I grew up in Mumbai, India and now live in Massachusetts, USA. Since my early childhood I have been making images, starting with sketching & painting, but fell in love with photography.
DSLR cameras were my first foray but I have fallen in love with film. I have a technology background; work as a Product Manager in the software industry. Conversely in my free time I am drawn to analog, tactile experiences.
I shoot with film cameras, work with a master printer to print my pictures on vellum. After this I gold leaf the back of my of prints, the process of gold leafing my photographs is deeply meditative.
What led me to film and my process?
During the pandemic, I started to explore the woods near my house to deal with the shut downs. My mom, in India, got seriously ill and passed away. I didn’t get to see her.
In the midst of this loss, I started to shoot with a simple film toy camera called the Holga which allows for only twelve frames per roll. With this camera, there is an element of serendipity, what I see and what the camera captures are not the same. This was magic. It let me pause, breathe and to be fully present in the moment for those twelve shots. It allowed me to capture an impressionistic softness, and the pictures have become an ephemeral elegy to the memories of my mother.
Taking a few moments each week to admire the majesty of nature and the beauty of light gave me hope. I was able to see the magic in the world again.
