MANIKANDAN THIMMA FASHION / ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHER Manikandan Thimma is among India's leading fashion photographers and a true maverick. Recognized and featured nationally, his experimental style and finesse transformed fashion photography in India, and gave it a global edge while also ushering in a new era of exploration. His journey with the art form began 14 years ago, and without any formal training, his undying passion and commitment have led him to become one of the India's leading photographers. The strongest, most defining aspect of Mani's aesthetic is that he never conformed to the conventional 'rules', but made his own. His visual style is unmatched because it stems from his Indian roots, and yet transcends them to speak a contemporary language. Instead of following western trends and masters, he crafted his own rare style by drawing inspiration from his personal treasure of memories and experiences in his own country India; small anecdotes of his childhood years, or places he'd visited, or celebrations he'd seen, the culture and traditions that influenced him while growing up. Each image by Manikandan Thimma carries this signature backdrop, this unmistakable sense of heritage and pride in one's own culture. He combined this sensibility with the technical and artistic sophistication of modern photography to deliver images that are distinctly his own and so unique that they have won him appreciation and accolades the world over. His personal success has parallelly opened global channels for a whole new generation of photography enthusiasts in India. Over the years his studio has been a learning centre and an institution in itself. His assistants have been able to carve a niche for themselves and today are well established photographers themselves. His studio has been home to individuals of many nationalities who have come and successfully interned and assisted him. His passion to give India a global voice through an authentic India Modern aesthetic is renewed every day as he approaches each new project with the same fervor and excitement of his inception years. His quintessential style is continually endorsed by renowned brands such as Amrut, Bugatti Shoes, Cinepolis, Karbon Mobiles, Recron from Reliance, Marvin, NIFT, Old Monk, Simply Sofas, Sobha Developers, The Chancery Pavilion, Madura Garments, Vishnupriya Group, Wipro Perfumes. He has also redefined the art of celebrity portraits in India by photographing some of the country’s most sought after artists and celebrities like – Akhil Akkineni, Power Start - Puneeth Rajkumar, Neha Shetty, Grammy award winner Ricky Kej, Rohan Bopanna (Indian Tennis Player), Tarak Ponnappa, among others.