- Hemal Perera talks fashion photography
Hemal Perera, proprietor of Hemal Perera Photography, started his career in 2009 and became a famous figure in the photography field during the past few years.
After much hard work and dedication, his photography became one of the successful leading photographer brands in Sri Lanka.
In the beginning, he worked with well known photographers in Sri Lanka as their assistant for a few years, until eventually, he made a name for himself in the industry. He now excels in many fields of photography including commercial, event, fashion, and advertising. More recently, he has even ventured into wedding photography.
From this experience, he learned many valuable lessons on how to thrive in the field of photography and has gone as far as to work with prestigious Bollywood actresses.
In conversation with Brunch, he attested all of his success to his parents and wife, who were there with him every step of the way.
Talking about what he does currently, he informed us that he has a high demand from not just locals, but foreigners as well. He's the official photographer for the famous Bollywood actresses Feryna Wazheir, and Ratta and Ravi Jay as well.
Perera told us that a quirk when it comes to his photography is the way he colour balances glamour shots: “It brings a unique touch to the photo and makes it stand out; the younger generation actually prefers this type of photography over the traditional kind.” He added that although he has tried night shoots, his talent lies in daylight photography, so he has the opportunity to tamper with the lighting and colour.
To Perera, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place: “I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see, and everything to do with the way you see them.” He added that in his opinion, photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. “What we have caught on film is captured forever. The camera remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything,” he added wistfully.
His most memorable moment up to date would be shooting with an actress who requested the shoot to be done in the middle of a jungle. He added that this particular shoot, while being his most memorable, was also the most challenging. “I had to trek through the jungle, battling leeches and all sorts of bugs. It’s very hard to keep the camera steady when you're being attacked by pests!” Despite the buggy situation, he prevailed, and told us that the pictures turned out magnificent.
During his journey of photography, he has grabbed a few international awards for his talented work as well: “It took many years of dedication to my craft to actually be able to win awards for my photography, so I’m incredibly proud of my achievements.”
We asked him if he ever had to face any challenges throughout his career. “The biggest challenge was not having a guiding hand. Even working as an assistant, I had to learn through observation; I was never spoonfed on how to photograph. It took a lot of trial and effort but now I’m in a good position.”
He described himself as a self-taught photographer who immersed himself in a world of light and objects and constant experimentation – a trait that he holds deeply to be the key to his creative success today and his drive for creating extraordinary pieces of art.
In the near future, his only goal is to bring Sri Lanka’s name to the forefront of the photography industry and bring pride and honour to his country. He added that after many years of various fields of photography, he hopes to explore the one field he hasn’t yet, which is film. Working with actresses really opened his eyes to the world of cinema, and it is one he hopes to venture into soon.