She was all about getting her photos clicked as a little girl. When she began pursuing her newfound love for making images, another passion followed like it was simply meant to happen: wildlife. Today, Sushmitha Reddy doesn’t miss any opportunity that lets her explore diverse wildlife and make her own stories through photography, complemented by her succinct anecdotes.
When Sushmitha began travelling with family and friends, she made sure to carry a point-and-shoot camera with her to make and preserve memories. When she bought a DSLR, she realised just how much there was to learn and how the possibilities of making evocative images were practically endless. It was an exhilarating challenge and she wanted to equip herself with the technical knowledge of using all the features of an SLR camera to their fullest potential.
She was looking for photography workshops and that’s when she first learned of Toehold. She signed up for the Art of Science of Photography Workshop and was impressed with the range of topics covered. When she understood how technology could meet her passion for making images as an intimate art form, Sushmitha wanted to explore different genres of photography.
“The thrill of making memories last in the form of images is an intoxicating process,” exclaims Sushmitha, and continues: “I wanted to do more than travel photography. That’s when I decided that Toehold Photography Tours to different destinations across the world were the best way to go about it.”
Today, she says she has realised that apart from photography itself, there is real value in meeting the like-minded people, having interesting conversations with them and sharing knowledge, all of which happen on Photography Tours.
“And I love how the Skippers are brutally honest while giving feedback, and how they coax us to think on our own,” she adds.
Sushmitha also tells us how she has travelled to some exotic locations, and has been to the right places to make pictures of specific wild creatures in their natural habitat in the right light. Years ago, she was happy and content capturing joyous moments that her pets offered at home, but today, her passion has increased by leaps and bounds and she has travelled to as far as Africa to realise some of her dreams.
On the professional front, Sushmitha has experience of working in the field of education, which was also her family business. Currently, she deftly strikes a balance between her zeal for photography and her job in a reputed marketing consultancy. And part from wildlife photography, she also takes up projects on children photography, and has been continuing travel and street photography, too. A woman of several hobbies, she is a contemporary dancer as well.
But she’s not resting. Landscape and macro photography are other genres that Sushmitha wants to explore in the near future. She asserts that it will be interesting to try long-exposure shots in low light, using filters and tripods, instead of always capturing hand-held perspectives. After having done the Ladakh Photo Tour, she’s excited about the Iceland Photo Tour for landscape photography.
Her favourite wildlife destination is Kenya. “Something about Kenya works like magnetism on me. There is ample and lovely photo opportunities in gorgeous light and even an amateur can take their art to a whole new level in Kenya. I am beginning to feel the need to know more about birds, too, because of my previous Photo Tour, especially when I was in Nakuru. I want to capture the spectacular avian life in their flight and freeze their motion,” elucidates an excited Sushmitha.
When asked about what photography means to her personally, Sushmitha resorts to a fitting pause, and continues: “Photography is like another language to me; each photo speaks to me differently every time I revisit it and I think that the purpose of an image, that way, is already served.” And with that clear understanding of what an art form means to her, Sushmitha is all set to travel around the country and the globe for more newness and experiences. We wish her the very best in her travel and photography endeavours.
Super images