Sahan Perera, best known as Drone Sahan on Instagram, is an incredibly well-known travel photographer who has created a dynamic space to showcase his stunning photography skills online.
We spoke to Sahan about his travel journey since 2014 when he first started his exploration into the world of photography. Hailing from Welimada, which according to Sahan is “one of the most scenic parts of the country with beautiful surroundings and picturesque environments”, he believes that the beauty of his hometown has inspired him to seek out all that Sri Lanka has to offer.
What inspired you to create a travel content page and share your work on an online space?
I started my Instagram page to share my photography work but soon after, I bought my drone and started posting drone shots that I take while I travel. It grabbed the attention of many, mainly because of my creative bird-eye captures, but also for the edits I do to bring out the beauty of different destinations while keeping the truest form of that place.
As a passionate traveller, or rather I call myself an explorer, and as someone who tries to push my limits to go beyond the norm, I fell in love with capturing places in a way no one has ever seen before; places that are attractive not only to locals, but also to foreigners from around the world. So, why not continue to do this to take my country and my passion to the world?
What is your philosophy when it comes to creating content?
My hometown, and my burning passion for photography, along with the mindset to do things out of the norm definitely plays a major role behind my inspiration for the travel content I’ve been making.
My philosophy is simple; this feed I’ve been building has been making its mark in what I create, so I never got caught up in keeping up with algorithm stress. Rather than running a marathon to keep up with everything that comes along the line, I invest that time to create quality content to inspire travellers around the world, to portray the hospitality we as a country offer, and to show the beauty of Sri Lanka.
Do you enjoy travelling? What have been some of your favourite destinations?
Of course I do! Without even thinking for an instance I can agree on enjoying every journey I take.
I can say so far that one of my favourite destinations was Yala! It’s a different world out there, not to forget the safari experience; my newest addiction is safari and wildlife photography, and Yala is definitely a paradise for safari and wildlife photography lovers. In addition to that, the sand dunes and the golden hour, together, are simply breathtaking.
What is your ultimate goal with your online content page? Do you wish for it to be a creative outlet or do you hope to one day be a full-time content creator?
Well my ultimate goal has always been to be an inspiration and be influential to all the travellers and photographers out there. I believe that I’ve achieved it to a certain extent, and I want to continue to do so. I see that many in our country have taken the word “influencer” as just a title, without understanding its truest meaning, and simply going in a different direction.
Content creation is simply one of my passions, so I don’t believe in doing only that full time, but rather to hustle hard in every passion project while giving my 100% to every single one.
How does your content stand out in a market that is saturated with travel content?
The unique eye, practice, constant learning, and being up to date with the newest trends in the fields that I’m passionate about, and being humble and willing to give a helping hand to everyone who reaches out to me.
My content has been something creators, travellers, and young photographers look up to and I believe that I’ve done something influential for them to reach out to me to get information, guidance, or even to have a small chat.
How was creating content during the pandemic?
As a creator and traveller, it’s resulted in a sort of a pause, but every lockdown has given me the time to learn new things and to experiment in what I’ve been learning until I get the chance to apply them to real situations later when I’m travelling.
Rather than calling it a challenge, I’ve taken it as an opportunity. Moreover, planning ahead with content has also made it easy for me to continue my work and to continuously showcase the beauty of Sri Lanka to everyone out there so that once things settle down, we will have the same interaction we always had as a beautiful paradise.
When everything settles down, what are your future plans for your travel content?
Definitely to continue my work while improving in every area I make content in. As a self-taught photographer, I believe in learning things every day to keep up with the quality of what I create. Since I am in the process of exploring more in wildlife photography, I’m looking forward to going on as many safaris as possible to spot the beauty of our diverse wilderness across the country.
Instagram: @sahan__perera
Blog: www.sahanperera.com
Email: info@sahanperera.com
