1. What is your earliest memory of how or what attracted you to photography?
I cannot really say what attracted me to photography. I actually wanted to be a cinematographer and I remember seeing a movie when I was in my 10th grade at a theatre and thinking, “This is what I want to do – be a cinematographer; work in movies.” However, I realized after about a week’s internship with a cinematographer, that I prefer working on my own, and not under a director or with a team. I wanted to be the team leader, not the follower.
2. When and why did you decide to take up photography?
I wanted to make a portfolio to go to the Rochester Institute of Technology in the U.S. to study cinematography, and I apprenticed with a photographer in Chennai. I knew nothing about cameras, or film and exposure, etc. A few months into the apprenticeship, I took courage and shot a roll of color photos on film. When I saw the contact sheet and showed it to the photographer I was working with, as well as the other apprentices, I realized I had an eye for composition and color. That is when I realized that I should get into photography.
3. What was your experience doing your bachelor’s course in photography? Why did you decide to study in the U.K.?
I wanted to go to the U.S., but I did not have the portfolio content to get into the photography courses there. And when I applied to the Arts Institute at Bournemouth (now Arts University Bournemouth), they suggested that I apply for a course in professional photography as the other programs were filled, and that I could transfer to the BA programs after 2 years, which is what I did. They were really nice, and I was glad I went there. But having said that, I found it very hard to make friends on the course. I found the first year very depressing in that respect. People were so self-contained and independent that they really didn’t want to make too much time for socializing outside of the college. Most of my friends from the course are from the junior years! My housemates were not exactly very friendly either. Everyone was doing their own thing, and if you were not a social drinker, which I was not, it was hard to make friends!
4. What did you do after completing your French language course and before doing the professional photography course?
I apprenticed with G. Venket Ram, a well-known commercial photographer in Chennai, from Dec 2000 until June 2002. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do while I was working for him. He was a very busy photographer, and I was lucky to work for him, as I learnt a lot.
5. How did an education in photography inform your practice?
An education in photography provides grounding. It is as critical as an assistantship to a photographer before setting out on one’s own. I am glad I did both, though I do wish I had assisted Venket after getting my degree in photography. The photography education gave me a perspective on photography as an art form.
6. In your opinion, is it important to have formal training in photography?
Yes, it is important to have formal training in photography. I am old fashioned in that way. One needs to know how to compose, how to light the subject, how to cut light, how to work with the camera, etc. Yes, times have changed and today’s cameras are very sophisticated, however they cannot do the job of your EYE or your mind.
7. If you were to design a photo program for aspiring photographers in India, what would it look like? Would it be a degree course? Workshop format? Mentorship format?
In my opinion, it would be a bit of all. Teaching in the classroom / studio would be about light, composition, lighting up techniques, how to use equipment, etc. Then there would be group assignments for students to work together and figure out what was taught in the classroom / studios. I would have darkroom training, too, but today that may be impossible. There would be individual assignments at the end of the 1st year. Second year would be about honing photography skills individually, with more assignments with weekly or bi-weekly deadlines based around certain themes or use of equipment. There would be theory of photography, with an emphasis on visual arts and culture and its impact on society. The last module would be a mentorship / apprenticeship for 6 months. Lastly, there would be a module on theory of photography by visiting photographers.
This sort of program would provide students with more than just an introduction to photography as a means of making a living. It would make them understand that photography is more than that. It is an art form that has come to mean so much; a form of expression just like painting. Photography has had such a huge impact on the world in the last 20 years. It is also the basis of cinema. So, while imparting an education in photography, it is important to have both critical as well as practical knowledge.
8. Do you work in analog or digital? Did you have to transition to digital?
I work in digital now. I had to transition, and I actually hate the digital medium. It is not a stable medium. Cameras change so fast now that it makes no sense to own one!
9. Digital technology has changed photography drastically over the last few years. Did you initially embrace the changes or resist them? Do you believe the changes have been good for the medium or not?
Like I say above, I hate digital, but it is a means to an end, and I have to embrace it. I resisted digital for as long as I could, but had to make the transition as there was nowhere to go to process film in Chennai. Digital, for me, is a necessary evil. It is good in a way, as you can retouch and rework images easily if you have to, but it seems so fake at the same time, as the sharpness and clarity seems so hyper-real that it is unreal.
10. What usually draws you to work on a certain idea? Does it come as a gut feeling, or after analysis or research? Is it because of some memory? Or is it something that you are really concerned about?
Everything I do is because of a gut feeling! Even my becoming a photographer was instinctive and unplanned. Sometimes my research comes after the execution, as I have to explain how I came up with the idea to people. My work is based on what I see around me, especially the working, middle class society of Chennai. I would also say that memory is a part of my work.
11. While working on projects, do they typically run in parallel or do you focus on one project at a time?
I usually focus on one project at a time. But some, like my Wedding Reception series, are ongoing projects, so I shoot when I get the opportunity. I revisit some projects, in case I need more images to choose from, like my Hair project or my Beauty on a Bike project.
12. Who or what has inspired you to pursue photography and/or continues to do so?
I cannot say who ‘inspired’ me to take up photography. I honestly don’t know. When I exhibit my work and there is some reaction to it, it inspires me to continue. But I do not know what keeps me going – or if I will keep going.
13. Is there a book, an exhibition or a body of work that has really impressed you and maybe even influenced your work / life?
Raja Deen Dayal’s work continues to impress me. Gregory Crewdson’s book, TWILIGHT, and the 1985-2005 (Hatje Catz) books remind me of why I like taking photos and the cinematic beauty of photography. The American photographer, Tina Barney, influenced some of my early works on my family, while I was studying photography.
I like looking at paintings, too, and I never miss an opportunity to visit an exhibition, if I am in any city and there happens to be a show of an artist that I have heard of or like. I don’t really care for contemporary (painting) artists that much, but more for artists from the modern period – people like B.B. Mukherjee and Abanindranath Tagore. I like John James Audubon’s works also. He was a naturalist. I am always looking for inspiration, be it from the past or present.
14. Could you describe a time when you found yourself creatively ‘stuck?’ If yes, then how did you come around to dealing with it?
Most artists will go through a period of not being creative. I have been stuck very often and, while I do have loads of ideas, I do not work on them to get a body of work going. I cannot really say how to deal with being stuck, but I guess the best way forward is to just buckle down and do some work, be it researching a new idea, or seeing art exhibitions, or even traveling to see new sights and sounds.
15. When you put together a series of images, please share your process while you are creating the narrative of the story?
I don’t have a narrative. Usually, I shoot and then see what sequence I can make of it. When the work is displayed in a gallery for a show, I don’t worry what order it goes in; that is, if I am not involved in the hanging. I care more for the accuracy of the color of the print and how it is handled and framed, rather than the sequence.
16. How do you measure success or that a body of work is going well?
I guess public reaction is what measures the success of my work. But the satisfaction of looking at the images, once made, that gives me some measure of satisfaction, and therefore success!
17. How much effort do you put into getting your work shown? Is this important to you? If so, why? Does showing your work feed your creative process or does it distract from it?
I honestly do not put in any effort to getting my work shown. But it definitely feeds my creative process to show the work in a museum / gallery. But I don’t chase that.
18. Do you feel that there are there adequate opportunities and avenues to share / show your work in India, or do you always look for such opportunities abroad?
Not in Chennai for sure. I think opportunities abroad present themselves more often than in India, because there is more awareness of photography as an art form. If I had to, I would look for more opportunities overseas. Why? Because Indians are stingy and picky and do not want to pay artists even a participation fee. Indian curators and people holding shows in India do not feel the artists should be paid for displaying their work. Overseas, mostly there is some payment for being involved in a show. Very few Indian entities pay an artist any fee for a show. The only entity that has paid me an artist fee, in India is the KNMA. They are very professional and I appreciate that.
19. Do you think there is a universal language that photography uses? Are Indian photographers finding that they are judged by western criteria and standards?
Yes and no. Of course, I feel there is a universal language that photography uses. Indian photographers are judged for their work by western criteria and standards because the same cannot be applied to us. Our way of life is different from the West so, obviously, we are judged! Good or bad, judgment is ever present.
20. How would an interested collector go about buying your work?
By contacting me directly via eMail (nandinivalli@yahoo.co.uk) or through my gallery representative, Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai (http://www.sakshigallery.com).
21. With your years of experience, of the lessons you have learned, what is the one thing you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?
Work with a photographer after completing your degree. In my case, I worked with one before I left to pursue a degree and I forgot a lot of my studio skills as I was out of the field for about 3 years while studying. So, work with one again after your studies.
22. If you didn’t do photography, what is the next best thing you would like to be doing?
Films – cinematography or directing; documentaries or just small short films based on what I see around me.
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Copyright © Nandini Valli
20 November
