Our childhood plays a major role in the decisions we take in our life. I too owe my skills as a photographer to my upbringing. I grew up in a picturesque part of South Canara, amid lush greenery, a rich culture and a large family (meaning I compulsorily attended countless weddings).
My family are connoisseurs of art. I am grateful to them for introducing me to literature at a young age. Without knowing it then, I took observing people and gleaning emotions.
My cousin gifted me my first camera. It was a Kodak. I wish I still had it.
I took to World Cinema as a teen. I shook off plans of applying for film school and became an IT engineer instead.
My growing interest in photography coupled with my wife Shraddha’s encouragement gave me the courage to leave my job. I worked with Ankith Singh in ANK studio right after. The experience helped me see life better - both with and without the camera.
It’s been seven years since I turned to professional wedding photography. Coincidentally, I’ve been married to Shraddha for seven years now. Our son, Samanyu, is now two. Life is good.
Few Things About My Process
It takes a village to raise a child
She learns, grows and evolves,
The wheel of time makes her an adult
Willfully she stands at the altar of marriage
The ones who shaped her, surround her
And the village returns to raise a toast.
Your wedding is the most significant day of your life. It’s also a congregation of all people in the world who matter to you. It’s a strange mix of joy, contemplation and acceptance.
Acceptance of a rite of passage. Of our oaths to our partners. Of our renewed oaths to ourselves.
Capturing the raw emotion of this occasion is my calling. It’s why I do what I do. Forget the traditional poses, where guests are ordered to stand in rapt attention. Allow my camera to break free and float through your wedding, documenting it in its truest form, seeking out the subtlest of moments, the softest of touches and the lightest of smiles.
When I was getting married, I felt a twinge of regret that I would not be around to witness the little things that were happening while I was at the mantap, marrying Shraddha. It’s a feeling that returns every time I shoot a wedding. It motivates me to ensure I don’t miss a single moment. It’s my promise that you will bear witness to the entire affair as if you took the photos yourself.
I love frames that breathe. I like opening up my images to wide, airy shots, where tucked away in its nooks and crannies are little stories. That recall a memory. And help you tell a story. And turn you into a happy nostalgist looking back at the days of your life.
I’m an unapologetic cinema aficionado. I relish the heightened state of emotion that I feel after watching a film. It makes me aspire for a better version of myself. It makes me value my loved ones. It makes me yearn for an extraordinary life.
Just like being at a wedding does.
