Photographic memory
The art of capturing light through lens has been a fascinating passion
By : priyanka sundar
Update: 2015-08-19 00:25 GMT
The art of capturing light through lens has been a fascinating passion that is pursued by many. Freezing moments of happiness, wonder, awe, anger and fright through photographs is an ability that very few own. Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things that you see and everything to do with the way you see them.
On the occasion of World Photography Day (August 19), DC talks to some of the well-known photographers in the city about the stories behind their toughest shots that have now become one of their most cherished memories.
G Venket Ram, Fashion and celebrity photographer: It was a fashion shoot that we had decided to do on the cliffs in Goa. Kangana Ranaut was the model for this shoot. This was one of the toughest shoots I had done in recent times. When one sees the photograph, it might seem like a simple shot. However, what one has to realise is that we had to transport a lot of equipment to this remote spot. It was mid day and Kangana had to stand on the cliff with about 50 metres of fabric floating around her. While so much was happening around her, she had to look effortless and as a photographer, there could be no compromise with the quality of the shot. I had to capture the shot to the best of my ability.
Rakesh Prakash, wedding photographer: Shooting a wedding is more about capturing the most important moments for the bride and groom. As a wedding photographer, one of the biggest challenges is to be able to compose without the crowd that throngs the bride and groom during the mangalsutra ceremony in Hindu weddings. However, one shot that has been challenging to shoot recently was for a couple in the UK. They wanted the picture shot in the Peach district near Manchester, as that was the place the groom had proposed. I wanted to capture them at dusk with streaks of sunset, but at the same time, get the sparkle of the stars in the background. We waited a couple of hours to get the best lighting possible. It is one of my favourite shots.
Varun Suresh, shoots stories and portraits: I am essentially a wedding photographer. However, till date, what has been one of the most interesting and challenging shots is this long exposure photograph. A few friends of mine and I planned a trip to Goa. I wanted to capture the beach from a particular angle. The tripod was checked-in with other luggage. When we reached Goa, I got my tripod in three broken pieces and my friends suggested to get the shot another time. I couldn’t give up, and so I managed to secure the camera with one hand, the tripod head with the other and used my legs for stability as I shot the photograph. I worked for about an hour and I finally got the shot.
Dharma Chandru, photographer and Canon ambassador: It was part of a waterfall series that I was shooting at the borders of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For this particular waterfall, we had to trek deeper into the forests and cross many streams. It took more than a couple hours before we reached the falls where black jaguars and leopards are usually spotted. We had to make sure we reached the spot before we lost the natural light, and crossed the electrified fences with the help of forest rangers. After all that, we reached the falls just in time for me to take a beautiful shot.