We recently connected with Miles Chatterji and have shared our conversation below.
Miles, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I learned by trial, taking pictures over and over wondering why some didn’t look like what I would see in magazines, or online, so I would try again, and again. Eventually, I found formulas for certain types of looks based on equipment and angles. I’m not sure I could have done much to speed this up. These kinds of error-based learning are essential to photography and encompass learning along the way. The most essential skill is patience. It is very important to remember to get the work done right sometimes you have to wait, whether it be waiting for the right moment, or waiting several years to acquire the right gear, it’s important not to rush the creativity. The biggest obstacle that will stand in the way of most people learning the craft is money. Lenses, cameras, and other gear can be expensive and restrict you to certain circumstances, but on the flip side, it encourages you to use the best of what you have and to continue.
Miles, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I got into photography when I was younger, around 2001 I got a job taking photos of cars for a local car dealership. I wanted to captivate the audience into coming to see the cars, but also give them enough detail that they could buy them straight off the web. This is what started it, and on & off through school/college/work I would go through phases of getting really into photography, and selling mostly automotive photography services at the time, but also stop when things got rolling in school. After a long hiatus, in 2016 I realized that I could use my DSLR at the time to photograph varying different objects in the night sky. After a couple of years of nothing but astrophotography, I decided to use the camera to capture the emptiness of the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a dream as there wasn’t any traffic, and I could explore places with ease and take my time to really take the photo I wanted at the right time of day. This is when my Instagram profile started to gain traction, and I started to take all forms of photography more seriously.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Self-fulfillment! We all have hobbies that we are passionate about, and that’s what drives me. This journey is never ending, there are so many facets to explore, such as street photography, portraits, landscapes, the list goes on. As I look back through the years at my earlier work I can see vast differences between then and now, and while continuing to photograph I still see room for improvement, and other niches that intrigue me that I would like to explore.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish that I had connected with other photographers earlier on to discuss creative ideas and processes. There are a lot of photographers who will talk you to death about gear, which doesn’t get us anywhere, but it’s easy to get caught up in these discussions and think that the gear makes the creativity, but the reality is, it’s the opposite, talking about ideas and brainstorming, coming up with cool ways to portray products, people, places, and focusing on the craft is what will eventually get your work out in front of the masses! I wish that I had connected with many of the people whom I admired in the past for their creativity.
Contact Info:
- Website: mileschatterji.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mileschatterji/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mileschatterji/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MilesChatterji
Image Credits
All images are my own.