Naina Redhu : Blog » photographer

STUDIOASIDE is on

Naina Redhu — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 20:31:36 +0000

Finally the first post on the STUDIOASIDE blog. The website will be a gallery of photographs I have shot and edited. Not yet figured out the design and did not want to hold back on photography engagement posts. Nice WordPress theme – still tweaking and making minor adjustments as well as getting the branding elements together.

How to become a photographer…

Naina Redhu — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:50:55 +0000

Shoot. Photoshop. Shoot. Network. Shoot. Talk. Shoot. Smile. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

That’s me in the mirror with my Fuji SLR film camera. I’ve used it for two commercial shoots.

When you’re starting and have no experience doing a commercial shoot, don’t diss another photographers work in THEIR face.

You don’t ever have ‘nothing’ in your portfolio. No commercial shoot? No trouble. Ask someone getting married if you can shoot their wedding. Ask someone who has a pretty house if you can spend eight hours shooting their living quarters – don’t forget to spend time first observing the place. Ask. Ask. Ask. The worst that will happen is that they will say ‘No’.

Photographers had their own darkrooms earlier, they used film and they were good with their art. You have the advantage of technology. You don’t need to invest in rolls of film or developing and printing costs anymore. You don’t need physical space for a darkroom. You do need to have the ‘eye’ for good composition & color. You do need to be more observant and you can carry your camera with you all the time.

Equipment DOES matter but only when you’re shooting for an advertorial that will finally be put up on a billboard or hoarding. If you’re starting out and investing in equipment, you’re wasting your money.

Don’t be a prick with all the supposed ‘attitude’ and arrogance. Be nice.

If you like the way something or someone looks, shoot. Wherever possible, ask for permission – nicely.

That’s me taking a break while shooting an Annual Conference for ICICI at Kumarakom, Kerala. On a boat in Lake Vembanad.

You can learn most of the technicalities involved in photography, but you can’t learn the art in it [ that's my personal opinion ]. You can’t learn how to breathe soul into a photograph. If the capture is no good, Photoshop isn’t going to save the photograph. And once you do get that commercial shoot and that first client who trusts you as a photographer, shoot. Industrial shoots where you’re shooting a factory floor, advertorials where you might be required to shoot a model or a spread for a magazine, food photography, portraits, being a wedding photographer – find what makes you passionate and focus – but don’t stop shooting everything else – the insights or ideas you sometimes get while shooting your least favorite setup can give you brilliant openings in your favorite setup. Shoot personal projects. Photograph your friends. Shooting flowers doesn’t mean you’re a sissy photographer – take what you get and make an opportunity out of it.

And I’m one more day closer to getting my Nikon D90 in my hands. Thanks Jaideep!

Happy New Year 2009

Naina Redhu — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:43:09 +0000

A much awaited revamp of this website and blog [ although ] not yet complete, ushers in a brand new 2009 for me already. I’ve had a crazy day – in a good way. With my personal life finally showing sings of reaching stability after the move from Mumbai to Gurgaon, work is picking up as well. The move had disrupted my ‘regular’ online presence and activities and after settling down some, I am back to being online and have expanded active presence on Facebook as well as Twitter.

The much awaited Nikon D90 will be in my hands on the 5th of January and I’m looking forward to 2009 being the year of photography for aside.in as well as for me, personally.

Madhur pointed me to this article about The Luck Factor. While we all know this ‘information’, we nonetheless need reminding.

I am also busy gearing up for the get-together being organized for my batch mates on the 14th of February, Saturday, 2009 [ The Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan, Batch of 1997 ]. I’m hoping we will be able to kick up more activity on the Taps97.com blog.

A lot needs to be done on the new venture front of Protoface. It still shows only one model’s profile and portfolio. Another model has signed up but I have not had the chance to work on his photographs and put them on.

I still haven’t been paid by the guys at Leo Adventure Sports and I’m close to taking down the website. This is the first time I am writing about this publicly – and I’m not hoping for any reactions from both the guys who run that establishment : Aadil Behbahany and Aklesh Poojari.

My “This Diary Will Change Your Life 2009” starts from the 29th of December 2008 – hence I was more than thrilled to declare my New Year already started when I woke up this morning. [ I'll wake up tomorrow morning and shoot a photograph of the cover of the diary. It's 6 a.m. in Gurgaon and I need to be asleep! ]

Happy New Year 2009! [ The change in design on this blog makes me want to write more often. Here's looking forward to a bloggin 2009 - hop I can make the posts varied and hence, relevant to the readers. ]