Á: Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

JS: I’m a hobbyist photographer. I grew up in Calcutta, India and moved around the country to study and work. In 2017, I moved to San Francisco. I’ve been shooting digital and film photography since the pandemic began. Besides photography, I love my morning coffee and watching football (soccer).

Á: Can you tell us more about your style of photography?

JS: I try to convey some kind of emotion in my photos of everyday life or a planned scene with a friend. I think I fall somewhere between a street style photographer and a cinematographer.

Á: How long have you been taking photographs for?

JS: I’ve been taking pictures since I was a kid. My earliest memory is using my parents’ point and shoot Yashica. However, I got into photography more seriously as a hobby during the early days of the pandemic, primarily with digital. I have only recently been shooting with film and I am loving it.

I’m mostly self-taught with a lot of help from YouTube tutorials. I’ve also had some great mentors who have helped me improve my shooting techniques.

Á: Why did you move from shooting digital to shooting on film? 

JS: There is something beautiful about analog photography which is very hard to replicate with digital. You have to be more intentional while shooting analog – that is something that I’ve really enjoyed and started to appreciate a lot more recently. 

Á: What do you enjoy most about photography?

JS: I enjoy the process a lot. Going out, looking for interesting compositions, capturing them and then processing them. I try to shoot daily and have been doing that with a fair amount of consistency the past couple of years. It’s hard to plan a specific shot on most days but I try to capture the “mood” of a specific scene. There are days you can go shooting and come back with nothing interesting, which is normal and fine. The process is the most rewarding.

Á: What would you consider to be the biggest influence on your work? 

JS: I love chasing the fog, especially when it’s at ground level. Fog gives the image an element of mystery and just adds a new dimension to any otherwise regular scene. This summer, for example, I spent several evenings in San Francisco’s Twin Peaks neighborhood trying to capture daily moments as they happen. 

Á: What tips would you give to someone who wants to start shooting?

JS: My simplest advice is to get out and shoot daily – that is the only way you will improve over time. The more time you spend outdoors and/or indoors shooting, the better you will get. Be patient and you will find the whole process deeply rewarding.

For resources, I would recommend checking out some popular YouTube channels including grainydays. I would also recommend looking at composition techniques used by an artist that you like. For example, I have been recently obsessed with Edward Hopper’s work and tend to draw inspiration from his style.

Á: Who are the photographers that you look up to the most?

JS: There are tons of photographers I really admire, a couple of names that come to mind are @johnnyhomemovies, @sanghan_, @foggygrain etc.

Á: How do you decide what to share on Instagram?

JS: I try to shoot every other day and there are many days when I don’t get something interesting enough to share. For me, the criteria is quite simple – the image should make me feel something. If it doesn’t, then I’m most probably not going to post it on Instagram. I don’t always get it right though, but I’m still learning. Shooting and posting on Instagram has been a positive experience for me – I’ve made a ton of similar minded friends who I go to shoot and consult with. I’m grateful for these friends and connections!

Á: What is the biggest lesson you have learned from your work so far?  

JS: I think the biggest lesson is that patience is key. Also, if you want to get better at something, it takes time and patience and the learning curve is never-ending.

Á: What creative project are you working on at the moment?

JS: I’m currently in India and have been trying to document everyday life here. I’m nervous and excited to have my film rolls developed!