Photo Courtesy: Mithila Jariwala
How did you get into photography?
Though I never took up a full time course on photography, I’d interned with a photographer after completing my Bachelors degree in journalism. After that, there was no looking back. My love for travelling made me take up travel photography.
What aspect do you like about travel photography?
Many times when you are travelling, you can only perceive people and society on a surface level. I like travelling but I also wanted to learn about the communities in detail. So now, instead of hopping from one place to another, I like to stay at a place for a while and produce photographs that tell in-depth stories.
How did you land up in Nepal?
I’d plans to travel to Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan through a project in Singapore. But that project didn’t materialize. But thankfully I was offered another project and with that another chance to work here.
And how did the workshop materialize?
I was in touch with Sattya for a long time and I’d informed them of my plans to stay in Nepal for while. So, when I got here, we brainstormed ideas for a workshop and finally came up with idea of the social documentary workshop for women.
How has the workshop been so far?
We have a total of eight participants for the workshop ranging from 22 to 35 years of age out of which three are non-Nepalis. So, it is very interesting to work with them as they bring different ideas and perspective on the table and I hope that we’ll have a good learning session.
Why was the workshop open only to women?
It was Sattya’s idea that we focus more on women. But I’m glad to have been facilitating this workshop as there seems to be very less women photographers in Nepal. Though, the participants of the workshop may not become professionals, they’ll hopefully add up to the number of women photographers.
Have you met any professional photographers in Nepal?
I’ve not met many but I’ve been introduced to quite a few by photo.circle and I was lucky to have attended a photography exhibition the day arrived. As for women photographers, I have only met Nayantara Gurung Kakshyapati so far.
How do you compare the participation of women as photographers in Nepal from your experiences in India and Singapore?
India has a lot of female photographers but in Singapore, the photography community is highly male dominated. I haven’t met many female photographers in Nepal as well. I think, women are coming up in the field but are still limited in number.
Tell us about your experience here in Nepal.
I’ve always loved travelling. From touristic destinations like Pokhara and Ilam to rural Terai areas, I have enjoyed my excursions in Nepal. I think Humla has been one of the best destinations so far. I’ve also experienced that people are very welcoming and friendly here, which has been the highlight of my travel. I’ve also never been bored here so it’s been a good trip so far.
How long will you be staying here? Any new future ventures?
I’m definitely going to stay in Nepal for a while but haven’t planned on how long I’ll be here. I do have few new projects lined up but haven’t decided what I’ll be taking up yet.
(By Asmita Manandhar)
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