HYDERABAD: Goutham Kodati loves tucking behind the camera. But this time, when his favourite muse Manasa Varanasi tasted success after winning the beauty pageant, the photographer is under the spotlight. This 31-year-old resident of Somajiguda, Hyderabad, says that he specialises in fashion and portrait photography.
Young Hyderabadi shutterbug Goutham Kodati, who showcased Miss India Manasa Varanasi’s beauty for the world through his lens, tells us about his journey as a fashion and portrait photographer and how lensmen have a role in the sucess of a model.
Photographs of beauty pageant winners are often splashed across media. How much of a role does a fashion photographer play in their success?
“In my opinion a photographer plays a major role in their success along with designer, styling team, makeup artist and other crews. The participants or models put in a lot of effort with the costumes and make up. If it’s not captured or showcased properly, that doesn’t hit the right high. The world always see’s the presentation through the eyes of the camera lens of a photographer,” says Goutham.
About how he began professional photography, he says, “It started as my hobby since my sixth standard. I bought my first camera – a Kodak one and clicked some random landscapes and places during my school trips. Later I started clicking people and family members which interested me into fashion and portrait photography. I’m a self-taught photographer with lots of suggestions and inputs from my fellow photographers.” He loves to click colours, stories and the beauty of people. I also love to capture our traditional cultures along with the old architecture.
About the concept shoots he worked on till presenting the current Miss India World 2020 Manasa Varanasi to the world, he shares, “I have done a few concept shoots with fashion designers and portfolio shoots for few models. I also have prior experience in capturing few models and celebrities for portfolio shoots and brandings, thus I have been referred by few designers for photo shoots. One such chance was to work with a designer from NIFT for a shoot with the current Miss India Manasa Varanasi. I love to do concept shoots as it gives me a window to improve my creative thinking and ability to capture good photographs.”
With the entry of smartphones came high-end cameras, almost as good as professional cameras. What does a professional photographer like him have to say about the trend of over photoshopping photos and almost everyone claiming to be a photographer with high-end phones? Does Goutham think it is the end of the DSLR kind of photo days?
“Yes! Modern smartphones are able to capture beautiful images but that doesn’t mean it will match the quality and colours of a DSLR and mirrorless cameras. One can learn lighting composition and perspective through smartphones but one must have a clear knowledge on manual exposure controls which are not available in all smart phones to produce high quality images. One can start photography from smartphones and can slowly upgrade the gear along with knowledge and experience - which I did and follow. Among the interesting/exciting projects he looks forward to in 2021 are concepts such as recreating tribal culture and their architecture. “There are also a few western high end editorial shoots I will be working on this year,”
His advice to budding photographers?
“I am still in the learning phase. So my advice to the upcoming photographers would be that, photography is like an ocean there is always a scope to improve. Build strong basics, choose your interest of genre and keep capturing and improving yourself,” says the photographer who posts the best of his works on his
Instagram handle @goutham_kodati