ANEESH BHASIN - INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER, talks about his passion for photography and a revolutionary way of travelling and capturing stunning images – Travel Pixels

Aneesh was introduced to photography as a hobby and soon after it became his passion. Now along with Compact Travels - a tour company which believes in “exploring places like never before” - Aneesh will take photo enthusiasts across the world to share his varied experiences and knowledge.

When were you first introduced to photography?
Photography started as a serious hobby when I was 16 years old and in school. Surprisingly my first experience with a digital camera was at 16 and I started taking images with a Kodak 1MP digital camera. At that time, digital cameras were not very common and it was very exciting to have one. It actually made learning different techniques much easier. Later, my friend and I started experimenting with his father's old Yashika SLR and we used to shoot the cheapest film that we could find.

What are the attributes of being a successful photographer?
A successful photographer must blend creativity and passion with a business mindset. It is very important to have a business oriented approach to be successful. Apart from that, a photographer has to produce good images no matter what the situation might be. There could be bad light or rain, but one has to learn how to get a good image no matter what the conditions are.

What are the various genres of photography and which of these do you find the most challenging?
I shoot almost all genres of photography and honestly every genre is as challenging as it can get. When I shoot people, there is always a challenge to get a natural look. Shooting products brings about many technical challenges such as getting details to be absolutely sharp - metal should look like metal and not plastic and so on. It is also challenging to shoot jewellery, especially when diamonds and gold are in one single frame

From travel to people to time-lapse as well as F&B, you have covered most aspects of photography. Which one do you enjoy the most and why?
I love shooting travel the most. I love to travel and have been a nomad since birth, thanks to an army background. Travel photography comes very naturally to me and lets me explore places. Sometimes I have stayed at youth hostels, sometimes at luxury hotels and sometimes even at exclusive resorts I did not even know existed. Also, and most importantly, one gets to learn so much about different cultures, viewpoints and sensibilities.

Can you tell us some of your interesting experiences in tourism and travel photography?
Last year I travelled to Macau to do the world's highest bungee jump, which was an experience that cannot be put in words. It was the scariest yet the most liberating and confidence-boosting experience.

I also went to the Guangxi province in China where I got to see the most amazing visuals ever. Imagine a stage, the breadth of which stretches across two kilometres of a river! Add some mist and the Karst peaks for the backdrop, and you have a stunning spectacle made even more magical by 600 performers. The show - called Impressions of Liu Sanjie - tells the legend of the Zhuang people and is brought to life atop bamboo rafts by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker, Zhang Yimou. Despite clapping in admiration for a large part of the duration, I shot over 400 images!

As I travelled into the interiors of China, communicating with the locals got increasingly difficult. In fact, even the translator was having trouble conversing due to the various dialects! But, as I eventually found out in the village of Ping An, there is nothing like a few shots to break the language barriers - shots of rice wine, that is - and some good food and merrymaking with songs and dance, of course!

You have won awards and are also listed in the Limca Book of Records. Tell us about these achievements.
Awards and honourable mentions are always encouraging. I have won an IPA award (USA), a PX3 (France) and PIEA award. I did not know I was featured in the Limca Book of Records until my assistant saw and told me.

When was the first international exposure you had in the field of photography?
My first international exposure was being invited to show my work and take seminars at Photokina in Germany. For a photographer, there is no bigger stage than Photokina. It was an honour to be speaking there and I was just 21 at that time!

What is Travel Pixels and how will it help the amateur photographer and the photo enthusiasts?
Everyone loves taking pictures when they travel. We will help people take better images and learn photography while travelling to some of the most exotic destinations all over the world. People will get to learn photography in a very practical and hands-on way.

How can tourism boards and destinations use photography as a tool to establish their presence in India?
Photography is of paramount importance for any tourism board to establish their presence in India. They also need to understand the sensibilities of the Indian traveller, which would be different from someone from Europe or the United States. Images can go a long way and a small image can deliver an impact which a big advertisement may not be able to do. I have also devised strategies and consultation for tourism boards that may be looking to establish their presence in India.

Is photography going to evolve any further and what are the areas where one can monetize this profession?
Photography is going to evolve a lot more. Soon you will be able to shoot very well in just about the amount of light a single candle makes. The other aspect is video being introduced in professional cameras. Soon we might be seeing many more short video stories coming from still-photographers.

In today's era, which one is more important - the software or the hardware?
It is all about having the correct balance. I would say hardware is very important but it is equally important to be able to process the images, store and archive them digitally.

What preparation do you need for a photographic expedition?
On a photographic expedition, one needs to carry as little equipment as possible. I usually carry one or two cameras, three lenses and one laptop. If you can carry a tripod, that will surely be handy.

Always do some research about the place you are travelling to, but at the same time keep your schedule flexible.
It is always important to be well-hydrated so always keep drinking water and please carry a good sunscreen!