B_P_2015_04_

Better PhotograPhy aPril 2015

8

Better PhotograPhy

K Madhavan Pillai

[email protected]

editorial an expansion of thought, Narrowing of approach

Capturing an

excellent frame

is all about being

disappointed.

Outland

by Roger Ballen

Roger rarely carries a

camera with him, even

when travelling. He says it

takes time to understand

a place and that he isn’t

interested in being a tourist.

For this reason, he chooses

to make photographs only

in his adopted homeland,

South Africa. Even then,

he limits his photography

mostly to whichever series

he is working on at that

point in time. Some of these

idiosyncrasies may come

because he has always

used B&W film. Others may

arise from the notion

that he refuses to view

photography as something

that is in any way frivolous.

To better understand

Roger Ballen’s photographic

notions and aesthetic —

Turn to page 98

Young photographers, not in age but in starting out, have never had it

as good. For someone who is extremely passionate, it takes about five

years of rigorous, single-minded practice to start producing excellent

frames that can begin to compete with the best in the world.

If one were to study the elements of this practice, it begins with

arriving at the decision of taking up photography, not necessarily as

a conscious choice, but out of an interest to record moments from

the immediate environment. There is then a process of first acquiring a visual and technical

foundation, and using it well. The next step is to try very, very hard to be at the right place at

the right time. This is easier said than done. Capturing an excellent frame is all about being

disappointed... perhaps over 1000 disappointments to a single good picture. In fact, if you have

not felt the pain of failure often enough, chances are that you are not really trying hard, or that

you are not setting the bar high enough. This is an important juncture.

Over the course of time, one learns that a large part of success depends on understanding

the behaviour and nuances of one’s subject, and this may involve additional study and

observations. This knowledge is put to use constructively, and photography moves to the

next level. Going further, the cycle repeats, just on higher levels, refining the methods and

processes into ways of practice.

There really is nothing new in all of this. It is the way learning occurs and takes root. This is

the way art gets practiced. There are indeed no short-cuts in the pursuit of a good frame.