Today we’d like to introduce you to Lavina Lalchandani.
Hi Lavina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always had a creative calling. But I grew up in an Indian family that valued achievement in more of a traditional sense – going to college, getting a degree, getting a job. So I played it safe and followed the traditional route. A few years into my job (in 2015), I lost my mother. She was my best friend, my confidant and my backbone. I am an introvert, so I was not comfortable in sharing my grief and feelings with everyone. In my search for an outlet that time, I found photography. The more I went for shoots, the better I felt. Being behind the camera started to heal me. I felt powerful and free behind it. It became a tool to move past the grief and bring positive changes in my life. What I started realizing is that you don’t always need words to express emotions. They can be expressed through art (in my case photography). In this entire process, I started posting my work on Instagram and the work started getting attention from social media.
I resonate most to landscape photography – it is a beautiful blend of traveling + nature + photography. Astrophotography, in particular, is very close to my heart. When I started, I had no experience of solo traveling or scouting locations. I was also very scared of dark. I gradually learned how to find the best locations, I studied various apps that could help me plan my shots. Initially, I found that driving for long hours and off-roading in search for good locations and camping in my car was a little out of my comfort zone. But when I would finally look at the shots from my camera, I only thought that every moment in the process was worth it. Not every trip was successful. I would go to the same location multiple times in my pursuit for the perfect shot. I also started seeing beauty in the glorious and beautiful colors of the dark sky that my camera would show me. And I wasn’t scared of the dark anymore. The entire journey so far has been full of learning.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a photographer who shoots landscapes and portraits. My most proud moment was when Nikon interviewed me for their Creator’s hour where I discussed on my process of capturing some of my best work. I think what’s unique about me is that I love sharing the process of taking a shot. I usually post this on my instagram stories. I don’t just like to randomly post something. For me, creativity is sharing with people what inspired that picture, what were the emotions behind it, how I traveled and scouted locations and finally how I edited and presented the moment that was captured.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
1. It’s really important to use social media wisely. I have met amazing people through instagram. Try to engage with people whose work you resonate with the most. Try to go out and shadow them in their shoots and learn from them.
2. At one point, I also took a couple of workshops to sharpen my skills. Investing in oneself is the best investment anyone can make. Don’t shy away from taking a workshop if it can benefit you in any way.
3. There is no shortcut to learning photography other than going out and shooting every day. Try something new every day – may be a new setting or new editing skill or new subject or new lens.
4. Sharpen your editing skills. Strong editing skills are always a bonus to photography.
5. You do not need to have the most expensive camera to get the best shots – what you have is perfect. Learn all the functions and settings in your current camera. Even if it’s an iPhone. Investing in a good lens is more important than investing in the best camera out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lavinalalchandani.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lavina.lalchandani
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lavinalalchandani
