self-portrait, ‘Persona’ © Yatender — *self-portrait, ‘Persona’* © Yatender

You have done a lot of self-documenting in regards to your photography style. What have you learned the most from this documentation? How has that discovery affected the way that you perceive the ones around you?

I’ve come to realize there’s so much about photography that I still don’t know- ideally, technically, practically! Throughout my practice, I’ve always seen photography as a game, and, in order to keep it simple and easy for myself, I had shut the door to new things, rusted away in my own bubble and stayed arrogant for quite a long time. I am now still that stubborn, foolish kid thinking of photography as my playground and I often experience difficulty finding inspiration, but clearly there is some change in the way I observe and perceive things, specifically the ones close to me. I’ve learnt to recognize and treasure even the slightest attempt to change, to do or try something new from people around me. It’s inspiring and breathtakingly beautiful to witness, especially when most of them, including myself, have been struggling to stay creative whilst dealing with our own problems.

In this series, you seem to be focusing on beams of light in some of the photos. What does this signify to you, and was it an intended part of capturing the images?

Lighting, specifically natural light, to me, is one of the most beautiful forms of life. I am drawn to it just like mayflies yearn for electric lighting on bridges at night. Sometimes, without even thinking, I frame a picture based on how I am going to throw a beam of light onto my body anytime I catch a glimpse of a light source around me; maybe this has something to do with my photography style. I rarely plan my shoots and very much enjoy the rather fun process of taking self-portraits with random scenarios.