How did your journey into photography first begin?
As far as I can remember, my photography journey began way back when I was old enough to hold a camera in my hand. I’ve always loved taking pictures. There was something about capturing a moment and preserving the beauty I saw in it that fascinated me. I would photograph almost anything that caught my eye—anything and everything interesting, beautiful, unique, or simply aesthetic. What started as a little habit of capturing things I loved slowly grew into a genuine passion for photography.
Your handle is "humble pixels" — is there a story or a feeling behind that name?
Absolutely! When I was thinking of a suitable name for my handle, I knew I wanted to have something with “pixels” in it because it naturally connects to photography. But I also wanted the name to carry a little more meaning and reflect what I intended my page to be. That’s how “Humble Pixels” came about. The word “humble” adds a personality to the name because my page isn’t about any particular niche. It’s simply about the things I find beautiful, interesting, or worth capturing. The fact that I don’t yet own a professional camera and still capture my photographs through my age-old iPhone 13 somehow makes the name even more meaningful to me. It represents where I am in my journey and my desire to simply share with the world what I see and, more importantly, what I feel. I often say, “I don’t capture what I see; I capture what I feel.” And I think that is what “Humble Pixels” truly stands for—authenticity, simplicity, and being completely unpretentious about the art I love.
Do you remember your first camera, or the first scene in nature that made you want to photograph it?
Like I mentioned, I don’t actually own a camera yet. My first experience with one was with a borrowed camera that I took along with me to an adventure camp during my high school days. Honestly, I don’t remember the exact first scene I photographed. But knowing myself, I’m quite sure it must have been something simple and beautiful—a sunset from my terrace, the pretty colours of the sky, an accidental rainbow, a colourful flower, the happy face of a child, or perhaps even my neighbour’s cat. Looking back, I think that says a lot about how I’ve always seen photography. I’ve never really needed a grand or extraordinary scene to reach for a camera. If something catches my eye or makes me feel something, I instinctively want to capture it and hold on to that moment.
Who or what drew you toward photographing the natural world in particular?
The natural world itself is what drew me towards photographing it. There is something so magical about the way nature simply exists in its true element. Nothing in the natural world tries to be something else—it exists exactly as it is, in its own natural essence. If you really pause and look around, there is so much beauty in this creation, often in the simplest of things. And I don’t necessarily want to change it or make it something more. All I want to be is the beholder of that beauty—to notice it, appreciate it, and preserve a little piece of what I felt through my photographs. You know they say “beauty lies in the heart of the beholder”, I couldn’t agree more on that.
What nature photograph feels most like your own?
What is it about this image that makes it feel unmistakably yours?
Every picture I take feels very close to my heart, so choosing just one is difficult. But I selected this particular photograph on an emotional note. I captured it at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. When I took the picture, I remember knowing that there was something artistic and beautiful about it. But I feel much more connected to it today than I did back then. The reason is motherhood. I am now a mother to a five-month-old son, and looking at this photograph today speaks to me in a completely different way. Experiences change the way we see things, and motherhood has given this image a meaning that I could not have understood when I first captured it. I think that is what makes it unmistakably mine, not just the way I saw and captured the moment, but the emotions and memories I have attached to it over time. What was once simply a beautiful frame has now become something that speaks to my heart in a much deeper way.
What shot from a place or trip has stayed with you?
What made this place so memorable to you?
So many factors make this place so memorable to me. One thing is that it’s my dream destination—Kashmir. A true heaven on earth. This is also the first holiday I went on with my husband. The beautiful landscapes of this place, the adventurous journey and the lovely companionship made it so beautiful and most memorable.
What photograph was hard-won — one that asked for patience, an early start, or the right weather?
What did it take to finally get this shot?
Patience to wait and to seek the perfect alignment of the setting sun to be captured between the trees in the frame.
Which piece of gear could you never head out into nature without?
Well, most of my photos—or even all of them—are shot on my phone. So the answer is phone. Even if I head out without one, I am sure every photographer captures through their eyes and stores it in their hearts, which apparently never runs out of storage 😃
What pulled you to this moment or subject?
The city street slowly falling into the dusk.
What's the subject or idea behind it?
Wildlife Photography.
Is there a place, creature, or moment in nature you still dream of photographing one day?
Indeed. I want to dip my feet into the wild. I want to capture the wildlife in Masai Mara.
Contact and Follow
Email: iamrashminayak.s@gmail.com
Instagram: humble_pixels_
