Another month went by at lightning speed. How are we already in March? Where did the last two months go? What about the last 2 years? I keep having the feeling that I am running out of time. There is so much to do, so many projects, so many ideas. I have such a strong feeling of urgency (that translates into FOMO) when I am not shooting, and yet, when I am out on the streets, everything slows down and the urgency disappears.
All that remains are the camera in my hand and the elements in my frame and me.
I have been thinking a lot about the reasons why I am taking pictures. There are the obvious external ones: I want to document my city, I want to keep creating so that I can eventually leave something behind (a book, an exhibition), I want to keep spreading this art form that I love so much. But beneath all this, the more personal reason that keeps bringing me back to photography, is that my time of meditation.
On the good days, when I am out shooting, unnecessary thoughts - the doubts, the fears, the urge to perform fade away. Instead, for those few hours, I feel that I am in a state of flow. I feel connected with my surroundings and the noise in my brain dissipates. I don't focus on the results and as a result, I become more observant.
The more I tap into this feeling, the less rigid my photography becomes. Animals, plants, light, all become fair game. In these hours, my photography becomes less about the decisive (or the most WTF) moment and more about letting my inner self wander and capture whatever it wants.
My photography has been undergoing a transformation since the beginning of the year. The ideas, the projects, the documentation of the city have currently taken a backseat. There is merit in working on projects, it can give purpose to your work (I'll talk more about it in a future post) but I have been truly enjoying myself being purpose-less.
I have become a traveler in my own city; I am exploring it the way I would visit any foreign land, letting serendipity do its magic. I am reconnecting with my inner wanderer, the "Wonderer". I capture whatever holds my attention. The resulting images may have less to say about Mumbai and its people, but I think that they will end up telling you more about who I am.
So, if you've ever wondered who is Suresh, maybe the pictures in this blog post and in the next months will give you some clues.
Here are my 9 favorite shots of February:
Thank you for reading!
Suresh