Get to know the artist and their journey from first photos to first lockdown
Who
is Malini Vaja?
Malini is a photographer of people, places, and everything in between. Even though her photography thrives off of connections and moments with people in the outside world, the Covid crisis has given Malini the opportunity to step outside her comfort zone and get creative in new ways. I spoke with the inspiring photographer to find out more about her photography work and how it’s developed with the current situation.
Why
did you first get into photography?
Malini: “I always loved taking pictures, documenting my friends and before I even had a camera, I remember visualising things in my head like pictures. I remember one summer when I was 15/16 years old I got a digital camera and I started shooting my friends doing stupid things like smoking and skating etc. I was shooting the things I used to visualise in my head and that’s when I realised photography is what I wanted to do.”
“I was shooting the things I used to visualise in my head and that’s when I realised photography is what I wanted to do.”
What
is your favourite photo you’ve ever taken?
Malini: “My favourite photo is a photo I took in India of three guys on a motorbike. It’s completely unedited but I think the colours are beautiful. It was funny to me because it was so normal to them. The guy looking at the camera turned around after I took the photo and in Hindi said ‘look she took a photo because she thinks it’s weird all of us are on this bike’. He was right.”
How
has Covid affected your photography work?
Malini: “Covid has affected my work a lot. I shoot people mainly. I love meeting people, talking to them, getting to know them etc. So when lockdown hit and I couldn’t meet anyone, work went dry. Although a positive is that I found other ways to express my creativity, trying stuff like cyanotypes and Polaroid emulsion lifts. Although Covid stopped me from shooting how I normally would, it gave me confidence to try new things and also made me realise I have to work with what I’ve got.”
“Although Covid stopped me from shooting how I normally would, it gave me confidence to try new things and also made me realise I have to work with what I’ve got.”
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