An Exclusive Interview With Passionate Travel Writer And Photographer Gauri Vilekar
Gauri Vilekar
Travel Photographer
1) Would you tell us more about you and your interest in Photography?
I am Gauri Vilekar, a hard-headed mountain goat who discovered her life’s calling when she penned down her first travel blog in 2015. Since then my love for travel photography has metamorphosed into an undying and unstoppable passion. I am a rugged traveller and a backpacker, thus anything luxurious is alien to me! I love traveling to places not frequented by many and I often trod on roads less taken. Everything about travel fascinates me - the joy of seeing new places, the warmth of meeting new people and cultures, the happiness of tasting local cuisines and the solitude that nature imbibes. I also love the pain of planning and logistics, the frustration of delays and the exhaustion of working and reworking on my stories and photographs to exhibit my experiences in the best possible way. Photography is my way of expressing to the world what I feel and is a strong reflection of my thoughts and perceptions.
2) Can you please tell us about the types of Photography you indulge with?
Broadly, my genre is travel photography and my work mainly revolves around street, portraits, culture and landscapes. I also love birding and wildlife.3) What is the inspiration that keeps you going?
My strong desire to travel and the enrichment I get out of each experience is my strongest inspiration. Having said that, who doesn’t love seeking recognition and appreciation from friends and family and attention on social media!
4) How do you feel when your work is exhibited and viewed by tons of people?
It’s wonderful when people take time to read my stories and view my photographs and tell me that they love it. It’s amazing to see my photographs being picked up as the best for the day or being nominated for pic of the year on various online forums. The immense pleasure to see your photos being sold at exhibitions is priceless, here money takes a backseat.5) Can you tell us something about Photography and its inception?
Photography has come a long way from the tough era of roll cameras, Kodaks and Yashicas into a world where anyone with a phone or DSLR today can claim of being a photographer! From a world where there were hardly any modifications done to a photograph to a world where digitalisation has made it difficult to distinguish a real photo from a fake one! With all the social media hype and attention, the beauty of a photo is now associated more to its digital beauty than the originality and beauty it encompasses.
6) To you, what is Photography?
Photography to me has been a pleasant journey. I remember the agony of taking my Nokia N-70 on my first sanctuary trip and the delight of getting my hands on my point on shoot camera. From there on, an urge of migrating to a basic DSLR to the frustration of dealing with its limitations. From an urgency to upgrade to a pro-series to constant dilemmas of choosing the right lens, photography has now become a part and parcel of my life. To me, photography is a medium to communicate what my eyes see and what my heart feels. Pictures have the power to weave a speechless story and encapsulate thousand words in a flash.
7) Please share us some of your achievements in Photography Profession?
My blogs have been picked up consecutively by Tripoto as best blogs of the year for 2016 and 2017. My photos have been placed as winning photos on various online forums. My blogsite www.gauricosmos.com is where all my experiences come to life.8) Can you tell us about the general response you receive in exhibitions?
My pictures are liked for their simplicity, creativity and compositions.
9) What do you think about the scope of Photography in the modern Digital world?
Digitalization has definitely made photography a lot easier and prettier, making it more of a ‘reachable’ profession or passion. Social media has gone a long way to change the face of photography. However, in the hunger for gaining attention, photographers are now stereotyping and clicking merely with the intent of making others happy and gaining followers on Instagram and likes of Facebook. Fact remains that the best of photos are born when they are original and straight from a photographer’s heart.10) How do you feel about your association with Honeycomb creative support?
Honeycomb has been a pillar of support for all of my print requirements. The reliability of their services and consistency of their quality are the two important aspects which make me come back to them for more. Honeycomb understands the importance of making its customers happy and adheres to its motto, every single time. To top it all, Honeycomb family has some awesome people who go out of their way to help their customers. All in all, its like coming home to Honeycomb!
