august 2021
Menton, France
In the summer of 2021, I was waiting to start a new job, my lease was finishing up on my apartment, and my partner was also between jobs, so we decided to put our stuff in storage and live in Paris for a month, during which we took a weekend trip to Southern France. Watching people go about their daily lives amidst the vibrant buildings and sleepy, winding streets of the French-Italian town of Menton, I felt inspired. I was reminded of the importance of enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
Shot on Olympus OM-1 35mm film camera
ongoing
Portraits
I love taking pictures of people, because I feel like they bring their own lifetimes of experiences to the picture. I love being able to capture a small moment where they were feeling a certain way, or doing something they loved, or even just existing, and crystallize that moment in time. It’s a window into another person’s world.
Shot on Olympus OM-1 35mm film camera and Panasonic Lumix G5 DSLR
February 8, 2023. AJ stands watch over the counter at the Royal USA Deli and Grocery in Williamsburg. 
February 8, 2023. Portrait of Ashwin Madavan hanging out in his Williamsburg apartment. 
4 March 2023 – Swetha Raju returns to Fort Greene Park every Saturday morning to spread her passion for South Indian food, and meet people in the process. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
march 2023
Bangalore in Brooklyn
This photo series tells the story of Swetha Raju, an I.T. worker by day, a dosa maker by night, and an immigrant from Bangalore. Upon arriving in New York, Swetha and her family found a lack of South Indian food and community, and set out to create both by starting their own food stand. Today, the savory South Indian delicacies have been tried by throngs of people, written about in countless food blogs, and brought people together.
Shot on Panasonic Lumix G5 DSLR
4 March 2023 – Swetha Raju (40) immigrated to Brooklyn from Bangalore in 2014 with her husband and two children for an engineering job, but her true passion is cooking for people. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
4 March 2023 – In the summer of 2021, she seized the opportunity to share her love of South Indian food and build community in New York by starting a food stall, Brooklyn Curry Project. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
4 March 2023 – Raju flips the masala dosa, a savory crepe filled with spices and potato. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
4 March 2023 – Raju returns to Fort Greene Park every Saturday morning to spread her passion for South Indian food, and meet people in the process. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 4 March 2023 – Raju works tirelessly amidst the steaming pans to serve the growing demand for her food. For her, it is meditative and relaxing. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
4 March 2023 – Podi is a ground mixture of lentils and spices, and it is sprinkled onto the dosa to add spice and texture. Swetha’s recipe has been passed down through her family. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
4 March 2023 – Brooklyn Curry Project is a family-run organization, from sourcing ingredients to developing new recipes. Swetha and her husband Venkat are happy to be able to spend some time together outside of their day jobs. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
7 March 2023 – Swetha’s and Venkat’s children sometimes join them at the stand, but they love to spend quality family time at home together. Mahaty Raju, aged 7, loves helping out her parents with the dosa stand. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
7 March 2023 – Swetha is constantly playing and laughing with her children. Their shared passions include arts & crafts, food, and meeting new people. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
19 March 2023 – Swetha wants to pass down the cultural and culinary knowledge she received from her ancestors to her son Skanda (aged 13) and daughter. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
19 March 2023 – For major South Indian holidays, Swetha and her family host community meals, where they serve traditional fare on a banana leaf. For this dinner, over 56 people signed up. Photo by Samyu Sridhar 
19 March 2023 – In the middle of a frenzied kitchen, Swetha enjoys a brief moment of respite with her husband. Photo by Samyu Sridhar
march 2023
Dream Fishing Tackle
This photo series tells the story of one of the most random and eccentric places I have been to: Dream Fishing Tackle in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Filled to the brim with curious items in a way that strongly hearkens to the Room of Requirement, the shop sells furniture, vinyl records, and fishing gear. The Polish owner of the shop has seen Greenpoint change drastically throughout his lifetime, but he simply adapted his shop to change with the times. Business is booming.
Shot on Panasonic Lumix G5 DSLR
ongoing
Film
My favorite film photos throughout my time as a photographer. Film photography reminds my scattered and impulsive self to be intentional, to be patient for the perfect shot, and to be calm and composed. I also adore the way film looks 🙂
Shot on Olympus OM-1 35mm film camera
My father contemplating the meaning of this structure on a beach in Chennai, India. 
An ornamental sign in Besant Nagar Beach, Chennai, India. 
Two bright orange Staten Island ferries crossing paths with the New York City skyline in the background. 
The behemoth skyscrapers of the southernmost tip of Manhattan, a view from the Staten Island ferry. 
A framed moment on the Staten Island ferry. 
Moments of serenity as the sun sets on a lake in upstate New York. 
Two friends enjoying drifting aimlessly on a lake, mimosas in hand. 
The kayak engulfs the human beneath it as its seaworthiness is tested. 
The Chamundeshwari temple watches over the people selling their wares in Mysore, Karnataka. 
Mischievous monkeys overlook the crowds of people waiting to see the intricately carved temple scultpures. 
A man performs a religious ritual on his way up the steps to the Chamundeshwari temple. 
A young cow is marked with a religious powder to celebrate its importance. 
On a blistering day in Tamil Nadu, men stop at a roadside shop for some cooling tender coconut water, straight from the source. 
A window into the city of Lisbon. 
A wintry day at McCarran Park in Williamsburg. 
London’s obsession with coffee, and an overflowing garbage bin. 
This visitor of Menton reigns as the queen of this staircase in this moment in time. 
A passageway to a passageway: a pretty quintessential example of walking around the winding alleys of Menton. 
I just loved the colors. Taken in Menton, France. 
When we visited Yellowstone, we were hoping to see all varieties of wildlife but instead we saw about 50 bison. They are pretty cute though.
Samyuktha Sridhar 