Nani Bhalla

I have been engaged in photography since I was a teenager.  I have a passion for showing the pure image of the subject; be it a person, an animal, or nature.  I shoot in multiple formats and mediums.  I still shoot quite a bit of film, in 35 mm, 6X7 and 6X4.5 formats.  In digital I shoot 35 mm and 6X4.5 formats.  I also shoot digital infrared for both, the human form and landscapes.  You will notice a passion for black and white work in both film and digital. So, what does photography bring to me. I am not an all-the-time professional. On some days I am an enthusiast; on some days I am the “point and shoot” guy, and on other days I am a true professional. But regardless of my persona (schizophrenic as it may seem) at the time of any composition, one thing is a constant: I stay true to the image. So, what does it mean to be "true to the image." Here is what it means to me: Capturing the truth in a single frame. To me it is not about the cliché of capturing a memory; it is more about capturing the story (in a single frame). One should be able to see through a photograph, not simply look at it. A photograph, like any other art, should evoke a response. It should stimulate the senses - the sense of wanting to touch, the sense of wanting to taste, even the sense of wanting to smell. In the end, a picture should indeed be worth a thousand words.  When I shoot, I have only one goal in mind - bring out the essence of my subject. Even inanimate objects have a story to tell - or maybe it is a story that we weave when we observe the photograph.  The next time you look at a photograph, take some extra time to see it. See if it evokes an emotion and awakens a sense; see if it brings to life a story. And in the end, see if it tells you something about yourself. This, dear readers, is what photography means to me.  Please visit my website at www.ntbphotography.com.  The site is new, and still being developed; but it is up and running.