River Photography at Anirudh Muralidhar.

Shot at Busse Woods, Illonis.

There are few things in life, which connect yourselves to your higher self. Photography definitely falls in that category for me. Here I am sharing how the journey took place and how it has shaped me.

My mother, like in many cases, is my first guru in photography too. The first introduction to photos happened when she showed my childhood pictures, few marriage album, photos of my grandparents, and others. That very moment triggered an excitement and brought in a lot of awe moments, like seeing my parents when they were young, seeing myself how I had grown since being born, and old photos of my villages. The fascinating part was each photo had a story associated with it, she described the occasion and explained how times have changed since then. It was a great reminiscing experience for her and a time travel moment for me. I still remember, iterating over the entire album in a loop on that day and living in a different world.
In me, there is always a desire to explore and travel. Not only physically, but in terms of thoughts too. Photos combined with literature and stories have helped me achieve it to a certain extent. It’s amazing how life can be, when you choose to observe things from different perspectives.

Shot at Lake Mendota, Madison, Wisconsin. Madison is the place where my journey as a passionate photographer started. And memories from those days are still green in me.

It's quite obvious that you don't need to be a photographer to enjoy photos. Just like you don't need to be a cook to enjoy food. But I wanted to give it a try to expand my boundaries and I was deliberate not to take any lessons as I wanted to explore and learn. As the time came, right after my first paycheck at my internship in summer 2016, I got a Nikon camera and a few months later I bought a google pixel as well. Since then, the journey has been amazing and each time I click the shutter, it’s magical.

Deciding the camera was the most difficult task for me, I read most of the reviews on the internet, consulted many people, and tried few of them at the Best Buy stores. But later as my journey progressed, I realized that it's not about the camera at all, it's all about your thoughts and how you wish to see. The camera and softwares are just tools to reflect your thoughts.

It's all about your thoughts and how you see. The camera/softwares are just tools to reflect your thoughts.

What should a photo do to me?

Shot at Lane Reading Hall at Stanford University. This place is a special one to me, and for who I am today, Stanford had a role to play and it’s not done yet.

It's all about awakening the soul within, a feeling that is beyond words. It could be put into two buckets, one capturing things that are beautiful or capturing things in a beautiful way, each one has its own beauty and color to it.

“the photos ain't captured by me, just captured through me.”

Literature and photography

Shot at Portola Redwood forest in California during a hike.

I have a great inclination towards literature, and personally I believe that it is one of the superior forms of art and expression. Though a picture speaks a thousand words, for me, my photographs are never complete without suitable captions or stories to express myself. Usually, I photograph and look to express my thoughts behind it. But, having a caption or story and looking to capture those via photos is a lot more satisfying. There is constant search, sense of accomplishment in the latter part. Nevertheless, what else can be more beautiful when two thoughts or art forms converge in harmony.

Respect for art/drawing grew! 

Before the existence of cameras, people had the options of drawing or sculpting to capture an event or a person. My respect for these people has grown multifold. Think about the amount of focus needed, and there can't be any room for an error to happen. I need not give any examples of great art work done by these people, just mind-blowing.

Lessons learned and future!

Shot at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe in California.

One thing that photography has constantly reminded me is, "I know nothing". Think about a place like Emerald bay at Lake Tahoe being captured beautifully by so many people in so many different ways, and I might have just captured one of the ways.

My ignorance is higher than my knowledge and it will be the same till I die.

Going forward, I wish I keep getting better, and this river of photography in me, along others will converge at the ocean for a greater good. And if you are reading this, I urge you to photograph and see how it goes. All you need is your thoughts and perspectives, not a smart phone or camera :)

Before you leave, you can check my Instagram and photography page to see my works. And my current gear is Nikon Z6, iPhone, and DJI air2S drone.