About Dr. Srinivasan

Dr. Srinivasan grew up in the 50’s in a small Southern Indian town of Tuticorin. His father, a college professor, struck the spirit of entrepreneurship in him from a young age, and from 11-17, he turned a profit of over a thousand rupees through selling vegetables, making kites, binding book and more. In 1970 he was accepted into Chennai’s Medical College. Upon completing his M.D., he committed to practicing exclusively in India with the mission to give back to the community that supported him and his higher education. In 1985, he started Lister Laboratory. After seeing the amount of community members testing positive for diseases, 80% having recently received blood transfusions, he also started a non-profit public blood bank. In the following years, persevering through many great struggles to keep care safe and affordable, he and his team would also start the Jeevan Bone Marrow Donor Registry, as well as a cord blood bank.

Dr. Srinivasan has been interested in photography since the age of 11 when he inherited a Kodak Click 3 camera from a relative. However, this hobby would take a backseat to his medical studies and social entrepreneurship for over 20 years. In 2005, a brain tumor diagnosis sparked a turning point in his life that ultimately sent him diving back into wildlife photography with a vengeance. Thankfully, the tumor turned out to be benign, and he began ventures to Africa and the Himalayas, photographing animals and reflecting on his personal life and projects.

Please enjoy this written interview with Dr. Srinivasan about his life and relationship with photography.

How did you first discover your love for photography?

In the first phase of my photographic journey, I developed an intense fascination with cameras at the age of 11. Subsequently, I made several visits to the darkroom of a studio in Thoothukudi (present day Tuticorin), a small town in the southern region of India famous for deep water pearls. However, this phase was short-lived due to family circumstances.

Upon completing medical school around 1975, I engaged in a serious courtship with Pentax cameras and super Takumar lenses, which lasted for over a decade. During this period, I primarily focused on portrait and wedding photography, earning me modest income to support my post-graduation studies.

Who are some of your favorite photographers (past or present)?

To be candid, the sole name that resonated with me and guided my journey for an extended period was Ansel Adams, renowned for his exceptional technical prowess in the realm of photography, particularly in the darkroom. Upon embarking on my landscape photography endeavors, I drew immense inspiration from the esteemed Indian environmental photographer, T.N.A. Perumal. Furthermore, the British landscape photographer, Joe Cornish, played a pivotal role in shaping my artistic vision of mountain photography.

What inspired you to come back to shooting nature after years of working in the medical field?

It has been a long break from 1985 to 2005 because of my professional commitments. In 2005, I had to hire a neuro-surgeon to open my skull to remove a small tumour. What should have been an open and shut “case” ended up in a prolonged recuperation because the surgeon focussed on the wrong part of the head necessitating another surgery by another surgeon! Yes, It has been confirmed twice by two different neuro-surgeons that I have brains. During this period, I realised what I was missing for two decades and decided to give up my medical profession and started spending more time in photography. During this phase of my photography career, I used 600mm lenses with a 1.4 teleconverter. Over time, I discovered the beauty of wide-angle photography and embraced it. I discontinued my 400 and 600mm lenses and limited myself to a 35mm lens and a 70-200mm lens. I referred to these images as “Wildscapes.” In 2009 I fell in love with the Himalayas after a trek to Annapurna Base Camp. This lead on to over 15 visits to Indian Himalayan regions at different seasons including the harsh winter

You’ve travelled all over India, Africa, the Arctic and more. Which was your most memorable place to photograph?

Undoubtedly, the Indian Himalayas have instilled in me profound values such as patience, resilience, and humility. Standing amidst their grandeur, I am reminded of the insignificance of humanity in the vastness of the universe.

What are some photographic challenges of capturing dangerous wildlife, such as the animals featured in your Wildscapes collection?

I thoroughly enjoyed taking calculated risks. One of my preferred destinations for capturing wildscapes is Ndutu in the Serengeti. The image of the Elephant (Ndutu, Serengeti) and the Jackal (Bharatpur, India) were incorporated into my portfolio titled “Mongoose View.” These images were captured while lying on the ground, mimicking the mongoose’s perspective.

What is your favorite underrated photographic tool? Why?

On the field, my light meter is my primary tool. I have observed that, particularly for evaluative metering in my black and white photography, my handheld meter consistently yields more accurate results than the meter built into my camera. In front of the computer, the most powerful tool is the crop function, which enables me to make creative decisions regarding the composition of my images.

You’ve curated 2 beautiful coffee table books. What is your process for determining the image order, selection and layout of your books? 

Both of my books were associated with my exhibitions. For my first book, “Himalayan Moments,” the challenge was selecting landscape images that would fit into a square format. They were a collection of images from over 13 years. For my recently released book, “Mountains, Clouds, and Tides: A Photographic Challenge,” I worked hard to ensure the flow was right to convey the story of the three elements. The book fitted well into a landscape format (18×12.5 inches, including five 30×15 inches double-spread images).

If you were behind your camera and could choose anything you wanted to be in your viewfinder, where would you be and what would you be looking at?

My aspiration is to embark on a photographic expedition to Patagonia, and I sincerely hope that this dream will materialize in the near future.

Why did you select Capture Integration as your equipment partner?

In recent times, I have been utilizing the Phase One XF camera with an IQ3 100 megapixel Achromatic back. I was seeking a lightweight, optimal, and reasonably priced prime lens to capture mountain landscapes for an upcoming project. I was specifically looking for the 55mm f/2.8 SK lens and discovered it on Capture Integration’s website. With Greg’s assistance, it took two emails to finalize the purchase, and the rest is history! I was able to create a series of black-and-white images with this lens, which will eventually lead to an exhibition and my second coffee-table book.

More About Dr. Srinivasan

It is not possible to make these images without the support of several people. It involved meticulous planning, travel and most importantly accepting that this is a serious pursuit. Big shout-out to my wife Thara, who looks after my mental health (she is a psychiatrist!!!) and letting me disappear on “mysterious photography trips” and, more impressively, for never asking how many gadgets I’ve bought. True love is turning a blind eye to gear receipts. I have a master critique at home – Maya my 12 year old grand-daughter who has a keen eye for what works and what does not. She is a co-author for my third coffee-table book.

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