Soul-stirring shots

Amita Talwar’s foray into photography began in childhood, an interest fueled by her father, an avid photographer. “During my childhood, I saw a lot of photographic gear in our home. I got a small Baby Brownie camera as a gift from my father and that was the beginning of my romance with photography,” she says.

There has been no looking back since then. Her first solo photography exhibition was a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of India, A.P. Chapter and most of the pictures were sold out. That’s when her hobby turned into a meaningful passion.

Through photography, Amita explores the many manifestations of the Supreme Reality. Her images are beautiful, filled with life and colour. She says, “I don’t particularly look for subjects. Wherever I am travelling, certain scenarios seem magical. My heart, brain and aesthetics get aligned and the camera takes over.”

Amita’s photographs from Helsinki, Riga (Estonia), Tallinn (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania) speak volumes of her love for travel and photography. But she says, Banaras is one of her favorite photography locations. “I love Banaras for its sense of timelessness and the spiritual fervour. The gentle flow of the Ganges and the ethereal ghats evoke emotions that are hard to describe, perhaps easier to photograph.”

Though Banaras is her favourite photo location, Amita loves shooting in the mountains too. “I love the mountains. Ladakh has the most amazing terrain and remains one of my favourite destinations. Black Forest in Germany is a close second.”

Recalling one of her most enriching holidays, Amita says, “My Baltic countries trip was organised in May 2015. Our adventure started in Helsinki and then we went on to Talinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania. These are small European countries bounded on the west and north by the Baltic sea and on the east by Russia. Each of these capital cities have an old part of town with cobbled streets, designers working out of their studios making exquisite handcrafted toys, shoes, ceramics, clothes, souvenirs. Churches, castles, local cuisine, traditional music, attire, graffiti made this one of the most enriching holidays of my life.”

Amita always packs her homeopathic kit to stay fit along with other gear like camera, lenses, memory cards and a good pair of shoes. She says her best photos are from a sunset in Seminyak beach, Bali, which capture myriad shades of red, yellow and orange along with human silhouettes. “I am happy with whatever shots I can get. There is so much beauty around us and if I can carry some of the soul-stirring wonders back with me, I am delighted,” she concludes.