Have you seen those photographs of blurry stretched clouds or cars’ tail-lights turned intoto long red and yellow lines? The kind of photographs that just look edited? They simply look otherworldly. Almost as if you are staring at a frozen moment from some dream. Well, that’s the magic of long-exposure photography!

In reality, an editor doesn’t heavily manipulate these photographs. Instead, it’s just a technique of photography. Long-exposure photography is using slow shutter speed to capture the stationary objects while blurring the moving elements of the scene. The stationary objects, in this case, remain sharp and in focus.

Photography is about capturing a moment, a memory. That one split-second of action. But the long-exposure photography technique allows photographers to capture a period of time. A series of events is frozen into a single snapshot. Waves of water, star trails, clouds and their movement – everything is smoother.

But long-exposure photography isn’t just used by landscape photographers. Architectural photographers, street and portrait photographers, etc., use it to add a unique touch of creativity to their art. Today we bring you a small list of talented individuals to show their mastery of this technique!

The Artist List

First up, we have Mayuresh M. Warang. A UX/UI developer based in Mumbai, he is a photography enthusiast. The way he captured the moving vehicles on the road and the waves of water, in multiple pictures, is phenomenal. While the subject is similar, no two photographs are. Each image is a new perspective, yet equally mind-blowing!

Secondly, we have Sourabh Mathapati. A visionary, keen on telling stories through his work, Sourabh is very versatile. He does portrait, macro, wildlife, landscape and product photography. And they are all impeccable! His long-exposure photographs of waterfalls and roads are dream-like!

Thirdly, we have Mohamed Razal. Honestly, his work speaks for itself! In 2020, he won the title of the Grand Winner of Discovery/Animal Planet WildIndia. Not only this, but his photographs have also been published in NatGeo, Nikon and other well-renowned places. The colours, lighting, and entire aesthetic of his photographs is truly trance-like. You can see the use of long-exposure photography in some of his photographs too.

We end our list with Shivakumar Akula. While a 3D VFX artist by profession, he truly possesses some incredible talent in photography. From sunsets to waves, to roads and the cityscape, Shivakumar captures these everyday scenes and makes them look unreal. The way he uses the technique of long-exposure photography is also immaculate. It pushes his photographs to the next level. 

Photography is quite an art that requires skill; not everyone with a camera can make a ‘wow’ roll out of people’s tongues. Astrophotography is one of the most complex genres of photography; capturing the essence of the view in dark – in the absence of light is quite a task. Mere camera can’t accomplish it. To be able to capture the minute details of the night sky, you not only need the basic knowledge of the camera but also the specialized equipment used. Knowledge of specialized features and techniques like managing the shutter speed in order to create star trails, camera censor, manual modes, etc are all required in order to ace the cited genre.

Starting off with Raajan Dutta, the guy with camera and the guy behind the Instagram account @that_canon.guy. Raajan is also the founder of @tncphototours. He not only captures breathtakingly beautiful astronomical shots but also does landscape, nature and travel photography. In his photography you can see amazing control of the camera techniques like the camera sensitivity. You can also see the black and white world of his captures on the instagram account @bw.thatcanonguy.

Next we have an aerospace engineer turned photographer- Arun Hegden. His photography speaks to you in many ways. The colors, the editing and the timing – everything is always on point. His instagram profile @hegdearun follows an aesthetic of 3 similar color pictures in a row but you can see a lot of diversity in the photos. From frosty morning skies to starry night views – he has it all.

Another talent you’d not want to miss out on is Veerendra Jillella. His instagram profile @Veerendrajillella is not only pleasing to the eyes with the pretty variations of the sunset colors, but also a diverse collection of astronomical sceneries. From the lavender starry skies to the pretty yellow and orange shades of sun reflecting on the riverbanks – he has it all.

Lastly, we have the Selenophile – Akash Anandh. His Instagram profile @akashanandh gives you a very adorning sight of the moon; in its various phases – crescent, waxing and full. You also get to see Uranus and Mars along with asteroids – his profile does actual justice to astrophotography in a gorgeous manner.

We, humans, are creatures of the land. We can’t fly – we don’t have wings. Neither can we swim underwater – our lungs aren’t built for that. Yet, we are curious about the unknown. We need to able to see it – what is beyond us – with our own eyes. Hence the inventions of aeroplanes and drones, submarines and ships. Aerial photographers let you see into their world. They not only capture images of the earth from the skies but also let us see the world in a way we don’t usually get to experience it.

By definition, Aerial photography is a capturing image of the Earth’s surface from the its atmosphere with cameras mounted on helicopters, aircrafts, etc. Or in simpler terms, photographing the surface of the Earth from a height. For the most part, Aerial photography is used for mapping purposes, giving valuable information about the topography, geology, soil and vegetation among other things. But there are also aerial photographers who do it to express their artistic vision.

The Short List

And we bring you two such photographers to showcase their breath-taking shots!

First up, we have Veeresh R T from Bangalore, handling the Instagram account @Veereshphotography. A freelance photographer by profession, he practices, portrait photography, wedding photography, etc. But his aerial photographs are simply spectacular. Extremely vibrant, they are beautiful to look at.  His skills and technical talent is clearly visible in these images.

Today, drone technology has given photographers a whole new perspective. And this can be seen in the unique work of Akash Madhavan. Madhavan is an engineer, photographer and also a drone pilot. So, to one’s surprise, the images he captures are magnificent!

Being a drone pilot gives him immense control and advantage while getting the perfect shot. And all his shots are perfect! Whether he’s capturing the image of a parking lot, the bright blue ocean, or the highways with barren lands on the side, he makes it look splendid. Only talent, skills and technique can capture moments the way he does.  

Wildlife photography is more than just clicking photographs of various forms of animals and birds in their natural habitat. It’s about documenting rare moments of fleeting nature. Whether that’s a peacock dancing to impress the female, or a tigress consoling the cub – it’s about capturing these moments.

But, to be able to capture such moments, you need to know the wildlife. Their behaviour, patterns, habits – it’s all important. In fact, commitment to this genre isn’t easy because it requires a lot of patience. You have to wait for hours, days even to get that perfect shot.

We bring you a list of insanely talented photographers to fill your Instagram feed with such mesmerizing pictures.

First up, we have Subhash Nair owning the Instagram handle @itsmesubhash. Subhash Nair is a wildlife and nature photographer from Kerala. He is the founder of Expanded Expeditions. Various publications like BBC and National Geographic have featured his work. Not only this, but Subhash Nair has also received an Honourable mention in the Sanctuary Asia Awards in 2019.

Aarooza Khurana is yet another talented photographer. And this is visibly showcased on her Instagram page, @aarooza_khurana_photography. Clicking immaculate pictures of various animals and birds, her feed is filled with contrasting images playing with colours and light.

Lastly, we present Nisha Purushothaman, a wildlife photographer, conservationist and speaker. The way she captures emotions through her photography is spell-binding. You can see what I am talking about on her Instagram page, @nisha.purushothaman.  

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. No, not our own but that of the concept of photography. Think of how fast the world changes, how people and landscapes change. But one can observe how in the grand scheme of things, some things never change. Which is probably why we all have a desire to capture and store our memories, to share them to a world which we’ll never see. To connect with them through threads of similarly felt emotions. Is that not how one feels when they look at old black and white pictures? It feels like time travel. And this is why Black and White photography is so impactful

Here’s a fun technicality: Monochrome and B&W aren’t exactly interchangeable terms. As the word suggests, monochrome indicates to ‘one’ hue. On the other hand, B&W pictures will only show you three colours- Black, White and Grey! There needs to be meaning ingrained in each photograph; it should have a purpose and a story. 

And these Three are masterful at that…

“Sree”sailam Pasupula has a vast and diverse portfolio, but his monochrome work really does stand out. With high contrasts and wonderful projections, this talented Indian has done it all: From the real to the surreal.

Rajiv Sharma has captured his own corner in the world. His passion for wildlife photography has brought us some amazing visions from the land of the wild. From Avians to Mammals, he has covered the skies and the ground. Brilliance all around.

Last but not least, is Ganesh Vanare. With over 3 Lakh followers, his skills precede him. He uses focus and hues expertly to frame not just a picture but a story. From mountains to rivers to railway stations, there is no limit to his dexterity.