Amongst many other art-based professions, photography is yet to be considered ‘a real job’ in Indian society. It is not like there is a dearth of talented photographers in India, they are just in perpetual search of good work. The local talent in the country could always use a push, not just to avail rightful opportunities, but also to prove a point — photography is a real job.
Veu, a platform that connects people across cities in India with local photographers, was created to give a platform to the talent of India, and also to allow people to capture their most meaningful moments in the easiest and best manner possible. What is now a platform that spans across cities in India had begun as an idea to allow travellers to focus on their travelling, and not worrying. Co-Founder Kunel Gaur explains Veu’s inception, “There’s always one person missing from the picture. It would be nice for travellers to live in the moment and not have to worry about asking random people to click their pictures.”
A play on the word ‘view’, Veu finally came to be as a functioning platform in August 2019. After initially onboarding a few photographers from Delhi and Mumbai, Veu widened their lens by opening it up to artists from other cities, too. The platform now covers about 10 cities and has over 600 photographers as part of their team across India. Each of them, however, is screened by the team before they are onboarded.
“There is a lot of great talent in the smaller cities of India like Indore and Jaipur. They seldom get work because they have to travel to bigger cities to look for it,” says Kunel as he elaborates on one of the biggest motivations behind Veu. Many of these talented individuals lose out on opportunities or settle for less solely because they reside in a city that is commercially unpopular. Here, photography may not even be viewed as a breadwinner. Not only does Veu take the professional possibilities to these local photographers, but it also provides the best to its customers. Kunel says, “The local photographers know the best spots in the city. Places to hang out, venues to party and so on.” Overall, they will basically be your guide and photographer all in one!
The COVID-19 induced-lockdown definitely played a part in Veu’s day-to-day functioning, as obviously, not many were venturing out on adventures whose moments need to be captured. However, the platform was able to cater to shoots for companies such as Oppo and Budweiser. Now that things are relatively more open, these photographers once again have a chance to avail opportunities. The upcoming months especially are crucial as it is the festive season. Events, celebrations and gatherings all call for someone to encapsulate the festive mood and reproduce them physically, and all these demands are answered by Veu. Whether it be the positivity of Diwali or the enthusiasm of Christmas, one is surely going to want to look back at their joyous moments of 2020.
To further celebrate the work of their photographers, Veu is putting together Cards Of Veu, a playing- card deck that flaunts 52 unique works of photography. As Diwali calls for cards to be played through the night, the deck makes for a perfect festive addition. The deck will be sent as gifts by Veu to a select group of people. Cards Of Veu is the perfect way to emphasise its photographers’ hard work and talent.
Veu, apart from a platform that provides opportunities that rightfully pays photographers, is a testament to the fact that arts such as photography are as dignified as any other day job. ‘Real jobs’ are not made by a desk and a chair in an air-conditioned office, but by fresh, progressive, and substantial ideas or innovation. The world would be a dull place without the arts, and Veu is here to make sure of two things — that people are presented with chances to work in the field, and that their work is recognised with as much respect as it deserves.
You can visit Veu here.
If you enjoyed reading this, we suggest you also read: