How did your journey in travel photography begin?
I always knew I liked taking pictures, but I never believed I was any good. The journey truly started with traveling. During my undergraduate days, I’d make detailed itineraries just to stay awake in class. After graduation, the pandemic brought remote work, which made it possible to travel more and start posting on Instagram. It was the compliments I received on those pictures that gave me some confidence, and I eventually brought a camera. On the next few trips, I kept experimenting and learning along the way. Gradually, a personal style and aesthetic emerged. Today, I feel most alive when I have a camera in my hand. I'm more attentive, more observant, and more aware of the world around me. That's why I keep planning trips, and even when I'm not traveling, I make it a point to step out into the city to take pictures.
What was the first destination you photographed that made you fall in love with travel photography?
I stayed in Himachal for a very long time and experienced daily life in the mountains: how the weather could change in a minute, the clear night skies with millions of stars, the sunrises, the sunsets, and local traditions. I would post bits of all this on Instagram to document my life. That’s where I started experimenting with techniques, learned the basics of using a camera and editing pictures, and eventually, I fell in love with the entire process of photography.
How has your photography style evolved over the years?
Initially, I didn't think much about what I was clicking as long as the aesthetics were good. But with time, as photography became a medium of expression for me, I became much more particular about the minute details. Now, I try to take pictures in a way that captures the exact emotion I was feeling in the moment, so when I look at them later, I can mentally travel back in time. I also tend to focus a lot on yellows and greens, creating a specific visual mood.
What is the most important lesson you've learned as a travel photographer?
One of the most profound lessons I've learned is to deeply respect artists who start from the very basics of their art and spend years honing their skills. There will always be new tools that can do the job, but there’s a completely different kind of satisfaction when you do everything yourself, from composition to editing. It’s a journey of patience and personal growth.
Describe the landscape photo you just uploaded and the story behind it.
This picture was taken at sunrise at the summit of the Triund trek in Himachal Pradesh in December 2023. The previous day, we started the trek very late and completed more than half of it after sunset, only to wake up to this magnificent sunrise. We shared our campsite with a family of four whose parents had brought their children along for the trek. Watching them made me think about the kind of stories and experiences those children will grow up with, and how travel shapes the way we see the world.
What story does this candid street-life shot tell?
This shot was taken in Sikkim while I was visiting a monastery in a remote village near Gangtok. It was the first time I had seen such young monks. They carried themselves with a sense of purpose and seriousness, but between their duties, they still found moments to play, laugh, and build friendships. I interacted with some of them later, and they were incredibly warm and sweet.
Walk us through the creative choices behind this photo that shows your unique perspective.
This picture was taken in Delhi. I’ve always believed that the city has space for everyone. While Delhi is often associated with pollution and high AQI levels, I wanted to capture a quieter side of it, one full of greenery and calm. To emphasize this feeling, I leaned into warmer greens and yellows while editing the image, which helped bring out the softness and depth of the environment. I also added a subtle layer of grain to give the photograph a slightly nostalgic, film-like quality.
Explain your editing process for this before-and-after transformation.
This was shot during early sunset, but the warmth of the light was not translating strongly enough in the original frame. In editing, I leaned into warmer yellows and oranges to bring out the atmosphere I experienced while shooting it. I also softened the texture slightly to create a more fluid, dreamlike feel, which is something I naturally gravitate towards. The added grain was intentional because it gives the image a slightly vintage, cinematic quality and keeps it from feeling overly polished.
How did you overcome the challenges to capture this shot in difficult conditions?
I took this shot of the night sky without using a tripod. I manually focused the camera, experimented with different exposure settings, and placed it on the ground to keep it stable. Since I could not properly preview the composition in the dark, a lot of it came down to trial and error. Over time, I got a better sense of the frame and how to position the camera for the strongest shot. I stayed up through the night taking multiple photographs from different angles, and this ended up being my favorite one.
What aspect of the local culture does this photo highlight?
I saw pictures of the famous boat races of Kerala and dreamt of witnessing them in person. In 2023, I planned an entire three-week trip around Onam. This picture is of the Aranmula boat race, the biggest and oldest of the many races held in the state. Each boat is rowed by people from the same village, and hundreds of villages come together to compete and celebrate the festival. The boats require complete unison, and even one person faltering can affect the performance of the entire team. Their rowing reflects the camaraderie, practice, and trust they have built with each other over time. We celebrated Onam, ate traditional sadhyas, drove 50 kilometers through villages to reach here, and stood in the rain for five hours—but in the end, it was totally worth it.
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Email: garimakmr89.gk@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garimaa.kumar/?hl=en
