Mumbai - iPhone Photography for Mindfulness

Decorating Like Our Flag: Celebrating Indian Festivals with What We Have

Celebrating Indian festivals brings vibrant traditions, rich culture, and joyous gatherings to life.

A few days ago, I shared a photo of an autorickshaw driver napping in his vehicle, explaining how mobile photography motivated me to take morning and evening walks to find photo opportunities. I took this photo during one of those morning walks on Republic Day, which is on the 26th of January in India.

Someone decorated the staircase with orange, white, and green to look like the national flag.

I’ve used this bridge all my life. In my childhood, my father would drive us to his sister’s house in his Ambassador car, just a few metres away on the Ghatkopar side. We used to visit her often, especially during Kerala’s biggest festivals, Onam and Vishu, to enjoy her homemade food and deep-fried papadams.

The decoration on the bridge serves as a metaphor for the way we in India enthusiastically celebrate festivals and occasions, often making the most of limited resources. Celebrating Indian festivals offers a unique opportunity to experience the rich heritage and joyful spirit of India. This vibrant display reflects our ability to find joy and create beauty, symbolising the spirit of celebration and resilience inherent in our culture.

Every day, you see simple moments like this that are very common in your neighbourhood. However, these moments might seem exotic to people in other parts of the world.

Try to find such scenes around you that represent your community, and take photos of them with your mobile phone. Share these photos with us. This will help you develop your creative vision and storytelling skills. For more help, please read about my online mobile photography workshops.

A Snapshot of Mumbai’s Auto Rickshaw Driver Taking a Break

Mumbai's auto rickshaw driver taking a break clicked with an iPhone 7

In Mumbai, auto rickshaw drivers often nap in their vehicles at different times of the day. This photo represents one of my first attempts at photographing people sleeping in public places.

I took this picture during the partial lockdown after the coronavirus pandemic. Initially, I felt lazy about going for walks, but using mobile photography as motivation, I started going out for morning and evening strolls to find photo opportunities.

Mobile photography is an excellent way to stay alert, enhance your creative vision, and uncover hidden talents. Explore my virtual mobile photography workshops to learn more!

At the Crossroads: Life at Traffic Signals with an iPhone

I was at a traffic light after driving through Bandra Kurla Complex to get onto the Western Express Highway at Bandra when I saw this lad pushing along a cart filled with onions and potatoes.

Onions and potatoes are the two most important ingredients in Indian food. People start getting agitated when the price of onions goes up, because onions form the base of most Indian curries.

This gave me an idea for a mobile photography project: life while waiting at traffic signals!

iPhones aren’t the best tool for street photography but if you understand what they can do for you, you can have some great fun with them and click pictures that might be inaccessible with larger cameras. Please read more about iPhone cameras for street photography.

Modern technology and the obsession of clicking selfies!

In my recent iPhone photography blog post, I shared a picture of an iPhone 6 charging on a wall socket. I pondered if future generations might not recognise an old-fashioned phone plugged into a wall. Phones could become implants instead of handheld devices, and wires may no longer be used.

When this gentleman was a child, mobile phones didn’t exist, and personal landline phones were rare in India; hardly anyone had one. Nowadays, our pocket-sized phones guide us with voice commands, advising us to turn left in 150 meters.

Back in the old days, when cameras were a luxury and printing pics was pricey, did we ever think we’d snap selfies on fancy gadgets? Did we reckon we’d zap them to pals worldwide in a flash? In the nineties, letters to America took ages to arrive from India!

In our rush through modernity, we often overlook these miracles. Let’s take a moment to appreciate these everyday wonders and how lucky we are to have them.

I look at my iPhone photography as an artistic endeavor where I explore scenes that I cannot believe are really unfolding in front of me. I explore further into my approach in the “Vision and Mission” section, and though I haven’t changed anything in this photo, please read my “Editorial Disclaimer”.

A Man Sleeps on a Park Bench in Mumbai’s Diamond Garden

In busy Mumbai, where the streets are always filled with people rushing around and cars honking, a man peacefully sleeps on a park bench. It’s like a little island of calm amidst all the city’s noise and activity.

Even though Mumbai is really busy, it’s still good to take a break and rest your body and mind. Maybe he’s dreaming about fun stuff he’ll do later, or maybe he’s just enjoying the quiet. It’s a reminder for everyone to listen to their bodies and take the rest they need.

I clicked this photo with an iPhone 7 at a time when phones couldn’t click images in the RAW format. The original file is a JPG and so it doesn’t offer me the option to correct the lens distortion.

I used to edit my photos with VSCO Cam and liked their presets. Now, I prefer Adobe Lightroom because I bought presets that I can use forever, unlike VSCO’s yearly subscription.

Still, I suggest giving VSCO Cam presets a go and see if you like them. I used them for a long time, and even their free presets are worth trying.

My iPhone photos are like an artistic adventure, where I seek out moments from everyday life that seem almost magical or surreal. I explore further into my approach in the “Vision and Mission” section. Although these are real-world photos, I view them more as fine art rather than editorial. Consequently, I might have adjusted their content in a way I’ve explained in the “Editorial Disclaimer” section.