Argentinian photographer Gerardo Suter once said, “I didn’t choose photography, photography chose me.” That certainly seems the case for the young and talented Kirti Virmani from New Delhi. Inspired by her photographer dad, she moved to Mumbai, fresh out of college to follow her passion for editorial photography. After two years in the city of dreams, her sense of discovery and learning still motivates her to strive for the perfect shot. We chat with Kirti to know more about her journey so far.

Today we feature a young talent, Kirti Virmani, a fashion and editorial photographer from New Delhi. She talks to R&L about her passion for visual art and aesthetics, her inspirations and her aspirations.

• Hi Kirti! Good to be speaking with you! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.

I’m Kirti Virmani and I’m 23 years old. I’ve grown up in Delhi and got my Honours Degree in Political Science from Delhi University. I moved to Mumbai straight after college to explore a career in photography – fashion photography in particular. I’ve always been keen on photography because of my father, who is also a photographer based out of Delhi. I will complete two years now here and every day has been worthwhile. 

“I have recently started my food and travel photo blog called KieyViey on Instagram. It’s still on a very initial stage but it’s the love for food that has pushed me to spread it amongst others also.”

Shot and styled by Kirti for Holy Belly, Delhi.

• What initially sparked your interest in photography?

My father is a photographer himself and being surrounded by his equipment back home in Delhi, I had to be exposed to the art from a young age. It started out as a hobby with me shooting music gigs in and around the capital and then moved on to cover the Nh7 Weekender music festivals. It has now become something I genuinely love and helps me create art.

• What got you started in this field and how has the journey been so far?

I started off shooting anything and anybody back home in Delhi. That helped me explore and find out more about my own interest in this field. Fashion is something that seemed interesting and vast for me to explore, and that’s when I decided to move to Mumbai.

Finding your style of work is an ongoing and never-ending process. The more people I meet here day by day and the more I’m actually clicking, the more it motivates me to cultivate my own style and frames.

A frame from Kirti’s photo series titled “Under My Skin” featuring model, Merrylin Boro.

Kirti’s photo series titled “Wildchild” featuring model Naina Bhan.

• What do you do full-time? If part-time, how do you manage?

I am a fulltime freelance photographer based out of Mumbai but I travel to Delhi a lot for work. Apart from this, I’m also assisting a fashion photographer and art director based in Mumbai.

Kirti takes us behind the scenes with photographer and art director, Ishaan Nair.

• What’s your creative and work philosophy? Where do you take inspiration from?

I always try and maintain a good aesthetic in all my photographs. This could be through the story behind the photograph, the way I frame a shot, the space that I am shooting in, the art I’m incorporating, etc. Each photograph has to be all-encompassing for me.

A lot of visual artists, be it graphic designers, illustrators or photographers, all inspire me and my philosophy of work. Visual aesthetic is something that I’m always inclined to. For a lot of shoots, I take inspiration from the day to day activities of people. For example, my personal photo series, “Back Home”, “Home Boy” and “City Boy”, have been inspired by my the main subjects and their lives.

“City Boy” featuring Rabanne by Kirti Virmani.

• What do you hope people take away from your photographs?

The way I get inspired to create good art and do my best work on seeing other people’s work, I hope people can take that away from mine as well.

• What gets you particularly excited about taking editorial and fashion shots?

The model and the concept behind the shoot helps me put my best forward. It’s really important to have a story behind any of your shoots, to which something your model can also relate to. All my best shots have been thoroughly thought over and conceptualized.

Editorial shot for Indian fashion designer and stylist, Amit Hansraj.

• Tell us about your most memorable photoshoot/photo.

I have two photo series, Home Boy and City Boy which are really close to me and an ongoing project. Home Boy was inspired by my brother when I photographed him at home. City Boy has been inspired by Home Boy, only to incorporate more men/boys that I can photograph in their natural safe environment.

Shikhar Virmani clicked by Kirti for her “Home Boys” photo-series.

Editorial shot for The Pot Plant Clothing by Kirti.

Kirti’s work for Label Ritu Kumar backstage at Lakme Fashion Week 2018.

To see more of Kirti’s impressive portfolio, follow her on Instagram!