Unveiling the
extraordinary
within the
ordinary
ROSE
A Mumbai based photographer
originally from Aleppey, Kerala,
has been working in the industry for the past couple of years and has worked with
some of the biggest names in the industry.
Her love for photography began quite early, watching her father clicking photos of her mom.
Those photos, till date, she says, are her favourite photos, period.
Tell us about your journey that led you to pursue photography in Mumbai.
“I studied undergrad in Jyoti Nivas college and masters from Christ College, both in media. During my college, I used to visit Kodaikanal, western ghats mostly or Gokarna or somewhere in Goa where I used to carry my camera and click portraits of people. I really liked traveling, so I visited Himachal. I was freelancing where I used to take pictures of properties and in return I would get food & shelter for a while. I met a lot of people during that time with whom I am in touch with till date.
I feel travelling is better than schooling”
An unfavourable turn of events, landed Rose to Mumbai after Himachal but the silver lining was quick to show itself; being in Mumbai meant being in the art capital of India.
“I started messaging a couple of photographers that I thought I could relate to and one of them was Errikos Andreou. I didn’t expect him to reply but he called me for three trial shoots under him. I was just an observer. After an interview with him, I started working with him for 3 years. He continues to be my mentor till date”
Financing herself was another challenge! Rose took up internships during college and odd jobs like social media management and baking during her stay in Himachal.
“Honestly, when you don’t have money,
you just start doing all sorts of the work which helps you in the bigger journey.”
Were there any challenges you encountered during the early stages of your career?
“During my internships I found it difficult to get work, partly because people always preferred male photographers. They were just looking at the convenience of transport or doing tasks like moving/carrying the equipments’’
'I find
people
really
interesting'
Every artist has a personal touch that makes the art their own. Can you describe yours?
“The memories of my father photographing my mom have stuck with me throughout my life, and I love photographing people.
I find people really interesting. Being an empath, it comes naturally to me to understand and tell things from another person’s perspective. I find people very beautiful and most of them have different elements which makes the world we live in,
a masterpiece’’
What is a piece of work that you are proud of?
“I did a test shoot with Kekhrie Khamo.
This project showed me that if I wanted to,
I could go up the ladder in the fashion industry. I did not want to depend on artificial lighting
and decided to move forward with my own aesthetic. Since then, I prefer to use less of artificial light
and more of natural light.
Over the years, I have mastered the art of
natural lighting because when you don't have a budget,
you basically shoot with little to no reliance on
artificial lighting.
So, now I play around with natural light as much
as I can’’
A very underrated but an important element in a project is the chemistry between the photographer and the muse.
How do you connect with
your muse?
“I like to spend some time with the models before starting so that I can understand what stands out in them;
their characteristics or features.
Through the pictures I try to bring that out.
I would say the best way to get their character out is to make them
comfortable in your presence.
Just those first few minutes of showing
the test shots or cracking a joke really helps’’
Are there any movies that particularly inspire you to enhance your creative output?
“In terms of cinematography, there are lot of films that I like but on the top I have 2 films that I believe are beautiful;
both related to travel -
Wild and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
I also like the cinematography of
Kumbalangi Nights, a Malayalam movie’
Every artist faces creative blocks.
Have you ever experienced one? How do you navigate through them?
“I believe that you need to find something that you genuinely enjoy other than your main art form.
In my case, traveling.
For me travelling is something that I love. I invest all my money from photography into travelling.
So far I have traveled the whole of North India, various parts of South India, Nepal & Bali.
Whenever I have experienced an artistic block, when I haven’t been able to process my thoughts, I have gone back to this book called The Artist’s Way.
It’s like a work book where you have to write three pages the first thing each morning.
It guides you properly out of your artistic block and at the end of the book, you will feel like you have many tools in your hands to get through another block, if it were to ever happen.
Also, as an artist, it’s important to have some movement in your life;
maybe yoga or walk or anything. You just need to move your body. I think movement helps a lot, be it anyone.
It’s like achieving balance through
self awareness; inhaling and exhaling, every breath counted for. So it’s great for artists just to clear their mind first thing in the morning’’
“People who understand the value of art, they look at you differently. Nobody can change people’s perspective towards you.
So, just go about and do your thing ”
You can find her on Instagram - Rose