Origin
I photographed Chennai after a long hiatus. Everything felt the same: vivid colors, buzzing ambience, minimal space, and awkward stares. The nostalgia hit hard.
I covered classic Madras: Mylapore, Santhome, Triplicane, Napier's Bridge, Parry's Corner, Central Station, and the Egmore Museum. Before Madras bloated into the sprawling Chennai of today, these were the places a local would take a tourist. While these landmarks are beautiful, they have never been photography-friendly. There is barely any space. Framing a shot often means disrupting pedestrians on non-existent sidewalks or risking a nudge from a passing auto-rickshaw. Great angles are either inaccessible or obstructed by age-old cables hanging from pole to pole. To top it off, security guards often step in to tell you that mobile photography is fine, but a chunky DSLR is not. If you plan to go, I recommend the golden hour. The skies turn a flat, bright grey very quickly, washing out the light for most of the day.
Then, I drove down the East Coast Road and visited the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram. While the place is better maintained than ever, the photography experience was a letdown. First, telephoto lenses are prohibited. Even if they were permitted, the temple sits on a raised platform, making it impossible to get a full shot without a drone. You are forced to capture narrower angles that fragment the architecture. It also gets incredibly crowded, so getting a clean shot requires immense patience.
Next, on my way back from Mahabalipuram, I visited Dakshinchitra. This living heritage museum showcases the traditional homes, crafts, and performing arts of South India in an open-air village setting. It is incredibly photography-friendly in terms of both setting and content, maintaining its high standards over the years. Even my dad, who has traveled across South India a fair bit, found it fascinating. I could only cover half of it in the two hours I spent there, so it is definitely on the list for my next visit.
I also visited Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary for the first time. Thousands of birds migrate here for a few months every year. I visited in December, just as the season was picking up, so I saw the sanctuary in all its glory. It is a fairly small 1km (0.6 mi) pathway with watchtowers that allow you to glimpse the birds from a safe distance. Since it is remote, the only sound you hear is the birds. You will need a telephoto lens or binoculars to see them distinctly. I arrived early on a weekday and had the place to myself, but photography-wise, I wasn't satisfied. My new 100-400mm lens felt inadequate, and the birds were too fast, resulting in a lot of motion blur. I have a lot to learn, but I am really enjoying the genre.
Finally, I visited the temple town of Kanchipuram. I visited on the same day as Vedanthangal, given their proximity. While I only covered the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, it was fulfilling; the midday shadows and worn structures make for excellent photos. Being urbanized, Kanchipuram faces the same congestion issues as Chennai but on a smaller scale. As Dad says, this will be a problem with any popular spot.
Overall, I am satisfied with the experience. I would have had big regrets had I not tried, so it was worth it. Regardless of its deficiencies, Chennai is home and always will be. I complain about it because I care. My love for it is unconditional. I am just annoyed that I wasn’t able to showcase its beauty in the best way possible—but perhaps that difficulty is what makes it unique and memorable in the first place.