portraits by Mahesh Balasubramanian

I have often heard that India is an "otherworldly place" for all photographers ; that every instance is a picture, that your eye will never rest, and you will be challenged every moment for your compositions. Where colors and harshness meet, where life is literally engraved in most faces, both young and old, India can be a portrait photographers' heaven. Don't take my word for it, but browse through the web and see for yourself. Striking images of people and places, convey a feeling that most Westerners are definitely not accustomed to.

Mahesh is from Chennai, India, and describes himself as a street photographer. In his own words :  "I started my photography journey in 2008 and took photographs of everything which I felt was beautiful. I shot macro, nature, landscape, etc. but it did not seem to satisfy me much. I then realized my interest was towards people photography and it soon became a passion. Most of my portraits are taken in the streets of India, with available ambient natural light. I strive to portray their inner heart and soul through the expressions in the eyes. I believe that through the subject’s eyes and expression, one can get a feeling of the person’s emotions, state of mind, happiness or sorrow. It is my goal to make portraits which will connect the viewers and the subjects directly".