Sharanya Chander

There are times in life when you feel like you are walking amidst the clouds and in a trice, they part exposing a beautiful view and you know in that very moment that this is the only place under the sun that you wanted to be in. I had this experience a considerable time ago. It was at this moment that I found solace with my camera. The reverberation of the shutter, the wide variety of emotions played out in front of me, the bright lights, a camera lens capturing everything within the frame and of course the pure adrenaline rush. It was a profound moment in my life when I knew I had found my true calling.

It was once rightly said by the legend Henri Cartier-Bresson “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst”. My passion for this noble art was ever increasing while formally pursuing my undergraduate degree in Visual Communication. I did my post graduation in Professional Photography from Light & Life Academy under the guidance of Mr. Iqbal K Mohammed, a renowned photographer, which gave me an even more intense propensity towards composition and lighting intertwined and my senses heightened because of my existence with nature in Ooty. Gradually, my interest was molded into a formative structure enriched by training and experiences.

After two years of freelancing experience and running my own business as a professional photographer, I got the opportunity to assist DOP Mr. Nirav D Shah, the ace cinematographer for movies such as Dhoom, Billa, etc. to his credit. I was an assistant cinematographer with my first film being the mammoth 3D film “Enthiran 2.0”, by Director Shankar. I was the associate cinematographer for the bi-lingual movies “Diya”, “Lakshmi” by Director Al Vijay and “Super Deluxe” by Director Thiyagaraja Kumararaja. I was also the second camera operator for the final three above-mentioned movies. I have gained extensive knowledge of the different types of cameras, lens, lighting and equipment used in filmmaking. I have worked on over 34-40 ad films under the capacity of an associate cinematographer and second camera operator. I have worked with teams from many parts of the world and well known for my people management skills and timely work. I have three years of experience managing the multi-camera rigs, using the latest computer technology and handling the pressure which come in filming motion pictures. I have now started to work independently as a “Director of Photography”. I am currently shooting for  “Vritham”, a Malayalam film by Director Gauthami Nair. I did the cinematography on a music video for Iskcon Temple, Bangalore recently.