BENGALURU: In the current scenario, virtual platforms have come as a lifeline for artists to showcase their work. Photographer Sasha Jairam has made use of the same, but with a twist. Coping with the frustration of staying indoors, Jairam embarked on a ‘FaceTime Photo Series’ featuring Bollywood celebrities. While Ananya Pandey, Athiya Shetty and Nidhhi Agerwal are among those already featured, Jairam plans to feature Mouni Roy, Khushi Kapoor and Alaya F too.
“It’s a way of staying sane during this pandemic, since I am unable to step out and shoot. It’s a little awkward to call it a photoshoot since the pictures are shot on a webcam,” says Jairam, speaking to CE from Mumbai. While she claims the series is a first in India, she accepts that the idea as not original. “On Instagram, I came across an Italian photographer who created digital content through this manner of photography. It was very intriguing, as I love subjects which focus on Generation Z, so I decided to explore and really execute it,” says Jairam, who hails from Bengaluru.
When Ananya Pandey posted a picture of herself in a peach bathrobe, captioning it “facetime foto fun, the new normal”, it went viral, something Jairam least expected. Though she calls herself a true blue millennial, when it comes to photography, she prefers old school. “I don’t want to call it the new normal. I like the idea of perfect lighting, sets, etc.
This is one aspect of photography where we frame a picture and that’s what I did to create content digitally,” says the 24-year-old who cites low resolution as a challenge during her shoots. However, she appreciates digital platforms as a great space to explore ideas which push one to think out of the box. “I see celebrities like Bella Hadid doing their own photoshoot, which might sound a little unprofessional, but those pictures look unique,” adds Jairam, who started photography professionally as a 16-year-old.
While her work sees her shuffling between Bengaluru, Mumbai and London, the lockdown has now left Jairam confined in Mumbai. “I was supposed to fly home (Bengaluru) on April 14, but now since the lockdown has been extended, my travel is uncertain,” says Jairam who also had to cancel a shoot in Sri Lanka for a leading brand.