Suraj Ratna Shakya

Portrait | Last Updated: October 27, 2023

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Hello and namaste. I am Suraj Ratna Shakya, a photographer from Kathmandu, Nepal.

I focus primarily on capturing stories from the street, travel and candid portraits. I try to bring out the positive changes that are happening around the world. My work is mostly for humanitarian and non-government organizations both local and international, telling their stories visually.

When not travelling on assignments, I take on the role of Creative Director at Sattya Media Arts Collective where I conduct workshops on photography and video editing. Being largely self-taught I am always keen to grow and improve, by learning and sharing with others.

My first ever digital camera was the Kodak MC3 which is more of an MP3 player, however, it was all I needed to start my photographic journey. I really started to get serious with my photography back in 2007. The first DSLR was a Nikon D40 followed by an upgrade to a Nikon D90 and then finally to a full-frame Nikon D600.

My journey with Nikon didn’t last forever as all my gear was damaged in a horrible accident and this paved the way for a fresh start with the Sony a7S II.

I am currently using a Sony a7 III which I love for its features and its form factor. It is perfect for the kind of work that I shoot. This often involves both photo and video and the a7 III is a beast for both!

I also use my iPhone 13 constantly with most of my personal trips shot solely on this device. With all of my travel work, I like to travel light and prefer not to overwhelm either myself or the people I am pointing gear at so I keep it basic. I am good with a 50mm and I prefer natural light over flashes and strobes.

My camera bag usually contains the Sony a7 III, three lenses (50mm, 85mm, 28-75mm), a laptop, batteries, and power banks. While on assignments, I often add the Canon Ivy portable printer so that I can print the photos and give them back to people, their response is just priceless.

Cameras
Sony a7 III
iPhone 13

Lenses
Sony 50mm F/1.8 – this is my go-to lens which I use ninety per cent of the time.
Sony 85mm F1.8 – I like to use this one for my portraits.
Tamron 28 – 75mm 2.8 – this one is for my landscapes and anything wide.

Audio
Zoom H6
Sony Wireless Lavs
Sennheiser MKE 400

Bags/Straps
Incase DSLR Pro Pack
Peak Design Stripe (SLIDE) – easy to connect and fully adjustable.
Sonam Kit Bag – for cables, adapters, chargers and the little things you need.

Tripods
Benro Monopod
E-image Fluid Head Tripod

Hardware & Software
Lenovo Legion 7
Adobe Lightroom CC 2022
Custom Assembled Desktop PC

iPhone Apps
Capture
Adobe Lightroom
Moment
Halide
Default camera app

Edit
Adobe Lightroom
VSCO
PREQUEL
CapCut
Photofield

Accessories
Camera batteries, AA/AAA batteries, Canon Ivy Printer, SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD cards, Generic Portable HDD, power banks, memory cards and of course camera cleaning kit.

Misc.
Energy bars, sun-creams, chewing gum, hand sanitiser, wet tissues, torchlight, bandaids, Dopper water bottle and Coffee Tumbler.

Final Words
My approach to photography is personal. For me, connecting with people is as important as capturing their image. Give back if possible, if not, thank them or simply smile back 😊.

surajratnashakya.com.np | @surajshakya