Nirav Patel
At Pic-Time, our foundation is rooted in the art of photography - not only in the tools that help photographers work, but in the stories of the people who are behind the camera.
We are happy to introduce Pic-Time Stories, a series in our blog that will follow the work of some of our favorite photographers and creatives. Our very first feature is from Nirav Patel, a California-based Portrait & Editorial Photographer, who shares the inspiration behind three of his striking images. Nirav has been featured on iGNANT, VSCO, and Thisispaper, as well as variety of editorials including Kinfolk Magazine.
I get to tell stories through photographs. Stories of intimate days filled with quiet moments. With my camera, I set out to capture the fabric of relationships and the often-overlooked moments life has taught me to see. I still find the quiet in the chaos. And I endeavor to make clear what I learned in my red tent when I was seven: there is joy in simplicity, peace in turbulence, power in stillness, and beauty in darkness.
All in all, most of my shoots happen as they do. Most of the planning we do relates to hair/makeup/and sometimes outfit, but everything is very loose. I try and let the people I photograph simply exist and I capture moments as they happen. Not much production goes on, it's usually just the two of us, photographer and subject.
01 Eileen
This was taken of my friend Eileen (@eileen_field). I actually met her for the first time when I shot her engagement session with her fiancé Wade. While we were shooting I noticed this look in her eyes... it was a sincerity and honestly that I was really drawn to. I decided to ask her if she was comfortable with sitting with me for a portrait shoot and she kindly agreed. When taking this series of photos I was interested in capturing that look in her eyes that I was drawn to. Like most of the shoots I do, this was taken in my house using natural light — this one in particular was in my office. When it comes to lighting, I don't know much about terminology or what's the right way to do things... I just know what I like and trust my instincts on these things.
02 Beth Kirby, Local Milk
This is a film image of my friend Beth Kirby (@local_milk) taken on my medium format contax 645 camera. A lot of my work is about capturing a sense of peace or quiet moments. It dates back to me living in not the best of neighborhoods growing up and finding how to create an environment I found comforting... a place to explore, imagine, and live freely without worrying about everything that was happening outside. That time in my life left a huge impression and greatly shaped how I see the world today. I love to capture these moments in order to express the feelings I have about solitude. It has quite the nostalgic effect on me.
03 The Great Blue World
This is an image of my dear friend Meredith (@meredithadelaide). We've worked together so many times now and each time is a remarkable experience. Again, the idea is similar to what I was trying to do with the image of Beth. Capturing soft/quiet moments. Meredith and I share so many similarities in thought and approach so when we create imagery together it just feels right. She seems to effortlessly be able to manifest the emotions I want to share in photographs. Meeting her was a gift and she's simply an all around amazing human being.
Photos & Words by Nirav Patel
niravpatelphoto.com / @niravphotography
