Jan – 2025: Our First Ever Meetup on the First Sunday of 2025 at Charminar HYD, Where and How ShutterSociety.HYD Was Born

ShutterSociety.HYD officially began its journey with our first meetup on 5th January 2025, the first Sunday of the year. But before I take you to that unforgettable day one, let me tell you a small story about how this community was formed and how we decided to bring it to life.

Sometimes, life quietly introduces the right people at exactly the right moment.

It was during the Ganesh Festival celebrations of 2024 when I went alone to capture the magnificent Khairatabad Ganesh idol and the vibrant streets of Hyderabad. Among hundreds of people, I happened to meet an amazing, passionate photographer, Mr. Sai Tejeshwar Rao. He was also exploring the festival alone with his camera, capturing the celebration from his own perspective. We started photographing together, exchanged creative ideas, and spent the rest of the evening walking through the festival with our cameras.

A few days later, during the same Ganesh Festival week, both of us met another passionate photographer, Mr. Cherry Moka. The three of us connected instantly through our shared love for photography and created a small WhatsApp group called “Passionate Photographer HYD”. We slowly started adding a few mutual photographers who shared the same passion. Soon, our small group of friends started exploring the streets, festivals, and hidden corners of Hyderabad together, creating memories with our cameras. At that moment, it was just another WhatsApp group. None of us imagined it would one day become “ShutterSociety.HYD”.

Around the same time, I had previously been part of another photography community. It introduced me to many talented photographers and valuable experiences. At the same time, I personally felt there should also be space for a non-commercial photography community that would be more interactive, where people could simply come together for the love of photography, without any financial attachment, and freely share, learn, and grow together.

We wanted to build a community where every photographer, whether a beginner or a professional, felt equally welcome and felt like they were part of one photography family. We also believed photography should go beyond taking beautiful pictures. Whenever possible, it should be a way of giving something back to the people and street vendors who become part of our stories, through simple acts of gratitude, kindness, and respect. A place where conversations continued long after the camera was packed away, friendships grew naturally, and people inspired one another without expecting anything in return.

At the same time, I personally believed our passion for photography should one day extend into academia by collaborating with schools, colleges, and universities, inspiring the next generation of creators through learning, mentorship, and real-world photography experiences.

Those early ideas eventually became the foundation of ShutterSociety.HYD: remaining proudly non commercial, welcoming every photographer like family, giving back to society through photography, and inspiring future generations by taking our passion into academia.

Meanwhile, I continued creating photography and drone content and sharing Hyderabad through my Instagram page. My page was growing steadily from around 1,000 followers to more than 22,000 followers. Then, in the middle of November 2024, one of my reels completely changed everything. Here is my Insta page link.

It was a cinematic pilot voice over drone reel dedicated to Hyderabad’s Hitech City and the software professionals. One of the voice over lines, “Welcome to the Hi-Tech City of Hyderabad, Where Coding is a second language,” resonated with many people.

The reel crossed nearly 20 million views across multiple platforms, reached millions of people, and was shared by many well known personalities, celebrities, and politicians across Telangana.

You can watch that reel here. Within a few weeks, my Instagram page grew to more than 50,000 followers, and many people started appreciating my photography work.

What surprised me even more was what happened next. More than 500 personal messages landed in my inbox. Most of them were not asking about cameras or editing. They simply wanted to know one thing.

Do you have a photography group? I would love to join your photography walks.

I genuinely replied to every single message. It wasn’t an easy task, and I invested extra time into every conversation. Whenever someone showed genuine interest in photography and wanted to join us, I personally checked their profile to understand their genuine passion for photography, because deep down, the three of us had one simple vision: to slowly build a WhatsApp group of genuinely passionate photographers who shared the same love for photography.

After that, I started adding them one by one to our “Passionate Photographer HYD” WhatsApp group. Day by day, our small group quietly kept growing with passionate and like-minded photographers from different parts of Hyderabad.

That was the moment I realized people were not just looking for photography tips. They were looking for a place where they could explore the city, learn together, share their passion, and feel part of a community.

With more and more passionate photographers joining us, we decided it was time to organize our very first photowalk. We fixed a date that none of us would ever forget: the first Sunday of 2025 (5th Jan), and officially announced our very first morning street photography photowalk at the iconic Charminar, Hyderabad.

Vision without action remains an idea. Action at the right time turns an idea into reality.

After the meetup announcement, one thought kept coming back to my mind. Instead of organizing it under a simple WhatsApp group, why not create an official Instagram page and give this community its own identity?

I shared the idea with both of them, and they immediately said yes. There were only three days left before our first meetup, but we all agreed there was no reason to wait.

The name ShutterSociety.HYD was finalized, Mr. Sai Tejeshwar Rao designed the community logo and our very first temporary ID card, where every participant could simply write their own name by hand, Mr. Cherry Moka created the official Instagram page, and I visited the printing vendor to get our very first ID cards printed.

Everything came together within those final three days before 5th January 2025. Looking back today, it’s incredible how a simple idea quickly turned into something much bigger than any of us had imagined.

Once we decide we have to do something, we can go miles ahead. — Narendra Modi

This was how I, Anvesh Patel, became the Founder of ShutterSociety.HYD, while Mr. Sai Tejeshwar Rao and Mr. Cherry Moka became its Co Founders.

Today, what began with just three passionate photographers is run by hundreds of passionate photographers, and that is our biggest pride. We simply take care of the platform, while the community belongs to every member who joins with the same passion and is proudly driven by its people, not just by its admins.

ShutterSociety.HYD proudly stands as a non commercial photography community where every meetup and photowalk is completely free for everyone. Our only purpose is simple: to learn, create, grow together, and give back to society.

Now that you know how ShutterSociety.HYD was born, let’s take you back to 5th January 2025, the first Sunday of the year, when we finally met for our very first official photowalk at Charminar.

When we created a simple poll in our WhatsApp group asking how many people would join, only 39 photographers confirmed their participation. We honestly thought that would be our final count. But as the sun slowly rose over the old streets of Charminar, photographers kept arriving one after another.

By 08:00 AM, our very first meetup had unexpectedly grown into a gathering of around 60 passionate photographers from different age groups and backgrounds, including complete beginners, experienced photographers, drone pilots, mobile photographers, and professionals.

Watching so many cameras, smiling faces, and creative minds standing together on our very first day was a feeling none of us will ever forget.

Before we started the photowalk, we had one small surprise waiting for everyone. Every participant received the very first temporary ShutterSociety.HYD ID card, where they could simply write their own name by hand. It wasn’t just a piece of paper. It became the first identity of a community that had officially come to life only three days earlier.

That same morning, we also launched our official Instagram page with zero followers. By the end of the day, thanks to everyone’s excitement and support, our page had already welcomed its first 100 followers.

Please visit our ShutterSociety.HYD official Insta Page Here

It wasn’t about the numbers. It was proof that an idea shared by three friends was already finding its first believers.

Great communities aren’t built when people arrive. They are built when people choose to belong.

Since it was our very first meetup, the three of us made a simple promise to ourselves. Instead of standing together or spending time only with people we already knew, we would walk among everyone. We personally met every participant, listened to their stories, understood their expectations, and learned what photography meant to them.

Some were complete beginners holding a camera for the very first time. Others had years of experience. A few were mobile photographers, while others carried professional gear. But for those two hours, none of that mattered. Everyone walked together as photographers, learning from one another.

One decision quietly changed the atmosphere of the entire meetup.

We skipped the traditional introduction session where everyone stands in a circle, introduces themselves, shares their background, and forgets everyone else’s names within a few minutes. We felt some people, especially first-time participants, might feel shy or uncomfortable speaking in front of a large group. Instead, we simply encouraged everyone to walk, talk, explore, and connect naturally.

Within two hours, strangers had already become friends. Instagram IDs were exchanged. Contact numbers were shared. Conversations continued from one street to another. The meetup no longer felt like an event. It felt like a group of friends exploring Hyderabad together.

Throughout the walk, we kept moving between different groups, helping beginners with camera settings, composition, and framing. Mobile photographers experimented with street photography, while experienced photographers happily shared their techniques with others. Learning happened naturally, one conversation at a time.

A few members had also brought their drones but were hesitant to fly around an area like Charminar. We gathered everyone who was interested in drone photography and quietly walked into one of the nearby streets.

Every photographer captures the same city. Every photograph tells a different story.

There, we discussed flight safety, shared practical tips, and even flew a few drones together. For many aspiring drone pilots, it became their very first real learning experience outside YouTube videos.

Every photographer saw a different Charminar. Some chased the early morning light. Some waited patiently for shadows to align. Some focused on portraits, while others found beauty in quiet streets, old buildings, tiny details, and everyday life.

Watching seventy photographers stand at the same place yet create completely different photographs reminded us that photography is not about where you stand. It’s about how you see.

We also made another decision that has remained part of our community ever since. We didn’t want photography to be restricted by unnecessary rules or fixed styles. Whether someone photographed with a mobile phone or a professional camera, preferred vibrant colors or natural tones, street photography or portraits, every creative style was equally welcome.

From shooting photographs to sharing them on Instagram, we believed everyone should have the freedom to express their own artistic vision. Over time, we knew people would naturally learn from one another, inspire each other, and grow together. Sometimes, the best way to build creativity is simply to give it the freedom to flourish.

The goal was never to create photographers who think alike. It was to build a community where every vision is valued.

After the walk, everyone gathered once again at Nimrah Cafe, our original meeting point. To celebrate our very first meetup, we offered Irani chai and Osmania biscuits from our side.

What began as a simple tea break slowly turned into another memorable conversation.

People shared their favorite photographs from the morning, talked about their experiences, discussed camera settings, and exchanged creative ideas. I also shared the story behind my viral Hyderabad reel and a few insights from my photography journey.

There were group photos, countless selfies, laughter, and conversations that none of us wanted to end. The most difficult part of the entire day wasn’t organizing the meetup.

It was telling everyone, “I think it’s time to go home.”

Many members immediately asked, “When is the next meetup?”

That question alone told us everything.

Since ShutterSociety.HYD was built as a non commercial community, all three of us also had our regular work and personal responsibilities. We promised everyone that we would organize one official meetup every month, giving each meetup the time and attention it truly deserved. At the same time, we encouraged every member to use the WhatsApp group freely, create polls, plan casual meetups, and continue exploring the city together, even without us.

Sometimes, the best thing you capture isn’t a photograph. It’s the people you meet along the way.

That day didn’t end at Charminar. Some members even stayed back and joined us for lunch, continuing conversations that had started with photography but had already grown into friendships.

The excitement didn’t stop after the meetup ended. Within the next 48 hours, our newly created Instagram page was flooded with support from the very people who had joined us. Around 25 members invited ShutterSociety.HYD as a collaborator on their beautiful photo posts and creative reels, proudly sharing our community with their own audiences.

For a page that had been created just days earlier, it wasn’t just social media support. It was the first sign of trust, belonging, and a shared belief that this community was something worth building together.

Communities don’t grow because people join them. They grow because people proudly become part of their story.

You can relive those memories by viewing all the group photos from our very first meetup here.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to seeing you at our next photowalk. Happy Shooting!