Black & White Photography - September 2015 UK

81

B+W

PROFILE

Ajit Menon took up

photography to further his

understanding of lighting

concepts for his job as a visual

effects artist. Since then he

has visited Scotland, Norway,

Iceland and Turkey, creating

powerful images that convey

his love for the great outdoors.

When he’s not globetrotting,

Ajit lives in New York.

To see more of Ajit’s work

visit ajitmenon.com

A Death on Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Fog, Brooklyn Bridge, New York.

Tell us about a photographic

opportunity you have missed.

If I missed it, then it probably

didn’t happen :).

What has been your most

embarrassing moment as

a photographer?

During a shoot in Iceland I decided

to attach my 70-200mm lens to

the camera. Try as I might I just

couldn’t unscrew the lens cap. I

asked some nearby strangers (who

were also photographers) but they

couldn’t get it to move either. It may

have been jammed because of the

mix of cold and humid conditions,

or it could have been because I was

turning it in the wrong direction

for quite a long time!

Tell us your favourite

photographic quote.

‘Success is not found in what

you have achieved, but rather

in who you have become’

• Larry Bertlemann.

What, in your opinion, is the greatest

photographic invention of all time?

Photographic film. I find it

fascinating that a sheet of

chemically created material

can catch a likeness of the

outside world and be exposed

to chemicals that develop that

likeness to create a tangible copy

we can keep (almost) forever.

I only shoot film occasionally, but

when I do I am often struck by

the ‘ life’ it has compared to the

same picture recorded digitally.

What would you say to your

younger self?

Don’t be in a rush to take a

picture – spend some time taking

in the surroundings and you will

gain a better understanding of

the world around you.

Which characteristics do you

need to become a photographer?

For landscape photographers,

a love of the outdoors and the

patience to wait for good light

is essential, but it’s equally

important to develop your own

style and follow your heart.

Tell us one thing that most

people don’t know about you.

I can listen to heavy metal music

one minute and switch to classical

music the next – and enjoy them

both equally.

What is your dream project?

I would love to photograph

winter in the arctic regions of the

world, and shoot the northern

lights again.

What single thing would

improve your photography?

Spending more time checking

out an area and taking in the

surroundings before releasing

the shutter.

If you hadn’t become a

photographer, what would

you be doing right now?

Photography is a hobby for me,

albeit a serious one. I am a visual

effects artist by trade.

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