Light and Life Academy is India’s first and only custom designed Professional Photography Institute, founded by one of India’s leading Photographers- Iqbal Mohamed and Anuradha Iqbal, on March 21st 2001.
Every aspect of the environment - location, facilities, architecture - is tailor made for photography education. Set in the midst of the Nilgiri mountains, students get to completely immerse themselves in the pursuit of learning photography with like-minded individuals from various backgrounds. The light is magical, ideal for the study of photography. A thoughtfully structured and constantly evolving curriculum is supported by experienced professionals, available at any time to mentor the students.
700+ students have been a part of LLA, many of whom have gone on to raise the bar in various fields of Professional Photography.
The flagship course of LLA that equips students with the necessary skills to make a career in professional photography - Architecture, Automobile, Fashion, Fine Art, Food & Beverage, Industrial, Portraiture, Product, Travel, Nature, Underwater Fashion, Wildlife.
This course is designed for those who intend to make a career in streams such as Travel, Nature, Wildlife, Documentary, and Event Photography. They will also have the opportunity to explore Fine art and Aerial photography.
Light and Life Academy is perched on a mountaintop about 7000 ft. above sea level near Ooty,Tamil Nadu, India, with a spectacular view of the Ketti valley. The campus is an inspiring 60,000 sq ft theater with up to three seasons visiting it everyday. The quality of light is perfect for students of photography. Custom-designed by one of India’s most celebrated architects, Mr. Jaisim, any part of the campus is a window to the continuously unfolding drama of the sights and sounds of nature.
This has to be a photographer’s dream come true. To find such a well designed educational facility with such committed individuals; Iqbal and Anuradha you are to be complemented and I’m sure, scores of aspiring photographers will thank you for years to come.– Frans Lanting, Santa Cruz, California
Iqbal sir and other faculty members resonate the ‘Gurukul’ concept, in the way they handle the queries of each student, with a constant smile, yet explaining all patiently.– Gurinder Osan, Photojournalist, Editorial, Fine Art, Landscape and social documentary photographer.
It is a proud moment to be graduating from one of India’s finest photography institutions. It feels complete. We are moving out of college into the real world with so much confidence in the technical aspects of photography.– Yuthe Parthiban, Batch-17
Great campus, atmosphere, students….. The most impressive point is all the students are active, passionate and energetic! This is the dream photography college for the people to learn photography!
– Junichi Kawasaki, Nikon
I was awestruck to see the beauty and energy of this place. The campus is like a cultural hub. The nature, the community and the people have merged and come together like a beautiful identity of the Nilgiris. I salute the spirit of this place.
– Supriya Sahu, Director General, Doordarshan, Delhi
Just living in the Nilgiris for a year just elevates the way you look at life in general. The world just seems more beautiful, so that has been one of the biggest takeaways from my time at LLA. I see a lot of that influencing my work even today.– Ajay Ram, Batch 6
It is not often that education rises beyond the boundaries of academics and pushes its students towards the path of self-actualization. This is a rare and commendable effort.– Agnello Dias, Chairman and Co-Founder, Taproot India.
Over 700+ photographers of Light & Life Academy have helped raise the bar in Professional Photography. They’ve been from everywhere – the big cities to the little towns spread across the length and breadth of this country. They’re from various fields such as IT, marketing, architecture, law, finance, and management. But wherever they may be coming from, they’re going to one place: to create memorable images.
Batch 21 went on a photowalk with a twist - no cameras.
Photography, like almost any other art form, exercises both the body and mind.
Batch-21 got a glimpse of all things LLA on their first day on campus.
Light & Life Academy thanks the sponsors for their generous grant of resources, equipment, materials and technical support, during the early years.