Photography is an art to capture the exact tone of the occasion or the surrounding. It is all about capturing the purest form of the object or nature through the lens of the camera. And even rare are those photographers who bring an altogether different version of something accessible in front of the world, making them stop to take notice and run through their imagination. One such photographer is Shailaj Maithani, whose work implored people to look at Varanasi through a different perspective. In this article, we will take you through various kinds of images he captured to bring out the purest soul of Varanasi.

Capturing The Magic of Ganga Aarti

The photography journey in Varanasi started from capturing the uber-famous Ganga Aarti at the ghats. Maithani headed to the Dashashwamedh Ghat to capture the magic that brews in the air as the chants are hummed, and the aarti is practised. One tip that Maithani has for budding photographers is to be patient to capture the perfect shot.

The Spirit of Young Brahmins

The next stop for Maithani was to capture the Young Brahmins at the Dashashwamedh Ghat. He reached the ghat at 5 am, where young brahmins can be seen doing Yoga. Maithani’s suggestion for budding photographers is that they should talk to the people they plan to click first and then head to click them. A friendly relation could bring out better pictures as it makes the subject comfortable to be clicked. Another thing is to seek permission. For getting his click of the young brahmins, Maithani first walked up to their Guru and started clicking after he got his permission to click. An etiquette that should be followed by every photographer, we believe. His best picture from the spot came out as he clicked them during their Sanskrit lesson at the ghat.

Bringing Out The Sadhus and Babas

The next subject for Maithani was the spiritual Babas and Sadhus that reside in Varanasi. He faced a tough time convincing them to be clicked. Some denied the request right away while some agreed to get clicked for money. Maithani suggests that the only way to get amazing clicks of Sadhus and Babas is to be humble with them. He stayed with babas and made them feel comfortable with him. After spending some time with them, Maithani took a fantastic picture of Baba Shivji on a boat and the ghat.

Photographing the Aghoris

After taking impeccable shots of a baba, Maithani moved on to photograph the famous Aghoris of Varanasi. Again, one should have the convincing power to let Aghoris click them. Maithani initially struggled to convince the Aghoris but soon cracked the ice. Aghoris are treated as an outcast in Varanasi, but in reality, they are amazing people who like others treating them like normal human beings. Maithani took their permission and clicked some amazing pictures of them.

Capturing Ganges, Ghats, and Streets of Varanasi

Maithani next task was to capture the sheer beauty of the river Ganges by taking a boat ride. He took some amazing shots of the sunset while on the boat. Maithani then moved to frame the ghats and the fishermen. Last but not least, he geared up to capture the beautiful streets of Varanasi. He also managed to capture the locals on the streets, some sitting outside their houses or taking a stroll.

This brings us to the end of the beautiful photography journey of Shailaj Maithani. Here’s one useful tip by him for photographers who want to capture similar pictures of any city – Always carry an extra memory card for your camera. As per his experience, the entire journey of photographing the true spirit of a place, one gets to click and click, and they should not stop that from the fear of running out of memory space. You can follow more work of Maithani on Facebook.

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