A Portrait of the Artist: Nikhil Bahl

Nature photographer Nikhil Bahl takes a simple view on what motivates his art:

"I photograph subjects that inspire me. I don't photograph something that doesn't inspire me. I try to capture the essence of that inspiration," he said.

He is also humble. Although he has won numerous awards at various camera clubs, he says that he does not want people to think of him as an award-winning photographer.



"The Arts Barn exhibit shows my more abstract work, which is actually becoming a part of my style," he said stressing the simplicity of his compositions.

Bahl photographs landscapes and wildlife. His work gravitates toward the ephemeral, capturing subtle movements and shifts in atmosphere.

His photograph "Lone Willett" focuses on the bird in its natural environment.

"A willett is a shore bird. A lot of photographers take portraits, but in my case, only a tiny part of the image is the focal point," he explained.

"Lone Willett" shows the sunlit profile of the bird set against a sinuous pattern of golden waves washing up on a sandy beach.

Bahl favors long exposures, which allow him to diffuse moving elements in the natural environment. His photographs blur boundaries and light conditions subtly without foregoing detail.

Commenting on "Calm Water," which shows dark silhouetted tree stumps and a warm orange sunset haze gradually reflected in a mist of opaque blue water, Bahl explains his penchant for abstraction:

"It's easy to take a picture of what you see. 'Calm Water' is not a literal photo. It is interesting to the viewer and myself because it captures an emotion."

Similarly, "Treetops," which was taken before sunrise and shows a crown of blue trees barely peeking out of an early morning blue fog, strives after an emotion: serenity.

He photographs in the RAW format and takes his image processing into software on which he also gives instruction at the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, Virginia and through Digital Photo Academy online. Photoshop and Lightroom are primary, but he also teaches Photomatix, which is used in HDR (high dynamic range) image processing and allows him to achieve some of the nuanced transitions from light to dark characteristic in his work.

He also teaches field workshops in West Virginia, at Chingoteague and Assateague Islands and in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, as well as travel workshops in Florida, Southern Utah and Arizona and Maine.

"I grew up in a city, in Mumbai, India," said Bahl who moved to the Washington, D.C.-area thirteen years ago. "When I moved to the United States, I began to discover a new world through nature."

His favorite places to photograph include the "alien kind of landscape" of Southern Utah and Arizona and Florida where "the bird variety is amazing."

His recently released e-Book Creative Interpretations features over 60 of Bahl's nature photographs and shares experience-based insights on how to interpret natural scenes creatively through photography.

Bahl is a member of the Gaithersburg Camera Club, the North Bethesda Camera Club, the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and the North American Nature Photography Association.

One of his photos, "Forest in the Mist," was acquired by Apple and is a pre-installed desktop image for Lion OS.

Bahl has exhibited widely in group shows locally, including Kentlands Mansion, the Arts Barn and the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg; Glenview Mansion and VisArts in Rockville; the Betty Mae Kramer Gallery in Silver Spring; Blackrock Center for the Arts in Germantown; the Mansion at Strathmore and the Sandy Spring Museum, among others.

His professional experience beyond digital photography includes 3D animation and web design. He also volunteers his time and photography to the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

To visit the artist's website, click here.