Although I was a part of the photography club at my college starting 2006, being in a foreign country, for a summer internship in 2007, where we had no other friends except the two of us, prompted me into photography. My friend was supposed to receive a stipend every month as opposed to me, who would only get it at the end of 2 months. After getting his first stipend, he purchased a digital camera (SONY) amongst other things.
As mentioned in other blogs, both of us would travel on weekends and explore Italy. If I recall, we might have covered major parts of Napoli during our 2.5 months of stay there.
Everybody interested in Europe would know that the infrastructure and especially the architecture there is marvelous. One evening in May’07, I clicked a couple of cars driving on the cobblestone, which looked like a scene from a crime thriller.
On another weekend we went to Ischia Island through a ferry from Napoli. It was located around 19 miles into the sea and is home to lavish houses of Hollywood celebrities. It was still June’07 and I had not purchased my DSLR camera. But the privilege of capturing moments in that beautiful summer gave me enough reason to pursue photography as a hobby.
On multiple occasions, in Jun’07 we went to Rome and Vatican City. Although, the Vatican was crowded, the architecture at St Peter’s Basilica took my breath away. One aspect of the traffic which I really liked in Italy was the preference given to pedestrians. A car driving fast on the road would stop a distance before, if they found you crossing the road. Something, which we as Indians have not learned to follow.
In the first week of July, I received my first stipend ever and we embarked on a journey to Paris. Going to Paris from Rome on a Eurorail was in itself an experience worth remembering.
While in Paris, we traveled the whole day visiting the very famous Eiffel Tower and Mont Morte. We also saw the Mayor’s house which had its own significance. I clicked several pictures from my own DSLR camera which I had purchased from my first stipend.
At the end of the summer, I briefly stayed at home and returned to college for the 4th and final year.
With my camera, I had the freedom to go on a field trip at any time of the day or night. I clicked various moments which still take me back to my time at IIT Kanpur. Some of those I have captured here.
Once a professor from my department, an ace photographer, took me to a spic macay event wherein he taught me some of the tricks of photography. Don’t remember it all, but one was focusing on dancing legs as I saw a famous pair performing Kuchipudi.
That winter, Dec’07, I went back to Rajasthan and visited a few places near Kota with friends and family. Some of the photos clicked from that time are included herein.