The value of knowledge sharing: MumbaiOgraphy grows a community of over 12,700 photographers

Launched in 2014, PhotoSparks is a weekly feature from YourStory, with photographs that celebrate the spirit of creativity and innovation. In the earlier 940 posts, we featured an art festival, cartoon gallery. world music festival, telecom expo, millets fair, climate change expo, wildlife conference, startup festival, Diwali rangoli, and jazz festival.

MumbaiOgraphy, an aptly named photography community based in Mumbai, recently hosted an exhibition in Jehangir Art Gallery. See our coverage of earlier exhibitions at this iconic gallery here.

The photography community was formed by Prerna Kale and Hitesh Baldota in 2016. It now has over 12,700 members.

“Photography to us is like breathing. We see memorable moments every day and even every second,” Kale tells YourStory.

Some moments are lovable and are captured in minds and hearts. “We can also capture some such moments on our devices to relive them again,” she adds.

Every fortnight, the community conducts group activities. This includes photo walks, workshops, or group discussions.

“Once people learn the art of photography, they can become professionals. This includes genres like weddings, tabletop photography, or even assignment for magazines,” she says.

As trends in photography, Kale points to the ubiquitous use of smartphones as photographic devices. “Capturing unique or memorable moments from festivals is another trend.,” she adds.

AI is picking up pace as well. “Soon, it will take over many processes in photography activities,” she observes.

Photography is a popular hobby, and there are many communities of photographers – both amateur and professional. “We stand out due to the fact that we do personal mentorship,” Kale affirms.

“Through social media like WhatsApp groups, we help photographers become better. We provide help and various tips as knowledge inputs for improvement,” she explains.

Kale has a degree in advertising, while her co-founder Hitesh Baldota studied engineering. The founders have organised three large exhibitions so far.

Jehangir Gallery requires a gap of three years between successive exhibitions by the same organisation. “The best part of this gallery is that it is a venue where art lovers flock. That makes it the ideal place to exhibit, as like-minded people are all around,” Kale observes.

For their photography exhibitions, MumbaiOgraphy has a panel of judges who decide the merit of the photographs. “Only the worthy ones are chosen,” Kale says.

“We usually have an open theme. Current topics also play an important part as part of the exhibition,” she says.

Most community members are in Mumbai, but some are in other cities. Local members also travel and submit photographs from other locations. “So we do have photographs on display from across the globe,” Kale says.

The founders organise different kinds of competitions. “In live competitions, we decide on a location and give the members two hours to shoot and give us their best clicks,” she describes.

“We also have Instagram contests, and competitions for best archive photographs,” she says. Prizes include photography magazines.

The founders also discuss topics and come up with a range of themes. “We have a number of experts on our judging panel, whom we choose from pertaining to that certain genre,” Kale says.

The pandemic was a tough time for the community. “We conducted many webinars during the lockdowns. Experts from different genres conducted four webinars each, accompanied by slide shows,” she recalls.

The community includes a large panel of experts. Accomplished practitioners in each genre give members feedback and tips for improvement.

“With our help, the photography community grew quickly from launch. We went from 500 to 1,500 to 2,500 within a couple of months,” Kale recalls.

More people now want to associate with the community, including many brands. “We want to be careful in welcoming brands – we would prefer those that want to genuinely help our community and not just sell their products,” she says.

“Knowledge is more important than money for us. We do not generate funds via sponsors at the moment. We spend from our own pockets,” Kale adds.

Fortunately, the team has a growing pool of well-wishers. “Our members are happy to pitch in and help us out with completing the tasks,” she acknowledges.

The founders are active readers as well. “We have to keep ourselves up to date to solve queries,” she says.

Looking ahead in 2026, MumbaiOgraphy plans to have more workshops and photo walks. “Other groups, including from other cities, have also approached us to conduct photo walks and lectures,” Kale explains.

“Our photowalks are always the talk of the town, as a lot of knowledge sharing ideas and in-depth discussions take place while clicking. We help our members click better, and assist with framing the shots as well,” she says with pride.

“Like they say, A family that stays together grows together. MumbaiOgraphy is truly a growing family,” Kale signs off.

Now what have you done today to pause in your busy schedule and harness your creative side for a better world?

(All photographs taken by Madanmohan Rao on location at Jehangir Art Gallery.)