The aesthetic storyteller 

20-yr-old George Sabu weaves narratives through his frames, which help the viewer understand the subject’s state of mind
The aesthetic storyteller 

BENGALURU: Our brains are wired to gravitate towards soothing colours. Personally, over-saturated pics are painful to the eyes. I want my pictures to comfort people, I want them to feel good. That’s where the pastel tones come from,” says 20-year-old George Sabu. Head over to @grgcsabu on Instagram for minutes, or even hours if you keep scrolling, of tranquil bliss.

Featuring food and people, the page is an ode to experiences, fine and pleasant which are the tiffany bows in the photographer’s life. But wait, George absolutely detests being called a photographer. “That’s just a part of who I am. I do narratives, I tell stories. I’m a storyteller. Being just a photographer limits my capacity,” quips George.

George’s pictures have an innate quality. The subject’s state of mind is immediately transferred to the viewer. The secret? “Everyone has a different story. And I believe that narrative is extremely important. I work for ‘We the People’ in Chennai, a part of Humans of Bombay. You meet so many people and the experience is massively humbling. There is an intense urge to share stories and be honest with the storytelling. Orchestrating pictures takes away the relativity of what you do,” shares George, who wants to constantly hold on to moments through his pictures. 

It isn’t every day a celebrity comes knocking on one’s door, requesting a collaboration. Albeit, a few months ago, the stars aligned and actor Kajal Aggarwal, upon fancying George’s aesthetic photos, popped the question. A baffled George was excited, to say the least. “It was a surreal experience. She’s extremely sweet and hardworking,” he says. Her recent photoshoot is replete with the USP of George’s photographs. “The idea is to capture something in the most pleasing way possible.

I want people to feel something when they see my pictures. I was battling depression, therefore, a slight sense of happiness in a spectator means the world to me. I think it’s a lot like cooking. A great chef adds value to every ingredient he/she uses. It’s art. You perceive something in a different way and you put it out there for people to enjoy,” George continues. 

Food happens to be another love. Working with top cafes in South India, George’s perception of food is rather evident through his pictures. “I started photographing food at the Coromandel cafe, Puducherry. It was life-changing and emotional. The only way I can possibly convince people to eat the amazing food is to capture and transfer the experience through my pictures,” says George. Currently, a student, George’s tryst with photography had begun when his mother got him a digital camera recorder with which he incessantly took random videos. “It’s a very slow journey which started with the idea of holding onto things,” he says.

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