Choosing a career in photography was a decision that came to be after much deliberation. Weighing pros and cons, thinking of future prospects and having endless discussions with friends and family, it was a big change from the world of advertising that I was planning to enter. This was a time marked with uncertainty and confusions. Instinctively, as soon as the decision became clearer in my mind, the first step to be taken was to find an institute to learn, grow and flourish. After weeks of searching and researching, SACAC came up as a top choice.

At SACAC I found myself surrounded by lush, green gardens and the beautiful and calm atmosphere designed to encourage creativity and unique ideas. I joined a group of passionate, ambitious and energetic peers who were excited and eager to learn, photograph and create. The SACAC library houses hundreds of photobooks and literature on photography, there is no dearth of knowledge and information at SACAC as long as one keeps their minds and hearts open. It immediately felt like the place to be as I took steps towards building a career in photography. As the course progressed, at each new chapter of the journey I found opportunities to grow not only as a photographer, but also as a person. Experiencing new situations, meeting new people in the real world, meeting photographers and practitioners I had long admired and interacting with my peers and faculty opened my mind to a world of new ideas and thoughts. As an introvert, I found myself faced with situations I would otherwise never experience. I felt like each new day changed something within me, forcing me to be a better photographer and human.

My biggest highlight of the course had to be the 10-day long photography workshop and field visit to Varanasi. In the short span of time, we had to look for a story, photograph and exhibit. The workshop tested all that we had learned in real-time. It was an experience like no other, living with all my peers in a dorm, having discussions on photography and the projects we were making, sharing meals together, exploring a city like no other and building our friendship with each other and our photographic practices.