Kavin Chawla

Kavin Chawla

I am a Thailand-born, San Francisco–based landscape photographer drawn to the overlooked—intimate coastal geology, shifting fog, and small-scale patterns across California’s wilderness. I like to blend art and technology with patient fieldwork, favoring simple tools and printing much of my work. When I’m not out with a camera, I grow rare anthuriums, tinker with tube amplifiers, and explore local Native American history with care and respect, amongst many other hobbies. 

Michéla Griffith

In 2012 I paused by my local river and everything changed. I’ve moved away from what many expect photographs to be: my images deconstruct the literal and reimagine the subjective, reflecting the curiosity that water has inspired in my practice. Water has been my conduit: it has sharpened my vision, given me permission to experiment and continues to introduce me to new ways of seeing.

michelagriffith.com

We can grow up surrounded by cameras, and yet not pick one up. Curiosity, travel, noticing details and becoming an observer came first for Kavin. A trip to New Zealand was the nudge to begin framing the landscape, and to wonder what a camera, used with intent, might reveal. An apprenticeship followed, but Kavin credits moving to California with fostering his connection to nature and giving him something he wanted to voice. His curiosity now finds its outlet on small details and shifting shores. He describes photography nicely as a conversation—here’s our conversation with Kavin.

Would you start by telling readers a little about yourself—where you grew up, early interests, and what you went on to do?

I grew up in Thailand in a Punjabi family that had moved there generations earlier. My nationality is Thai, but ethnically I’m Punjabi, and that mix of cultures shaped a lot of who I am. Bangkok was home—a vibrant, sometimes chaotic city full of color, incredible food, and an energy that never really sleeps. My childhood had the typical ingredients of a city kid’s life: school, sports, friends, and family trips.

Sports were a big part of my early interests. I loved playing them and the camaraderie that came with it. I was also drawn to technology—anything with wires and circuits fascinated me. I’d happily spend hours tinkering with the latest gadgets, taking them apart to see how they worked and then trying (sometimes failing) to put them back together. That curiosity about how things function is still with me today and, I think, quietly informs the way I photograph.

Even though cameras were around me constantly—my dad and older brother were both avid hobby photographers—I didn’t immediately pick up photography myself. The camera was there at family events and on vacations, but it was more their domain. My own focus was on education and the path that would eventually bring me to the United States. Like many kids, I followed the expected route: study hard, aim for good grades, and keep doors open for higher education abroad.