University of California (UC) Berkeley’s campus is so quaint and comfortable that it rivals my alma mater — University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Berkeley has all the qualities of a university town, with the perks of a large, funky city (San Francisco) just a train ride away.

Spending a whole day in the Berkeley area was all part of my 3-week visit to the U.S. I had always wanted to visit this campus that is much spoken of in America and around the world, for its good academic program and liberal mindset. Five years ago, I didn’t even bother applying to Berkeley, because I knew my chances at being selected was so slim. That’s how competitive the place is.

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Everything was so lush, and it was a glorious day to boot. It was almost graduation time, and the peak of spring, so everyone on campus looked like a happy book. I can imagine studying here would be a very fulfilling experience.

From a photographic standpoint, I tried capturing the essence of the school, the clean transport, iconic buildings, and just the campus culture of having fun. I hope you can see that in the photos above! One day I hope to be able to go back to California, San Francisco, and Berkeley!

Instead of running away from criminals, I run towards them, all guns blazing. Those guns are my cameras, of course. Till today, nothing tops the adrenaline rush I felt while covering one morning of Bernard Madoff‘s trial in April, 2009.

Back then I was still in Columbia University’s journalism school. My photojournalism professor is also a freelance shooter for the NY Times. He was assigned to shoot Madoff leaving his house for court, and encouraged me to go shoot.

Dozens of reporters, anchors and photographers crowded outside his garage, and possibly none of us got a clear image of him, as he shielded himself with black sheets in the back seat. Dragging myself out of bed at 4:30am and hanging out in the cold for 10 minutes of action may sound like sheer lunacy.

But a thrill was present. History was being written in front of us and I (and the other journalists) had the opportunity to document it. Naturally my favorite medium is the still image, which is why I became drawn into being a photojournalist while at Columbia.

Photojournalism (or documentary photography) is tough because the rewards are not easily reaped from a ground increasingly devoid of funding. Even though papers and publications are cutting back on spending, it’s still important to have an institution back you up in stressful, and even dangerous, times.

Having a commercial photography business probably equates to a more financially comfortable lifestyle, but photojournalism is the only form of shooting that, for me, can deliver nourishment for the soul. If you want your photography to be bigger than yourself, turn to photojournalism. And though there’s a distant, fuzzy dream that I can be a successful photojournalist, who truly knows where my lens will ultimately be focused on?

See my photojournalism portfolio:

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To me, weddings are one of the most challenging events to photograph (in the same echelons as news and war photography). Every instance is important, and a moment lost could be a lifetime opportunity wasted. Before, I had been very wary of shooting a wedding on my own, but after some formal training in photojournalism, I became confident of my skills.

Renu and Sachin are traditional Indians living in New York. Their plan is to have a bigger ceremony back home, but wanted the exchanging of rings and gifts  between the two families to be held in the U.S.

That Saturday night was overcast but fortunately it was an indoor ceremony. Families from both sides met, exchanged gifts, and partook in an official Indian ritual. When the courtesies were done and dusted, the festivities lit up the night. An abundance of Indian food and Western liquor kept guests busy even when they were not mingling with each other.

As the night wore on with drinks and hearty laughter, tensions wore off. This was the DJ’s cue to ramp up traditional and pop Indian music through the sound system. Just about everyone hit the dance floor at least once, of course surrounded and preceded by the couple’s ‘first dance.’

Weddings are naturally a happy occasion, though it’s often a hurricane of stress for the photographer. While I don’t deny there were moments of anxiety, I felt the event turned out gloriously and I shot without many hiccups. Weddings are indeed tough, but I know I’ll only get better with more experience and gear under my belt.

See below for a short slideshow of the wedding:

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