At Bing, we get inspired by people accomplishing great things with our intelligent search, and in turn we learn from them so we can continue to deliver new, empowering experiences. That’s why we’re so excited to share the discussion we had with Devesh V. Tripathi, winner of our latest Bing Photo Contest, about where he finds inspiration.
Devesh is an engineer, photographer, and above all, an innovator; one look at his Bing Photo Contest winning photograph made it clear to us that he isn’t okay with just maintaining the status quo.
So, what do you do when you want to get to know someone like Devesh better? Sure, you could invite him to grab coffee sometime, but we decided to fly him and a video crew to a remote desert in California to learn more about what he does best.
Here is some of his story we captured while travelling through Death Valley together.
We connected with Devesh a few weeks after we shot his story.
Q: Welcome back to reality, Devesh! How was it shooting in Death Valley?
A: Death Valley has always captivated my interest as a photographer and being there to shoot this all important Bing video made everything a whole lot more special. Despite it being one of the hottest months to be at Death Valley, and having to shoot in the scorching summer afternoon with 100F out there on the salt flats, the entire team including myself was pretty excited and motivated about what we were going to create and accomplish, and we were excited by the end results. This shoot has been one of a kind experience and I consider myself lucky to have experienced it.
Q: It was apparent to us how Bing played a role in your search for an alternative perspective, but apart from using Bing’s Image Search to discover new locations and styles of photography, what principles do you follow in how you research your next location?
A: A picture fails to connect with its audience when it doesn’t have a compelling story to tell. So when I have to zero in on a location for my next shoot, the first thing I do is ask myself as to what kind of story I am going to tell by taking a picture of a particular location. Issues pertaining to environmental conservation, lost or lesser known culture, and nature in its raw or surreal form are some of the topics of interest that drive my research and selection.
Bing is a one stop source for all the information and resources I need for this process.
With its intelligent search results, Bing not only helped me learn the technical aspects of photography initially, but continues to help me with my preparation for every project, right from finalizing a location and/or concept to information gathering, finding directions, and monitoring weather. On the creative side, Bing image search with its suite of tools is a perfect resource for coming up with ideas to innovate and create in the photography space by offering me an insight into other people's work.
Q: What was your favorite photo captured during your time out in Death Valley?
A: I have never had an opportunity to shoot the Milky Way as there are very few designated dark sky areas left. Death Valley is certified as the third International Dark Sky Park in the U.S. National Park System. However, it is being threatened by the light pollution generated by growing Las Vegas city limits. I planned to capture the Milky Way along with Vegas glow in the background to tell that story. I am glad I could manage to pull it off, thereby making it my favorite photo captured during my time at Death Valley.
Q: What’s next on your shot list, where do you want to go next? What stories do you want to tell?
A: Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area near Edisto Island, SC is a place of historic and environmental importance. The undeveloped coastal habitats of the management area are important to numerous wildlife species. The area was hit by Hurricane Matthew and its impact on the area’s geography and environment has been significant. I plan to go there next to do a story on changes that the island has undergone and its impact on environment and habitat.
Follow Devesh’s journey on his photography site, Facebook, or Instagram.
Thanks!
- The Bing Team