Dhruvin Shah

Dhruvin is a photographer and creative director who uses photography to understand the world around him and explore life.

Mumbai, India

He is primarily a fashion photographer, however, at times he incorporates elements of documentary photography into his portraiture to create what he calls "fashion-documentary".

What has been a memorable experience for you as an artist?

Moving to Paris. [I was] surrounded by multiple artists and learned from them, visited galleries and museums, and understood different perspectives.

Has working as a photographer impacted your perspective or influenced how you see the world around you?

Photography plays as a catalyst for understanding the world around me. It's a tool for exploring life.

Can you reflect on any interesting places you’ve travelled to that have allowed you to capture a story with your photography?

Last summer, [my team and I] travelled to a small village in the Himalayas. The idea was to cast local girls from the village and give them clothes to wear to see how they would react to it. The shoot turned out to be so good as we cast all the girls from the village and they did not shy away from the camera, yet, there was this innocence and timidness on their faces which gave a very strong appeal to the overall campaign.

When did you begin taking photographs?

Since I was a 4 year old. I would take photos of my family members and ask them to pose. I used to shoot from my dad's point-and-shoot camera.

What type of photographs do you take?

I started with documentary photography and later moved to fashion photography.

What drew you to fashion photography?

The fact that I get to direct multiple departments from lights to fashion styling to set design.

How do you develop your ideas and bring them to reality?

This is always challenging, a good team is the key to any shoot. Every shoot is a collaborative process; I give equal freedom to the team to visualize how they would want to implement the idea.

When colour grading your work, are the any moods or themes you aim for?

I am hugely inspired by films; you can see those colours in my work.

Are there any experiences or beliefs that influence your work and what you choose to create?

Philosophy plays quite a huge role in my work, and a lot of personal experiences; those are the most honest forms of expression.

Have you overcome any challenges to be where you are now?

Yes, it's been quite a journey. In the beginning, I was excited about every project that would come to me. Later on, I was quite unhappy with the projects I was getting so I decided to take a break and unlearn; that helped me see things from a wider perspective. Now, I am in full control of my narrative.

What brands/companies have you collaborated with so far, and what was that experience like?

I have worked with multiple brands and magazines, such as Lancel Paris, Apple, COS, Reebok, Sketchers, Vogue, Grazia, Elle, and Verve, to name a few. I have reached a certain point in my career where brands and magazines give me complete freedom to express my creative vision.

What encourages you to move forward with your work?

'Be here, now’ is my mantra.

You can check out more of Dhruvin's work on his official website: www.dhruvin.in/ or view his Instagram page @druven.