Big thank you to Shilpa from Yo! Vizag magazine for requesting me to shoot the cover for their Bridal edition for the summer. It was a joy to work with Shilpa and Ipshita (model). my team had so much fun shooting the early morning shoot. The model was a breeze to work with, I didn’t have to say a word!
Assistance: Samson Jacob, Sean Pachigalla, Vincent King, Sagi Devadas, Ramesh.
You can download the PDF here.
This gallery contains 38 photos.
Super excited to blog about the preview of Akanksha + Ashish’s wedding in Hyderabad. Akanksha and Ashish are both from the US, and lucky for me, they found me over the interweb like many of my Brides. She called me … Continue reading
I’ve known Sean for around 14 years, we went to school together and probably did lots of things that can’t really be put up here! I was honored to have gotten the chance to cover his wedding. Big thanks to Samson Jacob for shooting and assisting me.
It seems only fit that I start my Wedding photography in Hyderabad in 2011 with a friend!
Here’s a little glimpse of the shoot the day after the wedding along the beaches of India! Timeless, clean and classic.
Had a great time teaching the basics of photography in Hyderabad on the 15th of January, 2011. The attendees were like a sponge and absorbed every bit of information I was passing along and some even drove over 500km to come! Thanks guys, it is humbling to see how much you crave learning.
Here are a few shots from the workshop that Sunil Kumar Sudhakar shot. – Thanks Sunil!
I even had to model for a bit to explain how to properly expose for backlit subjects.. Think I might need to find someone more attractive to shoot 
Here’s mr Google himself Lovell do check out his photography. He likes to shoot weddings.
This one’s by me – showing how to – EV (compensate negatively)
The Workshop in in Vizag will be offering the same, (click on link to see details of what it offers).
The Location is yet to be decided but the date of the beginners workshop is the 5th of February, 2011. Looking forward to seeing more eager learners soon!
Happy New year! – I’m very excited to announce the start of my workshops for 2011. First stop, Hyderabad. 15th of January, 2011. 10am
Location: Flat # 101, Tagore Residency, Shilpa Park, Kondapur, HYD – 81. For questions on directions, please contact Vasudev at 90004 56702
Price: Rupees 1000.
Limited to 20 people to give personal attention, so Hurry reserve a seat!
Topics to be covered.
1. Understand metering, camera meter’s capabilities and limitations.
2. Exposing a photograph properly, everytime.
3. How to get beautiful colors to pop out of your images. (Setting White Balance)
4. How to make noise in your images look beautiful.
The day will start out with time to meet everyone and discuss photography in general. Will get into the technical aspects of photography (Aperture, Shutterspeed and ISO) and how understanding them will give you the ability to make any image you want.
We will then break for lunch and then cover remaining topics with practical hands-on demonstration.
What you need to bring with you.
Pen and paper optional. a willingness to learn and ask questions a must.
If you are interested, please drop me an email at info@joshuakomanapalli.com
Had the opportunity to shoot Amulya a few months ago. She’s a sweet shy girl, with a gentle spirit. Have a peek and enjoy the images.
If you are interested in a shoot, drop me a line at info@joshuakomanapalli.com
Big thank you to Spurgeon M. Pachigalla for assisting me.
As photographers, most of us have been through this. Wanting all the gear we can get our hands on so we can make life easier for ourselves (or tougher if you have to carry it all with you).
I was speaking to a photographer who I mentor as he was going through the same motions then asking to borrow some equipment. To be perfectly honest, remember wanting to try out or use gear that I didn’t own yet. But I also remember telling myself that I need to get used to shooting with what I equipment I had then, so if there ever was a situation that forced me to shoot with less than optimal equipment, I’d be ready and confident in being able to do so.
I do hope this protege of mine (as well as all of you) can one day get all that he wants/needs but I also hope that he can become a better photographer before taking the plunge.
I’ll end with a shot you may have seen already – its a shot I took at the capitol in DC with my iPhone.
I was sitting on the couch, burping Bella (new born) and I noticed that the TV was on with some old reruns of the sitcom Friends. I usually grab the remote and turn the TV off normally but I didn’t.
Memories of my first days watching Friends came back to me. I was a teen, when I arrived on American soil to live. I had come earlier as a child but it was to visit and I loved America, truly the land of milk and honey or an abundance of toys, which was my milk and honey. I remember arriving on Saturday the 8th of August at 8pm in 1998. We picked up our bags and had to take a bus to Disney Land from LAX.
I remember a couple of days later, Dad leaving to drop my sister off at Clearwater Christian College in Tampa and I had some free time before High School started for me. I made use of the time by watching TV like any other teen. As I used to watch I noticed that the sound on the TV wasn’t foreign anymore as everyone else around me had the same sound the same cool sound. Yes it was the American accent, I didn’t have it, and I wanted it baad, verrry badd. I remember practicing (in front of the mirror in the bathroom, so I wouldn’t look stupid doing it outside in public) saying words in an American accent and seeing how my tongue would have to change its normal way of doing things to make it sound American, and yes it was a lot cooler than the mutt (Indian, british etc) accent I had that I picked up at my days at Hebron. It took me a while but I eventually (over time) got the hang of it and was able to pull it off without a hitch. I then had to learn slang as I figured out that sawing logs really didn’t mean someone was cutting up wood in the back (thanks Wendy!)
I slowly became accustomed to the American way of life, learning from my mistakes as I went along (driving 100mph on interstate 5 is reason enough to get a nice $800 ticket and a suspended license, thank God I wasn’t arrested).
America helped me become me, to question and come to a decision for myself without following blindly, because that was what was expected of an Indian boy. I also remember the difference American schools made for me, they made me think, not memorize unlike my Indian school I attended after my days at Hebron.. ahh Hebron, why… Nevermind, I’ll save that for another day..
So like an average man, I never wanted to go back to India, not to live anyways. It literally took an act of God to be honest to get me to leave the comfort, the organized way of life to get me to go there – but here I am, going, happily.
In closing, here’s a few shots I took of Drasti Panchal, a beautiful woman in every sense of the word and an amazing Bharatanatyam dancer. She is also the Associate Artistic Director at the Sa Dance Company.
I’m scared. There you go, I said it.
Truth be told, I’ve been under the knife before, many times in fact, however it was never planned ahead of time, it was just part of the process or the sum of stupid decisions – be it, trying to light up a firecracker in the palm of my hand, or a motorcycle accident. I still remember being in line behind Rebecca Pride (one Jean joachim’s girlfriend at the time, might I also add that she was the admiration of most of my fellow 6th grade males) while studying at hebron. I remember her bothering me and I had swung my elbow at her, only to realize she had moved and all I had to show was a 2 inch cut as well as blood and glass mixed up on my elbow.
Anyhow, I still remember sitting at the clinic in pain pondered what my punishment would be for breaking the glass and swinging at a girl as the nurse stitched me up while. I remember that being the first time (of many) being more worried about the punishment rather than the pain I was in. From then on I remember always being worried about what “present” I’d receive for my actions – have to say, none of the “presents” ever made me change who I was and what I’d do. I loved the rush of adrenaline and a chance at being creative. I believe this was what God meant for me.
Now, some 17 years later I have no punishment waiting for me, just painful recovery. What I am going to go through is an artistic attempt at repairing my torn labrum on my left shoulder which my doctor would so skillfully work on just as picasso had on his canvas. He will clean up “loose particles” and stitch up some other parts that need repair. I’m hoping to take a few months off after the surgery (hopefully) and get some physical therapy in wonderful Hyderabad.
But before I do head to India, I’d like to stop by in London and munch on some fish-cutlets at my inlaws (they are the best in the world and most of you who know me, know that I’m a picky eater). Also just realized that I haven’t really visited my in-laws since I stole their daughter away from them in 07 (other than my brief 10 hour “flyby” I did on my way back from a destination wedding I shot in St Raphael, France). So I plan on being there for a week or two as I make my way to India.
Do pray that the surgery goes well and that I can enjoy some rest and healing after.
Here’s a photo of a little Indian girl in her own pain (shot from the hip as I tried to console her)
So, I’ve been going through flickr photos my friend Joe (you can check out his page if you click on the link) posts up, like I normally do on flickr for inspiration. A photo caught my eye, it wasn’t because it was creative or a moment that was frozen, but for a question that it asked me – “Are you good enough?”
I haven’t really participated in any photo competitions , and I only remember doing it once when I was taking a dark room class at Cypress community college – for which I won the prize for honorable mention – which really meant, I wasn’t good enough for 1,2, or 3
So when I saw this screenshot of his emails saying he was nominated, I looked up Better photography and was intrigued on submitting my images.
Being in the wedding business for 3 years and shooting over a hundred weddings, is my “art” really worth bring judged? I felt I could throw some images up
there and see what happens, thats when I had this cold feeling of my photos being rejected as unworthy. If I sent a print, I’d be automatically disqualified as I wouldn’t print on Kodak paper, which is a requirement and also which I really disagree with (my reasoning would be, that they should also require images on Kodak cameras if that was the case as they accept digital files as they are sponsored by Kodak). Anyways its not for me to gripe about as its their decision and if I want to play, I play by their rules.
I digress. So should I submit and hope for the best? We’ll see.
Here’s one of my wife’s fav images from a wedding a while ago. Enjoy!
