About - Pranav Negandhi

About Pranav Negandhi

My name is Pranav Negandhi, a software developer by profession, and creator of this website. The photographs you see on this site are my creative effort dating back since August 2003. This site is updated occasionally with new pictures, but I refuse to submit to the trend of adding a new picture everyday and converting this site into a photoblog.

My shutter bugging sojourn began in 2003 during a trip to Ladakh in North India. The pictures during that time were taken through my Olympus 700XB point and shoot which gave very limited creative control. A few months later I switched to the slightly more configurable Nikon FM-10.

Since December 2007 I have begun using the fantastic Nikon D40 digital camera.

I also believe that the camera is purely a means to an end and choose to pay more attention to my subjects than my equipment. This is probably why elaborate technical specs do not interest me.

I have never received any formal training in art, design or photography. My work is either inspired by others or happens to be a stroke of creativity that occurred at just the right moment. My inspiration comes from the works of other photographers or techniques that I learn from books.

Subjects

I prefer shooting outdoors most of the time because of better lighting conditions. Besides, this gives me an opportunity to hit the road. Some of my most exotic experiences have occurred because of my love for photography.

Exhibitions

My wife Ami and I held an exhibition along with artist Khimand Joshi in September 2007 at Pune's Sanskriti Lifestyle art gallery. More details about the exhibition can be found here.

We also participated in Spandan - an Art Beat, organised by the team at Texity Systems with a rather unique form of digital art. The exhibition was held in December 2007 in aid of Eklavya, a school for underprivildged children at Pune. Read more about Spandan on this page.

Equipment

For those interested in the technicalities of my work, I use the following equipment:

• Nikon D40 with 18-55mm lens
• Nikon FM10 with 35-70mm lens
• Canon PowerShot A530 point-and-shoot
• Kodak MAX 100/400 or Fuji Velvia 100
• Vivitar VPT 3600 Camera Tripod
• Cokin Filters

That’s about it. Less is more, as far as I’m concerned. Most of my shutter bugging happens on my sojourns around the country. And over time I have learnt to accommodate my picture-taking to the conditions that present themselves, with minimal dependencies on my equipment.

I have been using the Kodak MAX consumer grade film for the past several years, occassionally switching to Fuji Velvia slide film. For most people, the Kodak MAX is just fine. It has a fine grain, provides good colours in daylight and requires minimal care after archival. The drawback with negatives, however, is that every reprint will be rendered differently unless you have control over the printing process. If you need frequent reprints, its better to shoot with slide films, which give consistent results every time.

Resume and Contact

People who are interested in knowing more about my professional career can view my resume here.

Comments for this website or my pictures can be sent to me on pranav@pranavnegandhi.com.

This Site

This site is a hobby project that supplements my photography. Since I do not litter my website with a random picture taken everyday, it has managed to retain a level of quality far above those of the photoblogging junta.

I have recently started adding articles that elaborate on my experience as a photographer. I do not consider myself a technical expert in this field. So most articles are subjective pieces, usually written to elaborate on my personal experience when taking a particular picture.