As an Indian, I’ve spent a significant part of my life traveling across this incredible country. India is a land of contrasts; from Mystery & History to Devotion & Despair, Magic & Mythology to Adventure & Spirituality, and from Festivals & Fanaticism to Beauty & Wilderness. It’s a place where you’ll find poverty, opulence and corruption alongside unparalleled beauty and diversity. Despite our challenges, there’s an intriguing charm in ‘Mother India’s smile’ that always holds me back from hating her. One lifetime wouldn’t be enough to fully grasp the essence of this remarkable country.
Capturing Beauty, Humanity, and Stories of India
Gopan G. Nair, more affectionately known as GOPS, is not just a photographer; he is a storyteller, a poet, and an artist with a camera. His website, ‘GOPS Creativ’ (gops.org) is a treasure trove of visual narratives, each image whispering tales of life, faith, and the breathtaking beauty of his beloved motherland, India. It also serves as a vibrant showcase of his diverse body of work spanning photography, sketching, painting, and creative writing.
A self-described “Control Systems & Automation Engineer by profession, an artist & photographer by talent and passion,” Gopan seamlessly blends his technical expertise with a keen eye for composition and light to find beauty in ordinary walk of life, making his images speak unforgettable stories to viewers.
Gopan’s passion for nature is evident in his vibrant captures of misty mornings, colorful skies, and fields bathed in golden sunlight. He finds beauty in the ordinary, transforming simple moments into extraordinary compositions. But his lens doesn’t shy away from the complexities of his homeland or philosophical musings either. Gopan’s ability to connect with his subjects and elicit raw emotions shines through his images which are testaments to his introspective nature and his search for meaning beyond the visible. He delves into the lives of people, capturing the struggles and joys of everyday existence with both empathy and honesty.
Philosophy:
According to Gopan’s philosophy, photography is a blend of art, technology, and opportunity:
- 70% of photography is attributed to luck (opportunity or the right moment).
- 20% is attributed to the equipment (technology).
- The remaining 10% is the photographer’s unique contribution (artistry).
Coincidences and Lucky Shots:
Great pictures, according to Gopan, often happen by chance. They exist everywhere, but only a few lucky photographers get the opportunity to click at the right moment.
Early Days:
- The passion Gopan had for drawing and painting won him several awards in his school days.
- In the late seventies, Gopan’s father gifted him an Agfa Click-IV camera. This seemingly modest camera, which costed less than 100 Rs then (a little more than 1 US$ now), opened up a vast horizon of possibilities. With this camera in hand, Gopan embarked on a journey that changed the way he looked at the world around him.
Changing Faces of Photography:
- Over the past 5 decades, Gopan witnessed the evolution of photography from 120mm black and white films to 35mm color films and transparencies, and finally, made the giant leap to digital imaging.
- Waiting for a film roll to be completely exposed and spending hours in darkrooms was part of the process. Despite the challenges, there was immense joy in creating each capture.
Immortalizing the fleeting moments on canvas
- Gopan, a self-taught artist, expertly uses Graphite, Charcoal, Water-Color, and Oil Paint to meticulously capture intricate details in his photorealistic artworks. He has thorough experience in CAD, Vector Illustrations, and Digital Photo Editing as well and takes on commissioned projects.
Online Presence and services:
- Gopan’s online venture, ‘GOPS Creativ’ (gops.org), began in 2002 as a platform to showcase his works. Many of his photographs have been published worldwide, and he offers them for sale.
- As a skilled graphic artist, he offers a diverse array of services, encompassing the design of posters, development of logos, and production of pre-press artworks. These services are expertly crafted to transform your concepts into vibrant realities.
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S.R. NAIR, Retired Professor, Texas, United States of America
"We are delighted to write a few words about Gopan Nair. An Instrumentation Engineer & Entrepreneur by profession, an artist & photographer by talent and passion, he has been delighting us with his paintings and photographs on many themes and subjects dear to his heart. He has revealed his concern for environment, people and causes through his lens and his images are a veritable feast for the eyes. He understands light so well and makes use of it like a master photographer, making his images speak unforgettable stories to viewers.
His style of photography is marvelous and is a model for other photographers aspiring to reach greater heights.
Further he is a nice friend and always willing to help other photographers with his advice and inputs. We wish him all the best in life and in the field of photography."
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Subir Basak, Professional PHotographer, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
"What should I say about GOPAN? I know GOPAN for a number of years, to be precise we formed a group in Flickr and looked his sincereness there. I think it comes from his honesty, a very high sense of values toward photography. I get fascinated by the depth of his expertise, creative skills, the eye for vantage points and compositions. He is a gifted photographer and artist, capturing the essence of nature for over 3 decades."
August 14th, 2014
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DR. MALLIKA VEERAMALAI, BIOINFORMATICS SCIENTIST, CA, USA (KAAVIYAM PHOTOGRAPHY)
"I am following Gopan Nair a multi-talented artist for some years now. Great photographer with wonderful collections of excellent captures. He got a keen eye on finding beauty in ordinary walk of life. Check out his artistic captures of candid moments, street photography and his storytelling portraits which will show you colorful faces of lively India. If you want to know historical and architectural wonders of India then follow his 'http://gops.org' website for wonderful captures and beautiful narrations. If you like beauty of silence then checkout his wonderful landscape photography. Oh i forgot to mention...if you are interested in paintings then you must checkout his artwork for some amazing and realistic paintings. I am an admirer of his artistic talents. Dear Gopan it's really great to met you in Flickr thank you very much for your continuos support and comments on my page. Keep it up with your amazing and inspiring artistic work!! :-)"
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GEORGE AUGUSTINE, Dental Surgeon & Photographer, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
"Gopan's images are unique. He seems to know what he does. His images are more than just snap shots. His passion for art reflects in his images. His ability to paint has come in handy in his photography. Most of his images are like poems that can be seen. I always felt that his images comes from the heart and not the camera. Keep clicking dear friend." September 10th, 2014
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EZHIL RAMALINGAM, Retd. Bank Officer & Professional Photographer
"Gopan is one of my special friends in flickr. I always enjoy seeing his pictures. He has an innate ability to present things beautifully. The artist in him (he is a great painter too) is responsible for this ability. Another nice thing about him is that his interests are diverse, vary from zero to infinity !! One can find this by going through his photostream !!! I am fortunate to have wonderful people like Gopan in my friends' list. Dear Gopan, I wish to see more and more of breathtaking pictures from you." August 13th, 2014
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SUVRANGSHU, IT PROFESSIONAL & PHOTOGRAPHER, CALIFORNIA, USA
"If you see Gopi's photos , it tells a story, perhaps that's the best part of photography - "Story telling". I enjoy Gopi's photographs and I wish him all the very best. November 27, 2018"
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SOUMEN NATH, ENGINEER & PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, NEW DELHI, INDIA
"I have known Gopan since those days when we were more active on Flickr and Facebook had not taken the world by the storm. Gopan, a pure artist by heart ,leads the way by quality of his work. He never stuck to one genre. From nature to travel, from monuments to people, street photography, painting..... he has shown his artistic creativity in a wide array of possibilities. He has covered his journey from the film times to the digital world without any hitch, and yet evolved with each dawn. I wish him all the success and fame that he deserves."
