“I was born and raised in Hyderabad, in a family where my father worked as a journalist for a Telugu daily newspaper, and my mother was a homemaker. Growing up, I was always fascinated by nature, but there was something particularly captivating about the clouds. Their ever-changing shapes seemed to tell stories that I could never quite put into words. It was as though they were always there, watching, evolving, and communicating in ways that only someone willing to listen could understand.
When I was in Grade 3, I moved to a Boarding school in Nalgonda district. It was a whole new experience for me, being away from home and surrounded by a different kind of environment. With plenty of open space, I found myself looking at the sky more often, paying attention to the clouds. I started writing poems and quotes in Urdu, Telugu, and English, inspired by the shapes and stories I saw in the clouds. To me, the clouds were more than just shapes in the sky; they felt like stories waiting to be noticed.
By the time I reached Grade 8, I had developed a habit of capturing the clouds with my father’s old keypad phone. It was nothing fancy, but it allowed me to preserve the fleeting moments I saw in the sky. At first, my friends teased me for it. They didn’t understand why I was so drawn to something as simple as clouds. But I didn’t let their ridicule stop me. Over time, my photos got better, especially after my father upgraded his phone, and I began sharing them online with captions in multiple languages—Urdu, Telugu, Hindi, and English.
One of the moments that stands out for me was during the 2011 World Cup. I captured a cloud formation that looked like the 1983 World Cup trophy, and I felt a spark of excitement. I shared the image with a neighbor, who recognized the significance of it, and then I posted it online. When India won the World Cup, it felt like the clouds had predicted the victory. It was one of those rare, full-circle moments that made me realize the connection I had with the skies.
In 2013, I started taking cloud photography more seriously. I began using my smartphone to capture daily formations and share them regularly. Slowly but surely, my work started getting noticed. Newspapers published my photographs, and I started to feel that my passion for cloud photography was more than just a hobby—it was something worth pursuing.
Then came a defining moment in June 2013, during the Telangana agitation. I was traveling from Abids when I looked up and saw a cloud formation that clearly resembled the map of Telangana. It was a striking moment, almost like the sky itself was speaking to me. I immediately captured the image, feeling a strong connection to the moment. When Telangana was officially formed in 2014, that image stayed with me.
In 2018, I had the opportunity to showcase my work at the ICCR Art Gallery in Ravindra Bharati. Dr. Mamidi Harikrishna Garu, who’s the director for Department of Language and Culture, Telangana whom I met in 2016 recognized my photographs as a unique art form of Telangana. I was humbled and grateful to have nearly 80 of my cloud images displayed.
One of my favorite works till date was a single cloud formation I captured from three different perspectives: a person smoking, which transformed into a lion, and then into a skeleton. This image was later used as a poster for an anti-drug campaign by the Hyderabad Police in 2023, which made me feel incredibly proud that my work could contribute to such an important cause.
One of the most iconic images I’ve captured is a cloud formation that resembles the Kohinoor diamond positioned between the minarets of the Charminar. Not only is this a reflection of my unique perspective, but it also ties into the rich history of Hyderabad, where the Kohinoor diamond was once housed before it became part of the British Crown Jewels. This cloud formation was deeply symbolic to me, connecting the old and new, history and the present, in a single image.
Over the years, I continued to share my work, visiting schools and universities to showcase my photographs. In 2023, I was invited by Safdariya Girls Urdu Medium School in Hyderabad for a cloud photography interaction.
I also displayed my work at the University of Mysore and other institutions. One of the most memorable moments came when I captured a cloud formation that resembled the entire life cycle, which Dr. Mamidi Harikrishna Garu named ‘Fauna Fantasia.’
Alongside my artistic journey, I’ve been involved in several other initiatives. I’m a member of the Stop Acid Attacks team, led by Mr. Alok Dixit, and I’ve also worked on preserving Devarakonda Fort. These efforts, alongside my photography, have given me a sense of purpose beyond my art.
One of the more exciting projects I worked on was the exhibition of animal-shaped cloud photographs at Nehru Zoological Park on World Animal Day. Dr. Sunil Herman, an environmentalist I really admire, supported the exhibition, which featured over 100 cloud images that resembled various animals. The response was incredible, and the display remained at the museum for nearly 100 days, continuing to inspire visitors long after it closed.
To date, I’ve captured over 18,600 images of clouds. My work has been featured in several exhibitions, and I’m grateful for the recognition I’ve received on various platforms.
Looking forward, my dream is to take my cloud photography to Oxford University and showcase it on a global stage. What started as a childhood fascination has become a lifelong journey, one that continues to connect me with nature, with people, and with the world around me.”
- Younus Farhaan, Cloud Photographer