Saunak Shah
Image by Saunak Shah
Saunak Shah (he/him) is an Indian-born, NYC x BOM based artist, photographer and storyteller, self-proclaimed model, graphic designer and creative director. He is the Founder of Pursuit of Portraits, a Brooklyn-based collective that represents diverse global creators via curated experiences, brand activations, shared narratives, content creation, and community building. With over 15 years in the advertising industry, Saunak has fueled his professional life as an Art Director using photography as a medium for self-expression.
In September of 2017, Saunak quit his full-time job as Global Associate Design Director at IBM iX to pursue his passion for photography and travel on the Global Pursuit over 1 year to 5 continents and over 21+ countries with Pursuit of Portraits. Through the collective meet-ups hosted while on “The Global Pursuit” and on-going programming efforts, Saunak (via PoP) met over 10 thousand people in-person.
Saunak’s work focuses on the underlying narrative of people and the environments they live in and largely surround themes around fashion, sense of place and identity. Over the course of his career, Saunak has worked with clients including Delta, Land Rover, Adobe, IBM, Microsoft, Citibank, Google Pixel, W Hotels (to name a few) to provide visual design, influencer activation, integrated marketing, community engagement, content creation, photography, social strategy, consulting and storytelling in various capacities.
He works out of Mumbai and Brooklyn, and is a brand ambassador for Google Pixel and Adobe.
Hi Saunak! Tell us a little about yourself — when did you first become interested in photography and how did you get to where you are today?
I’m an artist, photographer and creative director, and I spend my time between New York and Bombay. My background is in advertising and graphic design and I’ve worked over 15 years in the agency world. Photography was always a way to connect to diverse people from a very young age.
My parents were both visual artists by passion and I remember shooting film on their equipment when I was 12! Those were stepping stones into creating a space to grow my creativity. The rest is history. I studied graphic design at The Art Institute of Boston and slowly found a calling into pursuing photography as a more mainstream profession. Today, I’m a full time photographer, creator and visual storyteller.
Photographer Saunak Shah
“The key aspect of any collaboration is to understand what the brand values, campaign objectives and key takeaways are.
It’s less about following the brief verbatim, but more about understanding how I can tell a story that resonates with the audiences.“
Are there particular themes you like to explore through your work?
Much of my work focuses on the diversity and inclusivity of people--their strengths highlighted through fashion, creative direction and sense of place. My goal is to show how culturally rich people are from different parts of the world, outside of what the NatGeo’s of the world have portrayed. It’s important to me to show the beauty of these diverse people because I’ve had my own struggles in finding my sense of place, self, and identity.
Your portraits are so striking and authentic in both your personal and commercial work. What’s your approach when photographing people and how do you create a connection with them?
Thank you so much! I strive to highlight people’s biggest assets: sometimes unconventional, sometimes non conforming, sometimes traditionally unacceptable and sometimes I highlight them just how I see them. Getting to know my subjects a little before the shoot, creating a safe environment, letting them feel comfortable and having fun during the shoot are some things I keep in mind while making portraits. It’s essential for me to make sure my subjects are comfortable and feel beautiful…inside out.
You’ve worked with a range of clients including Adobe, Google, Delta, Land Rover, W Hotels and more. What’s your creative process like and how do you approach creative collaboration with your clients?
The key aspect of any collaboration is to understand what the brand values, campaign objectives and key takeaways are. It’s less about following the brief verbatim but more about understanding how I can tell a story that resonates with the audiences. I generally outline what the client must have, what is good to have and how my own POV comes into play. Most of my work plays with the element of mood, light, color, sense of place and the overall story.
What’s the most memorable project that you worked on?
Personally, my most memorable one has been my year long, 12-part series called Wholeness. I’m the subject in this exploration and each month focuses on a dominant color which is based on my sentiment for the month. I’ve already worked with over 60 creatives on this one and, needless to say, it’s been one of my more fulfilling experiences so far.
Commercially, I loved working with Delta on “Homeward Bound.” This was about my bi-cultural identity and how I used video and narrative to communicate the story.
Images by Saunak Shah
Can you tell us about the collective you founded, Pursuit of Portraits? What inspired you to create PoP and what have you learned along the way?
I created PoP (Pursuit of Portraits) back in 2015 when there was a lack of spaces (virtual and in-person) that empowered diversity. The mission of PoP was to showcase the beauty and strength of folx from varied walks of life and to provide a space for other like-minded creatives to come together. Since then we have visited over 21 countries, connected with thousands of creatives in person and given folks a catalyst to connect with others. If I’ve learned anything, it’s the magic of community, the strength in safe spaces and the inter-connectedness to our own pursuits. I feel blessed that with the teams and community we’ve built, we are able to continue the work that needs to be done in our own small way.
In the field, what are your favorite or go-to settings for easy shooting?
I love a few. For portraits though, I’m generally using the manual mode where I have the most control. My favorite go-to lens for portraits is my Sony 35mm 1.4f and I’m currently shooting on the Sony a7RIII. I generally prefer a fast lens so I can get a more flattering depth of field. Otherwise, it varies based on what I’m shooting and what the conditions demand.
What's one thing that you want to do with photography that you haven't done yet?
I’d love to travel throughout my motherland (India, to begin with) to distant and remote places and bring to life the culture and beauty of my people and my country. I haven’t had the chance (or the funding yet) but it’s on my bucket list.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I’d love people to see that we are more than what meets the eye. A photo can be captured beautifully and yet the story and emotion is what stays forever. Outside the beauty that we see, the labels that we are typecasted into and the persona’s other’s channel for us, we are an infinite and enigmatic creation. No one can capture that essence and that’s something we can carry forever. I’d like people to hopefully see beauty in non-conformity, in being different and in being conduits of our own stories.
What are you working on now and what’s up next for you?
I’m still completing 2 more months of my Wholeness Series. I’d love to have a show in New York in June for Pride Month. I’m currently in Mumbai planning and pursuing more of what’s to come.
Image by Kade Alpers