I always wanted to document the lifestyle of my culture,” says Syam Sathyan, an aspiring photographer who hails from Thrissur. “It all started when my friend lent me his camera for a few days. Now, photography is my favourite thing. I cannot imagine my world without it.”
Using his friend’s camera, he took hundreds of photographs, mainly portraits. “I found that cultural photography is my interest and after one year with my friend’s camera, I decided to buy my own.” His objective was to photograph people of all ages — in the spaces where they sleep, eat, commute, and celebrate.
Lazy poses were another subject of his interest. Temples, churches, tea shops, paddy fields, festivals, schools, post offices, river banks — he found his subjects everywhere. This is a visual study of the diversity in his world as captured by his lens. Each photo tells a story of the society around him.
The growth of social media has really helped aspiring photographers like him, says Syam. For him, this is not a profession but a passion. “For an amateur photographer like me, holding exhibitions is a big task and I find it easier to showcase my talent through social media.”
He believes these photographs will raise awareness about the world around us. His passion for photography has made him an ardent traveller. He loves exploring new places and meeting new people. Meeting people and sharing ideas are among the best things he has learned from his passion.
Syam’s biggest dream is to visit Varanasi during the local festivals and capture the festive fervour on his camera. He works in a private company in Kochi.
