It’s only rarely that a photographer looks more stunning than her models. But it is so in the case of Serin George, a BTech computer science graduate, Navy Queen 2007 and now a freelance photographer. What does she like best — the IT job, modelling or photography? “Photography. No doubts about it.”
Serin is now a full-time freelance photographer at Bangalore, her latest shoot being for the band MotherJane. That she was good at studies became a burden for the Kottayam native at one point. Although photography was always her passion, she didn’t have the heart to rebel against her family who wanted her to finish her studies and get a “proper job” first. So Serin got through her BTech, landed a plush job at Hewlett Packard, Bangalore, and after a year, quietly quit. She left Bangalore for Kochi, where she worked with professional photographers. “I’ve never attended formal classes. All I had was a camera of my own which I bought with what I had saved from my job at HP.” But didn’t her family mind? “No. By that time, they knew what I wanted and that I was serious about it. So they were supportive.”
She had done quite a few modelling assignments in college. She participated in and won the Navy Queen pageant 2007 and went on to take part in several ramp shows in the South in the next few years. She also took part in the Miss Kerala contest the same year and was adjudged the viewer’s choice although she didn’t win the title.
All this helped in what she does now. “You should know a great deal about fashion to be a fashion photographer. Only then will you know how to bring the best out of a model, what looks best on them and which model suits a shot best. It is not the model who makes a good photograph. The costumes, make-up and hair should all fall in place. If any of these go wrong, you’re in trouble.”
Serin prefers to work with a particular idea in mind. “I meet the models beforehand, tell them what I’m looking for, and at times, show them some of my earlier works.” The crux is in communicating well with the model.
Besides fashion photography, she loves to shoot animals. “They make perfect subjects and look good in every shot,” says the animal freak who has three cats at home.
Has she ever faced prejudice being a woman? “In Kerala, people have a tendency to not take you seriously as a photographer because you are a girl. But the scenario in Bangalore is different. I keep getting more work there. I have a career in photography now.” Serin thinks that there is quite a lot of talent out there. “One needs to step forward and make use of opportunities.” Her greatest wish is to photograph Shah Rukh Khan. “I’m a big Shah Rukh fan. He is one actor who knows how to carry himself well and looks good in every shot.”
ashaprakash@expressbuzz.com