Testimonials from happy people

(And of course, the photos that made them happy.)

I love Madhu Menon's portraits: the ones he's taken of friends, of strangers, of me, stand out for their astonishing quality of generosity. He captures people at their best; not just looking good, but relaxed, at ease, very much their true selves. This is a great gift. I usually dread being photographed, but he made the entire process so much fun.

Nilanjana Roy - Author, columnist

 

The only photograph that Madhu Menon took of me has literally led to a stampede of magazines, papers and publishers wanting only that one picture of me. What I am going to do with the dozens of others that 'professional' photographers have taken of me over the years, I just don't know.

Marryam Reshii - Food critic, Contributing Editor - Times of India, Delhi

 

I've known Madhu Menon for a while now and have been following his work as a photographer. First with food and now with people and I must say he has a uncanny knack of making both look great! With regard to people, he manages to make them look natural and brings out a smile on even the camera shy people.

Martin D'Souza - DJ, model, karaoke host

 

I'm notoriously bad facing a camera. Madhu has a delightful habit of taking your photograph when you are mid-sentence or you haven't really noticed him, and he at once places you at ease. And the effect is natural, not as though you are posing, which happens all-too-frequently with portrait photos.

Salil Tripathi - UK-based journalist and writer

 

I've been congenitally unphotogenic and had to resort to mostly a goofy face in photographs to escape this affliction. Having seen Madhu's work, it was a chance encounter at karaoke when I asked him if he'd take a couple of pictures of me. Which he did. And I haven't changed my profile pic after that. And honestly didn't need to. I love his work and how he can capture amazing pictures of people.

Dr. Savitr Shastri - Neurosurgeon

 

As a portrait photographer, Madhu combines technical competence, an artist's eye for composition and a demeanor that puts the subject at ease. Madhu gets subjects to relax and captures them with distinctive expressions that result in flattering photographs. He took portraits of me that were deemed "profile pic"-worthy by my teenage children - a rather critical audience towards this subject.

Jiten Vaidya - Reader, Hiker, Father, Software Engineer

 

Madhu is a great photographer of people not because he is such a good photographer, which he is, but because he's so amazing with people. I am super-awkward in front of the camera, but Madhu made me comfortable in my own skin, and the shoot was a blast. When I saw the pictures later, my first thought was, 'I wish I could always be like that!'

Amit Varma - Author, columnist

 

Madhu makes you look extraordinary. When he took the photographs that I now use as my official mugshots, I had just finished having lunch with him. A photo session was not on the cards and I was neither properly dressed, combed or trimmed. Yet the photos that came out were amazing. Madhu repeated the same magic on my colleagues when he dropped by the office, and now they too use the photos he took as their official profile photos. Of course, if you have a pet, it's hard to stop Madhu from taking enough pictures until he is satisfied that he has something totally magical. 

Nitin Pai - Founder, Takshashila Foundation

 

Photography means to write with light. With his portrait photography, Madhu writes poetry. The first time someone took a good photograph of mine was in 1997. It was a celebrity fashion photographer who was practising his skills on me. He had the entire studio paraphernalia at his disposal. The second time I could show my picture to anyone was the one by Madhu in 2016, a photo he composed and shot with just the available sunlight inside a Mumbai commercial complex. I truly admire his skill.

Sachin Kalbag - Editor, The Hindu (Mumbai)

 

I've been told I have a great smile, but it never really translated too well into photographs. That's until I met Madhu, that is. The ease with which he makes you comfortable is a tremendous gift he possesses. There's no wrong pose or right profile side with Madhu, for once he gets you in your element, he ensures you don't walk away without a photo that not just looks good, but also makes you feel good.

Nishtha Kanal - Journalist, Teacher

 

It's taken me two weeks and several days of staring at some of my photographs to put into words why I like Madhu's work. I've decided it boils down to one simple thing: the man can make you look good on camera even when you're not feeling particularly good. And that's what I call talent.

Suman Bolar - Communications Consultant, Writer

 

I've known Madhu for over a year now. Music brought us together. As I learnt more about him over time, I realized that he harbours immense interest for photography. I realized his full potential in bringing out what is most naturally a person's best was when he took a few shots of me. They were absolutely refreshing, composed well and made me look almost life like.

Divya RT, education consultant and lecturer

 

For years, I've enjoyed Madhu's food and food photography. And then, he started clicking gorgeous photos of people. His disdain for bad profile pics turned into a mission of sorts - a cursory look at his friend list is ample testament. Naturally, when I needed a picture for an investor pitch, I gave him a call. After spending 2 hours eating, joking, gossiping and occasionally looking at the camera, Madhu mailed me the smiling mug that you see next to this review.

Madhu brings his best qualities as a top-class chef to his camera work - deep understanding of his craft, freshness of ideas, and most importantly, restraint. I cannot recommend him enough.

Raj Subramanian, CEO - Paisool.com

 

It's been a while since a photo of mine looked as good, or garnered as many compliments, as the one Madhu took of me. He put me at ease, tolerated my awkward grins and faces, and created a series of pictures worthy of a catalogue or two (if I do say so myself!) Though I'm fairly certain he'll never shoot anyone with glitter on them again!

Chitra Jidesh - Marketing & Communications Professional, Belly Dancing Teacher

 

Woof! Woof! Human give treat! Me love treat! Mmm! Love human. Give more treat, human. Have treat in big black box? 

 

Zane, Siberian Husky