"I decided to use my camera to show the differences."
Hermann Rodrigues is a beacon of representation and talent in the realm of photography.
Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hermann is a documentary and travel photographer.
In a prolific career, he has recorded important aspects including community history, immigration, professions, and historical buildings.
Hermann Rodrigues has an ingrained passion for South Asian representation, which includes Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, and Bengali groups.
In 2024, he was awarded ‘Asian Photographer of the Year’ by the Eastern Eye and Eastern Media Group in London.
With a goal towards expressing the South Asian culture of Scotland, Hermann has highlighted representation through his art in a refined manner.
In our exclusive interview, Hermann Rodrigues delved into his penchant for photography, the Scottish representation of South Asians and more.
What inspired you to be a photographer?
I have always been attracted to the camera. Carrying the camera everywhere has been second nature to me since my childhood.
All my pocket money as a child was spent on rolls of film and getting prints of the photos.
My main subjects were my family, cousins and extended family. And boy, did I have a large family!
To me, it still is the best tool to record and convey positivity, beauty and and of course, the heartwarming stories of the South Asian community in Scotland.
What was it about Scotland that you felt you needed to capture through your camera?
When I first arrived here in Scotland in 1990, the South Asian community was quite small and in distinct pockets around the country.
In the early 1990s, I used to find it surprising that we were all called Asians, but most people did not know that that meant a land mass the size of Europe, with varied and different cultures, religions, and languages.
I found the banner of Asians quite restricting, and I decided to use my camera to show the differences within the communities.
I went to every gathering, be it Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi.
I also travelled to different parts of Scotland. You have to remember those were pre internet days and you travelled anywhere without any information whatsoever.
I went to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, which had about 40 people of Pakistani origin who spoke Gaelic and had made their home since the 1950s. Their stories fascinated me.
It took me a while to be accepted because these communities were not photographed as frequently before.
But once they realised that I stood for only positive stories, I was welcomed well.
Do you feel South Asians from Scotland are represented enough? If not, what more can be done to improve this?
I think South Asians have come a very long way. In the 1940s and 1950s, most migrants were for labour and were economic migrants.
They worked extremely hard to establish themselves.
In the 1980s and 1990s, it was stereotypical for South Asians to be bus drivers, corner shop owners and curry house owners, barring a few in medicine and academia.
But lately, with the requirement of people from South Asia in the IT Sector and the Medical Sector, the community has changed drastically.
The new community comes with good pay packages and are in position to enjoy Scotland in far better ways than the previous communities did.
What is it about Scotland that South Asians can enjoy? Is there anything specific you would recommend?
Like South Asia, Scotland is also rich in colour, heritage, passion for life and traditions, which South Asians are quick to pick up and make their own.
I discovered that quite a few Scottish Tartans were owned by the Sikhs, for example, who consider their Scottishness as a matter of immense pride.
They embrace and celebrate the cultural side of Scotland alongside their own rich culture.
In terms of natural beauty, Scotland has amazing destinations to explore. Castles, Nature walks, hill climbing, history – Scotland has amazing things to offer.
Through photography, I have not only enjoyed capturing South Asians but also fascinating connections between India and Scotland.
For example their is a town called Patna here in Ayrshire which is named after Patna in Bihar, East India.
There is an area called Vellore near Falkirk named after Vellore in Tamil Nadu.
You can harp about the negatives of the British Raj as much as you like, but as a photographer, I find these connections fascinating.
What does travelling give you as a creative person and would you recommend it to others?
My biggest passion has been to photograph and document the South Asians of Scotland. I travel everywhere in Scotland.
I am too focused and single-minded on this project. Travelling expands your mind. Creative people see life differently.
When you travel, soak in all the sights and sounds of a new destination with your unique perspective.
What advice would you give to other Desi people who wish to pursue photography?
I think there are two sides to photography if you were to make it a profession.
One is to earn your bread and butter with photography. Which is to do weddings, photoshoots, etc.
The other is to capture things they really are fascinated with. It could be wildlife, birds, or anything that pleases their being.
Photographers also have a mission as artists, and it is to discover what their mission is and continue pursuing it.
Ideally, I would love to visit countries like Fiji and Guyana to photograph the descendants of indentured labourers from India.
I would also like to put my work in an archive for it to be accessible because it is a good record of migration spread over 35 years or so.
Hermann Rodrigues is a connoisseur of photography with an original lens into the world.
His words about representation are as essential as they are inspiring.
Hermann’s work gives birth to a vast, unique, and exciting landscape.
Anyone looking to pursue photography should unquestionably explore Hermann’s art.
His achievements in photography will set them on the right path.
See more pictures taken by Hermann Rodrigues in our special gallery:
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