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Siddharth Mantri
@siddharthmantri
Landscape photographer based in Spain
In 1996/97, my father bought a couple of Readers Digest coffee table books – Strange World Amazing Places and Discovering the Wonders of Our World. Pages after pages were filled with beautiful photos of dreamlike places that seemed almost otherworldly to me as a five year old. Traveling to these places seemed impossible at the time, so I was content with drooling over the images. I fell in love with the work of Carsten Peter, Sebastiao Salgado and other nature photographers and soon started collecting old National Geographic magazines.
Growing up in 1990’s India, far and extensive travel was not always possible but I cannot appreciate enough the effort my parents made for me and my sister to be able to see more than just the tiny corner we grew up in. Later on, as an engineer I have been able to work remotely while traveling quite often. Experiencing new cultures is something I value a lot and I consider myself very lucky to have lived and worked in different countries. However, spending short periods of time in different places can lead to a certain sense of loneliness.
"Often, this was best combated by escaping to the nearest mountains and enjoying a few hours/days of photography which helped me recover a lot!"
I think for a lot of us visiting Iceland was a key moment in pursuing photography. I had purchased my first camera about two years before I visited Iceland and I had been experimenting with photography in different places in the US, however, it was in Iceland where I discovered my passion for telling stories through landscapes and photography. The biggest challenge I was facing in the beginning was to convert the image I had in my mind to one that my camera saw as well. Often, I took what I thought was a great image but when I got to editing, it was not what I expected at all. I had to learn a lot of basics about the camera and composition – which I achieved through watching hours and hours of Youtube videos as well as courses from Jord Hammond.
"This really improved my composition skills and helped me hone in on what I think is a unique style."
I feel I look at photography as a technical challenge quite often – scouting locations, planning the shot… I like to consume knowledge about a specific location, especially if I’m going for the sole purpose of photography, before even reaching the place. This involves spending quite a few hours on Google Earth trying to find different angles that I find most pleasing. I also like playing with the camera settings to achieve the best possible image – I’d say I really enjoy the process as much as the beauty of the location itself.
Except for the bureaucratic process and paperwork that comes with applying for visas – that is something I really dislike. Being an Indian citizen means that I do have to apply for a visa for almost all countries that I’ve visited to date. The visa fees also become quite expensive when you apply for 3-4 different ones a year. At the same time I understand that a lot of the money collected in visa processes can help the economy of the countries I’m visiting. Thankfully, I have not been rejected yet but I also feel that applying for visas while living in NYC was much easier than if I were living in India, especially because a lot of countries had their embassies in the city which made applying very easy for me.
"Although it’s not easy and sometimes frustrating, I feel very privileged to not have had too many visa application issues so far."
Currently I live in Spain. I first read about Spain in the books I mentioned earlier – I read about the Alhambra and the magical Canary Islands. It has been over 13 years since I first visited but there is something about this country that keeps calling me back. Living here, interacting with the amazing people and exploring the Mediterranean coast gave me a lot of inspiration to photograph and tell the natural history of this beautiful country.
I feel that my style has evolved slowly ever since I started taking photography seriously but I’ve found a very consistent look and feel around the time I moved to Spain to live. In my current work flow, I try to edit as minimally as possible and as long as I’m able to tell the story I’d like to convey, be it through shadows, golden hour or people – I’ll be happy. I found a style of photography that I truly love; a product of my surroundings. I associate Spain with colors of warmth, the sun and the sea.
At the moment, my favorite photo is one of Arrecife de las Sirenas (Mermaid Reef) in the south of Spain. It is a weird sentiment but this reef is my favorite rock formation on the planet! There is something about the shape and name of this place that evokes a feeling of wonder, magic and fantasy in me every time I see it.
Honestly, this photo is probably also my most planned shot which really reduced the amount of post processing I did on it. The plan was to arrive at a viewpoint I had scouted earlier in the week and stay till the sun was just about to set which cast the rays almost directly onto the side of the rocks. I feel this particular reef is really an icon of this region of Spain (Almeria/Cabo de Gata) and I wanted to create a “minimal” image that really presented the rock elegantly highlighted by a magical light while still remaining true to the surrounding sea. In terms of post processing, I brought out the color of the sea while desaturating some of the oranges and reds from the sunlight.
"Technical aspects aside, the photo reminds me of that entire day and the happy feeling provoked by this scene, the mood and my company."
I had taken a day off from work and spent it at the beach with some close friends that I am very lucky to have in my life. They were at the viewpoint with me while I took this shot and I really enjoy the memory this photo brings back.
Another place belonging to Spain that I particularly enjoy are the Canary Islands. They check off two of my favorite landscapes to photograph: mountains and beaches. I have two spots that are on the top of my list when it comes to the Canary Islands: Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma and Pico de las Nieves in Gran Canaria. Both these spots are incredibly beautiful because you are above the sea of clouds that hover around the islands below. I would highly recommend visiting them during sunset and enjoying everything they have to offer. Also, the inter-island flight service is a great way of making last minute plans to enjoy photography conditions that could be better on another island.
I think a lot about earlier this year, when the current situation was really beginning to weigh down on all of us. No free moments outdoors, no prospect of travelling… I was feeling really low and felt like I didn’t want to pursue photography too much. Then in August, I was able to travel again with a group of wonderful people who made me feel really confident and gave me a much needed boost. I started falling back into the groove of landscape photography and all what I enjoyed the most of this passion.
"Having people around to get you back on track when you are mentally stuck is invaluable."
I think my family plays the most important role in me developing passions both personally and professionally. I learned a great deal from my father and sister – both are very talented photographers. My dad focuses on nature and people photography. He has some incredible photos of birds that take my breath away! I really enjoy the color contrast in all his photos which also inspires me. My sister mostly works with photojournalism and lifestyle. I trade a lot of composition ideas with her as well as we provide each other feedback on our work. We’ve some wonderful memories shooting and exploring together and I am aware that it’s something special to be able to share this passion and artistic ideas and techniques with them. I highly value the opinions of my close friends as well, who are always ready to provide feedback on my work and help to keep innovating and understanding perceptions of others who view my photos.
"I'm very grateful to have some incredible people by my side."
It is very important as an artist to have a support system that can help you climb out of those days where you have absolutely no confidence in yourself or your skills and where your creativity seemed to have disappeared. We should never give up on our dreams but it is totally fine to feel stuck sometimes, and to gladly accept help from others to obtain this little extra energy to thrive.
"One of my dreams is to go back to India purely on a photography mission."
I have three regions in my mind and the first would be the desert of Rajasthan for its incredibly vast landscapes and its incredible people. Secondly, the north of India, especially the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh for the Himalayas. And finally, the north eastern states of India for its landscape and people – a culture I haven’t had the chance to explore yet. The political situation in the north, especially in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is quite volatile, but it is also home to some beautiful landscapes and places. Jehangir for example, one of the great Mughal emperors famously said – “if there is heaven on earth, it is here”.
I truly hope for political situations to ease in the north of India, and in many other parts of the world, so we as humans can embrace our differences, become one, and have equal opportunities to explore the beauty the planet has to offer us. Now we may be sceptical, but without hope and dreams, what do we strive for?
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