The Dusty Mic Chronicles

In the old days, I maintained detailed records of every image I photographed: exposure settings, where I went, and my impressions. Now, with digital technology surrounding us, the EXIF Data gets recorded automatically. Will it make us lazy? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

In this episode, I talk about my early experiences in taking care of my camera and lenses, placing them in glass bottles, sealed with grease. I placed the camera and lenses on beds of silica gel to prevent fungus from spreading! And no, this post is not about snake wine! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivc...

I had chai at Mr. Mondal’s chai stall a few months ago and took lots of photos, especially with my 7Artisan 4 mm lens. I had attached this lens to my Fujifilm X-M5. These days I am experimenting with all sorts of ways to distort reality. If you look at the image below, you will see Mr. Mondal sitting at his chai stall. It has a bamboo roof, and while it does not protect him from the hot winds, it...

This is an image I made at Halebidu in Karnataka. I used a 50 mm lens with my Olympus OM-2n In this post, I discuss the tension I always felt when I went to the photo lab to pick up my contact sheets and negatives. Later, when I started working in a darkroom, the magical sensation of seeing the latent image come to life in the print never left me. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...

James Mudd delivered a satirical speech in 1865 at the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, in which he spoke about the obsession with technology, which in his future world, had only intensified. What about art and creativity? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

My family's heritage lies in West Punjab. A Pakistani friend sent a person to shoot a video of my father's village. When we build bridges, we build connections, and become richer. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Stripe refuses to support us Indians, so if you’d like to support me, please use the PayPal button. If you do so, let me know and I will add you to the Founding Member list. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

I started writing about Ferozepore, the town I was born in. It is my birthday month, so I will dwell on the past. August 1947 was dramatic, liberating, and, for many, traumatic. Yet, we must all march on. The past stays with us as we look ahead. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

When night falls, the creatures emerge. People sleep; others work. Some engage in nefarious activities, and others just want to go home. I don’t know who this girl was. She was well-dressed, well-made up, and seemed to be waiting for someone. As I boarded my taxi home, I saw her talking to some men in a jeep. They did not look like her friends. Before we rush to judge her, it may be worth pausing....

I photographed the mother with her child soon after I photographed the man in the doorway. In this episode, I start my explorations on the connections between photography and humanism, no matter how tenuous the connection. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

There is a market near my home. The market’s name is Vyapar Kendra. You can get almost anything there, unless it is very expensive or a designer brand! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

My uncle's reaction to "The man in the Doorway" gave me the push towards re-evaluating myself, my work, and my attitude towards people. It has been a long time coming but, I have finally started exploring humanism. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

I’d like to introduce all of you to Mr. Mondal. I had gone down to renew my car’s pollution certificate, and I always return to the same man for this. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

India is a dusty country, and North India is especially dusty. Will the Thar Desert encroach upon India? I don't know. While the dust can create surreal images, it creates health problems - for you and your camera. Will we all be wearing gas masks in the near future? What will that dystopian future mean for photography in India? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other su...

We live in unusual times. We have an unusually humid summer, and we are all living on the edge of thirst. Water shortages and polluted water compound the problem. How will you photograph this misery? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Staying within the realms of straight photography is fun, but it can be boring. I I like surreal images and videos, and may make a few more. Creating them constantly can make them seem gimmicky, so I will make them sparingly. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Surveillance cameras are sprouting everywhere, and the state has become overbearing. How does this affect people and society? How will these changes affect your behavior as a photographer, and what new stories will emerge? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Jobless in the heat and dust. India's unemployment rate is skyrocketing and may cause upheaval in the near future. Can you capture such stories before chaos hits? Or do you photograph the event when the explosion occurs? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Join me on a short walk through the chaotic goat market just before Eid at Jama Masjid, Delhi This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

We are in the middle of a torrid summer. Summers are going to become worse and people must become aware of what is happening. What should humble photographers do to mitigate against the impact of severe heat? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

This is an Instax Mini Evo Cinema video of a walk in Ballimaran, Delhi, the old home of Mirza Ghalib. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

Editing is not the final step in the process of 'making a photo.' The final step is sharing that image with the world, either as a print or on social media. Editing, like presenting, involves choices and compromises that you must make. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

In this episode, I talk about the challenge of becoming invisible, or becoming a part of the landscape, when doing street or travel photography. The challenge is to get people to accept your presence on the street. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

I walked up the hill in Dunagiri, Uttarakhand, and met a sadhu, the priest of a small temple. We had a brief but fascinating conversation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe

I was in the market in Janpath, New Delhi, where I reflected on photography, waiting, and 'the decisive moment.' Capturing the decisive moment requires patience, active watching, and anticipation. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.rajivchopra.in/subscribe