Documenting Silambam Warriors in Chennai with the Leica SL3-S

Moving between photo and video in a fast-paced environment

One of my most rewarding projects for me last year was documenting authentic Silambam martial artists in Chennai. This ancient art is deeply woven into Tamil history, and I had long wanted to explore it. Timing met preparation when the creative freedom that came along with my project with Leica would finally give me the opportunity I couldn’t pass up. This week, I’m sharing a few frames from that experience—along with a behind-the-scenes look at how the creative vision came to life.

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Preparing for the Moment

The first step in any documentary project is finding the right subjects. For this film, I knew I wanted to highlight the women keeping Silambam alive—unlikely warriors carrying forward centuries of tradition. Working with a fixer in India, we researched several groups before finding a school that wasn’t just skilled but deeply rooted in the art’s authenticity.

With our core group secured, the next challenge was location. I needed an outdoor space—open enough for dynamic choreography yet shaded by trees to help control natural light. Fortunately, the team had access to the perfect spot: a clearing just outside a temple in their village, a setting that added both depth and cultural significance to the visuals.

With the two most critical elements in place, it was time to prepare my team and mindset for the shoot. I had a few key shots in mind for the film we were creating, but this project was about more than just a shot list—it was about being fluid, staying present, and capturing the energy of the moment. That’s why I almost exclusively relied on the SL 24-90mm and 90-280mm lenses.

These lenses are among the most underrated optics in the L-mount ecosystem. Though heavy, their ability to resolve detail, enhance depth, and focus quickly made them invaluable for this kind of storytelling. I’ve worked with Sony G Masters and Canon L lenses, but nothing compares to these Leica zooms—at least, not for the way I tell stories.

Portraits that Matter

I wanted to create a series of portraits that felt both intimate and powerful. To achieve this, I relied on backlighting—positioning my subjects against the setting sun and shifting my angle to the shadow side for a more dramatic composition. This approach didn’t just add depth to the moment; it heightened the emotion, making each frame feel more expressive.

More than just a stylistic choice, this framing also allowed me to push the dynamic range of the Leica SL3-S, showcasing its ability to handle contrast and retain detail in challenging light. Every production in this project wasn’t just about capturing meaningful moments—it was about proving what this camera could do.

When shooting portraits, I’m always playing with distance. This could be an entire article on its own, but at its core, it’s about mirroring how we naturally see the world. Sometimes, we take in the full scene with a wide gaze; other times, our eyes dart toward specific details, locking onto something small yet significant. That dynamic nature of human sight is what shapes my approach to portraiture.

With these martial artists, I wanted to push in tighter than usual—often cropping out details that many might consider essential. Cutting off a subject right at their eye? Crazy to some. But for me, it always comes back to story and emotion. It’s about what you feel in the frame, not just what you see.

Transitioning to Video