A Chat With Roderick Roy Yumkham, A Passionate Photographer From Manipur

Photography is about storytelling, about finding the extraordinary in the mundane and about gaining perspective of our surroundings. Today, we have Roderick Roy Yumkham, from Manipur, to share his thoughts on pursuing photography and how his grandfather, who is an artist, inspired him to see things differently. He started out by capturing photos through his phone and editing them on apps. Photography soon became his passion!

We had a quick chat with Roderick Roy Yumkham, passionate photographer to know a little more about his work.

Roderick Roy Yumkham, photographer from Manipur

Hi! Introduce a little about yourself.

I’m Roderick Roy Yumkham, 21 years old from Imphal, Manipur. Currently, I’m studying Visual Communication in Hindustan University in Chennai.

What initially sparked your interest in photography?

I feel photography to is ingrained in me but I didn’t know it until I started taking few pictures with my phone. If you closely look at the things around us, you will realize that everything has a story of its own. That’s how my interest became more intense with time and I began to believe I could make something out of my passion for photography.

Photo of a young boy in Manipuri attire by Roderick

Photo of two local ladies heading home from the market

Street photography by Roderick

How has your upbringing influenced your work/style of work?

I grew up from a middle class family. My grandfather is an artist and his work helped me learn how to see things in different ways. As a hobby, I started taking pictures with my phone and did the editing through different android apps. I was quite happy seeing the results. Through this journey, I came across some friends who had the same hobby as mine. By that time, they all had the necessary photography kits. We shared knowledge with each other and I got to learn a lot from them.

What’s your work philosophy and where do you take inspirations from?

I think my work portrays more about the mother nature and the struggles of life, etc. My inspiration comes from the many talented photographers and filmmakers who I come across on social media. But I’m most inspired by my grandfather who is an amazing artist.