Documenting lives the olwe way!

On a drizzling Tuesday evening, over 50 photog raphy enthusiasts had gathered at Koogai Library in Valasaravakkam . Anticipation was in the air until Mumbai-based documentary photographer Padma Shri awardee Sudharak Olwe took centre stage at the Artist Talk. It was organised by Chennaibased circle Photographers for Environment and Peace (PEP) Collective, founded by photojournalist Amritaraj Stephen a couple of years ago. Having 15 volunteers now, the Collective — a network of photographers from across the country — is keen on documenting everyday issues. “Photographers are unsung heroes; not many get their share of limelight. Through Artist Talk, we wanted to create a platform for them to share their experiences through a body of work,” said photographer and a member of the Collective, Steevez Rodriguez.

Changing perspectives

It is not one picture but a series that can make a difference, believes Sudharak. Taking an example of his impactful series Kamathipura, he explained, “The poems of Namdeo Dhasal — founder of Dalit Panthers — inspired me to document the fast-vanishing 11th Street in Kamathipura, a red light area in Mumbai. Accessing this place was possible only after frequent visits to the street. It is only after years of their acquaintance that I learned to see prostitutes as dignified people; it eventually changed the perspective of my photos.” For Sudharak, his wife and children are the first critics. “If I can show them what I clicked, then the world can also see it,” he said. Some of his other works that were shown at the event are Thrice Oppressed (victims of domestic violence), Threshold (story of a prostitute Parveez), Endangered Species: Malnutrition stalks Indian Children and A Threshold of Change (life of pregnant women in India).

Takeaway from the talk

“Today, people’s craze for clicking pictures, especially to update on social media, is phenomenal. For them, anything and everything becomes a subject. With a documentary photographer like Sudharak, it works differently. He believes in earning the trust of his subject and taking due permission before capturing the moments. Not many know that he was instrumental in the introduction of a law against manual scavenging,” said Palani Kumar, another member of the Collective. Cinematographer Deepak Bagavanth from Thanjavur, who attended the event, was impressed by Sudharak’s manual scavenging series. After closely following his pictures on malnutrition, he said, “I was impressed by the way he has followed each and every subject for years. The curious youngsters, as Sudharak suggested, should focus on creating a long-term body of work in lieu of fame.”