AR Shakti Nanda is an architect, academician, naturalist, and photographer who has had a passion for photography since a young age. His photographs were published in reputed magazines from the ages of 11 to 13. Currently, his works are regularly featured in internationally reputed media houses and he has worked for the Odisha Police and Forest departments. He worked as an Associate Professor and later the Design Chair at Sir University. Currently, he runs his own architecture firm called Panorama Visualization after leaving academics to pursue photography full-time. He has authored chapters for wildlife management plans and published papers in international journals on avifauna and herpetology.

1. Introduction of keynote speaker:
AR Shakti Nanda, an architect, academician & naturalist found a passion for
photography at a young age. His photographs got published in the reputed
national daily ’The Telegraph’ at the age of 11. Subsequently, his work was
regularly featured in other magazines like ‘Sunday’ & ‘Illustrated Weekly of India’
when he was 13. The passion continued to the digital age and passion turned to
professional. His works are regularly getting featured in some of the internationally
reputed media houses like Yahoo, Travel Plus, TOI, Thrill philia, Lonely Planet etc.
He has worked for Odisha Police & Forest department. His work has been featured
in many international and national repute business houses’ corporate calendars.
Olympus Imaging Corporation, MGM Odisha, Odisha Tourism & Khimji Corporate
calendar have featured his multiple photographs.
He worked as an Associate Professor and got promoted to Design Chair in ‘The
Faculty of Architecture’ at sir University. After 8 years in the university, he left
academics to pursue his passion for photography and practice as an architect in his
firm Panorama Visualization.
He authored the chapter ‘Tourism Impacts and Models for Green Tourism Policy’
as part of the ‘Comprehensive State Wildlife Management Plan’ for Odisha Forest
Department & Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
His research and documentation work in Avifauna and Herpetology credited him
with a few important papers in international Scopus journals.
Views on the presentation and advise delivered:
By focusing on urban micro geographies and by opening work to ambiguity and
chance, geographers may create new space for interpretation. Attending to
material with the camera also enables us to play with value and hierarchy and
provokes the animation and agency of matter. Finally, as well as highlighting the
matter of things, images can capture the matter of our own bodies caught up in
events with the cities we inhabit. Urban photography offers a way
of doing research that opens up city spaces, objects, and events, so we can better
reflect on the complex textures, feelings, and experiences of urban space.
Report on jury member Ar. Shakti Nanda.
ARYAN AGARWAL 2000701032