JONATHAN CHERRY: What gets you up in the morning?

SOUMYA JAYARAMAN: The loud rooster alarm on my droid. It drives me nuts but it jolts me out of bed in the mornings.  

JC: Are there any emerging photographers inspiring you at the moment?

SJ: Yeah! Brooke Shaden, Leah Johnston, Dariusz Klimczak, Christian Weiss to name just a few. They all have different styles in photography and they are incredibly good at what they do.

JC: What is your current project all about?

SJ: After aimlessly taking pictures of anything and everything, I have finally found what I love - conceptual photography. I want to be able to tell a story with a single image. So, right now, I am focusing on bridging the gap between what I visualize in pre-production, what I shoot and what I end up with in post. I am quite happy with the progress I have made so far and I am hoping that it will continue over the years to come. You are welcome to see it all happen right here. I promise to keep it interesting.

JC: What draws you to making portraits?

SJ: I wouldn’t exactly call my pictures portraits because my models (I also use myself in the picture when I can’t find a model) are usually playing a character in the picture. Unless I am doing head-shots for my models, I rarely do portrait work. But, I got started with conceptual photography because I love portraits. Portraits have the power to trigger an emotional response from the viewer without any need for an explanation or comment.

JC: How do you find juggling personal & commercial work?

SJ: That is very easy because right now, everything is personal work.

JC: Any advice to recent photography graduates

SJ: I am no expert, but here is what I have learnt from personal experience. In my opinion, if you ever decide to do a job for free, make sure it is because you absolutely want to do it. Like for your portfolio or because it will give you the experience. Otherwise, it is just not worth it.

If you work with models, have an open conversation about your expectations before you begin the shoot and always get a model release. 

JC: Favourite tree?

SJ: Banyan tree