CAPTURING THE ESSENCE OF A BRAND

Harshith Dambekodi is a highly sought-after fashion and advertising photographer known for his unique aesthetic and attention to detail. With a background in both photography and design, Harshith brings a creative eye and technical expertise to every project. He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the industry and has a talent for capturing striking, memorable images that tell a story and engage the viewer. In this interview, we will learn more about Harshith's journey as a photographer, his approach to creating powerful visual content, and his thoughts on the future of the fashion and advertising industry.

- SANCHIT MISHRA

What inspired you to seek a profession in photography? Could you please tell us a little bit about Harshith Dambekodi Photography?

As a kid I stumbled upon my Dad’s Canon AE-1 35mm film camera with 50mm lens and the photographs he had documented in his time spent in the States. The idea of capturing moments in a camera seemed mesmerising. This got me subconsciously hooked on to this beautiful medium. Moving forward, I got into a Fine art collage (Karnataka Chitra Kala Parishad), Bangalore, India. Here I had my first hand in dark-room technique exposures. Since painting (https:// www.harshithdambekodi.com/pencil-charcoal) was my main medium of expression, photography was just a hobby. I experimented with painting a lot but photography gave me a sense of myself and life I wanted to lead. In coming years, I worked as an art director in an advertising agency called Ogilvy & Mather from 2006 - 2008 and then the great recession hit and I was sacked (Reason - my boss comes up to me and says since I have a coffee plantation and financially sound compared to my colleagues please make the sacrifice needed). This opened up a whole new window to look into other career options and thus I took up photography as a main stream and rest is history. But now if I get to meet him I will definitely give him a big hug. The one person who truly guided me to in-depth of photography is my mentor Mr. Farrokh Chothia, one of the greatest photographer I have ever known.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

My hunger for beautiful photographs comes from the world around me, it’s full of beauty, emotions, feelings, stories and colours that drives me to create a photograph or an artwork. I always try to find beauty in everyone and capture it to show my subjects and viewers the truth. It’s magical.