This live session is a conversation with Rajiv Chopra about various topics, from personal journeys to cultural insights. The purpose of the live session as an opportunity to connect with people (0:39-1:11) and our shared passion for writing and photography as a way to escape the current political climate (1:28-2:06).
Rajiv resides in India (3:07-4:19). The conversation highlights interesting ways people travel the world, including an introduction to Alicia, a global house sitter (4:42-6:20), and Flavio, a volunteer traveler (6:26-6:50).
Rajiv shares his personal history, describing himself as part of the “sandwich generation” due to his family’s refugee status during the 1947 partition of India (7:27-10:03). He recounts his career journey from engineering to corporate life, and his unexpected entry into photography in 1983 after a pivotal moment (10:04-12:05). He details how he acquired his first camera and started with black and white photography (12:06-13:50), and how he eventually transitioned from the corporate world to focus on photography, writing, and teaching (14:07-15:20). He also discusses his positive experience with Substack as a blogging platform (15:21-17:00).
The host praises Rajiv’s voice in his podcast, Dusty Mike Chronicles, and his voiceovers for Dusty Lens Chronicles on YouTube (17:25-18:40). Rajiv explains his disinterest in mainstream media and his focus on geopolitics from a national perspective (18:53-19:50). He reflects on his evolution in street photography, shifting from capturing poverty to exploring historical places and nature (21:55-23:12).
A significant part of the conversation revolves around Rajiv’s travels within India, particularly his experience at the Zero Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India (23:22-25:02). He emphasizes his desire to explore his own country more deeply (25:03-25:40), a sentiment echoed by the host (25:43-28:20). Rajiv delves further into the Zero Music Festival, discussing the unique animist beliefs of the local people in Arunachal Pradesh (28:48-37:05). He highlights the stark contrast in air quality between Delhi and Zero, reinforcing his current focus on nature (37:10-39:00).
Finally, Rajiv explains how his travels and photography inform his writing, leading him to discover and share historical narratives. He speaks about his discovery of the book “Daughters of the Sun” and his subsequent research into the often-overlooked history of powerful Mughal women and other Indian queens who have been “written out of history” (39:59-44:21).
