Interview with Photographer Sayana Khan

Sayana Khan is a photographer and writer based in Toronto, Canada.  One can find her consorting with the luminous place where reality thins: sea-sides, forest, and mountains. Photo journaling her explorations in nature, Khan's photos are dreamily nostalgic and reminiscent of those care-free summer days in the sun, sand, and sea. Nature, beauty, sensuality, and freedom has become her signature aesthetic. A selection of her poems and photography was recently published in P Magazine’s (https://pmagazine.co/) annual hardcover book, Poetic - The Infinite Book.

Sayana what are your greatest inspirations or influences?

I love to listen to music, watch films and study other artist’s work for inspiration. Music plays a really big part when I’m shooting and working on my images. The photo has to connect with the music I am listening to and how I feel.  I hit a creative block if I spend too much time inside my studio. So, being outside in nature is really important for me (as you can see in my work).

My greatest influences are -

• Lucien Clergue, André De Dienes, Adolphe Sylvain, 

• Helmut Newton, and Herb Ritts to name a few. To me, these artists are sensitive and  share vulnerabilities with the world in beautiful ways. They seem so compassionate and have the most interesting perspectives.

Tell us a bit about your creative process?

I usually begin by taking a long walk or a run, listening to music while scrolling through other photographer’s work on Instagram, flicking through old photos or browsing photography books and magazines. I also have to make sure my work space is tidy and organized and a fresh brew of coffee at my desk.

In the beginning, I wasn’t really shooting or working for myself. I was creating things that I thought would be received well. I wasn’t creating honest work, which felt wrong. Over time, I’ve dedicated myself to authenticity and shooting based on how I feel. This is what I am most proud of - sharing what is most important to me, what feels right, and less of what others will expect of me or my work.

This year, if we overcome the pandemic, I look forward to spending more time with friends and family, traveling, shooting, and writing and most importantly of all, see a live music show.

How has this year changed your creativity or how you see the world changing moving forward?

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone but in terms of creativity it hasn’t affected my  passion to create.  As much I love to get out in nature and shoot, the lockdowns gave me a chance to stop and revisit old work. It has given me a new perspective to work with what I have and also experiment more with indoor photography.

Moving forward, I plan to do more commercial work, sell my prints and perhaps publish my own  book.

Anything else?

Do as much as you can while you have time (and energy!) Try a bit of everything and you might be surprised by what you enjoy and where you excel.