Aashim speaks to Blur The Border :

Blur : You worked with several organisations before beginning your independent practice. What prompted you to take that leap and find your own voice behind the lens?

Aashim : ​It was not a single decision or turning point. Working within organisations gave me a strong understanding of how images function inside larger systems, whether in branding, communication, or storytelling shaped by clear objectives. Over time, I realised that the questions I was becoming interested in needed more time and fewer constraints. Photography offered a way to slow down and sit with uncertainty, to stay with places and situations without having to resolve them too quickly. Moving into independent practice allowed me to prioritise observation and duration, and to let the work evolve through repeated encounters rather than fixed outcomes.

Blur : From your experience, what is one key skill that someone should focus on acquiring when transitioning from one field to another? And conversely, what is one fear you believe they need to let go of while navigating this journey?

Aashim : The most important skill is learning how to be a beginner again, even after years of experience elsewhere. That willingness to not know creates room for curiosity and genuine learning, rather than trying to translate authority from one field directly into another. Equally important is letting go of the fear that earlier years were somehow misdirected or wasted. Skills, habits, and ways of thinking accumulate over time. They resurface in unexpected ways and often become the quiet foundation of later work.

Blur : Alongside working for companies, you’ve also established a strong foothold as an independent artist. Are there any processes, disciplines, or learnings from the corporate environment that you continue to carry into your solo artistic practice?

Aashim : Yes, very much so. The corporate environment instilled a sense of discipline, preparation, and accountability that continues to shape how I work independently. I still think in terms of structure, sequencing, and coherence, especially when building long-term projects. Even when the outcome is open-ended, having a clear framework allows the work to remain deliberate and considered rather than reactive.

Blur : What role does your environment play in shaping your work and creative thinking?

Aashim : Environment is central to how I see and think. I am often drawn to peripheral spaces, places where development, memory, and everyday life intersect in quiet ways. These environments dictate the pace of my work and encourage attentiveness rather than spectacle. Spending time in such spaces allows details to surface gradually, and those details often carry more meaning than overt symbols of change.

Blur : Do you have a definitive process while creating? Are there any habits or rituals that help you get into a creative mindset?

Aashim : My process relies heavily on time and repetition. I walk, return to the same places, and allow familiarity to build before making photographs. There is rarely a fixed image I am chasing. Instead, I wait for patterns, gestures, and relationships within the frame to reveal themselves. Editing is an essential part of this process. Distance from the field helps clarify what the work is actually about.

Blur : Your documentary work is deeply rooted in social impact and human-centric storytelling, often focusing on the intersections of human dignity, systemic development, and cultural preservation. What does it take to capture something as intangible as a social message through photography, and what does that process look like for you?

Aashim : It begins with listening and spending time without the camera taking the lead. Trust and presence matter more than coverage. I am interested in how people exist within systems and how that presence is reflected in everyday gestures and environments. Rather than asking a single image to carry a message, I prefer to build meaning through sequences that allow complexity and contradiction to remain intact.

Blur : Photography has traditionally been a tactile medium. With over 16 years of experience, how do you feel digitisation has helped the profession—and what, if anything, do you feel it has taken away from the physical, print-based experience? How do you see both coexisting in the future?

Aashim : Digitisation has expanded access and made experimentation easier, allowing ideas to be tested and shared quickly. It has also broadened who gets to participate in photography. At the same time, it has accelerated consumption and shortened attention spans. Print creates a different kind of encounter, one that values scale, material, and time. I see digital and print continuing in parallel, each serving a distinct purpose.

Blur : If you were to collaborate with another artist, within or outside of your discipline, what is one collaboration you would love to explore?

Aashim : I am interested in collaborations that extend photography beyond the image itself. Working with writers, researchers, or sound artists feels particularly relevant when engaging with themes like cities, memory, and cultural change. These collaborations allow ideas to unfold across forms rather than remain contained within a single medium.

Blur : In a moment of rapid change, what is one question you’re sitting with—or one you think our community needs to reflect on and discuss more openly right now?

Aashim : I keep returning to the question of attention. As everything accelerates, it feels important to ask how we continue to look carefully and listen deeply. What does it mean to remain present and ethical in how we observe and represent the world around us. This feels like a question worth holding collectively, especially within creative communities navigating constant change.