Fourteen international photographers have come together to display a mesmeric collection from their voyages. ANANYA BORGOHAIN talks to the Indian women among them to gauge how they are faring in a hitherto male-dominated field
Women, they say, are observant, intuitive, foresighted and perceptive, among many other attributes. But in spite of their mesmeric nuances, they have been conspicuous by their absence in Indian photography. While their male counterparts have reached the zenith of success, the likes of Homai Vyarawalla, Dayanita Singh, Sipra Das etc, have been few and far between.
Among the Indian photographers, at least ostensibly, women have not yet fully channelised their deeprooted artistic expression. In a space as vibrant, active and beguiling as the Indian media, there are only a handful of photojournalists, even in 2016. Is it because of safety concernsIJ A sincere dearth of original ideas to captureIJ Or a lack of lucrative paymentsIJ Or they don’t find the adrenaline rush creative enoughIJ Travel, in this case, could lead to many unresolved questions.
Keeping the same in mind, the Travel Photo Jaipur (TPJ) is a cultural initiative that the Government of Rajasthan has indulged in to promote travel photography and display the State as an open air art gallery. launched on February 5, this exhibition will be held till February 15 in the State’s capital. Inaugurated by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, this launch edition showcases works of 14 exhibitionists from all over the world and their works will be on display in Jaipur’s historical sites such as Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall Museum, and Jawahar Kala Kendra etc.
What is fascinating about the exhibition is the involvement of Indian women who have travelled far and wide in search of images that narrate a substantial story. Serena Chopra, whose work, ‘The Ancients — Bhutan Diaries’, is on display, says: “It was during my post graduate course in journalism at IIMC Delhi that I chose to focus on photo journalism for my thesis and covered the elections in Uttar Pradesh with a leica camera. The camera became one more mode of expression that I was drawn to. Today, I use my manual 501 CM Hasselblad medium format camera and a wide angle lens.”
She adds, “A ‘fine art’ image has a language of its own. There is only one concern — to make a powerful image that expresses the photographer’s intention and imagination.”
Is there also a need to interact with her subjects, to indulge a feminine vibe to make them comfortable in opening upIJ She replies, “I like to know the person or persons I might be photographing. Where there is trust, there will be those moments of a meaningful connection between the subject and the photographer.”
About the dominant trend of photoshopping, she clarifies, “It’s a question of artistic licence. I work with an image in the printers laboratory with my negative or on photoshop with a digital or scanned image to perfect, tweak and interpret what I imagine to be the story I want to tell.”
She also feels that being a woman has worked for her in the field: “I actually feel that as a woman I am accepted with a lot of grace and get a genuine welcome into most homes and events. I haven’t ever seen the negative side of being a woman photographer. But as a woman, I choose my assignments and keep my personal security as a priority in terms of my assistant accompanying me and my mode of travel.”
Joining Serena is Siya Singh Akoi, who presents her works “selected from a series of portraits made whilst travelling the length and breadth of the country via some of the longest train routes in India”. She too agrees that as a woman, things have been smooth for her. “It has been amazing for me. Five years ago, I shot ‘The Dog Show Project’, travelling all over the country alone. I was a bit scared of going out there but the thrill of photographing these portraits gave me all the courage I needed. I would land at a place and hire my rickshaw driver for the day to be my studio assistant. He even recorded the names of people I was photographing in my register. I got dropped back to the airport after the show and came home safely every time. We women have a lot of power. We must be in control, polite and calm.”
She believes that photo festivals are very important to sensitise visitors and the local populace to the world of the arts. Siya was driven towards photography by another woman — her mother. Siya recalls, “I couldn’t load a film in a camera as I was never interested in photography. Somehow my mother believed I was going to be a really good photographer so I got accepted into a college with her photographs, as she was a keen wildlife photographer. Since my first assignment till today, it’s been fascinating how her instinct was exactly what I was made to do. I had a fascination with the studio portrait after college. It’s what I tried to replicate in these portraits; the ancient feeling of a raw theatrical studio, zapped by a 21st century Indian man/woman placed at the centre with their dog. It was a truly beguiling shooting in this simple curtain studio.”
She offers a few insightful tips as well: “Your images should depict an entire story. Make use of the shoes, finger nails, hairstyle — every nuance that’s in your frame is representing something. Be aware and very alert. Find that line that connects all the dots and click. Don’t waste time or frames. I took not more than four portraits per person for this series. When you click your shutter, your subject can hear your vision, so take control and direct them accordingly.”
She also adds, “For ‘The Dog Show Project’, I used my Canon 5d Mark 1, a 24-105mm, a Canon flash with a Gary Fong and a tripod. For more personal work, I use my Hasselblad 503cw and Holga TG120.”
Nishant Shukla, another Indian on this diverse list, adds: “There has been a lot of press lately about the issue of misogyny in photography like there is in any other industry. Photography is not exclusive to anything. Beyond that, the issue of personal safety and being able to roam around freely any time can really inhibit the way one works.”
He’s also a co-founder and member of BIND collective — a collection of photobooks curated around the theme of travel, most of which are limited editions, independently distributed and propagating mindful dissemination of stories, ideas and unique voices. He says, “The realisation that the camera can serve as a tool to facilitate insightful interactions is inspiring.”
About his own methods of photography, he says, “I work largely with a medium format rangefinder — Mamiya 7 II with a 65mm and 80mm lens (32mm and 39mm in 35mm equivalent). I also scan my negatives, so everything is eventually digitised, which gives me more control and consistency over what I produce.” He clarifies that his method of photoshopping is fairly basic — limited to colour correction, dodging/burning and dust spotting.
Intending to reinforce the delightful notion of travel, 14 photographers from the UK, Germany, the US, Japan, Spain, Italy etc have come together to put forth a mesmeric collection of stories from their unique voyages. One of the most unique works on display is French photographer laurent Chehere’s. He explains, “‘Flying Houses’ is inspired by the poor and cosmopolitan neighbourhood of Paris. Through a tragic and melancholic report, they testify poetically of an alarming contemporary reality by revealing the meanderings and concerns of a class, impoverished by society, particularly the gypsies and immigrants. These buildings are isolated of their urban context. Technically, it’s a photomontage.
“After a sketch, I photographed hundreds of elements: Roof, windows, gutter, fireplace, characters, antennas, graffiti and sky, then I assembled everything with a digital retouch software on a computer. I wish to propose a different point of view, against preconceived ideas and prejudices. I am also influenced by Hayao Miyazaki, Jules Verne, Andrei Tarkovski, Albert lamorisse, François Truffaut, Michelangelo etc.”
The artistic director of the project, lola Mac Dougall, is a woman as well. Travel opens the proverbial door to an enigma that forlornness yearns for. And rightly so, as Chehere notes, “All the ingredients are there: The comedy, drama, poetry, darkness… it’s finally the observer who will make his own way.”
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