Elliott Erwitt once said: “Colour is descriptive. Black and White is interpretive.” For the Delhi-based photographer Augustus Lightwriter, it was always the grayscale that caught his fancy. Evident in the 30 light-and-dark images at his ongoing exhibition titled Memories of Light at ITC Sheraton, Saket. Most of these photographs are recent clicks, the oldest being four years old.
“When I photograph, I use minimum makeup and editing,” says the 33-year-old Advertising and Fashion Honours graduate from the New England School of Photography. “And I don’t choose my subjects on the basis of their age or gender. I have captured a 60-year-old as well as an 18-year-old. I don’t believe in hiding flaws. It should be the way God has made it,” he adds.
Lightwriter, a practicing photographer for the past 14 years, took his first picture at the age of five. “On family outings, it was just me who took pictures. Later, my career counsellor pointed out that I was good at photography.”
And from there the journey began. He did several photography courses and was among the four international students, who were selected for the photography course at the New England School of Photography. “I had my first solo show of Kashmir photography at India Habitat Centre in Delhi in 2007.
Then, I was not evolved enough to deal with the elite crowd. Appreciation was always there, but now I am getting buyers for my works,” says Lightwriter, who loves to cook and dance in his leisure time. He also loves reading dry books and biographies of leaders and pursues geopolitics as a hobby.
About working with Ina Puri, the history lover says, “We had been working on this exhibition for the past two years. I trust her vision and selection of images.” Ina Puri, who has curated the show, says she has been following his work for five years now. “It’s a very serious pursuit for him. He is working with this idea of bringing out the lives of models, off and on the ramp. The show is a juxtaposition of their lives. It’s the first step and he has a long way to go.”
Lightwriter is now gearing up for the India Art Fair in February and says he has two ideas for the show. “One is vintage, and the other one is Japanese street fashion. Let’s see which one works out. Post that, I will be showcasing my work at a famous gallery in New York.” About his name, ‘Lightwriter’, he says it means ‘writing with light’. “And for the rest of my life, I want to write stories with shades and light.”
Till: July 28
At: Sheraton, Saket, Entry free