Have always wondered what inspires me to make photographs! I seriously haven't got an answer as yet!
But, I have always loved making photographs - whatever be the subject! Its some sort of an obsession with the medium, I guess! It all started when I wanted a camera for my school trip (to gingee fort) when I was in class 9! But I did not have one then.....but I did manage to get my friends camera and shoot a few images...all silly images ofcourse! But then, though the images were silly....I seemed to love the output and that made me ask my parents for a new camera....and I did get one later in the year. That was my first camera - Yashika, Point and Shoot!!
And as I had no one around who could teach me how to make photographs (my father had not much interest in photography) or should I say, as I did not mind asking anybody for help on how to make better images....just started clicking! This new art was quite costly....but I somehow managed! And I dont think anything big happened after I got my cam....I did not go behind everything clicking....infact I even left it sleep in my godrej almarah for months together, I guess!
In the mean time, I had developed a special interest for movies and Maniratnam was my hero! I still remember pestering my friends with my stupid stories and ideas......IRUVAR made a very big impact in me.....but beleive me, I dont know what in that movie impressed me at that age - but till date Iruvar is my favourite tamil movie! And this interest in Cinema and Photography clubbed at some stage....and by then I was in a new school for my class eleven! It was there, I guess, things shaped up! The environment was new...all the people around me were new....so what they saw in me was also new! Whenever they (whoever) asked abt my interest, I proudly announced 'Photography' and they saw me as a photographer too.......this change in perception probably made me beleive that I was a better photographer...and the obsession with my camera was back!
At that age in my school, i met Tamil Dasan....a guy with similar interests as me....and our chemistry worked.....we talked a lot of cinema......I remember talking of Santosh Sivan once, when were in class twelve......no one around us knew who he was.....we explained...and in the process learnt a bit more! When I look back.....I understand, we knew nothing then....but still we were high on spirits! We talked a lot.....a lot...and on vareity of topics.....basically centered around cinema...and photography was the very next thing! Actually, we did not see photography and Cinema as two different entities......It was then that we picked up a camera and started making photos....he was more with the stories and stuff...and I called myself a photographer (who'll eventually turn into a director - like Balu Mahendra..Santosh Sivan.. :))....and was with the cam most of the time! And this was the time, Ashwin joined us (in the grp, i mean) and Director Balu (Kalamellam Kadal Vazhga) was his tenant then.....and yet another opportunity....we flocked to RA puram whenever we got an opportunity and we generally were there in Balu's place - Dreaming! And towards the end of our class twelve.....we were carried away to the max! We wanted to be film-makers...wanted to join film institute....Vis comm was also an option...and it was during this holidays that I had started making images and was feeling that I was doing something seriously! We had travelled to Pondy / Poompuhar / Chidambaram / Kundrakudi / Pillayarpatti......and managed to make a few photos that I
like even today....I was happy making photos!!!!!
Then came the college days....all 3 of us joined Engineering and in different colleges! The first year went on without much of activities.....but from the 3rd sem....things started changing! It was the time Alaipayuthe released and that pulled us towards cinema again.....and then came Heyram...I should say, after Iruvar it was Heyram, that impacted me to the maximum! Myself and my friends used to watch every interview that Kamal gave on Heyram....what ever channel may it be in! To be true, it was Kamal Hassan who introduced foreign films to us (myself and my friends) ! I remember once, Ashwin was sitting in front of the tv with a pen and a paper and taking down the names of films and film-makers that Kamal mentioned.....we did not understand clearly about what Mr. Kamal Hassan was talking then....but then, we managed to pick up the movies that he mentioned (we had to search a lot for them then) and watch them.....we liked them too...most of them, if not all.....I dont think we liked them just because Kamal mentioned.....!! By this time, we were almost full-time into photography and film-making....We had friends from the Film Instituteand that again gave us an opportunity to talk about cinema and to know where we stand in terms of knowledge from the people who have chosen their career as cinema! Beleive me - they respected us for our knowledge and interest in cinema! And they told us what their books and teachers thought them - The first step for cinematography is Still Photography! This was what Mr Balu had once told us when we met him just after school.....and it was only through photographs that we were able to see the results....I mean, we thought of a lot of stories n all....but then they were not concrete...i mean...we think of
something today and forget it in a few days....but this was not the case with photographs....we had them printed and they represented our thoughts!!! So I always kept photography close to my heart!!!
But now why am I telling you the whole story.....where did it all start....oh yeah....on not knowing what inspires me to make photographs!!!
The whole thought on this started now coz, I was wondering today of what good photography is! I dont understand rules that a photographer keeps in mind when making an image - I would never do that.....not that I cant understand rules, but I just cant imagine following rules to make a photo! I make a photograph coz I like doing that! For me...the happiness and satisfaction at the moment of making a photo is as important as the output itself ! I see photography more as an art than a science! For me - I need to like the image and only then I think of others! Yes - I do like appreciation from friends and others, I am happy when people say they like my photographs.....but all this only after my satisfaction with the image - that is more important for me!!!
And that is part of what I was thinking today! How do people (read co photographers/critiques) judge a photograph to be good or bad! People talk of the space in the left side...right side.....the rule of thirds (which has a scientific value attached to it - I was amazed to read what was behind this rule......but still....). With more and more exposure to discussions regarding the techniques of photography...criticisms...appreciations....(thanks to Internet)....I am starting to see myself travelling in a different direction from that of the crowd! That is the crux of the thought, that was running in my mind today! Nevermind really.....I wasn't much concerned about this....but was just thinking.....I guess, I can never be a commercial photographer.......there are cases where a photograph is claimed to be a master-piece and people (who I respect for their interest in photography) appreciate it to the core...but I dont find the image much interesting - just because there is no subject associated with the image nor the beauty....but a plain technique! I dont like images for the technique involved but for the simplicity....and I see (with the invent of post-production using computer softwares and all) that the inclination or the importance that should be given to simplicity is being missed....I am not complaining....but this is just my observation - i repeat, MY observation - when I take a close look at the discussions in various forums....websites...etc!
my thought on this to be continued....in the later posts!
Thanks for the time! Cheers!
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