Shutterbugs from Kerala focus on flora, fauna and the familiar in their neighbourhood

The lockdown has encouraged lensmen and women to turn to their homes, gardens and surroundings for artistic inspiration

Actor Mammootty, a keen photographer, recently shared a photograph of him clicking the birds around his home on Instagram. It is not just him; many keen photographers have been focussing on feathered visitors to their homes during the lockdown. For them it has been a discovery of the world in birds, flowers, raindrops, leaves, insects and the play of light and shadow. Although they are not professional photographers, these shutterbugs are taking a close look at their surroundings, at objects and living organisms that we take for granted in our daily lives. In the case of Sneha Rajendra (@wander_doc), an emergency physician at SUT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, the spike in COVID-19 extended her work to 30-hour shifts. So the avid travel photographer has turned to observe her work environment with new eyes. “Usually after long shifts, I used to take off in my car for long drives and click snaps of people, food, culture and scenic sights. However, now it is my workplace and food that I zoom into,” she says. Her Instagram is filled with photographs of food photographs and the hospital environment.