Artist Profile: Tejpal Nagi, Fashion And Lifestyle Photographer

TEJPAL NAGI

The clothes we wear, the places we go, the way we eat, what we listen to - everything is our culture. Our existence is culture defined. Simple.

Our lives in front of the lens when captured immortalise a part of our culture. We live on in memory and history books.

Tejpal Nagi, 36 yrs old is a Mumbai-based fashion and lifestyle photographer who is usually behind the camera and capturing these moments.

Recently his Madhubala sequence made waves. Shot on a Nikon, Nagi captured the classic beauty of Madhubala and the retro era, to create photographs that effortlessly matched the elegance of its inspiration and carried his signature style.

To make modern interpretations, photographers usually have to take the help of vivid colours or put modern objects in the frame.

But who in the world can bring themselves to make such changes in the case of Madhubala?

For his photographs, Nagi used a muted background, a minimalist composition and the quintessential black and white colour of the 50s.

In the year 2021, everyone wishes to go back to a simpler time and the photoset resonates that. Nagi didn't rely on loud elements to make his photograph, he let his vision, skills and command on the camera do the talking.

Nagi started out as a photographer after 14 long years at a corporate desk job. Following one's heart can be difficult metamorphosis especially when one is the breadwinner and has to hold up the family financially & emotionally.

Family can be a great source of strength, but they also hold one back from charting unknown territories.

One day, after a lot of contemplation, he ripped the bandaid and took a break from his corporate life to start exploring as a photographer.

Fashion industry has always been a saturated market but it always squeezes in an entry for a creative mind, and opens wide the door of opportunities for those with an ever evolving mindset.

The doors were opened for Nagi. Speaking of his work, he says, "I'm always polishing up my art. Even if something is shiny, it won't hurt to make it shinier and edgier. My art comes from a place of dedication and deep meditation.".

But, as we said, it is a saturated industry and crowded rooms always see trouble.

Speaking of the bumps he has encountered in his path, Nagi comments, "I have clear visions of what I want and I prefer to stand my ground. So that sometimes becomes a point of contention. Getting started without connections is a tough road, because usually people don't want to work with newbies, and many people refuse to work with flexible budgets. On sets the issue of restriction always arises. Many aren't happy in giving up control and try to curb the photographer's creativity and have them stick to concepts which might be outdated or don't really fit. Maintaining my consistency and continuously looking ahead towards my goal is an everyday reminder when I start my day.".

He has come far from his struggling days of youth, and today he is a DOP heading a group of talented freelancers.

Nagi has been using this lockdown period productively and investing in learning opportunities to keep himself updated and upgraded.

He has also taken to social media taking time to touch up his brand. He has also developed a lot of concepts whose results we'll see in the coming year.

Photography is also a central part of his bonding time with his 14-year-old son, teaching him the basics of editing and clicking.

We reached out to Tejpal Nagi asking him whether he would like to add a personal message, and fortunately he agreed!

He said the following.

"Photography is an art that can be mastered with tons of practice and lots of experimentation. By staying true to the niche and not succumbing to the comparison, photographers can open diverse avenues that will enable them to shoot outstanding images every time they step out with their camera."

He also spoke about his future plans, and said, "My focus has always been to work on new themes & concepts focusing on bringing out the best of my creativity. I love to experiment & put things together with effort & hard work. My contribution will always involve doing & bringing different creative ideas & executing to see Indian Fashion Industry boom.".

Insta handle - https://instagram.com/tejpal_nagi?igshid=hksqrz470g1q