Intellectual Property Law

Shortly after he heard explosions outside of his home in the Colaba district in Mumbai, 27-year-old Vinu Ranganathan grabbed his camera and ran outside to take some shots. For hours, his graphic photos of the destruction wrought by the terrorists in the Colaba district on the photo-sharing site Flickr seemed to be the only relevant ones available online.

With the orange hues and human police chains blocking crowds from entering streets, the photos gave a sense early on of the pandemonium during the early hours of the terrorist attacks.

Ranganathan, a 2005 Berkeley mechanical engineering graduate, literally became a mini-celebrity overnight as blogs (including Danger Room,) television networks and newspapers around the world picked up his photos to show their audiences what was going on in Mumbai.

Ranganathan answered a few questions via e-mail late Wednesday night about why he ran out into the streets when most people probably would have locked their doors and stayed at home.

Wired.com: Do you live near the scenes where you shot the photos? Where are those shots of the destruction located in Bombay?

Ranganathan: Yes, two minutes walking distance from my apartment. Here's a Google Maps link: Its in the southern area - the financial district of Mumbai.

Wired.com: What inspired you to run out and get the shots and upload them to Flickr? Most people would have stayed safely at home.

Ranganathan: I have always been a shutterbug. Would love to be a photo journalist someday! When I heard two loud reverberating [noises] in the night around 10:45pm, I picked my camera bag and headed out.

As I was stepping out my sis said there are reports of firing at CST (train station) - but I suspected it was bomb as it was pretty loud. Turns out they were grenades.

Wired.com: What's your occupation in Bombay?

Ranganathan: Business Development Manager at www.netcore.co.in.

Wired.com: What does the city feel like right now? Are all the friends all right?

Ranganathan: Luckily all my friends are safe. One of my father's friends was shot dead at a restaurant. The city is still scared and angry. I feel the situation is still not under control and hostage drama is still on.

Wired.com: Did you feel that you were personally in any danger?

Ranganathan: I think in general every person in Bombay does all the time be it terror, traffic or mob. We have kind of got largely de-sentized. But feelings overflow when things happen 'live' near you for 12 hours.

The incident near my place which I took photos - grenades were thrown by the terrorist from the terrace of the building on to the adjacent gas station. And they have taken some families hostage ... the situation is still not in control. I have heard 5 gun shots in the last hour (12 hrs after start of the incident!)

Wired.com: Have you ever been in a situation like this before in Bombay, and if so, did you rush out and take photos?

Ranganathan: I have witnessed shoot-out before when I was kid more 12-15 yrs ago when the mob fighting was at its peak. That incident was of mob groups engaging in cross fire over the roof tops of buildings.  Even a film got realeased last year on that - "Shootout at Lokandwala." 

Wired.com: Did I see that someone gave you some money to update to a "pro" account? If so, who was that? Was that someone reacting to your shots?

Ranganathan: I was have a problem while uploading my snaps on flickr possibly due to restrictions. I was a pro user but had not renewed it for last 4 months. A Flickr staff who got my twitter decided to give me a 3 month gift of Pro.

Photo: Vinu Ranganathan