Raj Bhai Suwal quips, "Photography is for the eyes and not the nose." In other words, his photographs focus on creating a striking image that can be taken in at a glance, not a general atmosphere that might take more time to absorb. As one of the most in-demand commercial photographers in Nepal, Raj Bhai is the man behind a large number of the billboards and print advertisements that we see on the streets and in magazines and newspapers every day. He also has developed the much-appreciated and talked-about concepts and taken the photographs for the cover pages of ECS magazine for more than two years - one of his favorite projects. Raj Bhai had experimented with many professions before settling on photography 19 years ago. He was trained as a dancer (including disco, Nepali folk, and classical Karthak) and a tailor, making all his own clothes for many years and even learning knitting and shoemaking. He also worked as an electrician and a house painter. After photographing the weddings and other ceremonies of family and friends for about five years, Raj Bhai decided to go professional. He experimented with many types of photography: photojournalism, landscape, wildlife, architecture, portraits, and so on, but after a long struggle both within himself and with the profession he began to work consistently as a commercial photographer. For many years companies have turned to photographers outside of Nepal for their commercial work, believing that no one in Nepal was capable of meeting their needs. Raj Bhai has proved them wrong. “I worked for 14 hours of non-stop shoots during my struggling days. If you want to excel in any field you should be ready to give all it takes,” shared this down to earth artist. Raj Bhai has especially developed his talents as a glamour photographer, serving as the staff snapper for the Miss Nepal pageant since 1997, and as a premier studio photographer, creating dramatic and unforgettable still lifes.

-ECS Magazine (www.ecs.com.np)