Ved Upadhyay

Disclaimer: Don’t take this post too seriously.  Take it with a pinch of salt if you must. I used to think I’m part of some reality show where everyone except me is a participant and one day my parents will reveal we’re actually billionaires and they just wanted to teach me the value of money that’s why we had been living where we lived and the way we lived.  That didn’t happen. I’d imagine becoming so popular that I’d be guest on the Tonight’s show and I’d try and stay humbl

We shouldn’t live with regrets. This isn’t News to anyone. I try and live that by accepting failures rather than not trying at all. I’d rather feel the pain of having failed after trying something than the agonizing pain of having not tried at all. But I do have two regrets. Number one that still haunts me to this day is not being with my grandmother during her last days.  I had visited her but soon after a few days of my visit she wanted me to visit her again which I just ke

I was invited by this beautiful couple who are also my friends to make some pictures of their baby boy. While we were waiting for the baby to get ready I thought why not make couple of portraits for my 50 portraits series and thankfully both agreed. Did a quick one light setup, easy instructions and I didn't have to put in much effort to get the shot I needed. Vikas and Chandrika, thank you for inviting me to your beautiful home. You two were great hosts. I really enjoyed

Second portrait I made of my friend at her place. This is Vikas, her husband. Again, beautiful home this couple has built. I made pictures on this visit that I'm really proud of. For those interested here's the tech specs. One light setup. Canon 6d mark II. 85mm 1.8, f4.5, 1/125, ISO400 #portrait #photography #India

When I look at my kids I see myself split into two bodies. One the sensitive, dreamy, serious and the other kiddish and goofy. I consciously didn't take my camera with me on this trip. One, to reduce an extra bag and two, my camera phone I felt was capable enough to get good photos and still allowed me time to focus on enjoying the moment instead of worrying about the photo. I did not regret my decision. I still have a ton of images that I continue to share once a whi

Words when used effectively are beautiful way of communicating. While words help most of the time, some times words can also ruin something nice. Some things are best left unsaid. As soon as it's thrown into the icy cold waters called Words, they lose their true meaning. They cease to feel authentic. Gestures don't need words. Some times you do things because it makes you feel good. You don't question it, you don't doubt it. Heck you don't even think about it. But a

Empathy. Not sure why this word has been stuck for last several days with me. Some times we mistake empathy with pity. Empathy <> Pity. When I first thought of making a portrait of Mr. Ashish Ivon Charan, the first word that came to mind was goofy. I'm sure he's got his share of problems to deal with. But I wanted a fun image of him. It's so exciting when you have an image in your mind and you can't wait to give it a try. This person was one of those who I couldn't w

The positioning of the lighting become so crucial and frustrating some times.  Move the light a few inches to the left or right and it changes the color and mood of the image.  When I find myself struggling to find the right angle and height, I start straight on above the subject’s head.  Then slowly start moving away towards left or right.  This generally gets me out of the problem but the small size of the softbox poses a challenge each time which requires me to stay in clo

Another natural light #portrait for the 50 #Portraits series. Shot with #Canon 6d mark ii, 85mm, 1.8, 1/125, ISO 160 #Photography #India #Portraits #Headshots #Corporate

Relationships are like white river rafting.  They bring excitement, adventure, adrenaline rush and fear.  All at the same time.  Some times, disappointment.  Some make us feel alive again.   The journey at times is fun, calm, peaceful and enjoyable but we know there’s a rapid coming up.   These times allow you to look around and enjoy the moment.   When I visited the hills for the very first time I felt the awesomeness and grandness of the nature.  I was humbled.  Relationshi

Portrait #4 in #50-Portraits.  This portrait is another fit for the Working Women of India series. If she has her way she’ll hand out ‘Very Nice Person’ certificate to every person on the planet :).  She sees no evil in people. Along with this goal of making 50 portfolio images I’ve also set myself a financial goal that should break even my investment so far.  I’m reaching out and talking to people so they start considering me for their future photography needs.  Hopefully I’

It’s amazing how some of the life experiences are replicated in my photo shoots as well. These relations help me make better decisions on the set which only gets tough with each shoots.   Every one of them is unique and each requires a unique approach and attention.  And, that needs to be done within a span of 10-15 min.  Portrait shooters know why it sounds so obvious but it isn’t.  Read on. For instance, and this is something I have noticed recently in my circles too, we ma

Some times small gestures can leave a long lasting impact.  I was on the receiving end of such an act this week when a friend completely changed my day for the better.  For the friend probably it wasn’t anything different but it left an impact on me.  It meant a lot to me. When I’m creating photographs my aim is to leave a similar impact on the viewer.  It may not be a Pulitzer winning photograph but is it stopping someone to take notice is what matters.  I don’t know whether

One of the greatest fears as we grow old is being alone.  Or who will take care of us when we’re old.  I hope I am able to save enough so I won’t be dependent on anyone, not even my kids, financially or otherwise. I thought I’ll miss this week’s post as I did not have any pictures ready for today.  Thankfully my father in law came home and I grabbed the opportunity.   It was a little awkward at the start but as I rolled and got him comfortable and even made him laugh which is

Before arriving for a shoot I have a scene playing in my head where I’m very confident, know what I want out of the shoot, know the subject well, have read the subject well enough to know what and how I’ll get the best out of them.  I have made them so comfortable that they have forgotten they are in front of the camera. Until when I arrive in reality.  I don’t know why I’m not getting things right.  I try my best to keep a straight face while inside I’m feeling like I have f

I have a friend, best friend, who I care for the most.  He is a strong person but I know he has been through some really rough times.   Recently I have constantly been worried about him getting hurt or worried about something or the other.   And I feel have been too involved in his decision making than I should.  Sometimes I get so cautious for him that if I could I won’t even let him ride a bike on his own.  It’s been epiphany month for me so far because I just realized if h

Everyone is unique. Pardon me if I have said that already for the 1000th time. But this is the single most valuable, and obvious, lesson I have learnt while photographing people. Every one has a trigger that either makes them happy or sad. When creating the photos I'm generally trying to find that balance where I can quickly turn them into a glowing face to something serious if the photo demands it. Identifying that trigger is a task photographer needs to complete. It's

Let’s go home and do something meaningful now, build a castle, paint a wall, make a lemonade,  bake some cookies, jump off the plane with a parachute, something I’d be proud of but not too attached to it for I need to move to the next thing. Camera settings were f.4.5, ISO200, 1/125 #canon #portrait #photography #India #people

Recently I was listening to Seth Godin in an interview where Seth mentioned something that was terrifying and at the same time inspiring.  He said as an artist ask yourself who’ll miss you when you’re gone.  That sounded too broad and he didn’t want to define what gone meant so he rephrased it further.  Will anyone miss you if you didn’t show up with your work.  If the answer is none, then,’the followers’,  they’re merely tolerating you.  Those are scary strong words and can

As I approach halfway mark on this personal goal for the year I’m starting to feel the heat.  They say it gets tougher towards the finish line.  I’m relying heavily on my friends to find me subjects now.  Soon I’ll exhaust the number of people I know I can take pictures of.  I only know a few and God knows I can only talk to fewer.  There are people who I’d love to photograph but I can’t approach them. Camera settings 1/125, f4.5, ISO 200 with light camera left. #canon #portr