Straight from the street

Candid moments

Bruno Barbey once said that ‘Photography is the only language that can be understood anywhere in the world’. And Sreejith Babu believes in this every time he picks up his camera to capture a special moment.

It’s just been a few years since he entered the world of photography and he seems to be enjoying it every bit. A design engineer by profession for the last eight years, Sreejith thought it would be a fun project to purchase a basic camera and try his hand at it. “While I was growing up, I remember we had a film camera at home and I used to run around with it trying to click things I thought were interesting. In 2012, I purchased a basic digital camera and started clicking almost everything around me. I didn’t have any specific goal, to be honest,” explains Sreejith. 

In 2015, he came across a few street photographers in the city and decided to take this hobby seriously. He purchased a Nikon D750 and tagged along with these photographers on a weekly basis. “I followed their work on social media and was very impressed with what they did with a simple picture. That motivated me to improve my skills, so I joined this group of people on a weekly basis and  visited different parts of the city,” he says.

Sreejith ventures on to the streets of Shivajinagar, KR Market, Kolar Road, Avenue Road and Majestic quite often. He says, “I look forward to taking my camera through the streets of Bengaluru. Even though we go there on a weekly basis, there is always something new and unique to capture. If there is a function or festival happening, the streets beam with colourful decorations. It’s truly a marvellous chance for the photographers.”

Ask him about his all-time favourite picture and he says, “It’s a picture of a little boy I took on Avenue Road. This was during Holi festival. I love the innocence the boy had and the joy he shared with his friends that day. It makes me happy every time I look at it. It was also selected as the cover photo of the Digital Photography School. No matter what, this is the picture I am most proud of.”

Sreejith also has an interest in landscape photography but doesn’t get to explore that too often as the city doesn’t offer much.

He shares, “I ventured into different types of photography before I decided that street photography was my calling. Though it exposed me to various things, I learnt that it is important to master one genre and not explore too many at a time.”

And the one advice he has for the aspiring photographers is, “Purchasing too many lenses won’t help in improving your skills. Practice with the existing gear; use it to the maximum and then upgrade. It is better to start photography with a basic gear and never forget to follow a renowned photographer’s work.”

However, he still claims that he has much more to learn. “It’s difficult to find time with my work schedule. But my passion drives me and I am dedicated to the art. I still have a long way to go and I can’t wait to explore,” he concludes.