Family Time – My Lockdown Diaries

Black and White Family Portraits. Photographs by Nishant Ratnakar

Recently, I completed 38 laps around the sun. This lockdown phase hasn’t been a great one for people across the world. People are falling sick, losing their loved ones, their jobs, their livelihoods, and a way of life. So much of uncertainty lies ahead of us. At times it is scary to think of what… Continue reading Family Time – My Lockdown Diaries

If Paris bans photography at Eiffel tower

A candid moment of my niece photographed at Lalbagh botanical gardens, Bangalore. August 2014.

What if the tourism department of India or ASI imposes a fine on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for having his recent family portrait taken in front of the Taj Mahal?  Or instead, impose a fine on the security guards at the Taj for allowing the Canadian prime minister to do so? What if Paris… Continue reading If Paris bans photography at Eiffel tower

Forbes Cover Shoot with PhonePe

Editorial photography can be full of surprises at times. Most often I will know beforehand if the shoot is a cover story. In very rare cases, the story gains a lot of importance post the shoot and it becomes a candidate for a cover story. Hence as a photographer, it makes sense to try to… Continue reading Forbes Cover Shoot with PhonePe

What happens when a photographer hosts a costume party

Bollywood Stars Costume party Featured Portraits Image. Photography by Nishant Ratnakar

What happens when a photographer throws a party and invites people home? Would the guests see framed prints on the walls of the living room or home studio? Maybe, they should also get a taste of his/her work as a personalized return gift. That’s the thought I had when Swapna(my wife) and I invited to our… Continue reading What happens when a photographer hosts a costume party

How I made this family portrait

Some time back I made a composite family portrait from three headshots taken at my home studio. It started getting a lot of comments on social media. Many people asked me how it was made. In this post, I’ll try to answer all those questions. I’ll explain and show how I made this photograph right from… Continue reading How I made this family portrait

The Grip : Making of a Portrait

Pavithra. 13 years old. Chamrajpet. Bangalore. July 2016. Photograph by NIshant Ratnakar. www.nishantratnakar.com

The kids took their turn one by one for me to make their portraits that day. Most of them were children from families that lived on the streets or children who ran away from their homes. But, now all of them were in the care of the shelter home run by an NGO in Bangalore… Continue reading The Grip : Making of a Portrait

Say hello to Snapbook : A Mini Photo Book

Snapbook for Portrait Photographs in Bangalore

A printed photographs has a charm that can’t be matched by a digital version of it. Look at that wallpaper on your smart phone or laptop screen. Maybe it is a brilliant candid moment from your wedding, or a portrait of your loved one, or some valuable memory frozen for posterity. Touch that screen with… Continue reading Say hello to Snapbook : A Mini Photo Book

A week with Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art series lens

Somebody asked me what is that one good affordable zoom lens that every photographer must have. My reply was that the best affordable zoom lens is a 50mm prime lens. You can use your legs to zoom in and zoom out effectively. Any fast 50mm focal length lens can serve a variety of applications from portraits,… Continue reading A week with Sigma 50mm f1.4 Art series lens

A Photo Book for someone you love

Cover Page of the self-published photo Book - "It's All About Her". I designed and published this through Blurb.com . This was a surprise gift for my wife. Personalised Photo Books do make a great gift.

In this digital age, most consumers of photography will probably never print their photographs. Today, most of the visual communication takes place online over internet and social media networks. I have an old suitcase at home. It contains stacks of picture albums with photographs of our family, friends and relatives. The newest album in the… Continue reading A Photo Book for someone you love

The 30th Wedding Anniversary – A reason for portraits

Sandhya & Pratap. Radhanagar Beach at Havelock Island. Andaman & Nicobar Islands. April 2014.

When someone mentions the words ‘portrait shoots’, the most common images that conjure up in our minds is of couple portraits. And in the market of couple shoots, a huge majority of assignments in today’s democratic world of photography business are of youngsters getting their portraits taken just before they get married. Hence, one of… Continue reading The 30th Wedding Anniversary – A reason for portraits