Focus on the Journey: A Himalayan Moment

By: Dr. P. Srinivasan  M.D.

Shepherd, A lonely shepherd bringing his flock home. Nyoma, Changthang, Ladakah

Image Details:

Phase One / IQ3 100 MP Digital Back / Schneider Kreuznach LS 240mm f/4.5 

Manual mode

ISO 200, F22,  1/800 s 

Tripod

A Personal Account:

I fell in love with the mountains, specifically the Himalayan region, after my first trek in 2006. This particular image was taken in the Changthang region of Ladakh.

Ladakh is a region in the northernmost part of India, lying between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south. Ladakh is known for its stunning landscapes, high-altitude deserts, and rich cultural heritage.

As I drove past a shepherd and his flock of sheep, I feared I had missed a golden opportunity. Determined, I waited, and waited, hoping he would cross my path again against the dramatic backdrop of the mountains.

The setting was captivating, with intricate plays of light and shadow and diverse shapes. To my delight, and as I hoped, the shepherd walked into the frame with his sheep, and I captured a few precious frames.

This frame taught me profound life lessons: like we – the humans – are very small in the universe, our needs are less than what we want, and being satisfied with what we have is a great attribute.

Later, I caught up with the shepherd at a small shack where his nomadic family lived. His hospitality was remarkable, offering me the best of curd, milk, cheese, and Ladakhi bread. I savored these and departed with immense satisfaction and invaluable life lessons.

For Aspiring Photographers:
Some of my best practices and I would like to share them for the benefit of others.

• Stay fit
• Get up, Get out and shoot
• Don’t shoot for Juries! It limits your creativity.
• Spend more time before you press the shutter button
• Spend less time in correcting the image
• Seek critique from others better than you
• Photography is incomplete without seeing your image in print!
• Learn to put the camera down and soak yourself in nature

About the Artist:

Dr. Srinivasan Periathiruvadi, known affectionately as Srini, is a physician and nature photographer. His photographic journey began at 11, but he recommitted to the art in 2006 after a 20-year hiatus. Initially favoring long lenses and tele-converters, Srini shifted to capturing broader “Wildscapes” in 2010, highlighting the beauty of nature in its entirety. His expeditions span the Indian and African wilderness, the Himalayas, and the Arctic and Antarctic regions. For Srini, photography transcends mere documentation and captures the essence of life.

Believing in the importance of prints, Srini personally prints his images using large format printers to maintain meticulous control over every stage, from conceptualization to final output.

In June 2024, Srini released his first coffee table book, “Himalayan Moments,” featuring 40 curated images (20 color and 20 black-and-white) from over 10,000 taken during 13 expeditions in the Himalayas. The book is available for order at www.natureimages.in and ships worldwide.

Srini has held three successful solo exhibitions in Chennai: “Wildlife in India and Africa” at Lalit Kala Akademi in 2012, “Wildscapes” at Amethyst in 2016, and “Himalayan Moments” at Ashvita’s in 2023, all receiving acclaim from the photographic community, media, and public.

Currently, he is working on projects about the Wildscapes of Africa and the mesmerizing Kashmir region of India. His extensive body of work is accessible online at www.natureimages.in.

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