One of my best friends, Eric Foley, got married this past weekend! I've known Eric for close to 10 years now, and he's one of the kindest, most gentle-hearted people you could meet. I had a blast at his wedding, although I wish I had taken more pictures throughout the night. I wish him and his new wife (weird for me to say), Gabrielle, a lifetime of love and happiness!
Read MoreIt seems like it has been forever since I have last posted on my website. I plan to do a better job of keeping you up to date with my photography adventures. However, I have had quite the dry spell when it comes to photo shoots.
That drought ended this week when my old buddy, Elliott Moy, hit me up to get a few shots in. I met Elliott my Freshmen year of college. He was good friends with my RA, so I saw him quite frequently. We quickly hit it off with our similar interests in working out, playing ultimate frisbee, etc.
He is currently a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA pursuing a music career. He is an incredible talent and you should give him a listen @Esqemo on Spotify, iTunes, and other major music outlets.
Read MoreA couple weeks ago, my co-worker, Mike, and I had an impromptu photo shoot during our lunch break. We took a couple shots on the top of our building's parking garage, as well as by a nearby graffiti ridden underpass. We had a lot of fun in the hour we had, before we had to get back to work. As a side note, we're working on Mike's smoking habit :P
Read MoreAfter being intimated by film photography for so long, I've decided to take a plunge and give it a go. I borrowed my dad's Canon AE-1 Program camera and went to work. After shooting my first roll of film, I couldn't believe how much fun I had. I started researching and listening to podcasts that educated me more on the art of film. Then, this past week, I found an ad on Craigslist for a lot of film cameras and equipment. An old medium format camera caught my eye and I was able to purchase it at a surprisingly decent price. The camera is a 1959 Yashica-A medium format camera, which retailed at $29.95 (the equivalent of ~$250.00 in 2017). I'm receiving film for it this week and can't wait to start shooting with it. One day I'll be able to develop my own film.
Read MoreWent on a Chicago adventure this past Sunday and visited the Art Institute of Chicago. Brought along my new Sigma 35mm lens, as well as my dad's Canon AE-1 Program film camera. It was my first time shooting film ever, and I had a blast. I plan to upload a few of those pictures down the road (If they turn out). Anyways, here are my favorite photos from the fun-filled day.
Read MoreIn 2012, Sigma announced that they were reorganizing their lens lineup into three subgroups - Contemporary, Sports, and Art. Along with this news, they released three lenses as well, one for each class. In their Art class, they announced a 35mm f1.4 lens.
Ever since I started getting serious about my photography, I lusted over this lens. I spent hours browsing Flickr, admiring the work of other users who had the pleasure of using this gorgeous lens. This was truly my dream lens. I told myself that one day this lens could be mine if continued to improve in my craft.
I'm happy to say that the timing was right, and I purchased my dream lens last week. Of course, I immediately fastened it to my camera and ran out to take some pics. Now, I would be surprised if it were to come off my camera anytime soon.
I recently returned to the University of Illinois and was given the chance to photograph a few graduating friends. It was a fun day full of nonstop shooting and laughter. Everyone was able to brave the frigid weather to celebrate a crowning achievement in their lives. Congrats everyone!
Read MoreI had a quick, spontaneous photoshoot with my sister, while she was visiting for Thanksgiving break. I am quite happy with how the pictures came out, even without using my usual lighting equipment. Instead, I used a single speedlight to bounce the flash off the ceiling and wall to my left. In turn, I achieved a nice, soft light to compliment the features of my subject.
Read MoreI had the great privilege of photographing a play last weekend, titled "Yoni Ki Baat." The production featured monologues by women of South Asian origin, whom reflected on past gender experiences. The stories covered the ongoing struggles and truths of growing up as South Asian women, but also included some topics considered "taboo" in South Asian culture. I want to personally thank Promila Kumar for giving the opportunity to photograph a wonderful performance.
Read MoreLast Friday, I was able to obtain field access to the Palatine vs. Glenbrook South High School football game. It was an amazing experience, although quite nerve-wrecking. It was extra special since Palatine was the High School I attended, and Glenbrook South is the High School my dad currently works at. This became my first time photographing a sporting event and I hope to have more opportunities down the road. Enjoy the photographs!
Read MoreBefore my friend, Vishesh, left for Dubai and India for two weeks, we got together for a quick photo shoot, which starred my favorite member of his family, Teddy! I primarily wanted to work more with manipulating light and using it to create dramatic and appealing images. It didn't start off too great, with me fiddling with my flash and breaking off a plastic piece on my mounting bracket. I spent a good 45 minutes trying to piece it together before ultimately moving on to using the ol' reliable duct tape to hold my speedlight to my light stand. Once that was figured out, things went more smoothly and I'm quite happy with how the final images turned out.
Read MoreI've upgraded camera bodies! My friend, who is a photographer in New York, was selling his 5d Mark III for a discount, and I jumped at the deal. I regularly talk with my friend about photography and it's always fun to catch up with each other's latest shoots. He recently made the switch from Canon to Fuji gear and no longer needed his 5d3. The 5d Mark III is an amazing camera, but I've always thought it would be out my price range to ever own. Now, it's crazy for me to think that I possess one of Canon's premier cameras. All the more reason to go out and shoot more! My latest gallery showcases a recent photo shoot done with my new camera.
Read MoreLast week my girlfriend and I decided to head to a local parking garage and have a photo shoot as the sun was setting. The lighting was just about perfect and the setting allowed me to think more creatively. It was a ton of fun and it opened my eyes as to how even the most mundane of areas can be used to create some amazing, beautiful shots. Here are some of my favorite photos from that day.
Read MoreCongratulations to my cousin, Alyssa, on her graduation from Abington High School. Good luck at Penn State!
Read MoreImmediately following the end of my final semester at the University of Illinois, I began photographing fellow graduates. Here is a collection of a few pictures from each photo shoot.
Read MoreMy sister, Lindsy, obtained her Master's degree this past weekend from Saint Xavier University. Congrats Lindsy! You're gonna do big things in this world.
Read MoreThis past weekend, I had the privilege of photographing the 2016 TEDxUIUC conference at the Krannert Center for Performing Arts in Urbana, IL. If you don't know, TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, but powerful talks. Building upon the success of Ted talks, TEDx was born. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring communities together to share a Ted-like experience.
Read MoreI've always liked the idea of having interactive images that could display my editing thought process on my website. I recently came across a plug-in from zurb.com called "twentytwenty." With this plug-in, you can use your cursor to swipe between the before and after product of my photographs. Try it out here!
Read MoreHere's a selection of photographs from a photo shoot done with my friend Tianrun. Enjoy!
Read MoreI recently came across an interesting question on the /r/photography subreddit. A user asked, “If you could start from scratch with your camera gear using a similar amount of money that you’ve invested to this point, what would you do differently?” I thought it would be neat to not only answer this question, but to document how my individual thought processes have developed over time.
Read More
