At Light & Life Academy, a deep passion for image making shapes everything we do.
At about 2 centuries old, Photography is one of the youngest visual communication art forms, and yet, at the end of the 90s, there was no reputed institution in India for structured learning of professional photography.
Iqbal Mohamed and Anuradha Iqbal - a couple with illustrious careers in advertising photography and advertising, respectively, were very aware of this gap when they nurtured many an aspiring photographer at their studio in Mumbai. They decided to take the plunge into photography education and so, in 2001, Light & Life Academy came to be.
The objective was to provide affordable photography education of a high standard. Through ebbs and flows, they have worked tirelessly for the last 2 decades and inspired hundreds to discover and love the magic of photography.
LLA has been driven by passion from the very beginning, with every aspect of the institution carefully designed - the location, the architecture and facilities. From the outset, it has aimed to balance the positives of a contemporary pedagogy with the ethos of a Gurukul. The approach is to ensure that each individual student learns photography at a conceptual level, at their own pace. The academy lays great emphasis in guiding individuals to develop their vision while nurturing their inner vision. This belief is symbolised in the LLA logo.
The Academy was fortunate to get enthusiastic support from industry leaders - Kodak India, Eastman Kodak USA, Calumet-USA, Photoquip-India, ZenTask-India, Gretag Imaging-Switzerland and LMW- Coimbatore at the time of inception.
Founders
Iqbal Mohamed
Iqbal Mohamed is a visual artist and a mentor to many generations of storytellers. His dedication to the craft, a deep desire to unravel the meaning of life and humility is an inspiration to many. He believes that everyone has the power to change the world by seeing it differently.
After a graduation in history and political science and then an MBA, Iqbal decided to follow his passion, photography. His first step was to study professional photography at the renowned Brooks Institute of Photography, California, USA. He followed it up working with some of the celebrated professional photographers in Hollywood like Dick Zimmerman, Bill Werts & Jay Silverman. Iqbal then came back to India in 1988, amongst the first to do so, to make a career in professional photography.
Iqbal Mohamed
Anuradha Iqbal
Anuradha Iqbal
Anuradha Iqbal, is the co-founder and director of LLA. She holds a postgraduate degree in Economics from Mumbai University and a Diploma in Advertising & Marketing. Her career started in the field of Advertising where she was in charge of handling brands like Godrej, Taj group of Hotels, Amul, Philips, Ciba Geigy, etc. and grew to become the head of FCB Ulka in Bangalore. Along the way, Anuradha helped create many memorable and award winning campaigns.
Advertising campaigns brought Anuradha and Iqbal Mohamed together. In due course, she was handling operations, planning and business development for Iqbal Mohamed Photography and together they reached greater heights.
The Core Team
Kavitha Swaminathan
(Manager, Academics)
Devaraj
(Manager, Accounts)
Rajendran
(Equipment and Store Supervisor)
Akkas & Annas
The Akkas and Annas form the backbone of the LLA family. They ensure that the campus is in pristine condition and do their best to ensure the students are well fed. They embody the spirit of the Nilgiris and its people : welcoming, generous and jovial. It’s no surprise that they are the most popular folks on campus.