CHENNAI: Ramesh Raja was a photographer, from his school days where he was part of a photography club. When he became a banker, the camera was shelved. But after his retirement in 2014, he started spending weekends with his camera, walking the streets of Chennai to capture elusive moments. Some of his pictures of Namma Madras’ street life are on display at the Learning Community at Quest, where he will be giving a presentation this Sunday.
Ramesh loves to document the city — the people, festivals, buildings, and anything that catches his eye. “Often, it’s just the normal life of Chennai. If you go out, you see a lot of things on a daily basis, but it doesn’t register in your mind because it's part of your normal life. And that’s what I shoot,” he says.
And true to his words, his photographs showcase a coming together of everyday objects and happening frozen forever — a woman selling clothes on the street, with fish drying in the background; gymnastics at the beach. According to him, photography is all about painting with light.
He sets out every weekend, in the mornings, as early as 6 am to catch good light. “The sun light becomes harsher after 8. Normally, I don’t go out in the evenings, because places get crowded,” he explains. “Over the last five years, shooting on just the weekends, I have around one lakh images on Chennai!”
His favourite places are Parthasarathy temple, Triplicane, the alleys of Parry’s corner, Koyambedu flower market, Broken Bridge, and the rocks in Kovalam beach. “Basically anything in and around Chennai fascinates me.
This is a very different type of photography — the moment you step out of your house, you notice everything around you that can be shot. You don’t need to spend to go outside town,” he says.
Street photography is known for being slightly intimidating, getting out of your comfort zone and shooting people on the streets. “Chennai people are very friendly — you go out into the streets and take photographs, they don’t object,” he says, elaborating that with many VISCOM courses in the city, more photography students take pictures of the city.
“So these days, when we go to markets, people there are so used to it that they guide us on which angle is best for a photograph!” he laughs, adding that he uses a small Fujifilm mirrorless camera which draws less attention. “If you go with a big camera bag, people become conscious making it impossible to get candid moments,” he quips.
Ramesh feels that among the four major metros in India, Madras is the top most street-photography friendly city. “In Delhi, a lot of people object to taking photos, and security concerns are high too. Hyderabad is not so friendly either,” he says.
This Sunday, Ramesh will be taking us through parts of Chennai in his two-hour presentation.“I have glimpses on various parts of Chennai, with facets of people, places, details,” he says. He will also share tips and techniques on what makes a good photograph. “A photograph should have the power to bring people to it — it should tell a compelling visual story. That cannot come from the gadget, it depends on the photographer’s eye.”
In the age of film cameras, each photo would have to be planned meticulously as films were expensive, it’s not so now. “It’s essential to have an idea about what you want, before taking the picture. Compose it well then click the picture,” he advises.
Ramesh Raja will be speaking on Sunday at 5-7pm at The Learning Community at Quest, Palavakkam. For details, call 73585707490