ABOUT ME

They say, "To be a successful photographer, one must be at the right place at the right time". Well, in my case..., most of the pictures displayed here are occurrences or coincidences from normal life; perhaps I was lucky enough to carry a camera with me.

I am an Automation Engineer by profession, which primarily earns me my daily bread. Creative Arts and Photography are my past times, though my profession and passion never got along well.

I don't remember who started calling me 'GOPS', but that was my pet-name from school days. My fascination for drawing & painting helped me win a few laurels in school/college days, though no one from my family ever recognized or appreciated that. At least, those starving termites in my ancestral home appreciated the taste in my works and certificates I received !

Sometime in the mid-seventies, an advertisement about a camera in Reader's Digest magazine caught my attention and after several days of begging, pleading, convincing, my dad bought me an Agfa Click-IV camera. That camera costed less than 100 Indian Rupees those days (Close to a US Dollar today). It was a lot of money then, but it opened a much wider horizon in front of me. It used 120mm black & white film rolls that could make 12 exposures. During my school days, I used to assist a local photographer in our village and that acquaintance gave me an insight into handling professional equipment, film processing & printing as well. But owning a professional camera was 'mission impossible' for a child like me and it took several years of hard work to afford my first pro gear. I will always remember those nice people who were kind enough to lend me their equipment without thinking twice.

Over four decades in the field of photography! it was indeed a very long time to witness the changing faces of photography. Those 120mm black & white films in the early days, gradual transition to 35mm color films and transparencies, arrival of computers that transformed the way we watched and edited pictures and then the sudden leap to digital imaging...

Today's younger generation would find this story a bit difficult to digest. Once upon a time, photography was an expensive and time-consuming hobby for most of us. One had to wait until a film-roll gets exposed completely and had to spend several hours in those creepy dark-rooms to make sure we got it right. Hours of hard work and eagerness to see the results; I believe it was really worth that effort and there was joy of creation behind every capture. It was the art of turning the negatives in life to positives. Today, every person boasts about the megapixels in his pocket and makes the soft-ware do the hard-work. From my point of view, the day when they fitted a camera inside the cell-phone, the art of photography died. That also made me realize that the only way to escape from this rat race is to return back to the basics and pick-up my paint & brush again. So, I am more keen on drawing and painting these days, but photography will always remain as an art and passion to cherish a lifetime. 

My on-line venture www.gops.org was initiated in year 2002 just to showcase my works. A number of pictures got published world wide during these years. All my photographs are available for sale. Please do contact me if you fancy any of them.

Being passionate about nature, I never missed a chance to capture the beauty of Mother Earth. Misty mornings, Colorful skies, Green fields, Spiritual moments, Street life and Innocence of adolescence have become the subjects in front of my lens. As an Indian, a major part of my life has been spent traveling across the length and breadth of this country. A land of Mystery & History, Devotion & Despair, Magic & Mythology, Adventure & Spirituality, Festivals & Fanaticism, Beauty & Wilderness, Poverty & Corruption and what not ?!... Truly a land of contrasts and diversity. A country where the bare necessities include a mobile phone, but not a toilet. The more I try to hate her, an intriguing charm in her smile holds me back. A man's life wouldn't suffice to extract the essence of this great country.

If you have reached this sentence, I must appreciate your patience. Please have a look at my galleries and blog pages and send in a comment, if you feel so. Thanks & have a wonderful day !

Hey!, Don't forget to drop-in, whenever you find time.

GOPAN G. NAIR (GOPS)

BANGALORE, SOUTHERN INDIA