Suruchi

Drolia

Let’s talk about rising stars... and dough! I just wrapped up the most delightful shoot with Kavita, a baker in our community whose passion for her craft is like a sculptor who breathes life into raw clay.Every creation, from baguettes to brioche, is a masterpiece to be savoured.

We brainstormed, planned, and executed this shoot with flour-dusted hands and infectious laughter. The final results are sure to make you hungry for beauty (and maybe a delicious bagel).

But here’s the real question for YOU: What hidden passions do you bring to your everyday life?

"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮." - 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝘀. ✨

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗡𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝗸𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻, a force of nature and living proof of that "little extra." 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 doesn't just glide through water – he conquers it. Every stroke, every push, speaks a story of resilience, grit, and a spirit that shines brighter than any gold medal.

Niranjan's heroes? Swimming legends like Michael Phelps, Adam Peaty, and Ryan Lochte. But here's the secret: Niranjan isn't just chasing their shadows – he's carving his own path, paving the pool with his own brand of extraordinary.

I had the privilege of capturing Niranjan's power and grace in a recent photoshoot, and let me tell you, it took my breath away. I saw the determination in his eyes, the strength in his every movement, and the quiet confidence that whispered, "watch me fly."

There’s power in capturing women entrepreneurs. They radiate a captivating blend of passion, determination, creativity and resilience. As a portrait photographer, I’m drawn to this energy. Their journeys inspire me – the risks they’ve taken, the struggles they’ve overcome and the success they’ve built. It is an honour to be a part of their story, to translate their drive and vision into a powerful image.

That’s exactly what it was like working with 𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢 𝐁𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐲𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐇𝐞𝐦𝐩 & 𝐂𝐨. – a company that breathes sustainability.

Jayanti’s passion for building a greener future isn’t just about the bottom line; she’s deeply committed to empowering women aswell. Our entire photoshoot was a whirlwind of her infectious energy, and the crew? An amazing all-female force! The shoot was testament of Jayanti’s collaborative spirit and a reminder of the magic we brew when women join forces.

“𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴, 𝗜 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘀”, 𝗥𝗮𝗷𝗶𝗻𝗶 (@rajini.padmanaban ), founder of 𝗞𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗹, that works with artisans and weavers of 𝗗𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗮 (@dwaraka_kalamkari ) and 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗹𝗲 (@kalenele) across the South Indian states, shared with a smile that lit up her home studio.
I was in her garage cum studio transformed into a vibrant haven, filled with hand-woven treasures. Rajini, the beating heart of Kudil, proudly showcased each piece, her eyes sparkling with the stories behind them.
She recounted a heartwarming moment when she met the artisans of 𝗗𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀 (@dwaraka_kalamkari). The loving voices of artisans echoed her passion for empowering their community.

I can still feel the energy that Varsha brings with her. A true force of nature, who I was so grateful to photograph. Varsha, a National Level Sprinter, shared her journey of dreaming big and chasing them with the same grit, endurance, and passion.
As I captured the clarity and determination in her eyes, she walked me through the hardest years of her life.
An injury is hard to recover from and for an athlete, it is quite a battle for both the body and the mind. Varsha describes hers as challenging yet very rewarding and beautiful. What doesn't break us, does leave us stronger. Her consistency and self-paced momentum helps her prepare for the race that lasts a few seconds. But, how to make those seconds count completely relies on her focus and hunger for the goal.
"Don’t give up. Be consistent. It’s not over night results but a lifetime of happiness."
A fitting message from her to young, aspiring athletes, which applies to us all.

Wise words and even warmer smiles! ✨ My photoshoot with 𝗠𝘀. 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗶 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗿 (@payalrnath 's mom) was a true inspiration.

Coming from an army family (with both her father and husband serving in the India-Pak war!), her strength and grace shine through.

Ms. Meenakshi's hands weren't just strong from life's challenges, they reflected quiet joy and warmth as she spoke of her love for embroidery and knitting. Each stitch in her personalized hampers for her grandchildren isn't just yarn, it represents threads of love and legacy, passed down through generations.

But beyond the beautiful crafts, she shared a life lesson that resonated deep within me: "You can't stay in the tunnel forever. You'll move forward, either towards the dark or the light, but there will always be a way out."

Her words are a reminder that even in the darkest tunnels, even when life throws shadows our way, the choice to move forward, to seek the light, always remains with us.

"Lost connection"

𝒕𝒂𝒑, 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍, 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌 -
𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅
𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒈𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕
𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅

𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅, 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 -
𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔
𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒘𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕?
𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔

𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃, 𝒔𝒂𝒅, 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 -
𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒔
𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒅
𝒚𝒆𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒆

𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑, 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 -
𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒐𝒏
𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓
𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈,
𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

Scars and Wisdom

'Hindsight' is a powerful thing.
Who we used to be and what we went through must feel different in that moment in time. In the present, if we reflect, it can show us so much we couldn't fathom then.

Thinking back on how we dealt with a situation before versus now, can show you growth, progress, learnings, or just a change – in you and in your life. It is not to say that what probably hurt you before won't now, but, how you deal with it or perceive it, will change. We can reduce it to the 'beauty of time', but let's give ourselves some 'credit'.

What we go through, changes our composition – our coping skills, self-awareness, emotional quotient, resilience, cognitive skills, and so much more.

But, what I can't say is 'when' that happens for each of us and how we choose to take it. Yet, my hope would be that if bad days or challenges find you, they don't break you, but leave you new. Rich with inspiration, strength, and reform.