The Dusty Mic Chronicles

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

Photography in the heat and dust of Delhi's summer is unpleasant and can be torture. Can you use these difficult conditions to create stories? Can you lift yourself above your misery to create stories? 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 podcast episode, I ask you to consider, or reconsider, what your definition of obscenity is, as applicable to humanity, society, and photography. I will continue this topic later. 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

Aura is strange. It is almost impossible to define but you know it when you encounter it. I examine - briefly - Walter Benjamin and Roland Barthes and include an image by Eugene Atget as a case. 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 based this episode on a book called "Time & Light," set in a post-apocalyptic future in a place called Fullerton, where photographs are banned. Imagine, if you will, a world without images. 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

What does the future hold for photography? Based on an abstract of James Mudd's talk, 'A Photographer's Dream,' I wonder if the obsession with technology will ease or not. Or, will we think about art? 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 met a young lady who wished to buy a camera, then asked if the camera would make her a pro. There is much more to becoming a pro than the camera. You must learn to use the camera and you must also learn to build your craft. 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 importance of deliberate practice and building your muscle memory. If you do not do this, then your skills will atrophy and you will forget everything. Expertise takes effort. 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

Dhyana, being in the Zen mode, in the flow: call it what you want. When you are in this mode, and it is difficult, your work will get better! 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

Discipline is more than a caning, and I have been caned often! When you find the field you love, more often than not, you will find the discipline to follow your passion. You will also find the time! 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 podcast episode, I draw parallels between a hunter's mindset and a photographer's. Photographers can learn a lot from people like Jim Corbett. 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 based this podcast on an incident that took place a few years back, when a photographer jumped on the corpses of Bangladeshi men. If you are a biased individual and allow your prejudice to dominate your thought process, it will affect your work. 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

Discrimination seems to be endemic to humans. A young man from Tripura died when he objected to drunk rowdies in North India calling him 'Chinki.' Humanism is a better policy or approach to adopt. But always remember - better photography begins with humanity. 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/sub...