A friend was clicking a picture on the street and Balasubramani, then in college and overcome by curiousity, asked him about the technical aspects of the camera he was using. The friend was in a satirical mood, and the mockery not only hurt young Bala but also made him determined to learn the basics of photography. The Chennai-based techie, 26, has come a long way since then. Though he never did any course in photography, he has spent most of his time admiring and understanding other photographers’ work. Taking pictures has gone beyond being a hobby but an integral part of his daily routine. “It has helped me discover myself,” he says.
It helped a lot after he joined a group called Chennai Weekend Clickers. It gave him an opportunity to travel along with the group members and compare notes and photographs with them. “I love to travel a lot and photograph people and places,” he says, with disarming simplicity.
He attributes his early life in Coimbatore to his interest in the culture and traditions of his state. He has documented many memorable festivals and arts in his state as well as outside. He has extensively shot the temple festivals at Kulasekharapatanam and Kaveri-patanam, besides Athachamayam in Kerala’s Tripunithura and Durga Pooja in Kolkata. He has an eye for the offbeat as evident from the pictures. “I’m a strong believer that your photograph reflects your true character and what you are,” he says. “For me, it is not really about the composition, the subject, the elements or the storyline behind the picture that makes a photograph great. Instead, any picture that is honest and true to your heart makes a great photograph. After years when you look at the picture it should connect you to the subject.”
