Sharing to Enrich Self…

Since, I am born and brought up as an Indian, I follow my Indian culture, almost completely. It says `share your knowledge … enhance it further’. I was not born as a photographer, neither was I born in a family of photographers, I have learnt from others and many have played significant role in adding dimensions to my personality, the long list will not fit into this Blog. People around were the main source of learning, as you know there was no internet or Google Uncle, who could oblige you for free in a way.

I admit that I owe a big portion of whatever I do in any field, to others in the society around me. Anyone with whom I have shared some portion of my life has taught me something useful and I feel indebted to all around me. We build our society and nation for better tomorrow and the next generations by sharing our knowldge with others. Its my duty as an Indian that I must contribute towards nation building and I have followed this sincerely. In fact, this is practiced in all developed societies in the world. So, why shouldn’t I share my knowledge with others, some for free and some paid.

I feel, I am duty bound to share for free with those who deserve it very much, especially with novices who have burning desire to do anything passionately. But one can share for free only to some extent and after sometime when sharing and teaching has to be done in an organised fashion by investing one’s own time and money, it needs a deliberate effort which needs infrastructure and valuable time investment for longer period, then it may be done at some fee. Also, one is entitled to charge fee when one spares time by foregoing one’s own primary work and investing long hours at one’s own cost. These resources one could have utilised to earn one’s own living and support primary duty towards one’s job and family. So, one should NOT keep expecting everything free and all the time. 

Also, I would say one more thing very brazenly here, almost all will NOT do so in public. Since, I have been bold for such things and earned that tag being so, thus I have the courage to share and tell you the truth, which you must face gracefully. There are certain elements of one’s knowledge which one acquires with lots of hard work, sacrifice and investment of money and these are those `fine’ things which make one’s niche market, image and makes one a specialist. And who wouldn’t like to be tagged as specialists or  so one is not counted as part of crowd, then you do not earn. So why one should share all those secrets which make one earn decently for himself especially having worked hard for years. Why one should share these hard earned secrets for free and with those who do not deserve a bit of it. Sometimes, sharing these personally earned secrets which makes one a successful many to make a living, if shared can endanger loosing lovelihood. I am sure, only an insane will do that. So, why should one expect from others for such things and once denied then most start `mud slinging’ against such people.

Here, on this Blog, I’ve decided to share my knowledge, experience and  information about photography, without any fee. One as a duty and secondly some of those elementary questions which I keep getting every now and then. Instead of  typing it time and again while attending to numerous e-mails and questions via chat messages, I am publishing all that for everyone’s convenience here on this blog and elsewhere on other blogs and websites. I hope I am able to do my duty and do some justice as expected out of me.

I do not work for money, means I do NOT chase money for the sake of getting rich. I chase my work madly, whatever I do; I just love to work to make my own soul happy first and to produce high quality results for satisfaction and whatever money I need I keep getting. This way of living gives me immense pleasure and keeps me almost stress free, which is priceless and unlimited. No amount of gold can buy me this happiness. It gives me freedom to do what I like doing and be a free bird. Of course, money follows good work and I get enough to lookafter myself, my family and my activities. Money is very important in life, its second most powerful thing after God. But, my advice to everyone is – NEVER CHASE MONEY! CHASE YOUR WORK AND MONEY AND FAME WILL FOLLOW YOU. One shall get what one deserves for the efforts invested.

In this Blog, I would like to share with you about those issues, about which almost everyone is curious, especially at learning stage i.e. how to shoot flowers, basics about flash photography, how to achieve black background, should I buy SLR or non-SLR camera, basic care of camera gear, outdoor shoots, etc. I may share a bit more than that, if time permits.

All my life and now as a soldier, which is for me a `way of life’ and was never a job, where I was taught to trust first. And I trusted everyone for their words and treated everyone like a gentleman, first. But after having burnt my `precious fingers’ badly in three cases, I have been compelled to redefine my course and fine tune it in a way that I do not suffer hurt-burns anymore. Life is not to be wasted on the undeserving. Am I right?

Now, I am NOT easily available to this `chill pill awesome’ generation, they have no respect for anything in life, others time and effort. In fact, in my views majority of them are a disgrace to humanity; shamelessly selfish to the core.

I am proud to be an Indian, but sadly in India, most are confused almost about everything in life. They do not know why they want something, do not know that one has to pay a price for everything and nothing comes free in life. And the most important, we have not yet learnt how to respect others work and therefore others do not respect your work. And we keep grumbling and never rise in life, neither let others rise who deserve.

All over the world, through the various means of internet, large amount of information and knowledge is shared for free, even today. But you should know that beyond a certain point its not.  I leave it to your imagination about the rest of the dynamics of the issue. But in nutshell, I would like to reiterate that a deserving one still can get anything and everything for free in the world. In a way, one should have worked diligently and been a gentleman to get it for free.

So, things are shared with those who deserve it. Please earn for yourself and do not keep sniffing around only free. 

With respect one gets a lot for free without even asking for it.

Extend respect and get respected!