I am really excited to share with you all that I was selected as category winner for Still Life: The obvious Things in the annual photo contest conducted by India's leading photography Magazine "Better photography".


My attached image Paper Swan was selected as winner in the still life. In the category "Joy of color" another image "Rainbow Twirl" was nominated in final 6 whereas "Paper Waveform was shortlisted in top 20 images.

It was overwhelming to see my work on paper abstract being appreciated so highly especially considering around 70,000 entries from all over India.
The eight category winners were invited to Mumbai & were offered the challenge to photo shoot in Mumbai on the theme of "Spirit of Mumbai". I was supposed to shoot for 4 days & submit 10 individual images & 8-12 images in series for photo essay. Though I didn't able to turn that for grabbing overall winner award among 8 I was happy enough to get opportunity to shoot the Mumbai for 4 days.

 

The day I come to know I have to fly to Mumbai for face-off session I was eager to meet other 7 category winners & participants for this contest. What's more I was excited to know I was going to share room with Baiju Patil one of the great wildlife photographer from India for 4 days. I really thank him for co-operating so well & giving me excellent tips. Honestly I invested this opportunity to learn more from him than entirely focusing on the contest.

 

It was excellent experience to understand the work from each photographer & understand their perspective towards photography. I was really touched by their work & it was interesting to see how each photographer having their individuality & way to see the life.

Nilesh Bhange accepts the Canon-Better Photography Photographer of the Year 2011 award for the category 'Still Life: Obvious Things' from photographers Ian Pereira, Girish Mistry and Vikesh Ramchandani, Asst Director, National Retail Division, Canon India. 

It was honor to share some time with India's legend photographer Raghu Rai & getting refreshing inspiring positive energy. The way he speaks keeps you to isolate from the rest of world & start feeling the things around you. Receiving appreciation from great persons like Girish Mistry, Hari Mahidhar & Indranil Mukherjee was enough to boost the confidence for putting more hard work towards photography. 

 

The team of Better photography main editor K Madhavan Pillai (Editor of Better Photography,) & Senior Features Writer Raj Lalwani & Neha Mutreja was kind enough to guide us at every step 24x7.

 

It was great experience to see & feel the Mumbai through the lens of my camera. The spirit of the people is commendable especially after seeing most of things might not be in favor of  them may be it the area of Dharavi, Dhobi ghat or high society area. Everybody is trying to match them with the speed of city.

Note:
I will also like to mention that the photograph "Paper Waveforms was also shortlisted (Top 30) in the international photo contest conducted by Digital Camera World Photographer Of The Year 2011 for the category Creative License.

Update on: 10/2/2012
A small publication about my work in local newspaper "Nai-Dunia" in Indore.
Link: Indore_Nai Dunia

Update on : 22/2/2012
Two shows were showcased on CNBC TV-18 on 18th Feb @3:30 pm & 19th Feb 5:30 pm. These shows can be seen at : BPOY 2011 on CNBC TV-18

I will like to thank all my friends & family for encouraging me time to time & appreciating my work!