Discover The Tons Valley

Monday morning scenes 😍 Nice crisp early winter weather is here!

Penned down some observations and thoughts from following shepherds in the upper Tons Valley for the last decade+ in today's @DeccanHerald. It was quite hard to pen down everything and stick to a word limit. Probably will share more about these experiences in the future. Shout out to @Barkha2803 for chasing me since June to write this. She got the idea to make me do this when I wrote an earlier article for DH on life in the Tons Valley. There was no space to fit this 'working with the shepherds part' back then. It's been a personal project to document the lives of shepherds through photographs. I have shared very little of this documentation so far publicly. Also, it is slightly special for me that for 11 years I have done this documentation using just one dinky point and shoot and later various mobile phones. I was a photographer with big SLRs around my neck. I sold all my gear in 2013 and went light weight. I feel big cameras intimidate your subject. Quality of images is not something I find restricting on small sensors as I concentrate on superior composition. Make the frame work for you not the sensor I say. That big picture on top was shot with a cheap Motorola G-series phone in 2017 and it has managed to stretch wide on a broadsheet in 2024. The picture with the ball of cheese in hand is very special, as it is the late father of my staff Gyan Singh. Jayender, a 'retired' shepherd used to be part of hikes with us on 'The Nomad Trail' @TonsTrails . Sadly passed away at just 55 suddenly due to a cardiac arrest in 2022. Link to read: deccanherald.com/india/sheph…

If you’ve been around for a while, you know Buda and Budi - our mountain parents - they make an appearance often on mine & @kalapian_’s feeds. This image too will be familiar.

Say hello to fresh & crisp pears from the upper Tons Valley in Uttarakhand! Did you know they can be home with you in less than 4 days? tonsvalleyapples.com