Technique

Photography has been my preferred means of expression ever since I took up a camera in high school. I was interested in other art forms but photography became an important outlet for me. It allowed me to record interesting experiences and then relive them in the darkroom and more recently behind a computer monitor. I like the photographs to stand by themselves but I have found it useful to include text to provide a contextual understanding of the photograph. This combination of photographs and text has become especially important as I have sought to use my work as an educational tool.

Black & White as a Preferred Medium

Many people ask me why I shoot in black and white. South Asia, after all, is a brilliantly colorful region and I have witnessed spectacular colors in my travels and explorations. However, I grew up under the influence of a father and uncle who both had darkrooms in their houses. There was always something special about black and white that made it my preferred means of expression.

While at boarding school I learnt black and white basics at Dovetons’s Studio, a ramshackle photography establishment in Kodaikanal’s bazaar. This venerable establishment had very rudimentary resources – a red colored glass window for a safelight for example! Its proprietor, Mr. Rajkumar took me under his wing and generously shared his knowledge. In my senior year I field-tested an aluminum and leather view camera that my father had built in his machine shop. It was quite a load to lug around but it took some very sharp pictures, including the class of 1988 color spread that established an ongoing tradition in the school’s yearbook. In college I took several exploratory photography courses that helped me hone up on my skills. During the same time I worked as an assistant to the College of Wooster’s campus photographer, the energetic and encouraging Matt Dilyard. In 1999 I attended the very useful “Master Printing with George Tice” at the Maine Photographic Workshops. In this most digital age I continue to look for ways to grow in the medium of black and white.

I generally prefer black and white to color as an expressive medium. Color prints can potentially overwhelm a viewer with too much information while black and white simplifies things. It highlights nuances and features that one might overlook in a color print. Of course I appreciate color photography and dabble in digital work that I can play with on my computer. Lately I have been doing a fair amount of close up work using my digital camera and I often shoot landscapes in color as a back up. I personally find that my black and white prints express what I see and feel more effectively than color.

Medium Format (120) Film & Cameras

I shoot in medium format. This film is slightly larger than the standard 35mm format. At the same time it not as large as the 4×5 and 8×10 large format photographs of the great American landscaped photographers Ansel Adams and John Sexton. These artists use(d) large format to bring exquisite detail to their images. I appreciate the portability of medium format cameras, while getting a distinctly sharper picture than the conventional formats. Large format films are not available in India, a significant factor that makes medium format photography more practical. Four medium formats cameras were used for the pictures in this website. My early work was done with a Fujica 6×9 rangefinder with a fixed 90mm lens. I eventually switched to the square format 6×6 Yashicamat and the Mamiya 6 (both with 80mm lenses). This format is traditionally used for portraiture but I have utilized it for landscapes in a less conventional way. Finally I have a 6×12 rotating lens Noblex camera that is used for panoramic shots. It is bulky to carry around and takes very wide-angled pictures, but the lens is sharp and it helps give a wider perspective on landscapes.

Lighting

Lighting is the critical aspect for most photographers and I am no exception. I find myself always looking for interesting lighting situations and learning to predict conditions based on weather patterns (with varying degrees of success). A six-month period without a working light meter on my Nikon FM-2 taught me to make rudimentary light readings based on what I saw. It was an excellent learning experience, although not intentional. I now use a hand held incident and spot light meter to help me with delicate situations. I often shoot in low light and with slow speeds, so I am almost always mounting my camera on a tripod. I employ a green filter for vegetation shots and a red or polarizing filter for blue sky and cloud shots.

Infrared Film

Several of the dramatic landscape images in my galleries were shot with Konica’s black and white Infrared film. Infrared film is often used to create surreal images with generous amounts of grain. It turns vegetation with chlorophyll to bright white and gives added contrast to sky and clouds. It must be used with a red or orange filter to get these results. It also must be used with bright sunshine and is ineffective in diffused light. I especially like it because it clears up dust, a pernicious issue in South Asian landscapes. Konica has unfortunately phased out this film. The other pictures, taken in overcast or dark situation, were done on Kodak’s T-Max or Ilford’s Pan F film.

Processing & Printing

I develop and print my own film and exhibition prints using Kodak developers (D-76, Microdol X and D-163). I base my film development on conventional times, but liberally adjust times and different dilutions to suit the exposure conditions of the film.

I print the exhibition prints on Ilford’s Gallerie paper. It is a fiber-based paper that is designed to be used in exhibitions and last a very long time. Gallerie paper is a silver bromide paper and comes in several contrast grades or in multigrade. Conventional RC papers that hold the same amount of contrast are not as long lasting and are, hence, shunned by artists looking for longevity in their prints. Fiber papers require long hours of rinsing, a problem in water scarce areas. I use a double fix bath and also tone the prints in selenium to maximize their archival durability. They are rinsed a total of two hours each (once before and one hour after the toning). Finally they are pre-dried in a press, dry mounted on acid free board and then matted and framed. Like other artwork, mounted photographs are designed to be kept in a cool, dry place. The climatic conditions of South Asia make storage a challenge, but simple precautionary steps can ensure a long life.