Saranya Shanker
Name: Saranya Shanker
Camera: Sony A7R II and A7III
Favourite type of photography: Landscape
Location: Leicester, UK
Instagram: @saranyas_silhouettes
How did you get into photography?
I just started clicking casually and gradually got serious.
Do you have any photographic qualifications or accolades?
I am a photography mentor with Click Community.
What's the first photograph you remember seeing or shooting?
We were in Singapore and I attended a photo walk. I was still learning to shoot in different modes (shutter priority, aperture priority etc). The photo walk leader taught us long exposure and showed us a composition with Marina Bay Sands and light trails from a boat passing by in the front. That image felt like magic when I saw it on the camera screen. This was in 2015 and it was my first most memorable photo.
What do you love about photography?
I love that it makes me look at the world with new eyes. I look past the obvious and see something artistic about every scene because of photography.
Read our Guide to Understanding Camera Sensor Sizes
What do you wish you'd learned about photography earlier?
I wish I had learned to 'let go' of perfections earlier. However, coming from a landscape background it is hard to do it. This is why I like shooting street photos. Street photography principles are directly opposite and contradictory to landscape photography principles, and it challenges me to move from one genre to another, but it also makes it all interesting.
Where is your favourite place for photography?
My trip to Iceland was phenomenal, so I would choose there.
Do you have a favourite photographic technique?
Slow shutter speed or long exposure. I'd been using it since the beginning for landscape photos, but in 2019, I first used it for a street photo and the effect was great. I have since used it in many street photos and it never fails to impress me.
Can you briefly outline your approach to image processing?
I have a very well-defined process that I use in every single photo. I import my images to Adobe Lightroom. My images are all sorted in a specific way. I do the basic edits in Ligfhtroom - exposure adjustments, some basic colour adjustments and some masking wherever needed (sky mask specifically). I then bring the files to Photoshop. I add curves layers to add depth to the images. I also have a light overlay that I use in most images (it adds a little bit of vignetting and golden tone to images). I have a noise reduction plug-in that I use in some images at the end before saving to Lightroom and exporting as a JPEG.
What's your favourite lens?
My 24-70mm f/2.8. However, I changed to a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 because of the lighter weight,
Do you have a favourite accessory?
Yes, my Peak Design Travel Tripod.
Read Saranya’s thoughts on the Peak Design Travel Tripod in Our Review
Have you found the perfect camera bag yet?
No, I’m still looking.
Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 25L Review
Which photographers have influenced or inspired you, and how or why?
I feel every photographer has something unique that we can learn from. I generally love looking at photos and studying them to understand the thinking behind the images. I feel it's the best way to learn. I have a hard time naming one specific source from where I learned most of the things I know in photography now, mainly because I know I've picked up hundreds of small and big things from hundreds of photographers around the world.
Please recommend 2 or 3 female photographers to follow on Instagram.
Judith Krasinski @judith_krasinski, Beth Shepherd @bethshepherdphotography, Lisa Warren @imagesbylisawarren
Is there a camera, lens or accessory that you don't have yet but you'd like to buy at some point?
I'd like to upgrade my Sony A7RII because it is 8 years old now. I'd like to buy the newest Sony equivalent, the A7RV, to replace it.
Is there a genre of photography that you love but that you haven't tried yet?
Fine art portraits.
What's your proudest photographic moment?
Winning second place in a landscape photo competition in Cincinnati in 2017 (when I was still a newcomer).
If you could have one superpower that could help you with photography, what would it be?
Visa-free travel.
Your favourite baked goods are?
Carrot cake
Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a mother, wife, traveller, photographer, full-time accountant, a bookworm and a plant mom. I look like I am doing it all, but I find it challenging often. I also don't do it all at the same time, I nurture my interests in turns. I have just come back from a landscape/night photography trip to the Lofoten Islands, Norway, and I am already dreaming about the next trip that I can book. I used to click and edit pictures every day for a few years, but now I am at a stage where I take photography-specific trips and only click pictures during those trips and don't take my camera out at all at other times. It was hard transitioning from being a compulsive shooter to a selective shooter, but I think I have now successfully moved to the new stage, and I like where I am now, mostly. However, I do get restless sometimes, wishing for a trip to go out and shoot. My wish would be to take at least one such trip every year to nurture my photography interest.
