By Neil Bie
Each moment that we share with loved ones is special, from grand events like weddings, birthdays and anniversaries to simple introspective moments like a walk on the beach. Capturing the right place at the right time immortalizes those precious moments and here’s where photographer Ravi Mansukhlal comes into the picture…
TEMPO: Who is Ravi Mansukhlal?
I am a marketer by profession and a photographer at heart. I was born in India and brought up in the UAE. Photography is my ‘fitoor’ i.e. passion, madness. Portraits, weddings, babies and children photography are my forte.
TEMPO: How did you learn of your passion for photography?
I think I fell in love with the photography at the age of seven when my father gave me the first lesson on how to frame a picture. The passion and the hunger to learn more came only in late 2012. So literally it’s been less than three years since I’ve been doing it professionally.
TEMPO: Describe your creative process.
I like to divide the creative process into three phases:
Phase 1: Visualizing / Pre-Planning – I like to visualize days before the actual shoot because it helps me set the intent – sometimes it could be too specific or too general. These are the times when a story board comes in handy.
Phase 2: Shoot – During this process I intend to keep things simple. Since most of my shoots are portraits, I try to make it a fun activity for my subjects as this brings out the best in them.
Phase 3: Edit – The objective of editing is to simply enhance or remove / edit unwanted elements from the pic. I don’t like to drastically alter pictures.
TEMPO: Is there a specific kind of subject that you love to cover?
Yes, and it’s portraits. I just love photographing people. And if I could be even more specific, it would be children. Children are the most challenging subjects but at the same time they are the most honest and innocent beings. And I like to capture those emotions and expressions which are all unique.
TEMPO: Describe a normal day in the life of Ravi Mansukhlal.
Since I have a full time job, my weekdays don’t involve much of the photoshoots. Most of my shoots are limited to Fridays and Saturdays. I love to shoot with natural light and hence I start early mornings to capitalise the morning light or just before the sunset during the golden hour.
TEMPO: How did the people around you react when they first saw your work?
Initially, I kept getting some nice comments here and there and few likes every time I posted a pic on social media platforms. But when I covered a friend’s wedding, I was completely overwhelmed with the response that I got for something I did for the very first time.
TEMPO: Which photographers inspire you?
It may sound strange but I was never inspired by any photographer. But if I had to pick one photographer then it will have to be Steve McCurry’s because I love his style.
TEMPO: Your future plans?
While I am still ‘learning’ photography, as I believe it never stops, this year I would like to take it a step forward and also try my hands at cinematography. Apart from that I am also working on my passion project “Project 365’ whereby I aim to photograph 365 portraits of different people by the end of this year. If anyone would like to be part of my #Project365 they can email me at ravimansukhlal@gmail.com
TEMPO: Do you have a message for aspiring photographers?
Don’t go out there and shoot with the sole aim of getting maximum ‘likes’. Go beyond that. Shoot what you ‘LOVE’ and makes you happy. Never stop shooting and never stop learning. And I’d also like to say something to all those people who think that they are not ‘photogenic,’ remember this, “If you have a face, you are photogenic”.
website www.ravisfitoor.com, www.facebook.com/ravisfitoor and Instagram @ravisfitoor
