It’s time photography is recognised as a fine art in India

It was a field day for members of the Photojournalists Association of Bangalore (PJAB) at the Chitrakala Parishath where more than 120 photographs representing the many facets of human and animal life were displayed. One thing that struck me while looking at the photographs was how digital cameras have harmed the art of photojournalism. When I started my career with a leading national English daily in the late 80s, I was handed an Orwo, and Agfa-based black and white film by my senior Sarangapani, who asked me to cover 10 assignments, and to get the best pictures within the limited 36 frames.Well, more often than not, I landed up with some good pictures, but on some days, I failed miserably. In the old days, one could not preview images, like one can with the current digital cameras. Hence photographers were not sure if they had that 'page one' image until the film was processed.

'Only when the Indian government recognises professional photography as fine art, will the community get the respect they have been denied thus far'

But today, one has the ability to preview, edit and colour correct their images, which makes the present day fotog shoot first and decide later. The last and most important point I would like to make (and its one that I have beaten on about over the years) is that professional photography be recognised as a fine art. One may ask why? Why not! When countries from the US, to the UK and the Far East have accepted professional photography as a fine art form, why hasn't the Indian government done so? Only when the Indian government recognises professional photography as fine art, will the community get the respect that is due to it, and which they have been denied thus far. It is this community that has produced greats like S Paul, N Thiagarajan, Kishore Parekh, SN Sinha, Raghu Rai, Prashant Panjiar, Pablo Bartholomew, Sondeep Shankar and Hoshi Jal, to name but a few, who set the standard for younger fotogs to follow.

Photo Editor’s Verdict
I have visited and organised many a photo exhibition, but this one, organised by my old friend and president of PJAB, Mohammed Asad and his team, needed to be more assertive when it came to the selection of images for the final display. What a visitor to such an exhibition requires is that the exhibition should be short in viewing, but long in memory. That's something this exhibition lacks. But in the end it offers the public a glimpse into the art of the photojournalist, and that’s what matters most

How I snapped the prize-winning pic

The Sunfeast World 10K Marathon, organised by Procam, which was
held on May 31, was a photographer's feast (pun intended). We turned out in large numbers; each of us having chosen
our spot from where we hoped to get the best possible images for the next day's newspapers. I chose to stand on Kasturba Road as I had taken a picture last year of the runners forming a panting serpent.
That picture won me the second prize.
This year, I opted not to move around too much.When the race began, I refused to get snap-happy, rather I waited for that enduring image. Photographing sport is an art in itself, since it requires a lot of
concentration to get that split-second moment frozen in time.
Now, back to the moment that fetched DNA the prize photograph at this year's World 10K edition. I was just about to pack up my camera and leave when I noticed a girl with her face colourfully painted, with trendy tattoos on her arms, and a peacock feather atop her charming
tribal head gear dashing down the road at top speed to catch up with her friends. The lighting was superb, with the sun's rays cutting through the shady trees on Kasturba Road. The girl's attitude was one of single-minded determination, and she exuded the passion that comes with being part of a major sporting event. I quickly switched from my
normal lens to a zoom lens and had only about 60 seconds to ensure that I got a decent frame of her sprinting down the road.
Well, the rest is history. I also take this opportunity to congratulate my esteemed fellow fotogs, R Samuel and Syed Asif for bagging the second and third prize respectively.

THE STATE’S IN PLAY

WHERE HAS ALL THE POLITICAL COLOUR GONE?
It’s turned out to be the dance of democracy. Yes, the biggest pop show in the world has become listless. For years I have covered numerous election at both local and national levels, and they've always proved to be colourful and exciting. But things are changing. Over the years, the Chief Election Commission has tightened the screws on candidates' expenditures. This has, in turn, robbed the photojournalist, or fotog, of the nuances and quirks of campaigns. We have been forced to delve deeper into politics to find those defining images newspapers desperately clamour for. What differentiates a good political fotog from the rest of the snap-happy mob is timing: Those seconds as he lines up the perfect frame; the frame that showcases the mood; the frame that leaves no space for the editor's ego to crop the image. In the past, a fotog had the fanfare and festive atmosphere of the trail to use as props. Paintings, posters, banners have now gone, leaving a rather stark canvas. Today's Pic Me Up covers the campaign in places like Mangalore,Mysore et al, and DNA's fotogs have managed to capture the colour of an election that takes me back to the days of poll pomp.
So, here's my two bytes:Remember that every time you cut back on poll expense, you hit fotogs as well. The lack of colour and vibrancy will leave us bereft of that image that personifies our democracy. It will drain the poll of entertainment