Meeting the Stars of Photography & more

Yesterday, the day it rained most in the past couple of years, I was in the company of Mr. X (a Pro photographer who I won't name) along with a large chunk of my students. While it poured outside, we had discussions about careers in photography and other such arty stuff.

Before yesterday, I only had heard of Mr. X in photography circles. I had never seen his work (except a single piece at last year’s PGI exhibit). You may call me ignorant, but it is hard to find information on photographers in India! We do not have access to these guys unless we stalk them or camp outside their studios or have-a-friend-who-knows-a-friend-who-knows-them.

It wasn’t easy getting to the Academy with all that rain. I waited for about twenty minutes just to find that trains were running late by more than an hour and there was no sign of one arriving anytime soon.  Now, it would take some motivation to get out from the railway station and catch a rare sighting of a cab. I tried. It was pouring, but I walked out. There were close to 50 people trying to spot a cab. It might have been easier to spot a Tiger outside Matunga station.

Finally, I got one. He took some persuading, but agreed at last. I get to the Academy an hour late. By then Mr. X was running through a slideshow of his work. He was patient and explained in detail what exactly goes into creating each shot. There was pin drop silence in an otherwise chaotic room. I could tell that the students were in complete awe.

He came across as a very nice and chilled out guy. He has two decades of experience in this field (that’s something) and mostly likes shooting food and spaces. His work spoke volumes of his professionalism which quite frankly is hard to find in India. Having been in this field for a few years myself – I have learnt that the overall photography circuit in India is loosely connected by

1. The Equipment Enthusiasts
2. The Artsy-Fartsy crowd
3. The “Its-just-a-hobby, but I don’t mind shooting your family over the weekend” kind

At some point we all have strived to get that amazing sunset shot or the fascinating bee on the flower shot. I know you have too. But here’s the deal – Photography is not just trying to achieve that. It’s actually a lot more complicated than picking up a DSLR, setting it on the auto mode and clicking away! Like any other art form, you may take a lifetime trying to be good at it. And there’s only so many sunsets that you want to shoot. 

I always expect my students to be original in their approach. It could be a street photography assignment or a commercial product shoot. Try shooting something in your own style. That’s what you’ll be known for.

The Equipment Enthusiasts: These guys are the ones who need to buy that new 500mm lens from the L series that can only be brought here from the US! I don’t mean to disassociate equipment with photography, but the truth is, you cannot be a better photographer if you own the latest, most expensive equipment. One needs to put thought into their work. Along with being technically precise, the photograph has to bring about an emotion when looked at.

The Artsy-Fartsy crowd: This category is on the other end of the spectrum. The problem here is that the technical part is taken too lightly. Having a shaken image (which looks like a mistake) to show “emotion” is not cool. It’s a matter of convenience. I don’t mean to be picky, but a lot of people can tell the difference. It’s a never-ending debate – It’s my art, I can do what I want. But Picasso practised his art for years before his style was accepted. It takes consistent accuracy and development.

The “Its-just-a-hobby, but I don’t mind shooting your family over the weekend” kind:  These guys have their foot in both camps. They are not professionals but neither can they be called fakers. They might have taken up photography as a hobby, but can’t make a stable living out of it. So they have a day job and then they have photography as a “bonus”.

One of the points I remember Mr. X mentioning was that, “Photography is not for the poor”. We thought it was an obnoxious statement at first, but I guess it is true. A serious photographer needs a camera that can create images that can be blown up into a hoarding or needs to have that calibrated Mac monitor that displays colours precisely. You need to be doing this full-time so that these investments make sense.

Not to sound 20 years older than my age, but the digital age has done more bad than good for creative photography. When we used film, we were frugal. We used our resources smartly, only clicked the shutter when the frame was perfect. Today, if you meet an Equipment Enthusiast, he’ll want to buy a camera that shoots five frames per second even though he only shoots still life.

Basically, a photographer should be a combination of the above stated categories and more. There is a shortage of conceptual photographers in India. A balance of technique and concept is healthy and that should be understood by all who aspire to be photographers. Developing an original style over time makes your work stronger and more meaningful. So, think about the next shot you take, unless you’re just an Equipment Enthusiast and not a photographer.