There are different genres in Photography. What areas are you mostly interested in?
My favourite would be portraits. But I love landscape, architectural and travel photography as well. One of the most fascinating things about portraits is that it captures the expressions of a person. Everyone has different expressions. You get those commonalities too. For example you know if someone is happy or sad when you look at their expressions. If we talk about architectural photography, heritage buildings and hotels are the ideal. Heritage buildings have a culture and personality of their own. So when shooting those you take a little bit of history with you. When building hotels everyone is always pushing their boundaries to do something unique in terms of design.
You got featured in kotaku.com two years in a row. How would you describe that experience?
I got featured in 2017 and 2016. In 2017 my pictures for the Comic Con were published in the website under the article headline, ‘Awesome Photos From Sri Lanka’s Comic con’ by Luke Plunkett. It was actually a very good experience for me to practice portraits. This time I wanted to take pictures that looked like that they could be in a book. These people who participated in the Comic con put so much of effort into their costumes so I wanted to highlight that as best as possible.
I also did some pictures of statues/ figures to get my lighting right. With figures I practised the angles with the phone light. I moved the phone light until I saw what I like. That is how I learnt about lighting and then I moved on to using flashes too.
How did you start to like Photography?
Well, when I started to do photography as a hobby I actually did not have a camera of my own. I borrowed my aunt’s camera. She had this really old Sony Alpha 100. It was a basic DSLR. I was just shooting with that. Once I had to go to Negombo for some work and I did not even know how to properly use the camera. I captured this picture of an Archchi smoking beedi. And it came out really well. Up to date it is one of my favourite portraits. For me when I look back I think I actually could have done so many different things when taking that photo but that showed me that you do not always have to be the most technical guy to get an amazing photograph. Then I started watching YouTube videos, reading as much as I can. I am completely self taught. I made sure that I learn the technical side first. Over the years it’s been a journey for me. I just pick a subject and experiment with it till I get the shot I want.
You are someone who travels a lot. Tell us about your travel experience?
I have been fortunate enough to travel around the country quite a bit. But at the same time there are so many places I have not gone to. This year my plan is to travel as much as I can within the country. As I said earlier for me it is mostly about travel and people. Therefore the more I travel the more I get to shoot places which have not been photographed. There are so many amazing places in this country. My goal for this year is to explore those and take some good shots.
How do you feel when someone appreciates your work?
It definitely feels good whenever someone appreciate your my work. That shows your work is good and gives you credibility. Be it certificates or awards or anything of that sort, it is good to be recognised. It is even better if one can specialise on a certain area of photography. Because then people know what your speciality is. But there are some international photographers who are known for more than one genre and have two different websites or Instagram accounts for his pictures. By doing that his audience/ work does not mix.
You use Instagram to post your pictures. Is there a special reason for that?
Yes, my pictures are posted mainly on Instagram. I believe it is one of the best platforms a photographer can use. Especially if you are a professional photographer. It also puts you in touch with like-minded people around the world. Last year was one of my best years because I got a lot of feedback from the people who like my pictures and it always feels good to know that they appreciate your work. It is an incredible feeling.
What does Photography mean to you? How content are you about selecting Photography as your hobby?
It puts me into the zone. For me when I pick up a camera then I’m in the zone. It is been a way for me to show my creativity. If I’m shooting it does not matter how long it is going to take or what the conditions are. I used to write. And I thought I was good at it. But once I started shooting I realised I am actually better at Photography.
It showed me that I could be good at something and that I could figure out things on my own. That is the best part. It gave me confidence to show that I have talent. I can shoot with my phone and be happy with that shot. It is not actually the gear that matters but the fact that you are shooting.