Creative Hut Institute of Photography, Director & Founder: Mr.Abin Alex Interview

A photography educationalist and researcher, Mr.Abin Alex is the Director & Founder at Creative Hut Institute of Photography, Kottayam. He has been an inspiration for the aspiring student photographers, and his works are acclaimed and supported by various leading newspapers and magazines nationwide. Also, he has led his students in the invention of three innovative and unique materials for photography education. He successfully achieved the credits and awards in the invention of World’s first Photography History Calendar, World’s biggest and unique photography wheel, World’s first and unique Photography board game, along with his team.

What are the key factors that keep you connected with photography education? 

“Creating new techniques and awareness among aspirants”

Photography is a skill based field and hence one needs to enhance their creativity and technical aesthetics to make a better career in it. Giving proper awareness on photography to the upcoming generations is one of the most important tasks as well as responsibility. I keep myself engaged in upbringing the new techniques and innovative ways to make the new generation understand the importance and scope in this field. It’s the responsibility of mentors to find better ways to provide photography education to the upcoming talents. The aim is always to come up with the simplest and innovative methodology in photography education. The key factors that enable me to do this is the simplicity, creativity, sincerity, innovation, and dedication.

How would you describe your leadership style?

“Coordination and alliance with students and staff”

The photography institute like us deals with two extreme ends at the same time. It’s just like managing the two ends of a rope. On one end is the new generation of photography learners as students and on the other end the mentors and faculties. Being the Director, leading both these extreme ends is not an easy task. I love to follow a leadership style that unites me with them. I keep on improvising the leadership quality to manage both the students and the institute. I am not only the Director of the institute, but also a mentor or say the teacher to the students. And at the same time I follow the core values in all situations.

How do you strategize the key plans for the marketing of your institute?

“Making an online presence with various platforms”

The major strategy relies on providing the best photography education. Hence, we take care of providing the students with quality practical experience. Other than this, we have made it a point to reach out to a larger audience through digital and online platforms, and that is how we regularly maintain our official website www.creativehut.org. Along with that, we maintain an online platform for our students too, an exclusive website www.creaivehuts.com where our students’ works and portfolios are updated. This in turn helps the students wing to reach out to a wider audience with their quality work profiles. Similarly, Creative Hut has quite a pretty good presence in social media too, such as YouTube channels, Facebook, Instagram, etc. 

Check Creative Hut Institute of Photography Courses & Fees

How does Creative Hut Institute ensure the best practice of industry?

“Enhancing student learning and skill development”

Being the only residential photography institute in the country, Creative Hut Institute of Photography ensures first of all to offer the best facilities, amenities, and infrastructure for the complete comfort and necessity of students. We provide the learners with smart classrooms as well as the experience of learning between the natural airs of the surrounding. Students are asked to expand their minds and think creatively. Their works are maintained by the institute to motivate them and offer them wide recognition via an exclusive website. Apart from all these, Creative hut gives importance to building up the students’ both technical and creative skills in Photography through various practices. Also, we regularly conduct special training sessions, seminars and workshops for the students. The activities such as photo walks, photography tours to other locations, field visits, etc. are arranged for the students to get involved in the different aspects of photography. A number of workshops are provided with hands-on practices on their respective branded newly launched cameras and lenses. This helps them in understanding the technology and new launches by having those in their hands and witnessing the same. 

What best practices do you offer that help students gain necessary skills?

“Wider range of practical practices and exposure with experts”

Hands-on Practicals: Students are encouraged with hands-on practices that include macro photography, birds photography, fashion photography, product photography, wildlife photography, etc. They are made to work both in teams and individually in the institute campus as well as in the outdoor locations too. 

Photography Tours and Photo Walks: Tours include exploring different events and locations of Kerala, National tours that include visiting different states, and International tours add additional motivation for the students to explore in this field. Various field visits and tours are conducted as per one’s specializations in Photography such as Wildlife Photography tours, Photojournalism and Travel Photography tours, etc.

Photo Talks and Workshops: Creative Hut ensures to introduce students to the latest technology and the branded accessories in photography. For this reason, we have the leading camera companies visiting our campus for providing workshops and live demonstrations of the camera and accessories. It prepares them to plan out for their future career investments before they actually invest in those accessories.

Photography and Cinematography Seminars: Photography & Cinematography seminars are conducted where the experts of the respective fields interact with our students like wildlife photographers, photojournalists, fashion photographers, product & commercial photographers, cinematographers, etc. They have exposed to the experiences of these experts and the real-life challenges in the field, which definitely encourage our budding stars to build up a strong career ahead.

Research & Exhibitions: Students get a chance to listen to renowned guest faculties during sessions, photography research, exhibitions, that are regularly carried out to involve their minds and allow them to get exposure to the real world. These are helpful for the students to understand the future career scope and opportunities. 

What do you think your roles and responsibilities are, being the Director?

“Understanding each member and guiding them accordingly”

As in Creative Hut Institute of Photography, the students and faculties stay on the same campus, the responsibility is far more. Character building of each student is one of the major responsibilities that we faculties here take care of. Being a mentor and director of the institution, my roles and responsibilities influence both staff and students. I take care of being a motivator for both. It’s a huge generation gap between the students and faculty. My role is also to reduce the gap between these two vital groups that make a college in its true aspects. Interacting with students as well as faculty regularly, allows me to understand them and motivate them in learning.

What do you think should be the institute’s top priority over the next 10 years?

“On-campus amenities for broadening student experience”

The Creative Hut Institute’s top priority will always be the Students. Our Photography college ensures to keep the course curriculum up-to-date as per the demand of the industry. In the near future and the next 10 years, the world is going to witness a lot of growth in technology and its impact on everything around us. The education sector is nevertheless going to be behind. Hence, we have to be ready to accept the changes and update it in our lives too. Institute is also working on its various projects within the campus. It includes the creation of a vintage camera museum, an exhibition art gallery, a research and project centre, and a media channel to completely enhance the learning experience for the students. Creative Hut is also in the process of developing the existing organic farm on the campus. Developing a mini theatre, and camera museum on campus are some of the upcoming projects of Creative Hut Institute of Photography. 

What has been your vision and mission for the Institute?

“Creative spaces for Creative minds to express and explore their creativity”

Creative Hut Institute of Photography, started its journey on 11th December 2007, with a vision to provide the aspirants with a quality education in photography and cinematography. I started Creative Hut Institute with the motive to provide quality education to every photography aspirant dreaming to learn and gain hands-on experience in photography. The ideology behind the establishment of Creative Hut was to provide the traditional Gurukul way of the education system. Creative Hut Photography College is located amidst the naturally acclaimed beauty in Kerala is best suited to explore photography in all its true sense. Residing among the beautiful components of nature, Creative Hut is India’s only residential institute imparting photography knowledge. We aim at creating an environment that perfectly crafts the skillful minds aspiring to achieve high in this unique field of photography. Creative Hut is a platform for providing the best education for all the aspirants who wish to excel in this field of the Photography industry and craft their dream come true. 

What would you like people to know about your institute that they may not know?

“Creating and discovering unique and creative assets”

As part of the research, Creative Hut students with the faculties developed unique and innovative Photography materials that are the first of their kind and bring awareness of Photography in its simplest form. It includes the World’s first Photography history calendar, World’s tallest and unique photography wheel, and World’s largest Photography Board Game. These inventions have been recognized and rewarded by many awards like Limca Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, Indian Book of Records, National Book of records, Record Holders book of records, Miracle World records, Asian world records, Champions book of world records, Supreme world records, Excellence in Education award, Best photography college, Top promising Media & Communication college, and many more.

Click Creative Hut Institute of Photography Faculty

What do you see as Creative Hut Institute of Photography’s greatest strengths?

“Great teaching methodology and natural creative space for students”

Gurukul way of learning: We follow the Gurukul way of learning which means all the students and faculties stay on the same campus sharing, learning and exploring Photography. Students from different states of India, with different languages and walks of life, come here together with a motive to learn the art of Photography. Living on the same campus enables each of them to interact with each other, and initiates them to work in teams.

Campus Study: Creative Hut is located in the natural beauty of Kerala, an apt place to explore the inner skill of photography with nature. Students are provided with ample space to express and explore their creativity. Studying on campus makes learning easy and comfortable. And enables students to practice photography and videography to the maximum as they stay on campus.

Educational Structure: We follow a structure that makes the students evolve from the basic understanding of photography & cinematography to its advanced technology. This is achieved by regular classes, practices, assignments, assessments, reviews, corrections, field visits, tours, etc. Here the educational structure is not merely classroom studies, in fact, it is to create a creative space in the campus and follow a way of learning at one’s own comfort zone. It’s meant not to pressurize the students, but rather make them love to learn their passion and bring up their inner skills.

Mentors’ Guidance: Creative Hut mentors are always there for the students throughout their course of study and even after that. Creative Hut has a team of experienced and enthusiastic faculty that have proficiency in various streams. Such as mentors for photography, photojournalism, cinematography, image editing, video editing, and graphic designing. And all of them are available on campus to provide full-time assistance for the students.

Studio Access: Students are provided with studio accessories throughout the course duration for hands-on practices without any additional charges. Creative Hut provides this assistance for the students, whenever they are in need of such equipment for their projects and professional works. 

Students Portfolio: Photography portfolio of our students and their works speaks louder than the words. We ensure that each and every creative hut student comes up with good results. Students here prepare their individual photography portfolios by the end of the course. It is one of the strongest elements of the students to acquire a better professional career. Creative Hut Institute of Photography maintains an online website exclusively for our students, where their photography works and portfolios are shared that reach out to a greater audience worldwide.

What are the biggest challenges you see for education in photography?

“Awareness regarding acquiring education in photography”

One of the main challenges is the lack of awareness of the people about the importance of learning and education in Photography. Unfortunately, approximately 80% of people consider Photography as just clicks. For many photography aspirants, photography is just an option to get rid of their regular studies and writings. Another factor in the failure of photography education is because most of the photography aspirants are always in search of shortcuts. Instead of acquiring knowledge or education in photography through a proper channel and dedication, people are keen to get more and more shortcut paths. Moreover, Photography knowledge acquired through online mediums is another factor that has affected standardized photography education. Since it is easy to be accessed by anyone; many amateur photographers follow online and tutorial learning in Photography. But, with a lack of practical knowledge through such a medium, they are always with half knowledge. The main concern in the photography education of our country is about having real aspiring learners who want to acquire proper photography education from a dedicated educational platform.

Any suggestions you would like to give to the aspiring students?

“Get ready and prepare for what you want to do”

Like any other professional career, Photography to has a wide scope and opportunities. To make it possible, one has to work hard for it, go behind it and acquire adequate knowledge in it, as well as follow the core values that make your personal and professional life better than ever. Remember, “The doors are opened for those who knock it. Maybe it’s true that it may not happen for the first time. But, it will happen if we try it in a proper manner.” Similarly, there are opportunities in the Photography industry too. You need to get prepared for this in a proper manner, analyze the opportunities available and attempt for it without delay.

What can an inbound student gain from studying here at Creative Hut?

“Best photography educational structure for the upcoming talents”

Photography being a skill-based program needs to be always executed in terms of skill development criteria. Creative Hut had applied the creative space for all our creative minds to evolve with innovative works. Learning is imparted via the sharing of knowledge with modern tools and techniques between faculty and students living together on the college campus. The institute seeks to provide every possible aid to aspiring students to excel in their skills and express their talent for photography at the international level. The institute encourages the students to become morally successful in their lives by guiding them to enhance their ethics and core values. This will enable the students to take risks and advance their career graphs. Creative Hut Innovation within the campus is an experience that every student would have experienced during their course of study and later on during their visit to the campus. We aim at putting enthusiastic efforts to accomplish its vision and create a remarkable stand by developing the infrastructure and improving the skill set. To construct a healthy team spirit and inculcate the moral values of hard work, self-confidence, and enthusiasm, faculties encourage the students to indulge in live programs. No matter whether it’s indoor photography or outdoor photography, commercial photography or non-commercial, studio photography or natural light photography; the basic concept of keeping on practicing with proper guidance is one of the key factors to explore in this photography industry.