MEET THE GIRL BEHIND THE CAMERA:
Divya Shan
A little introduction...
Hello! I'm Divya, a DMV-based photographer who loves capturing perfect moments.
I am an aficionado of the arts- this includes dance, painting, photography, food décor, and basically any DIY project. The biggest struggle for me has always been balancing the part of me that is a complete science geek and the part of me that is passionate about art. One of my biggest regrets has always been how I completely neglected my artistic interests as soon as I walked into my STEM-focused high school. After a lot of support from my friends and family, I'm glad that I finally found the courage to give importance to one of the things I love the most, photography.
My life motto is to make the most out of every opportunity I get. Through photography, I hope to challenge myself to use even the most simple and ordinary backgrounds to create unique and interesting photos. I hope to really get to know the people I work with and hear their life stories. I hope to make people smile and laugh throughout the entire process because ultimately it should be a fun and exciting one!
More about me...
I graduated from UVA in 2020 with a major in Cognitive Science and am currently attending medical school in Richmond!
My passions outside of photography are cooking and dancing. I did Bollywood dance classes for 12 years and was on my high school Bhangra team (a traditional Indian folk dance). In my spare time, I love trying new recipes and sharing them with friends & family. Some of my favorites are Chicken Marsala and Spicy Thai Basil Fried Rice.
I'm Indian and that's a huge part of both my upbringing (I lived in Chennai for two years as a preschooler) and current lifestyle. I grew up speaking Tamil in my house, watching Bollywood movies, and cherishing spicy South Indian food.
My love for hearing people's stories prompted me to launch Humans of UVA, a club dedicated to documenting the raw and inspiring stories of those in the Charlottesville community. I've been lucky to hear so many different stories- from those about the struggles that students with physical disabilities face on campus to how couples first met.
I love traveling. It's fascinating to take a step outside of your own world and experience the different kinds of lifestyles that other people live- from small differences in daily activities like purchasing vegetables to modes of transportation. My all-time favorite trip was to China, which was filled with so many historical sights, tea plantations, and such humble, sweet people.
