Brand Identity
What the brand represents.
Raunak Shankar is a high fashion photographer, creative director and visual storyteller based in Kochi, Kerala, working across fashion, commercial, product, portrait and brand photography. As founder of Photowant, he works at the intersection of photography, advertising, content creation and creative production — helping people and brands turn their ideas into strong visual identities.
Raunak Shankar is a photographer and creative entrepreneur from Kerala whose work is rooted in visual storytelling and human connection. His photography spans fashion, portraits, commercial campaigns, products, personal branding and creative editorial work.
Alongside photography, he works on content creation and creative direction, developing visual concepts that help brands and individuals communicate more effectively. For Raunak, photography is not simply about cameras, lenses or technical perfection — it is about understanding people.
A significant part of his creative philosophy comes from the belief that a photographer's responsibility is to make people feel comfortable, understood and represented in front of the camera. His work therefore focuses not only on how an image looks, but also on what the image communicates and what the viewer feels when they experience it.
From discovering the camera to building a creative business — how Raunak's practice evolved.
Raunak's journey began with an interest in photography and visual creativity. What started as an exploration of the camera gradually developed into a deeper understanding of light, composition, colour, perspective and visual storytelling.
Photography became more than a technical skill. It became a way of observing people, environments and everyday moments.
As his experience grew, Raunak began exploring different genres of photography, including portraits, fashion, products and commercial imagery.
This period helped him develop an understanding of how lighting, composition, styling, colour grading and direction work together to create a complete visual language.
His work expanded into fashion and commercial photography, where photography became closely connected with styling, models, makeup, creative concepts and brand communication.
Rather than approaching each shoot as an isolated photograph, Raunak began thinking in terms of complete visual stories and campaigns.
Photography naturally evolved into creative direction. Raunak began working with models, makeup artists, stylists, brands and creative teams to develop concepts from the initial idea through to the final image.
This expanded his role from photographer to visual problem-solver — developing concepts, planning lighting, directing subjects and creating cohesive visual identities.
Photography eventually became the foundation for entrepreneurship. Through Photowant, Raunak works within the wider creative ecosystem, combining photography, content creation, advertising, studio production and visual communication.
His focus is not only on creating photographs, but on building systems and creative environments where photographers, brands, models and other creative professionals can collaborate.
Alongside professional photography, Raunak has increasingly moved into education and knowledge sharing. He develops university-style lecture materials, workshops and practical learning sessions covering photography, lighting, composition and content creation.
His teaching philosophy is based on connecting technical knowledge with real-world creative and commercial applications.
Raunak's current direction focuses increasingly on personal branding and authentic creative communication.
His goal is to build a recognizable identity not simply as a photographer, but as an artist and creative entrepreneur whose work reflects human connection, experimentation, storytelling and continuous growth.
Raunak works across multiple areas of professional photography, with responsibilities spanning concept development and moodboarding to lighting design, directing models, photography, visual selection and post-production.
Creative direction forms an important part of Raunak's practice. The objective is to create a consistent visual language rather than simply producing individual images.
Raunak works with businesses and individuals who require professional visual communication. His commercial approach focuses on understanding the identity of a brand before creating its imagery.
What the brand represents.
Who the visual communication needs to reach.
What the image needs to communicate.
How photography, lighting, colour and composition should represent the brand.
Where the final images will be used — advertising, social media, websites, campaigns, catalogues or editorial communication.
His approach combines technical precision with visual storytelling, with the objective of creating images that are not only attractive but also communicate the product clearly.
Rather than treating fashion photography simply as photographing clothing, Raunak approaches the image as a complete visual composition. Lighting, posing, expression, styling and colour are considered together to create an editorial and commercially relevant result.
For Raunak, portrait photography is fundamentally about people. He believes that a strong portrait should communicate something about the person rather than simply showing what they look like.
One of his core creative beliefs: people photograph better when they feel comfortable in front of the camera.
“I am an artist who happens to use a camera.”— Raunak Shankar
Photography is Raunak's medium, but storytelling is his larger objective. His work is not only about creating beautiful images — it is about capturing emotions, relationships, personalities and moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. Every person, conversation and creative collaboration becomes part of his understanding of visual storytelling.
Raunak's work has expanded from individual photography projects into creative entrepreneurship. Photowant provides a creative environment for photography, content production, advertising and visual communication.
End-to-end production for shoots of any scale.
Editorial fashion work and studio product campaigns.
Concept-to-delivery advertising and brand imagery.
Photography and video content for digital platforms.
Studio space and production support, including podcast recording.
Camera and production support for creative partners and projects.
As a creative entrepreneur, Raunak is interested in building a professional ecosystem where different creative disciplines can work together.
Raunak is involved in photography education and practical creative training. His educational approach focuses on practical understanding rather than purely theoretical learning.
Camera fundamentals, exposure, composition, lenses and visual storytelling.
Understanding artificial light, flash, modifiers, lighting ratios, direction and control.
Lighting products, controlling reflections, composition and commercial presentation.
Model direction, lighting, styling, posing and editorial storytelling.
Understanding how colour influences emotion, perception and brand communication.
Rule of thirds, framing, visual hierarchy, headroom, negative space and balance.
Creating photography and video content for modern digital platforms.
The camera is only a tool. The real work begins before the shutter is pressed — a photographer needs to understand people, build trust and create an environment where the subject can express themselves naturally.
Technical perfection has value, but an image becomes memorable when it creates an emotional response.
Whether it is a portrait, campaign, product photograph or editorial image, the visual needs to communicate something.
Photography rarely exists in isolation. Models, makeup artists, stylists, designers, filmmakers, editors and brands all contribute to the final visual language.
Editorials, model portfolios, fashion campaigns and conceptual shoots.
Brand campaigns, advertising imagery and promotional content.
Studio product photography, catalogue imagery and creative product campaigns.
Professional portraits, personal branding and editorial portraits.
Photography and video content for social media and digital platforms.
Concept development, visual planning and complete shoot direction.
Photography workshops, university sessions and practical creative training.
Live photo embeds pulled directly from Raunak's and Photowant's Instagram — the images update automatically whenever the original posts change, so nothing here needs re-uploading.
More work is published continuously on Instagram — follow @photowant.ads for the full archive.
A selection of commercial video ads produced through Photowant, embedded directly from Google Drive.
This evolution reflects Raunak's broader ambition: to build a career that combines art, business, education and human connection.
| Full Name | Raunak Shankar |
|---|---|
| Professional Identity | Photographer · Creative Director · Visual Storyteller · Creative Entrepreneur · Educator |
| Founder | Photowant |
| Primary Specialisations | Fashion Photography · Commercial Photography · Product Photography · Portrait Photography · Brand Photography |
| Creative Specialisations | Creative Direction · Visual Storytelling · Studio Lighting · Concept Development · Content Creation |
| Business Focus | Creative Production · Brand Communication · Advertising · Studio Production · Creative Collaborations |
| Education & Training | Photography · Studio Lighting · Product Photography · Fashion Photography · Composition · Colour Psychology · Content Creation |
| Base | Kochi, Kerala, India |
| Creative Philosophy | Photography is not only about capturing an image — it is about creating a connection. |
About Raunak
Raunak Shankar is a photographer, creative director, visual storyteller and creative entrepreneur based in Kochi, Kerala.
Photowant is a creative business and production environment associated with photography, content creation, advertising and visual communication, founded by Raunak.
Raunak is based in Kochi, Kerala, India, and works on creative projects across Kerala and beyond.
Photography & Style
His work includes fashion, commercial, product, portrait, brand and conceptual photography.
His approach places strong emphasis on human connection, visual storytelling and creative direction rather than treating photography purely as a technical process.
Yes. His commercial work can involve brand photography, product photography, advertising imagery, personal branding and content creation.
Education
Yes. His educational work includes photography, studio lighting, product photography, fashion photography, composition, colour psychology and content creation.
For photography, creative direction, brand campaigns, commercial projects, content creation, studio productions, workshops or creative collaborations, connect with Raunak Shankar and Photowant.