Surreal and ghostly atmospheres illuminated by beams of light that create hyper-lit areas and dark and mysterious corners. That’s what you’ll find when you look at Aakaash Bali‘s shots. 

Aakaash Bali, born and raised in Queens, discovered his passion for photography as a child when his father photographed him with a Minolta 35mm. Then, as he got older he began experimenting himself, shooting anything that could hide a story. Over the years he started shooting digitally and became a real Photoshop master, but the need to tell stories with images never left him. 

We were impressed with his work and we asked him a few questions. Read the interview below and to discover more of Aakaash Bali’s work follow him on Instagram and visit his website. 

What does photography mean to you and what do you try to tell with your shots?

Photography is storytelling, and it’s always been that way for me. I try to tell small, emotional stories in a way that my viewers could relate to. I try to draw emotions out of viewers, because I believe feeling something is the most important part of being human. My work has always sort of been this; the exploration of being human, and the worlds our imaginations can create.

Describe your photographic style. How did you arrive at this point?

My two bodies of work include narrative portraiture, as well as moody nighttime exploration. Over time, I began to be inspired by the lighting, colors, and compositions in films, and I began utilizing some cinema lighting techniques, but ultimately skewed over to an experimental style of lighting.
Presently, I aim to create a whimsical, emotional scene with a hint of sadness and despair, because I believe everyone’s struggles should be heard.

How important is editing for you and your shots?

Post-productionis a major part of my workflow. Many of my images are captured and lit with editing kept in mind, and I consider editing to be the “polishing” part of the artistic process. I do try and capture everything possible in-camera, however a little dusting of Photoshop really helps bring my images together.

Is there a photo to which you are most attached? Can you tell us about it?

To be honest, no. There are many I love, but I feel as though my work is just a journey I haven’t completed yet. Maybe someday I’ll capture something that truly resonates with me for life, but as of today I’m still searching for that photograph.

Continue the sentence: For me, photography is…

For me, photography is telling important stories, no matter how small they are.