What you study to be and what you eventually become sometimes has no connection. Take a look at microbiologist-turned-photographer Sudhir Ramchandran’s life.
Ramachandran (50) grew up in the United Republic of Tanzania. Later he came to Kerala to get a degree in Microbiology. He returned to East Africa to teach the subject and got back to India three years later in 1975. And ever since, he has let his camera talk for him in ad campaigns, interior and travel photography.
His bio-data reveals that he has won national awards for advertising photography every year since 1980. He was the President of the Advertising and Industrial Photographers’ Association of India, till last year. He has represented Asia as Ambassador to the World Council of Professional Photographers (1992-99) and was the Licentiate of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain in 1994.
But he is not a self-taught “image-maker” (that’s how he describes himself). He holds diplomas in commercial, advanced, colour and printing photography from universities in Kenya, Switzerland and the US.
Ramachandran is among the most well known photographers in Bangalore. He has a well-equipped production facility, including an in-house colour processing and printing laboratory, and a full-fledged production team.
Here are extracts from an interview I did with him way back in July 2000.
How did you get into photography?
It was a chance encounter. I saw an image forming in the dark room of a friend of mine (the friend later became his father-in-law), and I thought photography was a safer way than rally driving in East Africa.
But you were a teacher of microbiology, right?
Yes. And rally driving was my hobby.
What was your initial investment in photography?
Rs 5,000.
And your first income?
Rs 210. But I blew Rs 225 when I took my wife out to dinner. My wife had to pay the balance amount.
What is photography according to you?
It’s documenting what you see and making images. It’s not just shooting images, but making the viewer understand the concept behind a picture. There is a story behind it. That’s important.
What is required for good photography?
Clarity of thought. And an emotional involvement with the subject. When I feel good, my picture shows it. It’s a mirror of my soul and me. And that’s when I realised that I was achieving my objective. I try to bring this into advertising photography. Today, I have a good market in India and abroad.
What is your greatest achievement till date?
Winning the FAO Gold medal from UNESCO in 1982 for environment photography. It was a global exhibition. There were 35,000 entries.
What did you submit?
A volume of work, on the effects that biogas had in a remote village in Andhra Pradesh.
Okay, who is your favourite model?
I really have no favourite models. Very rarely does a girl fit into a concept I have in mind. For many reasons, Vidisha (Pavate) is good. The best thing about her is her attitude to work. She becomes a joint image-maker by making that extra effort.
Have you taken pictures of nude models?
Never. I find enough expressions outside nudes, but I have nothing against it. There is so much of nature around us that I really have not considered it.
Is there big money in photography?
Yes, if it is spiritual and creative. The money is amazing, if you’re able to be unique. The Internet will help sell unique expressions.
What next, after photography?
I will continue to be an educator on image making. I would like to bring more spiritual aspects into photography.
What are your other passions?
Nothing else. Just photography.
Do you eat, sleep and walk photography…
Absolutely. I also value my time with my family.
Can you tell us about your family?
I have three children. Sheetal makes films for Channel V. Sapna is a systems engineer at Wipro, Milwaukee. Snehal is a 19-year-old spastic boy who is at home. My wife Sandhya designs clothes for a select clientele.
How did you meet your wife?
I met my wife in East Africa where I was working as a teacher. I married her and came back to India when I was 24.
Is there anything you regret in life?
Nothing really. I thank God for the kind of life I have led. There’s nothing I would have changed. All I want now is to reach as many students of image making as possible and do my bit in making them believe in themselves. Neha one of my students, is doing research work for the National Geographic. There are many others and this pleases me most.
What is the flip side to photography?
There are too many people who find in photography only a way of earning money… people who really don’t care. There are many especially in advertising. That’s why you see so much mediocre work.
And the plus points?
If only you are able to express yourself, make your work unique by bringing the spiritual part of you in your photography, you have attained ‘nirvana’ (enlightenment). On top of that, if you earn from it, that’s incredible. And that’s what I have achieved.
Do you have any role models?
No. I never worked under a guru. I learnt it myself from books, even stuff like colour processing and printing. As I earned more money, I did my diplomas and went on to attend workshops in Amsterdam, New York, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dublin.
