Devam Shah: I treat my camera as a musician treats an instrument | Hindi Movie News
Los Angeles-based photographer Devam Shah is building a career in music photography, working with artists including Diljit Dosanjh, Kid Cudi, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Jass Manak and Harnoor. Shah, who initially wanted to become a musician, found his way into the music industry through photography. His work spans concerts, music videos, album imagery, portraits and behind-the-scenes shoots.His work with Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh has been another significant part of his journey. Shah first worked around the sets of Diljit’s ‘Lover’, filmed at San Francisco City Hall, initially joining to understand the making of a music video. Two years later, he returned as the still and BTS photographer for ‘Case’, from the album Ghost, shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.One of the portraits Shah captured during the shoot was eventually featured in the music video. “Music photography came into my life through my natural love for music. Growing up, I wanted to become a musician, but life took me in a different direction. Photography eventually gave me another way to become part of that world and contribute to it as a visual artist,” he says.Shah says his approach is to capture artists beyond their on-stage performances and create images that reflect their personality and the atmosphere around their music.“When I photograph an artist, I do not feel like I am simply documenting the moment from the outside; I feel like I am part of the music too. I treat my camera as a musician treats an instrument. A musician creates through sound, while I create through photographs,” he says.While hip-hop and pop remain central to his work, Shah continues to collaborate with Indian artists in the US and is looking to expand his work across the international music scene.“Maybe, in a way, I did become the musician I always wanted to be—my camera just became my instrument,” he says.
