This is the beginning of an exciting journey! Welcome, I am so glad to share it with you.
Embark with me on this great mystery, let us find out where it leads…

Morning cane fields, Mauritius — *Morning cane fields, sunrise, Mauritius*

How did my journey start?

I have lived a life of many contrasts. From a very young age, the dysfunctionality of the systems we all live in was clear to me, and yet I felt powerless to change it. It was a time of profound disconnection, pain masked as rage — I was on a very destructive path, a rebel to the system, maladjusted, enraged, drowning my sorrows with alcohol and all kinds of drugs. And I don’t mean drugs just in the classical sense. For me, drugs include any compulsive behavior to escape the pain — it could be eating, playing video games, watching movies, or anything to numb away the pain.

And then, at my lowest, while simply existing without any taste for life, I found Nature. Never before had I felt such a connection! I felt ALIVE, bursting with vitality that I did not even know existed within me. It was a time of profound healing for me, where the time had come to face my demons. I was in love. Each day, after work, I would climb the mountain to regenerate, to ground myself in the Infinite depth of nature. Nothing would stop me from “going home” — be it rain, thunderstorms, or cyclones. It was such a miraculous time for me, I had the chance to witness some of the most incredible natural events. Every day was so different, every day I would return with a smile on my face!

It was around this time that I wanted to start sharing my journey from darkness to light. At first, I wanted to use words, but nature speaks in Silence. And so, I turned to photography as a primary means. Often, I would be inspired with a poem during the making of a photograph or I would stumble upon a most random quote or text that would go in great depth to what I have just experienced naturally. These “breakthroughs”, I found, were usually a theme that we all suffer from to some degree as a collective. As someone who had lived life in contrast, I wanted to raise awareness on these misconceptions and shed Light on misunderstandings that have become the norm of society across the world.

This is my way of “Being the Change” while at the same time healing and expressing myself creatively.

How did it all start?

For some time now, I have been mainly using social media platforms to post my art — photography, poems, and musings. While it is a good platform to share content with people across the world, I have always felt constrained by it. For instance, on Instagram, you can only post 10 images with limited captions.

In the first stages of my life, pain has carved its way deep into me, I am someone with much depth, nature resonates with this depth that I am discovering inwards while exploring outwards. This deep connection that I feel is what I want to express — but platforms like Instagram are very limited to create the narrative I wish to share. And so, with this new chapter, I am now taking a step towards weaving more wholesome stories, which resonate with the depth of my Soul. I hope to awaken this connection to Nature, Life within you!

The meaning of Life is to find your gift. The purpose of Life is to give it away.

It is truly a blessing to live in sync with Life, with Nature. We have forgotten our roots.
In today’s fast-paced world, I feel called upon to slow down and to remind us of this innate connection that we all have, to inspire us by being inspired myself — to share this essence of Life through images and story-telling.

A small anecdote of how my photographic journey began

In the beginning, I was using my phone to capture images. The Huawei Pro phones were groundbreaking at the time. I was able to capture some pretty amazing moments with it. For the curious ones, you can check it out on my personal Instagram account: @sagarsys (warning: you may have to scroll down a bit).
Of course, I am absolutely grateful to have been born in the tropical paradise of Mauritius island. It is a place of such concentrated beauty, blessed with lush greens, gorgeous beaches, incredible waterfalls, amicable mountains, and heavenly sunsets/sunrises — all in such a small area. There was so much to discover in my birthplace.

Yet, I heard the call of the Mountains. I wanted to travel the world and explore the depths of this Earth.
I invested in myself. I got my first professional camera, a Nikon Z7II!

The photos from this post are from my first day using the camera! Let me share with you a small anecdote of that day…

I stayed up all night, reading the manuals, testing my theoretical knowledge of the exposure triangle, figuring out what each button does, and tweaking the camera to my settings. My head was bursting with information. I have soaked up quite a lot in a small time frame. I should probably go to bed.
Tired, I look up at the clock and it's already 4.44 am! “Oh my, how time flies” I find myself thinking.

Naturally, I look outside at the break of dawn. Some days, you can just feel it when the sunrise is going to be epic - that morning was one of these! A surge of excitement bursts through my veins, my fatigue is superseded by the magnificence of the skies that beckons…
(some dark chocolate later) I take my bike and I'm off with the new gear in my bag. I must get to a clear vantage point, and as I start to cycle, the break of dawn begets more brilliant over my shoulders. Bewitched, I cycle like never before through the sugar cane fields. Until, finally, I reach the viewpoint.

And as I turn to face the rising sun, I am struck with an inexpressible emotion that alas, words cannot describe. Promptly, I remove my gear from my bag. I set the camera to ISO 64 F8 and I adjust the shutter speed to expose the picture properly. This is the result!

But wait, there's more. Once home, I download the raw images on my computer - reviewing them on a 4k display and I am stunned!!!
Never before have I ever witnessed such sharp images and dynamic range!

As I fall asleep with a grateful heart, I wonder ironically at the marvels that mankind is capable of…

With the onset of my camera, it was the beginning of my photographic journey. A butterfly effect that would drive me to move to the Netherlands, where I am currently residing — a prime location for exploring the Alps and Europe.

Where does it all lead?

Well, I am never in a hurry to figure out what the future holds. The Present moment holds all that we need. And so, for now, this is the form that my creativity has taken. Who can really tell what the future holds? Life is an exciting journey, an adventure, to be open to Unknown possibilities while making the best of what we have NOW, to take small steps towards our dreams when the opportunities come. This is my way of Life.

What can you expect?

First of all, I would like to thank you my audience for the support! You are also part of the driving force of this initiative.
It is a vulnerable and intimate thing to share my truth with you. You can expect a lot of heartfelt expressions like this in my upcoming posts. I hope it inspires you!
Oh! And add in some humor, subtle wisdom, reflections, philosophy, poetry, maybe some post-processing tutorials, travel guides, musings, music, and whatnot — sounds about right! 😆

But also, most importantly, to share the raw beauty of Nature with you. A space to marvel deeply at the wonders of Nature, beyond just the images.

Experience nature through my vision. Visual Vortex

If you made it this far, thank you for reading! 🙏
As it is a new chapter for me, as a reader, I would really appreciate your feedback in the comments below!

If you like what you read, subscribe to my newsletter. I will send updates for new posts (most likely monthly or bi-monthly).
And who knows what else? Embark on this journey with me…

Chapter 1: The journey begins