Aarohan Tiwari – Learn The Art Of Travel & Street Photography

Meet Aarohan Tiwari, a Delhi based photographer whose magical misty morning shots, moody street photos and portraits will leave you spellbound. Here’s a complete interview of him sharing his views about Travel & Street Photography.

I’ve been admiring Aarohan’s work for a long time, and I look up to him as an inspiration. It was in February 2021 when I got a chance to meet him in person. That is when I approached him for this initiative that he graciously accepted. We had a brief but fun telephonic conversation about his photography journey that you’ll get to read in this post. I hope you guys like our conversation and gain something from it. 

Tell us about yourself & why you became a full-time photographer.

Hi, my name is Aarohan Tiwari. I am 24 years old. I’ve pursued my degree in Software Engineering and currently working as a full-time photographer. 

I have loved photography since my childhood days. However, my photography journey began in 2015, during the second year of my college. I roamed around the city, meeting new people, listening to their stories and learning about their culture. Eventually, I started capturing the beauty of Delhi and its people and started posting on my Instagram channel. Therefore, in 2018, when I got a break in the corporate sector. Instead of choosing a 9-5 job, I decided to pursue my passion.

When did you start your journey as a full-time photographer?

I did a few freelance projects during my college days that helped me in building up my portfolio. My Instagram channel also grew, which helped me in bagging projects with more prominent brands. It was in 2018 when I completed transformed myself into a professional photographer.

What is your favourite photography genre?

I love Travel, Street and Wildlife photography the most because I believe I can present emotions well. Moreover, there are no restrictions when it comes to Travel & Street photography. I also like Product and Food photography because it helps me in unleashing my creative side.

What is your favourite photography gear?

Although I am not a gear person, I am generally happy with whatever I have as gear while shooting, whether a phone or a camera. However, to answer your question, I am currently using Canon 77D and a 50mm prime lens that I feel is the most versatile among all lenses.

What is your favourite time of the day for shooting photos?

I love winter mornings and summer sunsets because the foggy winter mornings add a mystery to my composition and the golden hour brings out beautiful tones.

As a travel photographer, do you plan your compositions?

Yes, because pre-visualisation is essential for a photographer to make the most of their time. However, spontaneous shots are equally good if you understand the depth and the concepts of photography well.

What are the best gears to carry as a travel photographer?

It depends on the type of photography you want to do. Canon 77D clubbed with 18-55mm or 55-250mm or 50mm are great for Landscape photography. You can check out my recent work on Instagram, where I’ve used my telephoto lens the most. Moreover, pre-decide your gears and use them throughout your journey. It will save time and also a lot of space in your bag.

Any tripod recommendations? 

Gorilla pod is good for light travellers, and Tripods like Vanguard Alta Pro is excellent for medium budget and or Digitech DTR 550 for low budget. Moreover, if you’re looking for heavy-duty tripods, then I would recommend Manfrotto.

How do you adjust your technique while shooting outdoors in grey or bad weather?

I believe there is no such thing as bad weather. Therefore, try to make the most of your creative side to use grey weather to your benefit.

Photography angles that you feel go best with travel.

When it comes to landscape photography, Eye-level shots are the most common ones. Therefore, you can either go lower than the eye level or higher to get an interesting composition. You can check out Garret King’s profile for inspiration. 

Can you share your thought process behind this composition?

In this photo, I wanted my viewer’s attention on the house. Therefore, I used the Rule of Thirds to set the focus points of my composition and the concept of layering to give it some depth. I love how the image presented the easiness of the horizon, layering by the houses and the perfect amount of light falling over the main subject. 

Well, truth to be told, that is one of my favourite shots as well. Therefore, I was intrigued to know the story behind the composition. You can check more of Aarohan’s work on Instagram. I hope you learned something from this post, and stay tuned for more!