“You have to be working smart to reach the pinnacle.” That’s my vision for life.
Hi there, I am Shivam (or commonly known as eartharchive). Seems like an eccentric name yet there’s an inspiration behind it. I’ll let you in a secret, it’s a reference from Owl City’s song. Anyways, back to my story. Originating from a town, Lucknow in India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh, I am a notoriously restless yet creative person. I am a business graduate, pursuing MBA. From early on, I have been attracted towards making something that’s unique. Earlier it was art on paper, but soon I turned towards digital creation.
.
I have been into photography since last 8 years, starting with the low-res cameras in smartphones, then to a point-and-shoot Nikon, to a DSLR (Nikon D5600 with kit lenses). One thing is certain, when you begin exploring with constraint, you find ways to be creative. I had the same experience. With limited technology on hands, I ventured into angles, lighting, and relied heavily on post-processing. With time passing by, I had learned to take better photos so to reduce my dependency on editing the shot much.
I believe that if you take into consideration the aspects of the subject while shooting, very less is needed towards editing the image. I started photography to journal my daily life, but it shifted to a passion that gives me peace and builds my curiosity in the world around me.
Since 2018, I have been more involved in landscape photography and in the spirit of it, have captured the entirety of my university. Many photos got a huge traction and I was invited to be a part of my uni’s events to capture their essence.
Apart from the uni, I have been freelancing and did local events such as sports photography, seminar coverage and portraits.
I stumbled across this wonderful platform, Agora when I was researching a place to showcase my talent. Once I started uploading here, there was no looking back. I received great reviews and people reached out to me on various platforms after seeing my work here on Agora. I thank the creators for ushering their love and making me part of their community.
Image: Rumi Darwaja, Hussainabad, Lucknow
Personally, I like the rewarding algorithm of Agora as it boosts artists to push harder towards their goal, to display their talent and be recognized amongst wonderful creators here.
I have been awarded the “Best Media Photography” award for capturing a series of photos at the Uni. It’s been a thrilling moment to compete with the best amongst us and receive a memento for the same.
.
The photo was captured on the victory lap by the winning team at Uni.
I have been featured on Agora under the Top50 category twice, and it’s been a pleasure to reach the space amongst many talented creators. I feel elated that my work is worthy to connect the masses.
While strolling on the roof in early hours of morning, I saw this squirrel dozing off in the fresh air that gently cradled it. This felt like rarity since we hardly see them still in a place for a while. I submitted under the hashtag #PhotoOfTheWeek43 for this image.
Another one was this picture that summed up the situation we are going through right now. I went out to get some groceries and saw this road which was otherwise bustling with traffic, silent. I took this to commemorate our patience and perseverance that shall ultimately be paid back with a better tomorrow. The hashtag was #PhotoOfTheWeek44.
I have been processing images with a dark and moody tone as it makes the darker aspects of image dominate. The sole purpose of this is to say that, even in the darkest corners, we can find a ray of hope to see that not all is lost. It’s quite essential in these tough times. I believe this message has connected the photo with the viewers.
The above photo is taken near a metro station. The people can be seen going for a morning walk.
I saw this man sitting on the side of the road, in the chilly morning. It just had some vibes that appealed my interest.
A traffic light going green.
Took this image at my university, where these majestic birds used to flock in the wet field.
Cars waiting at traffic stop while the sun rises.
To my community of photographers, I appeal everyone to continue being the creator you are and bringing out the work as that’s how our coming generation shall know the world we are in right now. It shall set an example to many generations to come. Remember, no photo is too unimportant to share. Keep creating.My message to the world is that human generation has undergone a transformative change in the last year, and we need to appreciate the little things that define us, being kind to others and keeping faith in yourself.
Contact details:
Agora: @eartharchive
Instagram: @eartharchive
Facebook: @eartharchive
email: sayk1995@gmail.com
