Have you ever wondered why we photograph? What fuels this passion to wake up every morning to take photographs, edit them, and publish them? Why is photography important to each one of us?
“Photographers are the dedicated, passionate and sometimes half-crazy individuals who are willing to give their lives, too often quite literally, to show us what needs to be seen, what needs to be known. I can think of no greater honor nor privilege than to have lived a life surrounded by images and the amazing individuals who create them and share them with us” - says Sarah Leen, Director of photography, National geographic.
I’m Nirranjani Sakthi, a 25-year-old Singapore based photographer, poet and Engineer for whom Photography is my way of seeing. It is my way of saying this is another way to see me. This is how I tell my stories.
Life, as we know it, changed drastically for me when I looked through my old Sony digital camera’s viewfinder for the first time to make sense of the world before me. And, that was the birth of this passion for photography, a journey into this world of light and darkness. I have from then, hunt for beauty in the darker times of the day. The first glimpse of sunlight on the dark horizon to the beautiful colours of dusk. My search has always been to find light in the darkest alleys of life, the charm in mundane corners!
My curious soul has made me explore and try out different hobbies, pushed me to keep finding adventures in daily life, but if there is one thing that captivates me the most, it would be photography. Photography is that part of my life which I cannot outgrow. I am forever fascinated by the power of capturing a moment in time, the power of creating something eternal, a legacy expressed through each photo. Because every photo has a story to tell…
My photography has evolved over time from Android phones to iPhones to my most favourite of all - Fuji X-T20. And with time I believe I have found better ways to express the beauty I see around me, irrespective of the gear because all it takes is “Perspective”! The way we make sense of the chaos before us, through framing and composition, the story we put forward, are the biggest lessons I have learnt so far.
“Hidden beneath the veil of routine lifeThere is a persistent wild longing,That feels like impulsive adventures,Sunsets over endless oceans,Hot chocolates in foreign lands,And camping in unfamiliar mountains.It is treasuring each drop of water,As I let sand trickle through my fingers,And dancing to the tunes of lost folkloresAs the full moon rises over parched lands.It feels like the warmth of hot springs,Cold breezes from Arctics,The bloom in a wine yearThat smells so subtle and ephemeral.It is reading sci-fi in buildingsEngraved with centuries-old story.It’s running to touch one more stoneThat left its mark in history.It’s exotic foods, wild fruits and strange facesIn a city that knows not my name.It’s the longing to see moreTo live more, andTo die, having felt more!”- Nirranjani Sakthi, a poem about all the places that I wish to see
I see my poetry and photography as two sides to the same coin called “Self expression”. I write about things I long to see, about the strength of women, the beauty and tenderness of this world and also of its cruelty. And just like any other art form, both find their own voice in each viewers mind. But when combined, they tell a very compelling story!
One of my favourite Photographers, David duChemin, wrote in his blog: “The most powerful photograph is the one that connects with both the heart and mind of the reader. It’s the image that our imagination keeps returning to and keeps asking questions about; the image that stirs something in our emotions. That captivating is what prolongs our experience of the photograph, its what grabs our souls and won’t let go. It’s more human. And more than ever, we need photographs that are deeply human, empathetic, insightful.”
I long for the day when I capture those deep, human, empathetic and soulful pictures. Till then, I will keep finding magic where I can, in whatever broken form I can, to tell stories that I get to see and share every piece of my journey until the end of time!
- Nirranjani Sakthi
