Ashish Langade found his true calling four years ago, while studying engineering and decided to switch careers. “Back then, I followed my heart because I felt photography as a career had more scope,” says Langade. It was out of pure passion that he took the decision and it was a matter of time that his passion fuelled a cause.
Recently, Langade travelled to Iceland after six months of planning. The outcome was not only a heck of an experience to share, but one that made a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Recalling his experience, Langade says, “The reason I wanted to go to Iceland was to see the Northern Lights with my own eyes. It was a one-of-a-kind experience. You have to see it to believe it.”
Touring across the country gave him another perspective of looking at the beauty and bounty that nature gifts to the world. “The shutterbug in me could not keep calm and I was compelled to capture every single thing that I saw there,” says Langade, who is also the brand ambassador for NiSi filters, a company that makes camera accessories.
Once he was back from his tour, Langade decided to participate in an exhibition titled ‘Drishtikon’ which is organised by Pune-based amateur photographers. The nature of the exhibition is that it showcases 100 photographs shortlisted from the entries, shot across the globe with all types of camera, and the sale proceeds are contributed towards a social cause.
“Fifty per cent of the earnings of the exhibition goes into sponsoring the education for speech and hearing impaired children from Vidya Pratishthan,” Langade says, adding, “Any voluntary donations received from the visitors are also added to the members’ contribution.”
His philanthropic work does not end there. Langade likes to give back to society every now and then. “It does not matter if I’m out on an assignment or I am on a holiday, I’m always looking out to do my best for society,” he says.
Apart from donating the amount that he earned through Drishtikon, he also gave away some toys and notebooks to a few schools in Kaza, Spiti Valley, in Himachal Pradesh.
When asked why does he feel there is a need to give back to society, Langade rightly says, “This field is about capturing emotions, some happy and some sad. But we also have the power to make the less fortunate happy with our actions. Little joys can be spread around. You need not have a lot of money to give but you can share good thoughts, be a good example to others or inspire others.”
As long as he has the vision of photography and a working camera, Langade promises to capture moments and freeze time through the lens.
