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Araku - the lens view
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Photographers using analog cameras have to sharpen their skills to counter digital imaging.
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Models posing for the lensmen during a practical shoot. -- Photo: K.R. Deepak
Last week the serenity of Araku Valley was suddenly invaded by a swarm of bugs. The bugs were present everywhere right from its blossoming yellow mustard fields to the cool waters of the Chaparai and from the meadows of AP Tourism Development Corporation's Punnami Resort to the shandy in Sunkarimetta.
The reference is not to some beetle bugs or has got anything to do with some ancient biblical curse that swept Egypt: it is about the shutterbugs.
Over 90 lens-wielders from eight States converged in the valley to take part in the seventh all-India workshop on photography, jointly organised by Visakha Camera Club and the AP State Akademi of Photography.
Age and profession was no bar for attending the four-day workshop. While the youngest person in the group was in his or her early 20s the oldest was K. Marfatia, an octogenarian from Mumbai who was fondly referred to as 'dadaji'. And one should see to believe how he could capture the young models through his lens without a camera shake and to the perfection in right composition and camera settings. "Well, old habits die hard," says dadaji with a mischievous grin.
Apart from the 20 students from the Department of Photography in Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, the delegates comprised people from various fields. If one was a retired Brigadier the other was a manager from a public sector undertaking and if one was a commercial photographer the other was a housewife. Despite their different walks of life the topic on their lips for the four days was only one: photography, photography and photography.
Participants were seen interacting only in terms of shutter speed, aperture settings and composition factors. If one was seen yelling at the top of his voice from a rooftop, "Hey, my setting is f/16 and 125", the other was heard shouting back, "I am against light so I am one stop down".
Why workshops?
According to B.K. Agarwal, the programme committee chairman, such workshops are good for budding photographers and it suits both commercial and amateurs wishing to pursue photography as a hobby. "Photography is an art. Moreover, in today's context there is a need of a photograph in whatever form it may be in every moment of life. But at the same time it is not getting its due recognition. There is no proper full-fledged institute to give a diploma or a degree in photography. So such workshops could work wonders for upcoming photographers. Moreover, commercial photographers could utilise such workshops to keep abreast of the latest technologies and hone their skills and amateurs could learn the basics."
The workshop comprised practical shoot with live models for the fashion and glamour category, seminar and lectures on various subjects related to photography and shooting of locales. Fashion and glamour
Agarwal and Gul. H. Gulrajani dealt extensively on the subject of fashion and glamour photography. While the former concentrated on studio lighting and studio ambience Gul gave a presentation on outdoor fashion shoot, use of flash and wildlife photography.
On carving a career out of photography, Mr Gul said, "Apart from being proficient with the basics one has to be a showman to become a top photographer. Today people believe in showmanship. If one is planning to start a studio then he or she should make it a point that the ambience inside the studio is good. Similarly an industrial photographer should not back off from a deal if he or she does not possess a Hasselblad or a Cinar big format camera. Such cameras are available on hire."
Digital, in-thing
K. Ponnuswamy, the former director of Konica Institute of Imaging Technolgy, said: "Digital photography is the in-thing and commercial photographers who are using analog cameras have to upgrade their skills to compete with digital imaging."
He gave a power-point presentation on the basics of digital photography, its uses, its mechanism and its various technological advantages over analog cameras. "A photographer with a digital camera and knowledge of photoshop could create wonders," he said.
Nawaz of Edit Multimedia elaborately dealt with photoshop and its uses. He gave a practical demonstration how photographs could be bettered with the software and how artistic photos could be created with the help of the package.
No aspect of photography was left out at the workshop. The former Head of the Department of Photography in JNTU, B. Rajan Babu, made a presentation on photo composition and took the camera persons to the subtle realm of aesthetics in photography.
K. Chiranjeevi of the Department of Theatre Arts in Andhra University and his son Maruthi gave a lec-dem on the art and need of make-up for fashion and glamour photography. "Make-up is part and parcel of glamour photography. It not only enhances the beauty of the subject but it is a vital input for a good output," he said.
Krishnam Raju of Clear Click explained the necessity and the methods of camera equipment care.
On-the-spot contest
No workshop is complete without a competitive edge. On the last day an on-the-spot contest was held. Earlier, the oraganisers in concert with Cannon Colour Lab made arrangements for processing, developing and printing of the delegates' photos on a daily basis. Over 16,000 snaps bid for the prizes that were sponsored by APTDC and THE HINDU. The contest was basically set for three categories; the APTDC resort where the delegates were accommodated, Araku and its surroundings and fashion/glamour photography.
The workshop concluded with a cultural programme that had the tribals performing the dhimsa dance. The prizes being given away by the divisional engineer of APTDC, Viswewara Rao.
SUMIT BHATTACHARJEE
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