Aditya Vardhan was travelling in a boat through the Singapore River when he saw Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay near the mouth of the river. The building resembled a durian fruit and he was thrilled. “My boat was in great speed and I only had a few seconds to change the settings in my camera. I was not even sure if I had the building in focus when I clicked. But it turned out to be perfect,” says the 25-year-old. He calls this shot ‘Flow’ and it is displayed at Edifice, an exhibition/sale of his works in the city.

Edifice shows 11 photographs that he took in Pune, Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Singapore in the last one year. They are in black and white and in neon pink and blue. “The monochrome symbolises the mundane life and the neon shades represent inspiration or hope that keeps us going. I edited the original photographs to bring these colours,” he explains. The Lakshmi Mills is one of his subjects. “The construction is beautiful and it has an important role in the city’s history. I have two shots of the structure,” he says.

Another abstract work called Monarch shows a home in Pollachi. This piece won Aditya an honorary mention at the prestigious International Photography Award 2019 under the category Architecture and Abstract held in New York. “It was not expected. I was speechless when I heard the news,” he says. The photographer says that the most beautiful architecture he has seen is the DUO in Singapore. “The building resembles a honeycomb. Photography was not allowed in its premises and so I went to a nearby market from where I had a clear view,” he explains. He has captioned that photograph as The Hive.

Aditya’s interest in photography began when he was in school. His father gave him his first camera, a Nikon S8000 when he was in class XII, with which he started taking photographs of streets and forests.

He holds a Masters degree in professional photography from Light and Life Academy, Ooty. Stating that he learnt the basic techniques from professionals there, he adds that photographer Srinivasan Durai of Srini Institute of Photography helped him see photography as an art. “Now I always look for a different perspective for my works. I believe that finding beauty even in chaos is the duty of a photographer,” he says. In addition to architecture, he also enjoys travel photography. “I recently went on a trip to Ladakh. I am now planning a series on the monks there,” he says.

This is the first exhibition of Aditya’s works. “I am both excited and nervous. It is a good feeling to hear feedback from the visitors,”he smiles.