Sriram Murali : “The Light of Darkness”
Sriram Murali is an artist of the night, a photographer, and filmmaker whose vision transcends the ordinary to unveil the extraordinary. Passionate about nature and deeply concerned by the devastating effects of light pollution, he captures images that do more than mesmerize—they educate, provoke, and inspire. His work, imbued with poetry, emerges from meticulous planning, a profound understanding of ecology, and an almost spiritual fascination with nocturnal phenomena. He is particularly renowned for documenting fireflies—living sparks of light whose synchronized dance is a fragile miracle under threat from human activity.
During the pandemic, Sriram immortalized a dreamlike scene: a forest illuminated by thousands of fireflies, flashing in perfect harmony. Through his images, he tells the story of often-invisible worlds, connecting viewers to the vastness of the cosmos and the urgent need to protect what remains wild and unexplored. Yet Sriram Murali’s art goes beyond beauty. It is a gentle but powerful weapon, a plea for conservation, and an invitation to relearn how to see, feel, and respect.
An introvert yet deeply passionate, he roams the silence of forests and the infinite starlit skies, letting his work speak for him. Each of his creations serves as a poignant reminder: the night is not just a veil of darkness but a living, breathing realm that we are duty-bound to protect. Through his images, he captures not merely moments but truths, emotions, and a fragment of the planet’s soul. Sriram Murali is a storyteller whose light reveals far more than the night.
Instagram : sriram_murali
Thanks to Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
Your first photographic trigger?
Sriram Murali : In 2011, while camping at Yosemite National Park in California, I saw a sky full of stars for the first time in my life. I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. It felt so unreal. I’ve wanted to pursue Astronomy and found photography and filmmaking a powerful medium to express my passion for it.
The man or woman of image who inspired you?
Sriram Murali : When I started photographing the night skies, I was inspired by Ian Norman (lonelyspeck.com). His style and approach were original and true to the subject. In the past few years, I’ve been inspired by Brent Stirton’s conservation photography and photojournalism.
The image you would have liked to take?
Sriram Murali : Songbirds singing very late on a cold winter night (so their breaths are visible) with streetlights and other excessive artificial lighting illuminating the trees and a clock/clock tower in the background displaying the time. Some songbirds sing all night under highly lit areas, affecting their metabolism and causing diseases. This simple image would be a powerful reminder of how we’ve altered the planet, affecting one of the most charming aspects of nature in an almost cruel way.
The one that moved you the most?
Sriram Murali : A few years ago, I saw a photo of an animal farm somewhere in SouthEast Asia where crocodiles were being skinned alive for fashion industry use. I had a helpless, doomed feeling seeing these ferocious descendants of dinosaurs being mercilessly killed for human greed.
And the one that made you angry?
Sriram Murali : There are many. A giraffe in a small cage in a zoo with blue skies painted on the walls, tigers and lions made to perform together in circuses, elephants used in temples and festivities, private captive tigers and lions in the US, horseshoe crabs drained for their blood and the list goes on and on.
Which photo changed the world? And which photo changed your world?
Sriram Murali : Most definitely. A photograph can emotionally convey a strong message, make people aware and care, lead conversations and movements and can persuade and enact policy changes. For me, it’s the first few photos of the night sky that I took. Photographing starry skies and expressing my thoughts made Astronomy feel personal. But, when my friends and colleagues questioned whether these stars really exist, I realized most people don’t know or even believe such starry skies exist. That’s when I started telling stories about the night and how light pollution impacts it. I found my passion for storytelling and it has been quite a gratifying journey since with many positive impacts.
What interests you most in an image?
Sriram Murali : I admire images that transport me to the location, make me feel the place, and draw me in wanting to know more.
What is the last photo you took?
Sriram Murali : Photos of threatened fireflies in the mangrove forests of Malaysia.
A key image in your personal pantheon?
Sriram Murali : A photo of a valley full of fireflies illuminating a tiger reserve at night. I discovered extremely large populations of fireflies (in the billions) in a forest near home in India while searching for darker skies. This photo changed my world. It helped my foray into wildlife photography, gave me a lot of exposure and inspired me to quit my job at Google. I had been working as a Data Analyst for over a decade while making stories about the night on the side.
A photographic memory from your childhood?
Sriram Murali : I grew up watching the National Geographic. I loved learning about wildlife behavior and their habitats.
According to you, what is the necessary quality to be a good photographer?
Sriram Murali : Patience, perseverance, appreciation for the subject, honesty, integrity, and being ethical.
What makes a good photo?
Sriram Murali : For me, personally, photos that I have planned well beforehand and utilized natural elements for have turned out the best. And ones where I’ve had a good understanding of wildlife behavior and ecology going into it.
The person you would like to photograph?
Sriram Murali : I mainly enjoy photographing nature. If there is one person that I’d like to photograph, that’d be John Oliver. I admire how he takes the most serious issues affecting our world today and conveys them in a comical, yet powerful way (Last Week Tonight show). I’d love to use the opportunity to conversate with him on some of the environmental issues.
The camera of your childhood?
Sriram Murali : Canon 70 D.
The one you use today?
Sriram Murali : Canon 6D for photos, Sony A7Siii for videos.
How do you choose your projects?
Sriram Murali : I am to emotionally connect people to the wonders of the dark and the ill effects of losing it. I plan my projects well in advance. I think of the kind of photos and the story I want to convey. With wildlife and conservation, there are many aspects to cover – awe and wonder, science and research, environmental impacts, and storytelling. Often there are surprises in nature. However, having a good understanding of wildlife behavior and sticking to the plan works well for me.
How would you describe your creative process?
Sriram Murali : I think about the story I want to tell and what that would look like as an end product. Once I have a list of items to cover, I think of innovative ways and techniques to photograph them. Then I plan the best time and conditions and do a lot of fieldwork to help gather more information.
An upcoming project that’s close to your heart?
Sriram Murali : To understand how increasing levels of light pollution are affecting wildlife, especially fireflies. I’m also looking forward to documenting fireflies in Mexico next year.
The best way to disconnect for you?
Sriram Murali : Being in the forest without an agenda, listening to its sounds, feeling the breeze, observing wildlife behavior, lying under a sky full of stars, letting my mind run wild about the scale of the Universe and the possibility of lifeforms elsewhere. I also like spending time with friends and family.
What is your relationship with the image included in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at NMACC?
Sriram Murali : During the pandemic, I got to spend a few months at home after a long time. I went in search of the stars near my hometown. The farther I moved away from the town and its lights, the more I could see stars and fireflies. I was fascinated when I saw hundreds of fireflies flashing at the edge of a forest. I spent days documenting them. I heard stories of trees laden with fireflies deep in the forest. I couldn’t imagine what that’d look like. When I finally saw it, it was way beyond my wildest imagination. There were hundreds of thousands of fireflies on every tree as far as the eyes could see in every direction. Fireflies synchronized their flashes in a Mexican wave-like fashion. I photographed them like I usually photograph the stars. I stacked 50 photos with a total exposure of 15 minutes.
It’s wonderful to have my work exhibited in one of the most premier art centers in India. I hope it will spark conversations about artificial lighting and its impacts on fireflies and other nocturnal beings. A platform such as the NMACC is an ideal stage to inspire conservation.
Who would you like to be photographed by?
Sriram Murali : I hardly have any portrait photographs of myself. I don’t like posing. So, any good candid photographer catching me in my elements would be great.
Your latest folly?
Sriram Murali : Stepping into a forest floor full of leeches out of excitement to see a glowing firefly larva.
An image to illustrate a new banknote?
Sriram Murali : My most favorite bird is the Great Hornbill. I’d love to see it on a banknote. The Great Hornbill’s loud barking calls and flapping feathers echo across tropical forests in India unlike any other bird. I am fascinated by these birds as much as I am by the fireflies.
What was the last thing you did for the first time?
Sriram Murali : I tend to focus only on work while being away on projects. I miss out on opportunities to socialize and have fun when time allows. While in Malaysia earlier this year on a project to document fireflies, I broke this habit, thanks to my colleague, Chandrasekar Rathnam. I enjoyed exploring Kuala Lumpur in the evenings.
The city, the country or the culture you dream of discovering?
Sriram Murali : I’m looking forward to my visits to Borneo and Mexico next year. While the main work would be documenting fireflies, I’m excited about the food, culture and the experience.
The place you never get tired of?
Sriram Murali : Anywhere under a sky full of stars. The night skies give us the biggest perspective possible.
Your biggest regret?
Sriram Murali : I wish I had started earlier. I wish I had the opportunity to pursue photography/filmmaking full- time earlier in my career. I had a full time job as a Data Analyst (which I also loved) for over a decade while working on photography/filmmaking projects on the side.
In terms of social networks, are you more into Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok or Snapchat and why?
Sriram Murali : I use Instagram and YouTube. Instagram is good for sharing photos, but only a few of my followers read the text that goes along with the photo. I’m frustrated and annoyed by most social media these days on how they try to make their product addictive to the users.
Color or B&W?
Sriram Murali : I mostly shoot in color.
Daylight or artificial light?
Sriram Murali : This is an easy one. Natural light. I think artificial lighting in wildlife photography should only be used for conservation and scientific purposes. Artificial lighting affects wildlife’s eyesight, impacting their foraging and reproductive behavior. I wish wildlife photographers would stop using bright flashlights on nocturnal birds and animals. Imagine someone walking into your bedroom and shining bright lights at night.
Which city do you think is the most photogenic?
Sriram Murali : Not a city, but Death Valley National Park in California. The landscape is so alien and deserted. I once camped by Eureka Dunes in the summer and I felt like I was the only person on the planet.
If I could organize your ideal dinner party, who would be at the table?
Sriram Murali : Scientists, journalists, magazine editors, policymakers, and my colleagues to discuss how we can tell compelling stories about the night and how to enact changes in lighting policies.
The image that represents for you the current state of the world?
Sriram Murali : An image of a polar bear being shot dead in Iceland. Polar bears are not native to Iceland and this one likely drifted on ice from Greenland. It wasn’t translocated to Greenland because the government found it too expensive. It’s sad we only care for wildlife when it is convenient or absolutely mandated. The lack of empathy is disturbing.
What do you like people to say about you?
Sriram Murali : That I cared about the night, told emotionally touching stories about it, and strived to bring back darkness.
The one thing we absolutely must know about you?
Sriram Murali : I am an introvert. While on my passionate topics, I am absolutely amazing. But otherwise, I find socializing hard.
A last word ?
Sriram Murali : I am excited to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition come to India. I think it’s important to get a global perspective on the awe and wonder of our world and the threats they face. And the images from India add relevance, making people appreciate and learn about wildlife in our own backyard. From the upcoming exhibition, I particularly liked Laurent Ballesta’s images of horseshoe crabs and learning about how they evolved millions of years ago and have survived for so long. Stories like these put into context why we must strive to conserve them. This was a long list of questions. But I thoroughly enjoyed them. It helped me explore myself as a photographer. So, thank you for the thoughtful questions. I appreciate it.
