Storytime!
Founded by Arun Hegden, an internationally published multi-genre photographer with over 13 years of experience, Tales and Trails was born from Arun’s profound love for photography and his desire to share the magic of his experiences with others.
In March 2023, Arun set out on a trip to Spiti with a few acquaintances. This group of strangers had only two things in common – they all knew Arun through social media and they all decided to join him on this journey because of their mutual interest in photography. Little did they know that choosing the Manali route instead of the traditional Shimla route would set the wheels of fate in motion.
What began as a group of strangers exchanging only a few words on the first night of camp evolved into a spectacular bond of friendship by the end of the trip. When the group sat around their last campfire, Varad, 35, who had joined the trip from Gurgaon said, “these were the 9 best days of my life.”
This is precisely the moment that the idea of Tales and Trails was born – a desire to make people experience the pure joy of sharing stories, being enthralled in the lap of nature and coming out at the other end of the tunnel with their soul feeling truly enriched.
Meet the captain of your Adventure!
Arun, a native of God’s own Country, transitioned from an aerospace engineer to a full-time traveler and photographer, passionately showcasing his unique frames through elements of visual harmony. After refusing to settle for the mundane and quitting his corporate career, he biked through some of the most breathtaking trails in India and abroad, made innumerable friends along the way and captured well over 500,000 photographs. He has led over 25 trips.
Arun has won many accolades for his noteworthy captures, including a silver at the coveted Prix De La Photographie Paris (PX3) in 2023, an honorable mention at the International Photography Awards in 2023 and has featured as one of the Top 35 Photographers in India at the International Annual Photography Awards by 35Awards. His photographs have been published internationally in reputed magazines, newspapers and online platforms, such as the National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, the Indian Express, 121Clicks and Fstoppers. His NFTs have also been exhibited in New York in 2023 and 2022. You can check more about Arun’s award winning works here
