Just being around my little cousin for the few days I was visiting gave me a breath of life. I mean that in being witness to the curiosity and innocence of child it is impossible not to be taken into a world of wonder where everything is entertaining.  It comes so naturally to us when we are kids but there is no reason, as people of any age,  that we can not have just as much fun simply being alive. I will maintain my fascination with life by approaching my everyday experiences with the mind of a child in hope that I can achieve the same happiness and that I see in the eyes of my little cousin

Occasionally we encounter people or happenings that, in the best way, remind us that there is always more stuff out there worth seeing. This incredibly talented multitasker made my day by simply doing what seemed to her a very casual, normal activity. It is one of those things that I feel 

I am a bit late in posting this mostly because I was busy making it and appreciating my mother the last couple days. Mothers deserve all our love and to be treated with the same care that they have shown us our entire lives. Because mothers are so special, a friend of mine, Tarikh Campbel, had the great idea to make a dance video to show our love. Needless to say we left it kind of to the last minute. In the course of 24 hours the piece was choreographed, taught, filmed, and edited. This ridiculous feat was possible because of the incredible people from the boston dance community who chose to participate. I am thankful that they wanted to show their mothers love through the video as well. I was very impressed by the dedication and focus which was created by the shared goal we had to finish this video before mother's day. Throughout the whole process we were efficient and also managed to have a lot of fun due to the loving atmosphere.  I was honored to be involved in this project and look forward to working with these amazing  on more awesome projects in the future. 

With everything that has happened in Boston in the past week, it has gotten me to think about what I really care about in life. The answer is not difficult for me because it was simply the first thing that came to my head when everything happened. The most important thing is family. Now, I do not define family just as people that I share genes with. Family to me is anyone who you care about just as much or more than you care about yourself. In my time at Northeastern  I have developed an amazing family of people who I could not live without. I large amount of these people I speak of are the individuals that make up my dance crew, Revolve. I spend a significant amount of my time with them wether it be eating, dancing, taking pictures, or eating more. I value every moment spent with them and would do anything for them. That is what family is all about, sharing this care for one another. And I believe it is relevant for me to express my feelings on this matter becauseof how everyone in Boston has behaved recently. Just sharing the place where we live has inspired people to do great things for one another. It is obvious that everyone cares about the well being of the rest of the people around them. So for the people I call my family and all the people who have shared the experience of being in this city this past week, I ask you to embrace the lessons I have learned from my family. They have taught me to always do whatever you can for each other and to never hold back. I believe the first is self explanatory. It is important that you always give your full effort and that you always do what you feel, because you can never assume you will have another chance. It is our responsibility to make every moment worth living for ourselves and others. 

Here are some pictures of people and moments that make my life worth living.

Nataraj is an annual culture show put on by Utsav of Northeastern University. I have had the opportunity to attend and shoot this event multiple times and it is always amazing. The richness of South Asian culture is very successfully portray with many diverse performances. My favorite part of the show is the character and energy that is displayed by every performer. The way they preform communicates fun, humor, love, and elegance. It is very easy to enjoy this show because of how obvious it is that everyone on stage is enjoying it themselves. 

There are many times when I feel like my life revolves around Revolve Dance Crew, and I love it.  They are my subject, my inspiration, and my family. We do everything together; dance and eat. These people show me what it is to be truly dedicated to something. The importance of dance has been revealed to me. In my experiences with these dancers I have become more and more aware of the power that dancing has. With dance you can express feelings and tell stories. These dancers dedicate themselves to this art form. They practice what seems like constantly. They work their movements and formations in order to perfect their piece. Then when it comes time, they get up on stage and pour themselves out to convey beautiful emotion and energy. The best part of it all is that every step of the way they are enjoying themselves. I hope that these photos successfully display both the effort and fun that is present at all times with my amazingly talented family. 


www.facebook.com/NuRevolve
twitter.com/NUrevolve
www.youtube.com/nurevolve

I also make videos.
Please check out my youtube channel to see my work with the moving image.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBKtSVMIZ_lnpeQnMLyOtdQ

These pictures are a sample of the enormous amount of shots I had the privilege of taking of Revolve Dance Crew in the past semester.  This was my first semester as Artistic Director of the group which allowed me to be fully engrossed in the process. There are pictures here from practices, performances, and photoshoots. One of the things I love most about Revolve, and what I hope is portrayed in these pictures, is that these dancers are fully committed and passionate about what they are doing but at the same time they are fun people that take every opportunity to have a good time. Our practices are full of laugher as well as sweat. We did a photo shoot based on members photo bombing each other, taking legit portraits and inserting the humor of an unexpected subject. We created and performed a set that told the story of a emotional relationship through dance. I am thankful for having experienced all of this.  Being a part of this crew, I am constantly surrounded by creativity, beauty, and talent all of which makes me love what I do and want to do it better. We all thrive off each other because we all care about each other. Revolve is my family.

www.facebook.com/NuRevolve
twitter.com/NUrevolve
www.youtube.com/nurevolve

I recently went to New Hampshire with some great friends of mine. It was exactly what we all need after a long semester of work and a stressful final week. That weekend was the first time in a while I had time to just relax and think in peace. 
One day we took a hike up to the top of this one mountain. It was not an easy ascent considering there was a lot of ice and was pretty steep. We did see some really cool stuff along the way though. It was all made worth it by the view at the end. Looking out from the clearing I felt like I was on top of the world. In that moment nothing else mattered. It was just me appreciating that perspective. 

I later stepped to the edge of the cliff. In a very not suicidal way, I wanted to jump. It was more of just a curious feeling, like there was a voice in my head telling me I could fly.  There was a weird "how do I know I can not fly unless I try" moment. When looking down I did not see or was I afraid of death. Instead I saw opportunity, I was excited. I think it was the fact that nothing was stoping me from jumping that made it appear possible which then made it exciting. I am smart enough to know not to jump but I also enjoy exploring my reasoning and emotion. 
I found meaning in this feeling as to how I have and believe others should trust the curiosity in ourselves. My curiosity has lead me to a lot of places, to a lot of amazing experiences. Many of the things I value having witnessed or participated in have come from being willing to explore and try things unfamiliar to me.  I am thankful for having learned to trust my curiosity and indulge in it. I am not saying that people should listen to all their voices and go jumping off cliffs.  I simply see too many people  just admiring the view when they could be taking a leap of faith and experiencing life. I love the curious part of me that constantly keeps me aware of what could be happening. I am proud of this characteristic. I am glad that I want to want to know what it would feel like to fly.

For my final project in my studio photography class I chose to take pictures of people. I wanted to do something different though. I did not want just a straight up portrait. How I arrived at the idea of objects floating in front of their faces I do not know, but it did make for some interesting shoots. It was very entertaining and frustrating having people throw these objects in front of themselves and attempting to time the perfect moment. The situation made for a very random result, which I liked. I liked not really knowing what was going to show up. The unpredictability added to the challenge as well as the awe when we did get a good shot. I am very thankful to all my amazing models who put up with this ordeal. I also owe some gratitude to luck in having things just be in the right place at the right time.