Interview with Debmalya Roy CHOUDHURI, photographer, Calcutta, India
Our next journey takes us next to Calcutta India, where Debmalya Roy Choudhuri creates his remarkable photographic work.
His visually stunning photos covers a wide range from captivating street photographs to fantastic candid and portraits up to fine art photography.
Roy, I shall begin by saying thank you for taking your time to giving us the opportunity for this interview.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself to begin with. Well, I am an engineer by profession and a photographer/visual artist by passion.
What is photography for you?
Photography for me is the perfect blend of science and art in today's digital area. Back in the time of analog cameras, you never knew what to expect from a shot. All what mattered is the composition, sometimes it was by look and for the more persevering a constant effort to excellence. In today's world with cameras becoming more accessible, taking to photography is no big deal. Mastering the art would require immense dedication and patience.
Could you share with us how you first became interested in photography in general?
My father was a photographer by passion too. I had seen him with his Fuji a long time ago on our family trips composing shots. I was interested in the camera right from that time, maybe when I was 6 years old. I never knew then what ISO or shutter speed meant, but the camera intrigued me a lot. I have seriously become interested in photography when I was 19 years old.
What equipment are you using now and with what did you get started? What is your favorite lens for photography?
Currently, I use a Kodak KB10 again, a gift on my 8th birthday. I use this only while making images where I want a more grainy noir effect. I am also using a Nikon D5100 with a 18-105mm kit lens and a 50 mm and 35 mm prime lenses on a DX body. However, I strongly feel that its not the gear that matters, but your ability to composition. Unless you are actually shooting for Vogue or the ranks ,in which case the equipment boosts up your image quality and market base, I am not really concerned about what gear I use. I do like using prime lenses a lot for their faster focus, good bokeh and sharper image qualities. There again, if I have to click wildlife I would go for a telephoto lens, maybe a 70-300 or so.
Seeing your remarkable work, I learned that you are passionate about different types of photography, your gallery shows landscape, street and abstract photos as well. Which kind of photography characterizes you most?
Well, if it is for my own personal collection, the genre does not really bother me much. The only thing that I focus on is having my own style, mostly a sense of mystery around them. If you can interpret a frame in your own way and see it the way you have never seen before, a lot can be done. While clicking fine art nudes, I focus on using the body as a work of art, while if it has to be a street scene, it has to be composed of some fun and quirky elements . There again, when I am on a client or commercial shoot, I focus on a more professional approach as you have to deliver pictures that your client wants. Despite this, I try to leave my own touch to it.
Can you tell us about your work flow from the point you first step onto the scene until you showcase the developed picture?
I do not really think too much before a shoot, if its about my own work. If I like a scene or an idea ,I just go all out to make the best of it. I think of it as a painting and how a painter would interpret it as photography and painting are very closely related to me. If it's a commercial shoot, some amount of thinking goes into it regarding the light set ups and poses etc.
Among your works, which is your favorite and why?
It is very hard to point out one's own work as a favorite or not. I believe its a long way to go and I have just started. I am still trying to take a frame that I can call my "Best"
Has your style of shooting changed since you first started?
In order to be a versatile and a good artist, it's all about changing and adapting to different situations. I believe I am always changing my style and approach of composing. I like to bend the rules and shoot a frame in as many creative ways as possible.
Are there any photographer who took influence on your photographic work and style?
Too many too name all. If it has to be street it is Raghu Rai or Raghubir Singh or the more contemporary Rohit and Vineet Vohra from APF street photography ,for fine arts it would be Vladim Stein ,for landscape Ansel Adams. If you are looking for one inspiration however, I would say it is Mr Prabuddha Dasgupta. He is more than just an inspiration to me, a legend, a man who lived life the way it should be done.
What would you tell a beginner or newcomer who asks for your advice on how to start?
Hahaha, I am a beginner myself .I have a lot to grow, a lot to achieve. Still I would suggest people getting into photography to remember two things : 1.) It's never the gear in your initial days, its your own eyes. 2.) Criticisms from people are for your own good, but taking it from people who matter is the real choice. Photography, like other art forms, is a very relative and vague concept. It depends on how one perceives it. Do it for your own joy. Happiness and success will follow. Click to express ,not impress ,as one of my teachers taught me.
Are there any special projects you're working on currently which you would like to introduce here?
Currently I am working on a long term project on one of the most exotic places in India, Goa. I am also planning to do a documentary at length on Women and the atrocities they face in our patriarchal society here in India, and why sexuality is something we should not consider as a taboo. These are some future ideas which are on my mind and I hope to capitalize on them slowly.
We Street 2015 - A Public Street Photography Book Project For You!
By Steven Gonzalez, Willem Jonkers, Arek Rataj, Sandra Jonkers
- A maximum of three Photographs will be preselected
- Curated pre-selection of submissions by 4 curators - 100 shots will be selected, max. 1 per photographer - A HQ-book will be made publicly available for order - This is a NON-profit initiative! For more details please visit the Facebook group We Street 2015 or Willem JONKERS blog: We Street 2015 - A Public Street Photography Book Project For You!
Roy, thank you very much for having your time and your precious thought about and behind your fantastic work.
Please visit Debmalya Roy Choudhuri’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/debmalya.choudhuri Download the complete interview for FREE by
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