REFINING REALITY WITH Automotives - Kunaal Kelkar

Kunaal Kelkar is a famous automotive photographer in India and the co-founder of the creative agency "The Autofocus". Autofocus specialises in developing distinctive and compelling content for the automobile sector. He has carved his way through the automobile sector by producing photo and video material that is unparalleled even on a worldwide scale. Kunaal pursued his two hobbies, photography and vehicles, after leaving molecular and cell biology. Kunaal works with a diverse range of clientele, both locally and globally. Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rimac Automobili, Zenvo Automotive, and many other companies are on his list. Kunaal believes that Sir William Lyons' quote, "The automobile is the closest thing we will create to something that is alive," should be appreciated by exhibiting the gorgeous design in the most distinctive way possible. His approach is "Refined Reality", and he does employ post-production to improve the reality of the photographs he captures. His profession brings him all around the world, photographing cars in diverse locales. So in this issue we interviewed the talented Kunaal Kelkar to know how he got into this creative field of shooting automotives and what are the challenges.

- SANCHIT MISHRA

You are in a photography genre which is rare. How did you get started with automotive photography? What inspired you to choose this uncommon genre of photography?

To answer the second question first, I love cars and I love photography. To be honest, it was mainly my love of cars that actually got me to love photography. There is something about automotive design that intrigues me and automotive photography is one of the, if not the best way to compliment automotive design.

Sir William Lyons, the founder of the company - Jaguar, has a quote that has stuck with me ever since I read it - "The car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive".

Hence, I believe and say that the automotive world is full of emotion and is a pantomime. Cars stir feelings, cars change hearts, cars clear thoughts and to take to the bare minimum, they take us from A to B, but most of all, cars give us a sense of pride and ownership. You always say, "Yes, this is MY car", or "I can drop you off in MY car", there is a sense of personal connection with cars.

Similarly, photography is all about emotion and drama, a dramatic image is always appreciated and remembered. So in a way cars and photography kind of go hand in hand.

Both are technical, both have a learning curve, both need a skilled operator and both give me an immense feeling of satisfaction, excitement and joy!