Praful Vijay’s photo was unanimously voted number one by the competition judges at the ‘Postcards from Parkes’ photography competition.
With his winning photo titled ‘World War 2 Experience’ of a WW2 aircraft at the HARS Aviation Museum – Parkes, Praful says he tried to portray the contribution of women during the war.
“I believe this is one of the rare museums in the world offering a pilot seat of a World War 2 aircraft. I discovered the museum the other day and couldn’t believe the level of easy access to the aircrafts. Discussed the photoshoot idea with the friendly staff which they welcomed with open arms. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting rural NSW.”, he says.
Another photo by Praful titled ‘Bushman Hill Vibes’, taken at Bushman Hill Reserve, finished in the Top 10 while his photo ‘Girl and Car’ finished in Top 100.
Speaking to NRI Affairs, Praful, who hails from Kota, Rajasthan, said photography for him was a welcome diversion he needs from his daily routine. It is his passion and gives him a mental refresh, he said.
“My interest in photography can be traced back to 2017 when I had moved to Melbourne from Germany as a researcher. My visa did not have working rights and I was exploring means to generate some form of income in my free time.”
In Melbourne Praful came across a photography competition and decided to take part using the basic mirrorless camera he had at the time.
“Winning that competition changed my life. I pursued and have won a few other competitions since then including the one organised by the Indian Embassy in Berlin. I grew further and launched my photography business a few years ago.”
When Praful moved to Parkes in regional New South wales for an engineering job, it gave him the opportunity to explore photography as a business. However, the initial response from the locals was not very encouraging.
““Everybody is a photographer these days, there are heaps in town”, Praful says he was told. His competition win, however, has given him a fresh motivation to pursue his passion.
Praful’s photography is showcased on his website pvpictures.com.au.
