Toronto People: Interview with Street Photographer Arpan Parikh
Welcome to our new interview series, “Toronto People.” In this edition we chat with Toronto street photographer, Arpan Parikh.
Why did you choose the username @archyfy? Nickame or any significance?
archy is a combination of my name “Arpan” and my wife’s name “Prachy”. So I took the first 2 letters from my name and the last 3 letters from her name. She has always been and still is very supportive to my photography journey. So all the photos that I take and/or post are dedicated to her. I added “fy” in the end to complete the username. Hence my username “@archyfy”
2. How long have you been in Toronto and what do you think of the city?
It’s been 2 years and 6 months since I moved to Toronto and also in Canada. I believe that Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world where people from different cultures and ethnicities come together and celebrate life. I have met some of the most amazing people that I really admire here. One of the most amazing things about the city is the celebration of “Art”, Art of all forms. I believe it really unites people as “Art like love, has no language”.
3. What is your favourite kind of photography and why?
I love photography of all genres. But street photography is my favourite. It gives me an opportunity to document the moment that I experience and may never experience. Capturing moments from the life of the city that just occurs for a split second and then the moment is gone. The smile, the cry, the tension, the motion and the emotions. Thrill and challenge of capturing such moments make street photography very special to me. I have met some of the most amazing photographers from Toronto while doing street photography and meeting them was nothing short of a dream come true. To conclude I would say, Life is a movie and photos that I take on the streets are all main characters in that movie.
4. Do you have any tips for street photography or taking candids?
Go out and shoot. No matter what photography gear you have. It’s the curiosity, perspective and patience that will make one a better photographer and overall a better artist. Connect with photographers around you and also on social media, study their work, collab with them. Learn and share. As they say “knowledge is doubled when shared”. While you enjoy doing the street photography it’s also very important to be always aware of the surroundings. Stay safe, stay creative!
Thanks for participating in this series! Be sure to follow the photographer on Instagram: @archyfy
