Photographer Rajan Bhatt captures everyday life in the most subtle way, says Team Viva
Aspiring street photographers should start loving their subject. They don’t have to wait for the perfect occasion to click photos; every ordinary thing is an event. The need is to sharpen your imagination and perspective”, advised street photographer Rajan Bhatt.
Recently, he held an exhibition titled DIRECT - An Ode to the living Streets of Delhi, which showcased some of his amazing photographs at the Indian Habitat Centre. Street photography focuses and captures life in motion and in a given moment. Bhatt, an architect, claims that his inspiration is street photographer Vivian Maier. So he has captured the common masses living out their ordinary lives in both the modest and the extraordinary ways.
He has succeeded in connecting people to their daily routine through his lens and thus, broken the pattern of sameness on our streets.
A dog lover, Bhatt said that man’s faithful friend motivates him to capture the hidden beauty of the streets.
“The stray dogs are everywhere and they experience everything. I just wish to be able to capture the essence of streets through my lens, as closely as these canines do. I dedicate my love for street photography to these awesome beings that I adore.” Not surprisingly, his favorite photograph is one where a dog is playing with a mannequin head.
Bhatt is the founder of the Mool Foundation, an interactive platform for all artists to come under a roof, learn, share and contribute in the field of art and design. He wants to remove the barriers that separate different art forms so that a common language of expression can evolve spontaneously. The exhibition has photographs of rickshaw pullers, paan vendors, school children, high wire walkers and street vendors.
Of course, captuirng them was a tall order for Bhatt. He said, “You have to wait for the perfect moment, which in a way is uncertain. The way out is to click as many pictures as you can. While taking street portraits, I always felt apprehensive. But now I don’t hide my camera from strangers. I just smile at them in order to make them comfortable for the shot.”
Bhatt also explained how photography as an art is evolving with advancement in technology and the evolution of smartphones. He pointed towards two aspects of technology in relation to art. One is the art of photography, where the focus is on the message that the photograph wants to convey and the other is the craft of photography, where the focus shifts to equipment rather than on the message. “Art is a source of pleasure for those who appreciate its power to influence society. It brings a positive vibe. At a certain level, art increases the visual value of anything. Being an architect, I believe everything is in some or the other way related to the art and design,” said Bhatt describing the essence of art. He also observed how graffiti was combining art and culture. The beauty of the age-old dull buildings and colonies like Hauz Khas and lodhi Colony are getting revamped through this evolving technique of graffiti.
He has clear pointers for would-be photographers. Said Bhatt, “Don’t shoot to fill your 64GB memory card. Rather shoot to convey a message. It’s essential to have your perspective and theme organised. Try to look around and discover things.” His exhibition depicted the interplay of lights and shadows to discover the drama in the middle of the mundane.