HYDERABAD: In 1837, the first-ever photographic process — Daguerreotype was developed by Louis Daguerre and Joseph Nicephore Niepce. It was one of the earliest ways of capturing permanent images on a light-sensitive surface. Fast-forward to the 21st century, we are surrounded by digital images and visual expression is boundless. Photography is a science, art and passion. Every year, World Photography Day is celebrated on August 19. This year, we asked a few city-based photographers to share what drives them to photography, how they choose their subjects and what advice they would give to the newbies in the field
Kiran Majumdar, Portraits
My creative spirit has been active since my younger years and was enhanced with donning multiple hats, that of a painter, a hotel professional and now a photographer. My frames come about themselves. Hence, becoming a photographer was a natural progression. I have done everything-- portraits, events, products, lifestyle and food photography. Whatever subject you choose, it should resonate with the viewers. I come across people, vehicles, shops, children or even a butterfly on the pavement that interests me. It’s not always colour, but also the impact of the subject that I matters. In Kolkata, I have focused my lens onto doors or empty houses and yet captured great pictures. It is good to have technical prowess but the first priority is the idea of a frame. That needs a keen visual sense, which comes over time. The angles, moments, smiles, gestures, arrangements, decorum, contrasts and geometry all put together makes a great picture. Even when without a camera, the idea of a frame should be kept in mind. That’s when true photography happens.
Masood Hussain, Wildlife
When you’re engaged in something you’re truly passionate about, work feels less like a chore and more of a rewarding experience. This passion leads to increased creativity, persistence, and a sense of purpose. Being a wildlife photographer allows me to capture the beauty and wonders of nature while immersing myself in adventurous and challenging experiences. I always desired to do things that haven’t been done before. It is perhaps this spirit that often leads to breakthroughs in photography, helping one to uncover new angles, techniques, or perspectives that showcase the natural world in fresh and captivating ways. Wildlife photography has given me my identity. The awards I have received for my work have further fuelled my passion. Overall, my journey as a wildlife photographer has been a remarkable blend of passion, determination, and a thirst for exploration. Choosing a subject depends on the photographer’s personal preferences. My favourite subject has always been birds. To get a good shot of a bird one needs to get close to them, both physically and optically, without making them aware of your presence. This makes it very challenging. My advice to upcoming photographers is to learn to see before you learn to photograph. What makes you different is the way you look at the scene in front of you. Your work should have a lasting impact rather than fetching you a few likes on social media. Also, be ruthless while critiquing your own work. You should be the first one to honestly like your work.
Aquin Mathews, Fashion
What truly drives me is the ability to capture fleeting moments of beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed. Whether it’s a stunning landscape bathed in golden light or an intimate portrait capturing raw emotions, being able to freeze these moments in time is what makes this profession so rewarding. The joy of capturing timeless images and sharing them with others continues to be my driving force as I strive to create meaningful visual experiences through my work. As a passionate photographer, the subjects I choose to cover are driven by my personal interests and the desire to capture and share moments that evoke emotions. My goal is to create images that resonate with viewers on an emotional level and inspire them to see the world in a different light. To all the upcoming photographers out there, my advice to you is simple yet powerful: stay passionate, observe keenly, and shoot from the heart. Let your emotions guide your lens. Your journey has just begun - make it extraordinary!
Sai Kiran Kotakonda, Lifestyle and Culture
It’s all about the connectivity that happens before choosing the subject. The way we have lived our lives and our parents’ perception of life, all fuel how we see the subjects that we choose to capture. The way we communicate with our subject makes a lot of difference. The subject also needs to fall into the same vibe, only then can one actually get the emotions out of them. For me, it’s been almost 12-plus years into photography. I left my regular job to become a photographer as I saw that success is about following my passion. Things began to fall into place slowly. Getting the National Geographic award for covering the Kumbh Mela fuelled my passion for photography. There is a thing called international quality acceptance. I want Indian photography to be documented properly and be rich in quality. Technically, everything from framing to presentation has to be good so that people see us and it enters the international market. For newcomers, I would say clicking a picture is for creating memories. So make sure it’s the best. Try and click for a lifetime. Getting over the obsession of clicking for Instagram feed to increase the number of followers is also needed. Photography should be something that comes from within you. For that, you need to start living your life. The more you live your life, the more you see your life, the more beautiful your photographs become.
Kishor Krishnamoorthi, Urban
I have been passionate about photography since my school days. I used to capture events at school and when I went to university in England, I was an official photographer for the university students union. It’s been a part of my life for a very long time and primarily because I really enjoyed capturing a slice of life and having the ability of a time machine to just capture a moment and freeze it for the rest of the world to see. I became a professional photographer about 11 years ago and I think the journey so far has been quite interesting. For me, the thought process behind choosing the subjects is that I’m generally very curious about the world. I keep observing things around me, I walk a lot. That level of curiosity brings me in touch with a lot of things around me. I always think that the things that I cover are things that will be lost to the world in change. Change is happening at a very fast pace on a daily basis around us. There are many things that we take for granted today and will suddenly disappear tomorrow and one day when it’s gone we’ll kind of yearn for it. I think for me change is one of the biggest inspirations as a theme and all the subjects I capture roughly fall in that category and are subjects that will be possibly lost to time and change eventually. When we started photography, there was no social media. It is a constantly changing and evolving world. We, as photographers, have to constantly update ourselves and keep learning and experimenting to ensure that we are at the forefront of the latest storytelling and image-making methods. My advice to young and upcoming photographers would be not to get lost in the world of social media, in a race of getting more likes and popularity because photography is about telling your vision and your story. That story may not always be the most popular one, but it is our duty and our responsibility as a photographer to get that story to the world. Not always an easy task, not necessarily the most popular one, because there’s also a certain level of understanding and knowledge you need to have before understanding certain subjects, which is what we as photographers bring to the table. I think it’s important that you understand what your subject is, slow down, take the pace and then shoot and share and not worry about what is necessarily going to get the most likes on Instagram.
Srinivasa Prasath, Travel
My deep love of travelling and capturing memories has been my driving force. In the early days of photography as a hobby, I found myself travelling extensively to cover a wide range of themes such as nature, landscapes, people, and places. In due course, I grew to genuinely like the process of weaving stories through my travels, which eventually inspired me to pursue travel photography as a career. I enjoy telling stories, and photography has long been my visual medium for doing so. As the main character in my story, I meticulously select subjects that are entirely in the moment and expressive. The audience should be able to instantly relate to my subject. To the newcomers, I would say, discover your passion and pursue it with zeal. In the beginning, one tends to capture everything that is just appealing, but as you develop a liking for a specific genre and immerse entirely in it, your thought process and approach to the subject will change. You will develop your own distinct style. That level of maturity will take a long time but very gratifying.