By: Isabella Holmes for The Dirt
Over the past two years, Razor’s Edge, a classic barbershop on G Street, has slowly transformed into a gallery of owner Sukh Banwait’s landscape photography.
Not only do Razor’s Edge patrons have a front row seat to Banwait’s breathtaking work, they get to hear the story behind what went into getting the shot from the artist himself. And there’s always a story.
Banwait first got into photography in 2021, describing his interest in the art form as a natural byproduct of witnessing such incredible places.
“It all goes back to that first trip to Yosemite,” Banwait told The Dirt.
From that trip, he was hooked. Banwait went from not having spent much time outdoors at all to exploring the natural beauty of California as much as possible. Sukh has now been to Yosemite twenty-five times.
“I just kept going out exploring, and seeing all this stuff in the state that I’d never seen,” said Banwait.
The results speak for themselves. The photos are striking, clear shots of stunning natural landscapes, often with swirling pink skies or crystal clear reflections.
Eventually, Banwait’s zest for the outdoors took him out of California: the Oregon coast, islands off of Portugal, the hoodoos of Utah, and more. He even won the lottery to see The Wave in the Vermillion Cliffs of Arizona, one of the most unusual geological formations in the country.
His current style doesn’t involve a lot of editing.
“I want it to be as natural as possible, and if I have to wait two hours for that perfect shot that’s what I’ll do,” said Banwait.
And he does, often leaving Razor’s Edge in the afternoon, driving 5-6 hours to his next trail, and shooting for hours, waiting for a moment that’s just right. Banwait considers his trips a success if he gets one shot.
“I’ve gotta get home runs on every trip, that’s my goal. Just one.”
From traversing river crosses, 4 a.m. hikes, and record breaking flooding, Sukh has seen it all and has no plans to stop.
One of Banwait’s artistic endeavors is creating a calendar with each photo taken during its corresponding month. His first calendar, released last year, featured photos of Yosemite, showcasing the park throughout the year. His 2025 calendar, “Venture Trails,” was recently released and is available now.
The calendar is a perfect representation of the reason Banwait is so drawn to photography.
“It gets me out. I’m seeking out this cool stuff that the average person doesn’t know about,” Banwait said. “Then when I take a picture and show it to them, they learn about it too.”
Razor’s Edge customers love to hear about Sukh’s travels and support his art.
“I probably wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t for them, they’re the ones who give me the courage to go,” said Banwait.
Check out Sukh’s photography at Razor’s Edge anytime—or save the date for this month’s Second Friday ArtAbout. Last month Sukh made a table-sized charcuterie board, if you weren’t already convinced. You can purchase his calendar on Etsy.
