VISUAL ARTIST, PAINTER, PHOTOGRAPHER

Shweta Malhotra is a well-known visual artist based in New Delhi who is inspired to create visual experiences through her photographs and paintings. Stories, emotions and elements have always captivated her since she was a child. She has made a significant mark in street, commercial, advertising and corporate photography while still relatively new to the art world. Her experience extends beyond corporate communication and publishing projects, as she is also deeply invested in working on issues of greater importance, such as children from diverse communities. She has served on the jury foça number of photography competitions at some of the most prestigious institutions, including IIT Delhi and Kanpur, Delhi University and others. Her photography workshops and photo-walks with the Crafts Museum, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, and the Indian Academy of Photography have earned her recognition within the industry and beyond. Another feather in her cap was the Art Workshops for Corporates. So in this issue we had a talk with Shweta to know how she captures such wonderful images and what's the secret behind her photographs.

- SANCHIT MISHRA

What led you to street photography in the first place, and how did you find it?

My journey started in the year 2015 when I had a crop sensor camera at home, and one day I started taking pictures with it, started experimenting with different settings. I also moved out on the streets and started clicking things which intrigued me. Around early 2016, I received an invite to go on a photo walk, where I made my first portrait of a tea seller. Initially, I was hesitant to go up close and make his picture, but a few fellow photographers nudged me a little to take a picture. After that photo walk, it became a routine for me, where I used to go out with other photographers and explore the streets. Now when I look back and remember that day, how things started changing inside me, how gradually my perspective started shaping up differently towards the world around me, it gives me a little sense of achievement and joy of moving ahead on the right path. As I progressed on my journey, I started introspecting within and became more aware of what I liked to click. I was in awe of the whole process of clicking pictures and finally looking at the results. That overwhelming feeling transcended onto the next level now, as when I am on the streets, whether observing around or taking pictures, I go into a zen mode where I don’t have any thoughts in my head. All the predominant thoughts either freeze or go silent when I enter the streets. Over these years, I have realised that our perspective undergoes many changes as we grow, hence, nurturing our minds with productive mental food should be the priority for all of us, and in this very process, street photography happened to me. Therefore I would say that I did not find street photography; instead, I fell for it, and it caught me at the right moment.