Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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The setting sun backlights the blowing sand during a sandstorm in Death Valley National Park, California. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Travel and photography have a close relationship. Photographers are often keen travelers, and in turn traveling can inspire non-photographers to pick up a camera for the first time. Nikhil Shahi falls into the latter category. His travels with the Merchant Marines inspired him to learn photography, cultivating a portfolio of rich landscapes and portraits. See some of his work and learn more about him in our Q&A.
You can see Nikhil’s complete portfolio at his website. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook to see more of his work. Interested in having your work featured in an upcoming Readers’ Showcase? Let us know! Include your DPR user name a link to your online portfolio.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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Twilight shot of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Where are you from and what’s your history with photography?
I am originally from Northern India, but have been traveling and living across the world since graduating from high school. After high school I joined the Merchant Marines which gave me the opportunity to see a lot of countries while sailing on behemoth ships. Sailing across the world and encountering natural beauty inspired me to take up photography. My first camera was a Minolta Maxxum 7000 and I essentially learned the basics of photography on that camera. I initially focused on portraits, but then got heavily into landscapes.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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I wanted to get a different perspective of ‘Grauman’s Chinese Theater’ in Hollywood, California. I took this shot with my 16mm fisheye lens late one night, when the tourist traffic was ebbing. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
What do you shoot with now?
I currently shoot with a Nikon D800E and an assortment of Nikon lenses (14-24mm, 24-70mm, 70-200 VR2, 200 Micro, 16mm FE, 85mm 1.4G). My favorite lens is the 14-24mm as it was initially really hard to create effective compositions using an ultra-wide angle lens, but the challenge was exciting and it taught me to look at things with a new perspective.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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This is one of my favorite shots of my maternal grandmother. While traveling by train, I noticed her lost deep in thought, staring out of the window and captured this moment. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Do you currently shoot all digital, or do you shoot film occasionally as well?
I, like a few of my friends, was resistant to shooting digital for the longest time. We all thought that digital was inferior to film and so stuck with film cameras. It was only with the release of the Nikon D700, that I decided to finally switch to digital and wasn’t disappointed. I have been shooting digital since then and haven’t felt the desire to re-visit film anymore. We are fortunate to live in an age where sensor and camera technology has evolved to an extent that one is able to get great results from even entry level cameras.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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On a trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya, our convoy stopped at a village. While walking through the village, I noticed this person peeping through the window of a hut. I was able to take one shot with my F5 before he moved away. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Your portfolio shows a healthy variety of portraits, landscapes and wildlife. Are there certain subjects you’re drawn to more than others?
My first love has always been landscapes as it gives me a chance to travel to serene places and be one with nature. One of the biggest advantages of living in California, is the close proximity to the National and State parks like Yosemite, Sequoia, Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego. Weekends often find me loading my camping gear into my car and taking off on road trips to one of these locations.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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This 10 second exposure is one of my favorite shots of Downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Is there any particular project or subject you’d like to shoot that you haven’t yet?
I would really like to shoot the Northern Lights in Iceland. Visiting Iceland has been on my bucket list for a while, and I hope to visit that country either this year or early next year.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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Every year, in the month of February, the sun’s angle is such that it lights up Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park as if it were on fire. It truly is a spectacular experience and one that I have been fortunate to see on multiple ocassions. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
Tell us about the experience of shooting ‘Firefall’ at Horsetail Falls in Yosemite.
I am lucky to live relatively close to Yosemite National Park, given that it’s only a 5 hour drive from Los Angeles. I first visited “Horsetail Fall” in 2010. The fall had not garnered much media attention and so was not well known at that time. I remember that I arrived approximately an hour before sunset and witnessed around 10 to 15 other photographers waiting to shoot that event.
Fast forward to 2016 – after 4 years of drought and the fall running dry, the promise of a decent flow and clear skies, along with a boatload of media coverage, had garnered a lot of interest among the masses. I had heard chatter, that there would be substantial crowds and so decided to get there early enough to get a good spot. I left LA around midnight and arrived at Yosemite around 6 AM, and after a quick breakfast, I headed to my spot. I was the first one there, although within a few minutes of my arrival, a couple of other photographers showed up with their chairs and coolers.
By 5 PM, there were at least 300 people lined up to shoot photos of the fall – I have never seen anything like it before. It was definitely a fun experience as one got a sense of camaraderie, and I could sense the excitement in the air, especially at sunset.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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Horsetail Fall in Yosemite National Park. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
What advice would you give another photographer trying to capture it?
In my experience, the best location to view and photograph the fall, is at South-side Drive, around a mile east of the Cathedral Rock picnic area. I would highly recommend arriving early in the day to stake a good spot. I found that I personally didn’t need a lens longer than 200mm to capture the event, as I wanted to provide a sense of the location, and too tight a shot wouldn’t fulfill that requirement. It’s important to remember that while your photograph will likely be like countless others, you would have witnessed one of nature’s most amazing phenomenons first-hand – so don’t forget to put your camera down for a minute and soak in the beauty before your eyes.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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Sunlight streaming through the Lower Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona, bathes the sandstone in a myriad of hues. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
You’ve also photographed notable landmarks around the world. Do you have any favorites that you’d like to revisit?
I would love to go back and photograph the fjords in Norway. I had visited them in 2006 after graduating from Business School when I was a poor student with no camera equipment. I remember being in awe of the the beauty of the fjords and would love to go back someday.
Readers’ Showcase: Nikhil Shahi
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My friends wanted me to shoot their engagement photos. I reluctantly agreed (as I don’t like shooting wedding or engagement photos due to the pressure) with the caveat that I would like to shoot some unconventional shots. For this shot, I took them to the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in the morning. I underexposed the ambient and then had the couple light each other with strobes. The couple did end up loving the quirky nature of their photos. Photo by Nikhil Shahi
What’s the best advice you’ve received as a photographer?
It’s not the equipment that makes a photo but one’s vision and creativity. I am very critical of my photos as that fuels me to improve my photography. I remember when I first got into photography, I would shoot rolls and rolls of film during any photography trip, without really thinking about composition or lighting. Now I might shoot just 20 or 30 frames during a 3 to 5 day trip, of which I might select 2 or 3 that I really like.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)