In late 2001 a young researcher, Dr. Sunil Abraham Thomas came to New York City to do biomedical research. After a couple of months his mother, Thresy Thomas asked him “How is New York City?” Dr. Thomas purchased a camera and started taking pictures of the city during the weekends (Thresy Thomas had encouraged Dr. Thomas in his school days to learn photography using his father’s camera while Mr. Thomas was away managing the family plantation). Dr. Thomas found New York City charming in different seasons of the year (which he shot in temperatures ranging from -15 to 35 degree Celsius). After a couple of years Thresy Thomas said, “I think I have seen enough of the New York City, you do not have to send any more photographs”. By that time Dr. Thomas had taken hundreds of photographs. As good quality photographs are needed for different purposes Dr. Thomas wished to share his photographs with others. Dr. Thomas established the Sunithoma Picture Library (SPL) in New York City in April 2006. In 2007 a website for SPL was born.
In 2008 Dr. Thomas and family relocated to Galveston, Texas. When hurricane Ike was approaching Galveston in September 2008, Dr. Thomas and his family moved to Austin, Texas. While walking along the banks of the Colorado River, Austin, Dr. Thomas photographed the swans in the river. A photograph of a swan (“Austin”) in the Colorado River made it to the logo of SUNIPIX.