A good photograph is like a good joke. If you have to explain it, then it is not a good one. At Byculla, Mumbai, is Udaan, which teaches youngsters photography and all its aspects in detail.
Founded by Arko Datta — he shot the epic pic of a Muslim man with bloodshot eyes and folded hands during the 2002-Gujarat riots — in 2010, Udaan lays emphasis on hands-on training. It has various utilities and adequate set-ups in terms of studio rooms, library, etc. But what really distinguishes Udaan as a photo school is the people and the passion they bring to it.
Illustrious founder
Arko Datta is a well-known photojournalist and a 2004-Pulitzer Award nominee. Apart from his photo sojourns, Datta is passionate about inspiring amateurs to take the profession seriously.
Faculty par excellence
Udaan is uncompromisingly dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in knowledge gathering and sharing. A faculty of award-winning photographers bring to the table diverse styles of photography and years of work experience at national and international levels. Dhiraj Jain, a faculty at Udaan, is another award-winning photographer. He specialises in human-interest stories. “Parents usually don’t know what the kids are getting into. We help establish that confidence in them,” says Jain.
To do this, Udaan selects its students not on the basis of their photography skills but by their attitude towards it. It’s quite clear to every Udaan student that photography is a serious profession — more than glamour, it’s a business of skill, patience and hard work. Shailesh Andrade, a student of photojournalism, says, “I left my business since photography was a passion. Here in Udaan, I get to make mistakes, cover every topic from sports, politics, disasters, etc. I am getting to work like a professional and am also given ample guidance by the faculty. This is unique as I am getting both the benefits of being a student as well as the exposure of being a pro.”
Pratam Gokhale, a student of photojournalism, echoes Andrade’s sentiments. “It was indeed hard at first as the course is designed like a military camp. The faculty and the rest of the students are very particular about the assignments and the work. But this makes it fun too as a lot of sharing and interactions take place,” he says. His classmate Shankar Narayan adds, “It is an excellent place to learn photography and its aspects. I had to convince my parents about it, but now I would not trade this for anything in the world.”
USP
The most apparent thing for this writer about Udaan was the fact that they insist on practical training and hands-on experience. The fee for the photojournalism course is `1.5 lakh. Commercial photography costs `1.7 lakh and the filmmaking courses are priced at over `2 lakh. “We are teaching them photography as a passion first and then as a vocation. We are just about managing this as a business and yet we do offer scholarships to the deserving and the needy,” says Datta.
If there is one word that captures the essence of this place, the word is empower. While photojournalism students bring out an e-paper called Mumbai Weekly, commercial photography students practise their techniques in food, fashion and product photography. Every student has a free hand during practicals, which offers a lot of opportunities for students to bond. When this writer visited the institute, it was surprising that every student was not only doing his/her work but were also participating in fellow students’ work with equal interest. “The students also learn lighting techniques. We showcase the work to everyone. They can explain their views about the picture. This helps in mass understanding of the picture. It takes a fine eye to capture good photos consistently and we are trying to develop that eye for all our students,” explains Bharat Bhirangi, a well-established commercial photographer and a faculty at Udaan. “We may not be able to provide proper training to these students if we don’t stay disciplined. Hence, all our courses are run very tightly where student participation has to be good and constant. Isn’t this the industry norm as well?”
Courses offered
Every student of Udaan is tutored by leading photographers, as you can gauge by the personalities mentioned above. The courses in Udaan have been designed to meet the needs of photography-enthusiasts at different levels of learning and expertise — from those who are interested in shooting family photographs or landscapes to cutting-edge, world-class professionals. As a first-of-its-kind, Udaan allows students of its weekend classes to design their own curriculum.
Udaan offers full-time one-year courses on photojournalism and commercial photography, various short-term and weekend courses. They also teach an independent DSLR filmmaking course and 3D stereoscopic filmmaking course — unique in India. Students can either opt to enrol for the combined DSLR and 3D five-month course or study the two separately. The independent DSLR filmmaking course can be completed in four-months while 3D stereoscopic filmmaking is a month-long programme. The classes will be held on weekends.
Filmmaking courses
Under the DSLR filmmaking programme, which is set to begin on April 21, you will learn the history of film and various genres, understand the differences between fiction-based filmmaking and documentaries, pre- and post-production and distribution. Students of the 3D stereoscopic filmmaking course will study history and science of stereoscopy, understand convergences, parallaxes, depth cues, scale and size in 3D, stereo window and its limits, scripting and visualising for 3D, the different kinds of 3D rigs, software used for production, post-production and new technologies in 3D. The students will also have the opportunity to produce a 3D short film. Details at udaan.net.in
ninadtatke@gmail.com
