People of interest

I never miss out on a chance to capture the intriguing moments that life has to offer. That’s why I always carry my camera wherever I go. My wanderlust and fervor for capturing images has taken me across several geographies. ‘Everyday Life Portraits’ is an ongoing personal project where I try to capture people in their everyday lives mirroring the distinctive identities of their lands, lives, moments and intriguing stories.

My forte lies in capturing the nuances of human emotions and everyday life through a range of expressions and moments — whether it is the innocent laughter of a child or the sharp contours of an ageing life or simply standout moments in the daily chores of a village belle. Each portrait has a story to tell and compels the audience to wonder about the life of each subject.

It does not come as easy as it seems. I don’t use professional models for my portraits. These are real people with real lives and spontaneous expressions. I need to understand them first to capture their souls. I make relationships with my subjects through the images.

As human beings, we constantly change our expressions, and if you try to go deep into those expressions you can see life unfolding in front of you.

— The author is a Bangalore-based documentary photographer who works in analytics for a leading multinational company. At present he is studying the impact of globalisation on the future sustainability of some of the popular yet vanishing art forms of India. He kicked-off the project recently by documenting Theyyam dancers from Kerala.

First Published: Feb 24, 2012 21:49 IST