“Reflecting on my initial years as a photographer exploring India, I remember being consumed by self-doubt and hesitation. I found myself clinging to the familiar styles of photography that my heroes had pioneered. ”
Today, I'll continue sharing the selected images for my upcoming educational resource The Photographer's Mindset: India. It'll consist of a digital book and audio lessons. I'll also continue to share the evolution of my journey as a photographer during those trips to India.
Reflecting on my initial years as a photographer exploring India, I remember being consumed by self-doubt and hesitation. I found myself clinging to the familiar styles of photography that my heroes had pioneered. While there were occasional instances where I broke free from these constraints instinctively, it wasn't my primary focus. It's actually only in hindsight, after several years of growth and experience, that I've come to appreciate the unique qualities of the images I featured in my last blog post.
“As a result of my newly found confidence, I wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of creative experimentation. I intentionally played with composition techniques that I hadn’t encountered in the work of the photographers I looked up to.”
By the time I created the images in this blog post and set out on my journeys to the places highlighted here, my confidence had grown significantly, thanks to the recognition my photography had garnered. The Rabari project had found its way into a gallery exhibition, gained prominent exposure in Geographical UK, and clinched an award from a prestigious Australian photography magazine. Additionally, several of my other images had made their way into various publications, further boosting my confidence—an invaluable asset for any emerging creative talent.
As a result of my newly found confidence, I wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of creative experimentation. I intentionally played with composition techniques that I hadn't encountered in the work of the photographers I looked up to. I delved into the realm of off-camera flashes, something I felt was quite daring for a documentary photographer in those times.
“What I consider most significant is that, during these years, I let go of my attachment to the familiar styles and photographic concepts I had grown accustomed to. Instead, I permitted circumstances and my instincts to guide my approach to shooting. ”
The photographs in this blog post date back to the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. I've sprinkled in a handful of images from my 2011 journey to the Himalayas as well, but you'll find the majority of the Himalayan shots in the upcoming post.
What I consider most significant is that, during these years, I let go of my attachment to the familiar styles and photographic concepts I had grown accustomed to. Instead, I permitted circumstances and my instincts to guide my approach to shooting.
The two images above perfectly illustrate the concepts I've just discussed. The first one, featuring the men wrestling, is all about conveying the chaotic energy of the event. The horizon is tilted here and while this is a taboo for the classical style of photography, it conveys the chaos perfectly.
The close-up of the wrestler goes beyond being just a portrait; it's a deliberate capture of an anticipated, emotionally charged moment. This image is unidealized and authentic, presenting the subject in a raw and genuine manner.
How do you ‘turn up the level of drama’ in a portrait? When you have the right kind of character and the right face, the key is to get up close and personal. Let the face dominate the frame. This approach enables the viewer to intimately connect with the subject and fully experience the depth of emotion and drama conveyed through the facial expressions and the captured moment. Again, this is something I learned by following my instincts, after trial and error.
Photography has the capacity to capture and preserve a singular moment in time. Such a photograph can resemble a frozen frame from a film, hinting at a multitude of possible scenarios and igniting the viewer's imagination. I have a special affinity for these kinds of images.
Naturally, light plays a vital role in what makes photography magical. While I was hunting for frozen moments and intriguing body language, I was equally on the lookout for dramatic lighting situations—the captivating dance between shadow and light.
I brought up my experimentation with the off-camera flash. The image above stands as a good example. Through this process, I not only managed to maintain a lower ISO setting to reduce the grain but also shaped the man’s face and his shirt with light. There’s also a certain visual aesthetic here thanks to the light from the flash.
I carried the flash with me and used it in almost every imaginable situation. While my wife held it off-camera at a certain distance from the subjects, my approach was as if I were not using the flash at all. My primary goal remained to capture the essence of body language and the drama of the moment. The flash enabled me to achieve this even in low-light settings and consistently added a touch of drama, all thanks to the shaping capabilities of the light it created.
Once again, expression and body language were the crucial visual cues I prioritized capturing. The aim? To weave a compelling sense of narrative in this image of a boy practicing Hindu chanting in Gurukkalam (traditional HIndu school) in Trissur, Kerala.
Perhaps it's my experimentation with the flash that deepened my comprehension of the potential impact of unusual kinds of light. I grew to admire how light alone could evoke a strong sense of mood and atmosphere, transforming ordinary scenes into something bordering on extraordinary, surreal, and visually captivating.
My photography mainly revolved around the intriguing daily life scenes in India—distinctive clothes, rare tools of trade not often seen elsewhere. Whenever I heard about a chance to capture such unique moments, I'd hop on my motorcycle and be ready to seize them. That was the case here, at a small market by a river in a village in Kerala.
I became increasingly at ease capturing people in their daily routines. Because I approached my photography casually, it had an impact on my subjects. They seldom noticed me or posed for the camera.
Numerous chances arose to capture people in working environments unfamiliar to Westerners, which I found visually captivating. However, I didn't want to limit myself to just documenting the scenes as they were. When circumstances permitted, I sought to experiment with composition, as I did in the image above. Using the leading lines created by the salt pools makes this image feel more dynamic. The lines lead the gaze through the frame towards the back. They help create a sense of depth and space.
While riding through the Indian Himalayas on a motorbike, I embarked on a photographic project centered around road workers constructing roads high above the clouds. It was a natural choice, considering how frequently I encountered them while navigating some of the world's highest roads.
Typically, motorcycle travelers find road construction to be a nuisance. Delays and poor conditions can disrupt your journey. However, because I aimed to capture the lives of these unique and essential workers, I actively sought them out. I photographed them during their work, after work, on their way home, even in their homes, which were usually makeshift tents.
The image above once again exemplifies my affinity for unusual, dramatic lighting scenarios, as well as my desire to get up close to my subjects, aiming to provide an unparalleled and intimate experience for viewers.
This wraps up another series of images from India. In my next post, I'll share more photographs from the Indian Himalayas. Following that, I'll showcase some images I captured years later, after making the switch from a traditional DSLR to a mirrorless system. If you’re interested in reading about all these images in great depth, in seeing how they were made, if you want to immerse yourself in the countless lessons that I learned in India - stay tuned for the pre-launch of my newest educational resource!
