When I take shots, I see god

 

 

His thirst for knowledge and Western style glamour photography couldn’t be fulfilled in India given that many issues are still considered taboo, such as nudity. He went abroad to work with international magazines, and that’s when he realised his true calling.

 

He says, “A film director from Bangkok recommended my name to international photographers Jarmo Pohjaniemi, Gary Cole and Alex Bravincar, who reviewed my profile and gave me an opportunity to participate in their 14-day seminar, however, with a condition. That only if I win the contest will I be able to participate in the seminar in Santorini, Greece, for Playboy. I passed the test. It was a big challenge, as they judged the photographers’ work strictly on the standards of Playboy, unlike in India where creativity is often lost and everyone can easily copy someone else’s work.”

 

 

He says, “It was a complete risk for me and my career. I am not an entrepreneur. I have a family that was travelling with me, so it was hard initially, but it was worth it. Photography is my life. I am into photography for the past 14 years. I work really hard and can shoot for three days at a stretch if required, I have that much energy and passion. For example, I shot in Santorini at a stretch for 14 hours with a model. I waited for the blue tint light from the sun, so I was holding my tripod and three kg camera and wide lens, waiting for the sun to set. That’s the passion I had. I feel in India, photographers don’t set goals. Also they don’t get importance. I am not after money, I like people who genuinely praise my work. That inspires me.” 

 

Being the first Indian to shoot for Playboy is a great feeling, he admits. “I respect the people of Playboy for giving me the opportunity and respecting my creativity. They have taken me to the next level of my career.”

 

Talking about how he struck the balance in his recent exotic India shoot in the October edition of Playboy, he says, “I was looking for an idea. I realised that no one has shot in India, so the colours of the sand here can’t be found anywhere in the world. When you see a Hollywood film, you can see a clear screen, but in India, you’d see a patch of cloud passing by. So, I thought what if we shoot in India with a foreign model. I wrote the complete concept of the shoot, including the wardrobe, assets involved etc. and mailed it to the publishing editor. They were excited to see how this would turn out and gave me the permission. So, we had foreign models dressed as brides in gold jewellery.”

 

Nudity isn’t a concern for Ramachandran’s art. “It all depends on the concept; I see everything as art. I simply go with the concept, whether it’s semi nude, or full nude I don’t care. Concept to implementation and pre-production work roughly takes three months. Everything is planned and set accordingly, prior to the shoot. I have a team of 12 people who help me gather information. At the end of the day, effort should not be wasted,” he shares.

 

Asked if he felt restricted when it came to shooting nudes in India and the closed mindset of the people, Ramachandran says, “Nude photography is restricted in the market and people don’t have the mentality to see these photographs in the artistic way. Also, some photographers misuse this opportunity and maybe that’s also the reason why people end up associating nudes with porn. We look at nature as a goddess. Whenever I take shots, I only see God, I see them with respect.”

 

He admires the works of international photographers Jarmo Pohjaniemi and Gary Cole who’ve encouraged him to become who he is today. He says, “I admire them, they’re gods of photography. They’ve taught me in the right way.”