Honorable Mention
Holy Fish | Hampi, Karnataka, India
DESCRIPTION
I have innately gravitated towards nature and landscape since 2017, which is when I really delved into photography beyond the 'auto' mode. So when I decided to spend the year's first long weekend amidst architectural ruins, my conviction was tested. But Hampi was unfinished business. The curative virtues that stayed with me since my first visit, were compelling and indefatigable. The sprained ankle that I had been nursing wasn't to win. Not this time. And so I set on. Simply put, Hampi, at least to my attestation, is Karnataka's crown jewel. A capital city with 14th century origins that was only second to Beijing in size, it was also the very bastion of Hindu architectural marvels and hosted a deeply multi-cultural identity for its time. Today, the surreal, ornate and remarkable landscape of the ancient seat of the Vijayanagara empire bustles under Lord Virupaksha’s protective gaze. Not everything is morose - a distinct but enchanting subculture thrives in Hampi today as well, alluring travelers from around the world and raking up prime spots on top destination lists. This is a shot of the Tungabhadra River.
Shot details: Single exposure, tripod hosted
AUTHOR
I was born and brought up in north-eastern India – a region that was largely isolated from the rest of the country for most of the previous century. I'm currently based out of Bangalore, India and as for my day job, I’m a vice president with a major investment bank and oversee functions ranging from software and data engineering to NLP, machine learning and analytics.It took much longer for the photography skills in me to take shape. I hail from a time and family where access to internet, need to travel and ownership of a camera were preceded over by other survival essentials. Consequently, it took a while for me to turn technically competent enough to qualify for a camera. For the initial 8 to 9 years of my travels, I strutted around armed with either a hapless single digit megapixel phone camera or a nondescript point-and-shoot. I cringed at the fact that my exploits were so unremarkable that even my family would frown upon them. The moment of inflection and reckoning came in 2017 when I bought my first advanced DSLR. It’s been close to three years now and my fascination with the craft has only deepened every day – taking me across most continents and destinations not even on Google Maps. Photography has provided me the balance and perspective that were unbeknownst to me previously – allowing me to grow both as a professional and human being. I evolved from a ‘tourist who photographed’ to a ‘curator of memories’. I specifically focus on landscape and architecture photography since I’m a tad too shy to shoot other living beings. Hampi, the Peruvian Andes and the Raja Ampat islands remain my dream expeditions.