Of late, there have been a number of photo festivals
in India. While this is a wonderful thing as more and
more photographers get to showcase their work,
as a viewer, I somehow feel inundated with events
that occur in quick succession. Just as silence is
important for music, one also needs some time to
absorb and refl ect upon the various works that one
sees, and the talks and lectures that one hears.
Having said that, it is wonderful to fi nally see the
Indian photographic fraternity opening its doors to
experimentation and mixed media.
I have one more observation—usually, in
most exhibitions, photographs are wonderfully
arranged, albeit hang inside gallery spaces or
even restaurants. While it is great to introduce
images in a variety of spaces, it would be great
to take them off walls and frames and come up
with displays that truly engage the viewer. JR, the
French artist’s Inside Out project, which alsoThe Need for Innovative Displays
We believe that the
joy of a family photo
is in displaying
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from Red Moments!Twitter: twitter.com/betterphoto
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Website: betterphotography.inFIND US ONLINE!took place in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, is one
such example of photographs engaging with the
masses. The Blind Boys exhibition that was done
on the streets of Mumbai, was also an innovative
experience. The prints were arranged in creative
ways, to go along with the existing graffi ti and street
art of the suburban Chuim village. There was also
an open air show where projectors were set up on
promenades along the sea, and anyone could view
the works of participating photographers.
Besides organising talks, portfolio reviews and
workshops, paying attention to the manner in which
photographs are displayed, can play an extremely
important role in the effectiveness and reach of
photo festivals. Photography is an art form that can
be so democratic in nature. I think that its viewing
can also be similarly democratic, inclusive and
even revolutionary.
Dania Mendes, Goa, via emailthe wind tunnel facility at NAL for 18 years.
He was my junior for over twenty years
and I ended up becoming the link between
two generations of photographers in the
laboratory—our guru, C Rajagopal and Babu
Rajan. For all that Babu and I have achieved
in photography, I would like to thank NAL
and our guru for allowing us to grow.
M R Padmaraju, Bengaluru, via emailHoli Woes
Holi is one of my favourite Indian festivals.
It was nice to see tips related to shooting the
festival in the Tips and Tricks section of the
March 2015 issue of BP. While it was good to
see places like Barsana mentioned, I’d like to
bring a few other places to your notice, such
as Brij near Mathura and the Krishna temple
at Nandgaon.
However, the narrow bylanes of these
towns are not equipped to handle the
onslaught of hundreds of people, tourists
and photographers alike. Foreigners and
especially women are singled out to be
doused with colour. Quite a few youngsters
are intoxicated and end up misbehaving.Photographers, too, have a real tough time
as there is plenty of dust, water and muck all
around. There is also a lot of jostling to get
that perfect shot and it is nearly impossible
for one to get an unobstructed view.
Harsh Wardhan, via emailHarsh Wardhan sent
us this image that he shot
during the festival of Holi
Harsh Wardhan this year.BETTER PHOTOGRAPHY APRIL 201514