After completing my master's in Computer Applications, I began my life as a teacher and continued it for 9 years. After all this time working as a teacher I got an opportunity in a university to work as a deputy registrar and continued working for 7 years. After all these monotonous years of working I had a sudden realization that something is missing from my life but didn't really pay attention until in 2009 I have faced the biggest accident that turned my life upside down, I lost my wife in that accident which shattered my life and I was left with my son who was just 2 years old.
I felt suffocated being in the bubble of the same life for years. I had no interest in talking to others in my spare time and I came to a point where I didn't know where to move after my working hours. I used to click a lot of pictures of my wife and my son and one day looking at those photos I've realized that I've clicked decent pictures and chose photography as my distraction from all the pain I was suffering, I go out to click and engage myself into clicking pictures and interacting to the streets and environment through my lens. I also replaced my film camera with a digital camera. I took my camera everywhere I went, I didn't know what to click but I just knew this is something I'm good at.
In 2014, comes the second turning point in my life where I had a realization that I'm enjoying photography and thinking of doing it professionally. I left my job at the university and turned my passion into a profession. I started practicing photography everyday and purchased my first Sony DSLR.
By 2016, I started posting my work on Social Media and my work was recognized by many and I even won the 'Photographer of the Year' award that year.
Photography entered my life as a distraction but now it has become a routine in my life. I am devoted to it every single day of my life and educate others into this field. I spend most of my time taking workshops, the last workshop I had was in March 2020. Also assigned as a mentor with Tamron.
Winning awards have always given me a different kind of energy and motivation. 2016 and 2017 have been my golden years until now, as my work is recognized in the biggest organizations in the world. National Geographic featured my work and I have even selected in the top 50 Sony World photography chosen from 192 countries and featured in the exhibition at the prestigious Somerset House, London for 15 days.
All these achievements only made me more humble as a person and made my thoughts clearer and made me more dedicated to my work.
This lockdown has given me time to analyze the pictures I have clicked in the last few years and as I looked back I've realized more than 80% of the times I was sure about my composition and the results I wanted. Black n white photographs look more appealing to me, as I started out with b&w I have an emotional connection with it which reflects my love for my work.
Three years ago while having a conversation with my son, an idea of writing my autobiography came into my mind, since then I've been digging inside me and working on this personal project call 'Voice' but I'm not sure how much time it will take as I want to do it with all my heart and patience.
As a mentor, I can teach someone photography but the root of photography lies in the art and as an artist, you need to evolve your art and work on it consistently. Every artist has their elements in their photographs, if you look into my photographs they are my voice, they define my personality only if you can read it. I always leave an element of myself in everything I create and this is something every artist should do because ultimately we are fighting with ourselves every day to become better than yesterday.
Work on yourself and explore your own personality because whatever you see and read reflects in your work.
- Navin Vatsa
Interviewer: Shashank Joshi
Written by: Harshita Sharma
