“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realise we only have one” -Confucius

It all started with my dad gifting me Kodak Kroma, a 35mm Point and Shoot film camera. For as long as I can recall, I was fascinated with cameras and the idea that someone can freeze time in a tiny canister of photographic film. I remember the times when each shot was deliberately planned and executed, for it being a precious commodity. Those times truly exemplified “making most of limited resources”.

With the arrival of digital cameras though we have become a bit relaxed in our approach, it has opened up multitude of doors to creativity and learning.

First digital camera that I owned was Sony A200, successor to the A100 which was Sony’s first venture into DSLR market. Though I had a bit of exposure to Photography, I was still struggling to achieve results from the digital sensor as images demanded fair share of post processing as opposed to a film that offered baked-in look and character. It took me months to realise that camera is just a dumb device and it cannot align with Photographer’s vision of image characteristics, so I jumped into the post processing world. It was an interesting learning experience as I did not commit to it wholeheartedly, with a notion that image manipulation in any form is being dishonest with the craft. In the initial years there was a prevalent debate whether it was morally acceptable to process an image after its shot, with many arguing that images should be made only in camera. I guess most of these opinions stemmed from a typical workflow of film photography where the film negatives were processed in labs, without the room for image manipulation by the photographer. However, most people (including me) were oblivious to the darkroom where the negatives were developed and exposure was manipulated by techniques like dodging and burning, a luxury only professional photographers could afford.

As much as I love tools, technology and gadgets involved in this craft, what excites me are other important ingredients that should blend in right proportions to make a great image- be it the ability to admire beauty among people, nature and objects surrounding us or composition, colour, light and timing that create the magic.

Over the years I’ve realised that camera, lenses, film and software are mere tools to evoke emotions and help people take a trip down memory lane. Amongst all the noise, thing that kept me interested is the opportunity to delight people through this medium. With my limited ability, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to bring joy by capturing precious moments in others’ lives. Many of my friends constantly encouraged me to take my hobby to the next level and build a business, and my Imposter Syndrome kept me away from it all these years. I still believe I am barely scratching the surface of this craft when I compare myself with people who inspire me, but I am ready to take the plunge to see where this will take us!

Here’s to the next chapter called “Right Angle Studio”. Let’s create some memories- Get in touch 😊

The Beginning…