We caught up with Roycin D’souza who has made a name in the niche space of music photography and is the poineer of the twitteraday 365 project which gave rise to the Hashtag #TAD365
I used to photograph music gigs on a camera that I borrowed from my cousin. That’s where it all started. I used to be a regular at gigs and used to make frequent trips to Goa and travel a lot around Mumbai itself.
Why did you choose to specialise in music and artiste photography?
Musicians loved what I photographed and that’s what built a strong rapport with them. My professional career started when I borrowed a DSLR camera from another photographer friend and began working at Blue Frog.
How did you manage to juggle between college and studies in the day and working on nights and weekends?
I hated college. I managed to submit projects and maintain a decent enough attendance to be able to avoid being blacklisted. Also, back then I didn’t have that much serious work.
Where was the starting point of #TwitterADay365? What inspired the idea?
I’ve always wanted to do a 365 day project but never got down to it. Shooting portraits was another thing that was always on my mind, but it never took off. #TAD365 was perfect because it didn’t involve music and it meant that I shoot a lot of people I don’t know personally. It’s nice to study their reaction and make them feel comfortable in front of a camera.
Quite a few. Once, I had a friend wait on the middle of a road while I waited across the road for a bus to pass by to get a perfect long exposure. It was quite funny seeing him getting stares from passersby while he was holding a white placard in his hand.
What kind of challenges did you face during #TAD365?
Tons of problems, the first being monetary. It’s a self funded project. Secondly, it’s really difficult trying to coordinate with people. When I started the project, it was during the monsoons so I had to endure the heavy rains on my motorbike so I could photography people in whatever time was available.
Which are your 3 favourite images from #TAD365?
Can’t answer this. The project is still underway and I’ve shot 335 as of today.
What has been the highlight of your photography career so far?
In music photography, the highlight was being able to shoot Metallica.
What is the next step? Any more projects like #TAD365 lined up?
I am shooting a lot of video content. I also hope to do more professional work and set up a business. No more personal social projects for a while. I need to make a living.
What advice do you have for budding photographers?
Hard work. Buying a camera doesn’t make you a photographer. Photography and photography as a potential career/business are two different things.
Roycin’s Passing Thoughts
Instagram – Great photo sharing site. Quality community.
Canon or Nikon – Haha. I’m a Nikon guy. But the Canon 7D, 5D and upwards aren’t too bad.
Favourite photographer – Zack Arias/Martin Prihoda/Todd Owyoung
Your style – Very non-fine art and real
Music gigs and festivals – Great as long as they’re well spaced and not saturated
A celebrity you’d want to photograph – Eminem
A handy tip for photographers – When in doubt, use Auto White Balance. Always shoot in RAW. Take multiple backups.
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