We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ravin Goyal a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ravin, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe resilience comes from within as it mostly depends on the dedication and love you have for what you are doing. Because if you aren’t motivated or driven enough and excited to do the task you won’t feel the urge to tackle any problem or you won’t feel that anxiety of why am I not able to do it and get motivated by that disappointment and try your best to make it happen. As well as, I agree you have certain sources where you get your resilience from or get inspired from be it your idols or anyone who you have observed while growing up – for me it was basically my family and the atmosphere in my household that helped me shape my resilience since childhood as I always observed how they tackled through problems and with calmness and seniority. Observing them I even inhabited how they used to find balance and analyse what problems need to be addressed and given attention to and what was to be dealt lightly with smartness and get done with it- which sometimes were by neglecting certain conversations that revolved around speculation or assumptions. I believe there’s no difference in resilience or how you manage/deal with it being professional or personal its jst both are handled differently but should be perceived, understood and analyzed in the same manner as that defines you.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a professional photographer based in Los Angeles, California. However, my journey began in Ahmedabad, India, where I was born and raised. Photography has been my passion for the past seven years, and I am constantly captivated by the atmosphere that surrounds me. Whether it’s traveling for a shoot, engaging with talented and creative individuals from around the world, learning new techniques, overcoming challenges, or finding ways to create something distinct while maintaining my own style, every aspect of this journey has been incredible.
From the start, I have been particularly drawn to editorial fashion photography. The ability to capture the essence of a fashion story, blending style and creativity, has always fascinated me. However, I’ve also developed an affinity for landscape and travel photography, thanks to my love for exploring new places, which has been a lifelong hobby. Alongside these passions, I have nurtured a deep curiosity about different genres of photography and a keen interest in mastering lighting setups and related techniques.
Throughout my learning and working process, I’ve had both positive and negative experiences that have molded me into the photographer I am today. The most enjoyable part of my work is the planning phase. I take great pleasure in orchestrating and bringing together all the elements required to create stunning imagery, whether it’s organizing trips, designing a shoot, or assembling a team of creatives. Building a collaborative environment where ideas flow freely and everyone feels comfortable is crucial to me.
During my early years of learning (and I must admit, I am still learning), I had the fortune of meeting a remarkable instructor who honed my technical skills. I was also introduced to various software programs, one of which has had a profound impact on my work. SET. A. LIGHT is an exceptional software for fashion and editorial photographers. It allows for the pre-visualization of a photoshoot set, complete with lighting and other elements, providing a 3D representation of the desired lighting setup. This tool has been instrumental in practising lighting techniques and enabling effective communication with clients. By using SET. A. LIGHT, I can showcase the desired mood and aesthetic, making it easier for clients to understand and align their vision with mine.
My journey as a photographer has been an emotional and fulfilling one. The process of planning, creating, and capturing moments brings me immense joy. Each photoshoot is an opportunity to weave together a narrative that transcends words—a visual tale that tells a story, conveys emotions, and captures the essence of the subject. I am driven by a desire to evoke feelings and leave a lasting impact on both my clients and viewers.
As I continue to evolve and grow, I am excited about the memories I will create and the new heights I will reach on this ongoing journey. Photography has allowed me to merge my love for art, travel, and storytelling, and I look forward to embracing new challenges and pushing the boundaries of my craft.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities/skills that were most impactful for me during the journey were having the passion and dedication to learn and succeed in whatever I was doing, even after facing failure I tried until I got to the point where I wanted to. Another skill was learning through mistakes and overcoming them – by learning through mistakes I dont only mean the mistakes that are made by you but also the mistakes that you see in daily life by people around you be it your colleagues, friends, family or anyone as observing people teaches you a lot and learning from there mistakes help you prevent yourself and educate yourself for what’s not to be done/ not to be done in that manner. So learn from everything be it your failures or anyone else, because learning from others doesn’t affect or harm your life it only educates you.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
In my experience of becoming who I am today, there have been so many great minds and souls who motivated me, educated me, supported me and build me into how I am today – it’s not just one person it’s my family who supported me to do this emotionally and financially and kept the faith in me, my professors who taught me and corrected me whenever I made mistake or disagreed with them thinking I am right but ended up learning, the models who taught me the art of interaction with people, time management and enjoying the process. I learned from my fellow classmates about doing things differently and approaching them differently when not worked by my way of approaching them. Its been a great learning and evolving journey so far, and I am would love to continue learning more and more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ravingoyalphotography.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ravingoyalphotography
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravin-goyal-947080233/
Image Credits
Model instagram handles – @ullallally ( Alla Keri), @valenttinadias ( Valenttina Dias), @luisazevedo_ (Luisa Azevedo), @pauvelaasquez ( Pauvela Asquez)
