Short lifestyle updates, creative experiments and notes from building Nimalthas Imaging.
Industry Insights
For decades, the photography industry has pushed the boundaries of hardware with larger sensors, sharper lenses, faster autofocus, and ever-increasing resolutions. While these innovations continue to shape modern cameras, the next major leap is happening elsewhere.
Computational photography and artificial intelligence are redefining how images are captured, processed, and refined, shifting the focus from hardware specifications to intelligent software that understands both the scene and the creator's intent. As this transformation accelerates, the future of photography may be measured less by megapixels and more by the intelligence behind the camera.
Life
An unforgettable World Cup summer in Vancouver, on and off the pitch.
The World Cup has brought an incredible atmosphere to Vancouver this summer. One of the highlights was watching Egypt take on New Zealand and seeing Mohamed Salah play in what may be one of his final World Cup appearances. The energy inside the stadium was unforgettable, and Egypt's run throughout the tournament made every match exciting to follow.
Match day at BC Place, Vancouver.
Egypt take on New Zealand.
Even outside the stadium, the excitement was impossible to miss. I watched Canada take on Qatar from the Vancouver Fan Festival at the PNE, where thousands of supporters gathered despite being far from the action.
The city turns out for the fan festival.
Beyond the results, what stayed with me was the life this tournament brought out in Vancouver. The city filled with people from every corner of the world, from FIFA media members working the events to countless fans from Europe, Asia, South America, and beyond. Meeting so many people who had traveled here for the same reason, all carrying the same energy, made the summer feel bigger than football. It was a reminder of how a single event can bring an entire city together.
A packed house from every corner of the world.
This tournament has delivered so many memorable moments. Japan's incredible run as one of the competition's dark horses, Canada's historic Round of 16 appearance, and surprising upsets throughout the bracket have made this one of the most enjoyable sporting events I've experienced. It's been amazing watching Vancouver become part of a truly global event.
A sea of red inside BC Place.
Music
A reflection on learning tabla, rhythm, and the mathematics behind music.
I feel incredibly blessed to be learning tabla from a student of the late Ustad Zakir Hussain.
Although I only started learning seriously a few months ago, my progress has been far greater than in the previous few years. Beyond the technique, I have begun to understand the structure behind rhythm and how deeply mathematics is connected to music.
One concept I find fascinating is how a sixteen-beat cycle can be divided in different ways, such as 8+8, 7+9, or 6+8+2. The number of beats stays the same, but the feeling of the rhythm changes completely.
The more I learn, the more I appreciate how tabla combines creativity, discipline, and mathematical thinking. I still have a long way to go, but it has already become one of the most rewarding skills I have started learning.
Life
Balancing summer coursework with building software.
Summer semester has been busy. Between coursework, assignments, and personal projects, I've been learning how important it is to manage time intentionally.
Balancing university with building software isn't always easy, but every semester teaches me something new about managing priorities and staying focused on long-term goals.
Life
A weekend of photography, video, and learning the DJI RS4 gimbal.
The final weekend of June was a welcome change of pace. I spent much of the retreat helping with photography and video while continuing to learn how to use my DJI RS4 gimbal more effectively. One of the most interesting parts was experimenting with dual-control operation, using a PlayStation controller to control movement while simultaneously managing zoom from the gimbal itself.
For the first time, I started to understand how powerful a properly used gimbal can be. It opened up new possibilities for movement, framing, and storytelling that are difficult to achieve handheld. More importantly, it made videography significantly more enjoyable.
The retreat also gave me the opportunity to meet photographers, videographers, and editors with a wide range of experience levels. Conversations about photography, editing workflows, and creative projects led to several people trying MagicTrick in their own work. Seeing others experiment with something I've been building was both encouraging and motivating.
I also loved working with the media team over the weekend, capturing a few of the clips that were used for their events. You can watch a short clip from the retreat here: instagram.com/reel/DaTC7t8nH24
Industry
AI editing tools are maturing toward simpler, cleaner workflows.
Aftershoot, a professional photo editing software, recently introduced a major redesign.
It's interesting to watch how AI editing products are evolving as they mature. The focus appears to be shifting toward simpler workflows, cleaner interfaces, and better user experiences rather than simply adding more features.
Color
Exploring custom LUT design and how a look translates across scenes.
I've started exploring custom LUT design and testing how different looks translate across a variety of scenes.
Consistency is proving to be much harder than expected, especially when dealing with different lighting conditions and cameras. It's a challenging problem, but one that's been incredibly interesting to explore.
Color
Studying why some edits immediately feel believable while others don't.
I've been spending time studying why some edits immediately feel believable while others don't.
Small changes in color, contrast, and white balance can completely change how an image is perceived. It's a fascinating problem that I'm continuing to research.
