Vaydehi Khandelwal known as Camerawaali held a camera at the age of thirteen and knew it would be her whole life. She started training under a photographer at a very young age and by the time she was seventeen she knew that photography was her calling. She completed her Masters in Photography from Mumbai and soon after she was a part of various artists in residence programs in India and Italy…followed by shows, collaborations, films, wedding photography and specialisation in documentary art photography from IED, Madrid, Spain.She also owns a wedding photography company called Weddings-Before & After. Recently her project I AM VERY TIRED was featured by Leica and published on various art platforms. She is currently travelling, making pictures and working on her next street project.

Why are you a photographer?
Am a photographer because I was meant to be…

Do you remember any decisive moment when you felt ‘I want to be a photographer’?
For me it was more of a process… of being exposed to photography at a very young age..as something that I liked doing… to a profession.

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
No role models but definitely my Mom because she was the first person I saw with a camera when I was growing up…

Who was the most influential personality on your career in photography?
Raghu Rai.

How has photography changed over the course of the last couple of decades? Is execution/art direction more important than it used to be?
I would say it has changed immensely because there was a time when photography was valued a lot more than it is today. Today everyone can afford a camera.. everyone has a smartphone..there is an over flow of images which work as an advantage as well as a disadvantage. Execution is very important but then it depends on the context as well.

What do you think of the current state of Print Advertising photography in India? Is it at par with the work done worldwide?
Since I am more of a documentary art photographer, I don’t stand in a place to comment but I would like to think that we are getting there…well.. I hope.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Conversations and people are my biggest inspirations.

Tell us about your latest work…
I am currently working on my street project which will take a few more months before its up on social media and elsewhere.
Its more of an object based project.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit photography?
Never… I don’t think that day will ever arrive. Photography makes me happy…so quitting it is not even a passing thought!

Any current work in Indian Advertising that you find exciting? Especially Print?
Nothing that I can think of since I have been out of it for the longest time…

Whats your dream project?
Magnum Photos!

Who would you want to spend a dinner with?
Simon Roberts

Whats on your iPod?
Everything… except ghazals.

Mac or PC?
Mac and nothing else.

Whats your Twitter Handle?
@camerawaali

instagram : camerawaali
www.facebook.com/camerawaali