Figure 1: Mother in her candid moments. Photographed by Anand Subramanian
When I was born, I was a crying mess, making my presence known to the world. Suddenly, a voice tries to calm me down while holding me gently. As I opened my eyes, I saw a beam of happiness glowing through a woman’s face whose pain has faded away. Even though this is the first time I am seeing this woman, I know that this is my mother, the one who kept me safe in her womb, who sang lullabies to me, who endured hours of pain to bring me into this world.
As I grew up, my fondest memories of my mother were the most subtle and simple ones, such as waking up to my mother’s humming, running towards her cooking, and her warm impromptu hugs. Even though we were financially struggling, she made sure I had everything I wanted for my birthdays. Today, when I look back, I realize that her tough love kept me on the right path, her friendship was the light during darkness, and her strength pushed me to be myself.
Figure 2: Portrait of Mother. Source – Photographed by Anand Subramanian
Choosing art as a career takes a different level of courage, especially in a culture where being an artist is considered taboo or a rich people’s hobby. So, when I, a middle-class engineer graduate, told my parents that I wanted to be a photographer, there was a glow of pride in my mother’s face, even though she knew the path won’t be an easy one. She knew this because she was an artist herself. I watched her being a creative genius my entire life. Whether it was crochet, a glass painting, or a simple sketch, she made sure that she gave it her love, patience, and her eye for detail. I carried this same mentality with me every time I photographed a portrait. Her creative legacy was bringing joy to people and spreading love through her work, which defined my creative workflow. Every time I pick up my camera, I make sure that I live up to that legacy.
So, if someone asks me to describe motherhood in one word, I will say “unconditional”. Whether it’s love, friendship, or courage, my mother gives everything unconditionally. That is why, in Hindu culture, the order of reverence is “Matha, Pitha, Guru, Deivam“, which means “Mother, Father, Teacher, Divine”. No matter what, mother always comes first.
Figure 3: Candid moment with Mother. Photographed by A Family Friend
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
