It was monsoon of 2016 when I took admission to the photography school in Pune, BVSP. BVSP has been a special part of my life. It made me who I am today and gave me the greatest gift anyone can have: good people and good artists in my life. There are many friends for whom I could write now, and I might write about them in the future. But Sumedh was the one who caught my attention when I entered BVSP. Not only because he had curly hair like mine and I saw my twin there, but also because of what I heard about him and later when I saw him working on the floor.
There were almost 70 students, including my batch and the seniors. Sumedh was in the senior batch. He came from a photojournalism background and was also a part of "Nat Geo Covershot." Although I had seen a few episodes in the past, I did not recall him at that point. I never really got to see his work during my early years when I was in the first year. Sumedh had a very unique and different way of approaching the assignments given at that time. His art was not only based on visuals but also involved a very thoughtful and long process. Everyone got to know about it when their final portfolio time came 'Albus Atrum.'
Albus Atrum was one of the toughest period of my life too . Not because it was hard to succeeded in it but to be true to your art and yourself which you were showcasing all along. Sumedh did the same in his time. People in BVSP still talk about the final images of Sumedh from his certificate period and then diploma. I was on one of his final shoots in Mumbai. We were shooting some celebrity for his final portfolio. I still remember the look on Sumedh's face that day. It was like watching myself waiting in the wing of a theater, about to enter the stage and start the show. There, I realized that no art form is different from another; only the medium changes. What does not change is your passion to create and having that little bit of stress before you start is what keeps you on your path. That shoot , that concept , that execution , that presentation was one of the eye opener for lot of people in BVSP I must say. I will not go into details of it here but if you are still reading this you must go to him and ask the whole story about it :) .
Sumedh has taken a different turn now in his career . He is not confined by the tag '' Photographer ''. He calls his Studio 'Nodal House'. Now he works in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR). Sumedh recognized the potential of VR when he was in Pune only. He started doing research on his own about VR, AR, and MR. When we used to go to his house, he would make us sit in a chair while we watched a big snake eat us in VR. I still remember Sumedh holding a 5-in-1 reflector, opening it so quickly that it created a practical effect for the end scene where the snake attack :).
From there, to shooting the Maha Kumbh Mela, and then working with Disney Hotstar and Jio, Sumedh has always been looking for new and innovative opportunities to create better and better work. Passionate - Innovative - Humble at the last I think these three words define Sumedh as much for me but for sure he is more than that.
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