Soulie Saturday #7: Thoughts so far... and Sharing our #Soulie Moments!

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.
- Dorothea Lange.


Today is the 7th chapter in the book of #Soulie, a page I have been publishing every Saturday since the past seven weeks and I thought it is a good time to collect all the posts that bloggers have shared with My Yatra Diary...  for the project ever since.

Before moving further, let me just give a small brief if you are wondering what this #Soulie is all about: it is a word / hashtag I had coined spontaneously while analysing my love affair with my camera during my yatras (read – Is the Camera a Tool or a Barrier While Travelling?) which later gave birth to this idea, Soulie Saturday.

I have already written about my idea of a selfie before, here it is again - I am not your (typical) selfie person, I am much more comfortable behind the camera rather than in front of it. You will hardly find any pictures of mine, let alone on this blog, with me also. Travel blogging and writing, in this manner, thus allows me the luxury of not being seen and yet… being seen through what I write. My words here are my Self(ie) you see! and this I wouldn’t want to trade for anything just yet, for my own sanity sake.

Okay, if not #selfie then what?

#Soulie.

Blogging at My Yatra Diary... is truly wonderful but many a times during my travels, I tend to get so immersed in capturing a picture, sharing and putting them up on the blog / social media that it leaves my mom wondering:

Arti, if you are so busy taking photographs,
what will you actually see?

And though I simply shrug her mindful observation off most of the time, it's not until I sit down, write and put things in perspective that the reality seeps in and I cannot help getting enveloped in a sense of gratitude towards her.

What will you actually see?

Here is my answer #Soulie. With it, I am trying to push myself to actually see – to be more aware, to sit down with moments caught, meet them and feel them… not as a priced possession to flaunt away but as a treasured experience to keep safe within the confines of my heart… an experience of all those moments that are no longer alive and yet very much throbbing somewhere inside, an experience of all those moments that were once rushing in a flicker of seconds, today freezed and calling out, asking me, teasing…

So here we are Arti …
tell us, what is it that you can see in us,
what is it in us that your eyes can touch,
now that we are gone and all that is left is this piece of us.
See, see again and see hard – touch something, anything and breathe life in us!

Thank you to everyone who has showed an interest in this endeavour and supported the idea of using the camera in a more mindful way, My Yatra Diary… hopes to see your touching creations in her little corner soon.

For now, let’s see what some wonderful people have shared as part of the #Soulie project through their inspiring work on Instagram, twitter and blog:

POOJA BHATT @chillkaroyaar

An enthusiastic girl full of life, Pooja Bhatt’s passion for photography is electric! What touched me was her forwardness to #Soulie inspite of her craze for selfies – speaks volumes about her keen dynamism.

Here are two pictures from her… first one is that of a child who is teaching us all about facing everything in life - with a wide smile. And second is from the lap of Mother Nature. Both the subjects close to my heart, the series couldn’t have got a better start.





SAUMY NAGAYACH @saumynagayach21

Our next blogger is Saumy Nagayach who is equally passionate about all things photography although he calls himself a novice photographer. Whenever you have some time, especially check out the poetry section on his blog, they are straight from the heart... all #Soulie. So here are two pictures from his bag on Instagram – first one that of a beautiful white flower urging us to let it just bloom and the second a silent prayer for more goodness in the world.




VANDITA NIPHADKAR @vanditan

This post wouldn’t be complete without our third blogger Vandita – the only photography enthusiast who jumped in with 'It is worth evaluating!' on twitter the moment she read the post ‘Is the Camera a Tool or a Barrier While Travelling?’ And guess what? True to her word, she did evaluate it! Read all about her experience of the experiment on her blog:


Here is one of my favourite picture, I picked up from her Instagram feed:

A post shared by Vandita Niphadkar (@vanditan) on


This is all we have for this Soulie sharing post this time around but don’t forget to join in (on blog or instagram) if you think you have something to share for the series as well. The only requisite I ask is that it should be a moment that touches you in some way so that it is can be felt by other hearts as well. Then use the hashtag #Soulie on Instagram and let me know!

Post a Comment

15 Comments

  1. It's an amazing post Arti. I too hate selfies and love shooting people and surroundings that speaks a lot. The pictures shared are gorgeous and more power to Pooja.

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    1. I don't 'hate', just that I like to focus more on what I love.

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  2. Each of the images here connects us with something more than what meets the eye. For pictures can convey a lot more than what we see, they actually connect with our soul

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    Replies
    1. ... and hence photography is an art and who better to know this than photographers like you? Thank you so much, Prasad.

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  3. Loved the #Soulie series. Thanks for sharing beautiful posts.
    Greetings. ~da

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much da, your supporting encouraging words mean a lot

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  4. Series is going superb, loved the pics a lot.

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  5. I followed your #Soulie series and enjoyed every bit of it!!

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  6. To re-live the cherished moments thru pictures that once you lived in reality is what makes camera a great friend for travelers. So glad that I contributed to this wonderful brain child i.e. 'soulie' of yours. The way we look at things and defines them in our own words is what presents our side of the story and perspective. I always find your soulful travel experiences equivalent to what one feels while being at the place and moment itself. That's the kind of experience you bring to the table thru your words and pics, Arti. 😊

    Loved both the posts by Pooja and Vandita.

    Also, it would be incomplete if I don't mention that how much I loved all your posts too, that you've been posting from past seven weeks, Arti. So, a big high five 😊

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  7. Me too not a selfie person but like taking one or two snap in front of the places I go... I think capturing a picture allows us to focus on things and experience instead plainly seeing. Beautiful pictures from fellow blogger and each exhibits wonderful images of life.

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  8. "Soulie" is such a wonderful project dear. I will soon be sharing #Soulie pictures on Instagram. Your words always solace me :)

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  9. Wonderful series #soulie. Each of the post and pictures shared are simply awesome.

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  10. Oh how wonderful is that. "soulie" - I
    'm gonna adapt that for sure.... Love it... such a warm word too- that says it all.... wish there were more soulie and less selfies - Im gonna join in. Simply great my sweet friend Arti. Lots of love to you

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