCD magnified enough to see<br />
some particular details, and shields the shot<br />
from any ambient light that might influence<br />
my perception of the shot,” replies National<br />
Geographic & Vogue photographer,<br />
Wimmerlin.<br />
Wimmerlin has received 2 Honourable<br />
Mentions at IPA’s (International<br />
<strong>Photography</strong> Award) in One Shot Climate<br />
Change Competition (2016). Her travel,<br />
animal and creative photographs have<br />
been published in various travel magazines<br />
including National Geographic(USA),<br />
National Geographic Travel(USA), Digital<br />
Photo(UK), GEO(Germany, France), “DJI<br />
Focus”(China), Animan(Switzerland),<br />
Travelife(Philippines), travel section of<br />
The Telegraph(UK), The Times(UK),<br />
The Guardian(UK), Daily Star(UK),<br />
Metro(UK), Le Matin(Switzerland), 20<br />
minutes(France), etc. She is a regular<br />
contributor to the PhotoVogue site of<br />
Vogue Italia having several shots selected<br />
as “Best Of ” and “Photo of the Day”.<br />
Before Julia signed off to prepare for her<br />
shoot, we managed to ask her if she had<br />
to define the world in a single photograph,<br />
what would it be? She took some time and<br />
replied after few minutes, “Though I have<br />
never thought about it, but if I were to<br />
show the world in a single shot, it would<br />
be a macro shot of one’s eye – you have the<br />
whole world there”.
MakeUp Artists<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 200mm F/18 1/160s ISO160<br />
Making Me Smile<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 100mm F/18 1/160s ISO200<br />
Eye Shadows<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 100mm F/13 1/160s ISO100
Nail It Snail<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 168mm F/11 1/160s ISO100<br />
The Necklace<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 115mm F/11 1/400s ISO100<br />
Black Seam Tights<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 26mm F/11 1/160s ISO100<br />
Bracelet Diaries<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 135mm F/14 1/160s ISO100
Group OF The Month<br />
@yourshot_india<br />
We<br />
believe<br />
t h a t<br />
photography is not<br />
just a talent, it’s a<br />
lifestyle. Each one<br />
of us experiences<br />
moments which<br />
we wish to absorb<br />
and capture as it is, keeping them alive<br />
forever.<br />
It all began in 2016, when Arpit Verma (@<br />
explorer_eye), 20, an engineering student<br />
and a freelancer photographer decided to<br />
set the page up on Instagram naming it @<br />
yourshot_india. As the page soon gained<br />
recognition and started getting bigger and<br />
better, it was joined by Harsh Agrawal (@<br />
harshagrawa.l), 20 and Malvika Srivastava<br />
(@malvikasrivastava),20.<br />
The basic idea behind @yourshot_india<br />
is to surface the talents of budding<br />
photographers and provide them a platform<br />
to showcase their vision all over the world.<br />
With the course of time more and more<br />
photographers sent us their photos, used<br />
our hashtags and tagged us in their photos<br />
to get them featured on our Instagram page.<br />
Also, we took to Instagram stories and<br />
live session to share tips, suggestions and<br />
resolve the queries of our followers enabling<br />
us to connect better with them.<br />
The love and appreciation we receive have<br />
@kartik231987<br />
helped us come so far and motivates us to<br />
grow and work harder each day in the same<br />
direction.<br />
Our motive is to promote the art of<br />
photography, introduce to this world the<br />
best of photographers with the best of their<br />
photos and to inspire and help others find a<br />
photographer within themselves. .<br />
11mm F/6.3 1/320s ISO100<br />
@vignesh_snaper<br />
15mm F/2.8 1/160s ISO1600
Fashionista Behind The Camera<br />
Tina Sokolovskaya<br />
Starting with night clubs and ending up with Playboy Ukraine’s<br />
magazine, this isn’t just luck, but it is when hard work pays off<br />
and Tina Sokolovskaya surely has her way with it. This Ukraine<br />
based photographer now works with celebrities, famous artists,<br />
and singers all over the globe. BARKHA CHANDRA from <strong>Chiiz</strong><br />
gets in talk with her on her successful career and lots more.<br />
When did you first think of becoming a photographer and how did<br />
you get into fashion photography?<br />
Since childhood, I liked the art of photography. I did my first<br />
experiment when I was very young, and at the age of 17, I seriously<br />
thought about photography as a profession and began to learn it.<br />
I was a student, living in a city away from my parents and needed<br />
money. But soon, my work w recognised and people began to<br />
notice me. Magazines and Television channels started approaching<br />
me to work with them. During the first 1 to 2 years, I chose to focus<br />
mainly on portrait and fashion photography.<br />
Also, tell us about all your beloved possessions and some tips for<br />
fashion photography?<br />
I love working with natural lighting and playing with shadows. I<br />
always try to use all sources of natural light as much as possible,<br />
and when I do not have it, I rent photo studios to avoid the impulse<br />
flash as much as possible.<br />
It is important to keep in mind that 90% of the results of a<br />
beautiful photo is in the model itself. If you are just starting out<br />
in photography, train with professional models. They know much<br />
more about the work, as you can focus only on the process and<br />
learn quicker. Also, all the best shots are spontaneous, so relax<br />
and just have fun with what you do. Love your profession or your<br />
hobby.<br />
We hear a lot about the obstacles women face in the workforce, but<br />
surely there are advantages. So what do you think are the benefits<br />
of being a female photographers?<br />
Perhaps my words will not<br />
sound right, but I really<br />
think that it is much easier<br />
for men to succeed in this<br />
profession than women.<br />
In addition, men are more<br />
enduring. A photographer’s<br />
work implies that you work<br />
for approximately 15 hours<br />
a day without food, with<br />
almost 20 kgs of equipments<br />
behind you. Not everyone<br />
can do it, but I myself think<br />
that I’m strong enough to<br />
take it. And of course, there<br />
are also a lot of advantages of<br />
being a female photographer.<br />
Many female models are<br />
very shy, so it makes it much<br />
more comfortable for them<br />
to work with fellow female<br />
photographers, or in some<br />
countries, for example, in the<br />
United Arab Emirates, male<br />
photographers are not allowed<br />
to take the photographs of female models for religious reasons.<br />
What do you consider the most important break in your career<br />
and why?<br />
I don’t know about the most important, but one of the last is my<br />
photo “On the wave”, where a model is lying on the beach and the<br />
wave is hugging her. It went viral in a matter of days after it was first<br />
published, and has been published in more than 100 well-known<br />
publications. It was a huge surprise for me.<br />
What is the one quality that you possess as a Playboy Ukraine’s<br />
Official Photographer that sets you apart?<br />
I was invited to work in Playboy magazine because I have a special<br />
ability of observation of the female body and my own style of post<br />
production. I always preserve the naturalness, and do not like a lot<br />
of photoshop on my photos. And at the same time, I try to show<br />
only the best side of a female model.<br />
What advice do you have for other female photographers who are<br />
looking to get into photography?<br />
The main advice that I can give them is to believe in themselves.<br />
In the past few years, some of the goals that I had already achieved<br />
seemed impossible to me, but by hard work, constant development<br />
and self-confidence, it has helped me achieve what I wanted. The<br />
main thing is to never stand still and always keep moving forward.<br />
In 2014, when the war hit Ukraine, most of the cities were in state<br />
of utter unrest. Tina had to move to Kiev from Donetsk, where she<br />
basically had to start from scratch. After a year in Kiev, she moved<br />
to Odessa, where she met a wonderful makeup artist name Vika,<br />
with whom she is now practically inseparable at work.<br />
Barkha Chandra<br />
barkha@chiiz.com<br />
She is the laughter dose of Team <strong>Chiiz</strong> currently<br />
rocking up the PR dept. She is always high on life<br />
and hooked to freedom. A great philosopher, living in<br />
her own imaginary world as she juggles through the<br />
highs and lows of life.<br />
88 Vol 2
“By the way, my famous pic “On the Wave” was made in Dubai.<br />
This was an “accidental” shot. It was a usual commercial<br />
shooting for our client from Latvia, we were on the beach, and<br />
thou`ght to shoot some interesting. Nearby there was a bridge,<br />
and I said: “Let me try to take a picture of you from above!”<br />
The sea was just a little restless, there was a wave, and this shot<br />
turned out. In fact, all the best is the result of the right moment.”<br />
On The Wave<br />
Nikon D700 50mm F/3.5 1/640s ISO280
I<br />
n 2015, she was invited to become an official photographer for Playboy Ukraine’s magazine. Europe, Seychelles, Santorini and<br />
Dubai are the major places for their photoshoots. Tina was contented when she talked about how most of the influential and<br />
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<br />
scratch even after the war devastated her home. We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.<br />
Dance Away<br />
Nikon D200 105mm F/5 1/800s ISO100
Santorini Stories-1<br />
Nikon D700 50mm F/7.1 1/800s ISO200<br />
Heartthrobs<br />
Nikon D700 105mm F/3.5 1/250s ISO280<br />
A La Mode<br />
Nikon D200 35mm F/3.5 1/100s ISO250
Santorini Stories-2<br />
Nikon D700 50mm F/3.5 1/4000s ISO200<br />
Santorini Stories-1<br />
Nikon D700 50mm F/3.5 1/4000s ISO200
Sandeep MV<br />
Bangalore, India<br />
Meera Lost In Happiness<br />
Canon EOS-1D X 50mm F/1.6 1/500s ISO100<br />
Sandeep MV<br />
Bangalore, India<br />
Supermodels<br />
Canon EOS-1D X 70mm F/2.8 1/80s ISO2000<br />
Bernadette Newberry<br />
Ohio, USA<br />
Yellow Lips<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 75mm F/4 1/200s ISO100
ANDREY KELS<br />
Andrey Kels was born in Siberia. Andrey was<br />
introduced to photography by his parents at a<br />
very small age, when they presented him with<br />
the FED-3 film camera and taught him how<br />
to develop and print photos. He really enjoys<br />
working with black and white photographs in<br />
the nude, as it portrays a certain charm and<br />
atmosphere of the shot, without distracting<br />
the viewer.
Cruising On High Tide<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 50mm F/6.3 1/160s ISO100
Fading Footsteps<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/2.5 1/3200s ISO100<br />
Over The Bridge<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/3.2 1/200s ISO100
The Harp Effect<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/3.2 1/320s ISO400<br />
Bernadette Newberry<br />
Ohio, USA<br />
Carry Me Home<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 28mm F/4 1/160s ISO100
Miss Lollipop<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 60mm F/5.6 1/160s ISO100<br />
Hips Don’t Lie<br />
Canon EOS 5D Mark III 35mm F/2 1/125s ISO250<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Bedroom Pearls<br />
Nikon D750 70mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO640<br />
Nicole Hoschke<br />
Sunshine Coast, Australia<br />
Around The Mysticals<br />
Nikon D750 58mm F/2.8 1/125s ISO640