One of the most striking images I have come across on Flickr in my time as a photo editor at TravelMuse is by Arvind S. Grover. Grover’s shot of a Red-Eyed Tree Frog clinging to a plant and looking straight at the camera was the obvious choice to represent this week’s featured destination: Costa Rica. After talking to Grover about using his image for our cover, and looking at some of his other work, I became interested in what makes this photographer tick. He is one of a new breed of talented hobbyist photographers who generously make their work available and usable for free, asking only that they are given credit. With the help of Flickr and Creative Commons these photographers are changing the face of photography.


Grover on a zip line in the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica.

TravelMuse: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Arvind S. Grover: I live in New York City and am the director of technology at a small, girls K-12 school in the city. I teach computer science courses as well as a digital media class (digital photography, video and audio). I am a photography enthusiast and have switched to the world of digital SLR’s and haven’t looked back. I am always trying to learn more and become a better photographer. My favorite type of photos are portraits, and New York City is a great place for it.

TM: What got you interested in photography?

ASG: My father was always (and still is) very into photography, and always had nice, 35mm film cameras ranging from a Nikon from the early 70’s, to a Canon EOS from the early 80’s, that I still have. I always wanted to use my Dad’s cool, big cameras, and he even got my brother so interested that he installed a darkroom in our basement. I’d have to say that Dad really sparked the interest early on.

TM: What kind of equipment and software do you use?

ASG: For the last two years I’ve been shooting on a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with mostly Canon lenses, but also a Sigma wide-angle lens. I generally use Aperture for some post-production on my photos and store all my photos online with Flickr. Sadly, on my trip to Ecuador this month, I was robbed by two men on a bus. They managed to get my camera with my Sigma lens as well as my 300mm Canon telephoto with image stabilizer. Luckily, I was not hurt. Now I need to get new equipment. Any suggestions? I still have Canon lenses/flashes/accessories, so will stay Canon.

TM: What is the most spectacular place you’ve photographed?

ASG: That is a tough question. I have been fortunate to travel around the world, and India is always an amazing place to shoot. My parents are from India, so it holds a special place in my heart. But generally, I don’t find the most scenic places the most appealing, but am more interested in people in their homelands. So really, any places where there are people is the right place for me.

TM: What is your favorite travel story?

ASG: Wow, I have tons. Taking a cab in the middle of the night to Fez in Morocco with a cab driver who spoke only French and Arabic, of which I speak neither, and having him drop us off on a random dirt road was pretty wild. Trying to argue with him to take us to the hostel proved futile. It wasn’t till we got there did we realize that the medina (old city) has roads that are about 1,000 years old, and only are wide enough for people to walk through. Finding someone to navigate the thousands upon thousands of streets that have no signs and that look exactly the same in every direction was some sort of miracle. Also finding a wonderful side restaurant at midnight that cooked up fresh flatbread and tagines was a great end to a pretty scary evening:



TM: How does photography change the way you travel?

ASG: Photography deeply changes the way I travel. I have been on vacations where I decide not to take my camera out, because I want to just enjoy the place and take in the experience. When I’m shooting, it’s almost like a job. Setting up shots, moving people around, adjusting camera settings, changing lenses, filters, etc. So it can be daunting. But coming home to that one great photo usually seals the memory of the trip, and it’s all worth it.

TM: What kind of feedback or response have you gotten to your photographs on Flickr?

ASG: At first, I didn’t get a lot of feedback because I was just uploading photos and maybe tagging them. Now, I upload, tag photos with many keywords, submit them to different groups, etc. I think a lot more people are thereby exposed to them, and they then come back with some great feedback. As a result, my photos have shown up in all kinds of places like an Austin city guide, your Web site, a wikipedia article and the Gothamist Web site. It’s been really fun and flattering to go through that.

TM: What made you decide to share your photography through Creative Commons?

ASG: I’m not a professional photographer out to make money through my work. I like to think of myself as part of a bigger community of photographers who just want to share what they’ve seen. Creative Commons is an amazing way for me to get credit for my work while still allowing others to use it in ways that helps them. It’s like kindergarten, sharing is caring.

TM: What is your favorite photo that you have taken, and why?

ASG: Jeez, that’s another tough one. I have some portraits of friends and loved ones that really make me feel like I’ve captured who they are as people. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, something about their photos just makes me happy, like I snapped a millisecond of time where they were just being themselves. I have some of strangers like that as well, where a moment of expression just clearly resounds from the photo.

TM: What is your opinion on post-processing, especially enhancing photos?

ASG: I think it’s a great opportunity to rectify things that didn’t quite go right in the photos. I am not very good at it, nor do I have much patience for it, but I do some of it. As a photographer, you still have to capture the moment, frame the shot, know some basics, but postproduction can take you a whole lot farther with your photos. It’s worth spending some time learning.

TM: What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

ASG: Shoot lots, and read. I have learned a lot by reading online. All of my photography bookmarks can be found here. But I particularly like the Digital Photography School blog.