There are those who wander far in search of beauty but others just look homewards and find it hidden in familiarity. Falling under the latter category, Amith Nag need only visit his childhood and he chances upon all the beauty of the world. Born and brought up in Bengaluru, he captures the best of the City through his photographs.
Even the grey sides are given some colour when he takes a click. “I have grown up in the City so I like taking pictures of all the places I’m familiar with,” he says. Whether it’s the KR Puram flower market, a colourful St Mary’s Basilica or the Majestic Bus Stand during peak hours, he visits (and revisits) them all and gets the best out of them. In fact, he hopes to make a coffee table book of his Bengaluru days!
Photography is a way for him to travel to the past and relive his memorable days. He remembers his visits to Lalbagh’s Glass House and Cubbon Park when in full bloom. One of his shots captures the pink tabebuia at its grandest and the photo itself is capable of inducing a stream of nostalgia in Bengalureans.
Talking about how he began clicking pictures, he says, “I’m a photographer by hobby but now, I’m starting to take it more seriously. I work at Infosys as a software engineer but I spend weekends travelling the City.”
Not entirely a self-taught artiste, he explains that his colleagues helped him further this craft. “We have a group at work called ‘SLR Bulletin Board’ where employees from across the globe can share their pictures and are given feedback for their work. When I bought my first camera, a Canon point-and-shoot, I began posting pictures there and received good reviews. Later on, in 2009, I bought my first SLR, a Canon 1000D.” Now, he has a Canon 70D and he takes it with him everywhere.
Along with bringing out the essence of a particular space, he also listens to the stories that make people. “When I go to the markets, I listen to the stories of people there. They might not be as privileged but they have interesting things to say.”
Amith also takes pictures of performance artistes. “They do have studio shoots but capturing a dancer when they are performing is something else. They are giving it their best so it gives the photograph a different feel.”
He also notices that there are fewer viewers for the performance arts, especially classical dances, as the taste of the youth is changing. “This is why when I show them the pictures I take of them, they are happy,” he says.
Though he started with bird and insect photography, he found himself drawn to street photography as it gives him a channel to express his creative thoughts. Amith says that it gives him immense happiness to be able to use his camera effectively. Some of his other works include photographs of the Central Library, UB City and the World Trade Centre, dhobi ghats and the MG Road Metro Station Boulevard.
