Even before he graduated in 2016, Photography alumnus Trupal Pandya had some remarkable accomplishments under his belt. Now 28, he came from Varodara, India to study at FIT. On school breaks, he traveled to far-flung locales to shoot striking images in a style that recalls National Geographic, but is all his own. He has shot eunuchs and shepherds in India, the Huaorani people of the Amazon Rainforest, and vanishing tribes of former headhunters in Ethiopia, capturing the poignancy of their disappearing way of life. And earlier this year he was sent by the United Nations to document the lives of refugees in camps in Iraq, in order to raise awareness of their plight. Many had been captives of Isis, enduring unimaginable suffering. Pandya viewed his subjects with tender respect, and his memorable photos reflect his desire to help improve their situation.
He funds what he sees as his life’s work by taking groups of amateur photographers to places like Ethiopia, where he teaches them how to create compelling photos of the people and the landscape. But he is always planning the next stop on his journey to document rarely seen communities and reveal lives both strange and achingly familiar.