The lens of South Asian photographers captures stories thousands of years in the making. Stories of tradition and progression, happiness and pain, and also life and death are all portrayed in a single frame. These photographers hail from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and additional places.
Telling the tales of a land filled with a complex history is also an admirable task. The lush greenery of Bangladesh, the tropical breezes of Sri Lanka, then the sacred waterways of India. Of course also the majestic terrain of Pakistan.
All these entities come together to give South Asian photographers a near-perfect backdrop.
These 10 South Asian photographers bet on themselves and then let their passions guide them. It is with this internal drive that they’ve thus constructed a window for the world to gaze at South Asia’s beauty.
With immense pride, here are Kulture Hub’s South Asian photographers to look out for:
Luv Israni – Mumbai, India
Hailing from the Bollywood capital of the world, Luv has made Mumbai his playground to click, capture, fail, and then learn again. This Indian photographer’s work covers a range of industries including Bollywood, fashion, weddings, and also music.
When asked about who his biggest competition is, Luv simply says, “My Last Shot.” A lesson all photographers, not just ones hailing from South Asia, should keep in mind.
Parthavi Yadav – Pune, India
A lover of natural light, Parthavi has set up shop in Pune, still known as the educational hub of India. She is a portrait, interior spaces, and also lifestyle photographer that brings out the warmth and comfort of her subjects.
This Indian photographer is changing the way we look at photography in the South Asian context.
Samyukta Lakshmi – Bangalore, India
Lakshmi is a photographer as well as a photojournalist based out of India’s tech hub of Bangalore. She is also an Indian photographer changing the game.
Her work in vulnerable communities, covering social inequality, the human spirit, resilience, and climate change can still be seen in publications across the world.
Namely, this includes The New York Times, Der Spiegel, BBC, Bloomberg News, Quartz, Business Insider USA, MIT Technology Review Magazine, Refinery29, Caravan, Nrc.nl, Grazia, Yahoo Finance, and furthermore, the Deccan Herald.
Deepti Asthana – Mumbai, India
Based in Mumbai, Deepti is an independent photographer, storyteller, and also National Geographic Explorer. Her work focuses on women in traditional societies of rural India, and therefore, is some of the most important work done by South Asian photographers.
She, like Yadav and Lakshmi, is an Indian photographer at the top of her game.
Deepti’s skills are used to share untold regional stories that are both tender and strong. She delicately balances tradition and progression with each project.
Her work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, BBC News, Al Jazeera English, Der Spiegel, Daily Post, Huffington Post, First Post, The Diplomat, Feature Shoot, Hindu Business Line, and The Hindu.
Saiyna Bashir – Islamabad, Pakistan
Bashir is a Pakistani photojournalist whose international assignments have been published in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, NPR, Der Spiegel, Al-Jazeera English, and still others.
Her work focuses on women empowerment, societal issues and solutions in South Asia, and also environmental injustices.
Ata Adnan – Chittagong, Bangladesh
Adnan bet on himself during his third year of medical school by picking up a camera for the first time.
Since then, this Bangladeshi-bred photographer has only become a name stay amongst South Asian photographers. He also tells stories about the socio-economic relationships within his community.
Adnan’s camera, additionally, is an extension of his lifestyle and his surroundings. His work has been featured in BBC, CNN, Huffington Post, The Guardian, and also a host of local Bangladeshi newspapers. This Bangladeshi photographer is therefore a shining example amongst South Asian photographers.
Khaula Jamil – Karachi, Pakistan
Jamil is an independent freelance documentary photographer, photojournalist, and also filmmaker from Karachi.
The Pakistani photographer additionally covers a range of subjects including climate change, health, agriculture, and human rights. She is still best known for her emotional and visually impacting series “Humans of Karachi.” Khaula provides a youthful exuberance amongst South Asian photographers.
Arantha Sirimanne – Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sirimanne hails from the tropical island of Sri Lanka. He is also recognized as one of South Asia’s most coveted fashion photographers. The art of lighting captivated Arantha from a young age.
This then took him on a journey that led to many international gigs which includes becoming the exclusive photographer for Miss Sri Lanka, Miss World, and an official tourism photographer for Sri Lanka International. He is thus a key contributor to South Asian photographers.
Rohit Gupta – Mumbai, India
Gupta’s work depicts a sense of fortitude and defiance. Based out of Mumbai, he is a fashion and also advertising photographer that has collaborated with many high-end brands.
Some of this talented Indian photographer’s best work can still be seen in Rolling Stone and GQ magazines.
Fabeha Monir – Dhaka, Bangladesh
Fabeha is a Bangladeshi-based humanist photographer who uses images, text, and video to provide storytelling for her clients.
This Bangladeshi photographer’s people-focused stories also explore social development, migration, gender violence, and forced exile in marginalized communities.
She has been commissioned by renowned institutions that include: World Health Organization (WHO), World Food Program (WFP), Norad, Traidcraft, Nobel Women Initiative, Water Aid, Christian Aid, H&M Foundation, Human Appeal UK, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and even more.
Look out for Monir, the transcendent Bangladeshi photographer giving us a view into Bangladesh’s photography scene.
South Asian photographers are changing the way we view photography
These ten South Asian photographers are but a blip on the entire map of South Asian photography. Still, they are reminders of the blossoming nature of the industry, capturing longstanding traditional cultures but in the modern age.
Whether their work focuses on commercial photography, follows a more journalistic style, or advocacy like that for women, these South Asian photographers all excel in their crafts.
From talented Indian photographers to dedicated Pakistani photojournalists, to Bangladeshi photographers and more, these South Asian photographers all set the bar high for how to capture images in an authentic state.
Look out for them, and if you’re searching for how to stay focused in your photography efforts, look no further than here: