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Nivedan writes on the role of photography magazines in supplying photographers for the mainstream genres, especially fashion photography. He also writes about Mr. John Isaac, who was able to break this paradox of mainstream, yet winning the recognition he deserves.
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Any creation should have a purpose behind it, according to me. I am not for ‘art for art’s sake’. Taking photographs to showcase that I’m a photographer will get me recognition. But, to break the cubicle named ‘mainstream’ we are captivated in, social usefulness by reaching to the people and influencing them through the photograph is really important. This cubicle has kept everyone, including the doctors, advocates, teachers, photographers, journalists, engineers and all others, for serving the creamy layer of the society named urban middle and upper classes, while a sizeable majority of the rural and urban poor suffer with the denial of access to these cubicles.
There are vast resources for the photographers in these cubicles. If one reads the photography magazines these days, he/she can easily understand that they are in full swing to reinforce these cubicles. If one reads without seeing the cover, the content may confuse the reader if it is a magazine on lifestyle or fashion. Yes, these magazines publish interviews of mainly the fashion photographers, at times about the photographers of other commercial genres. These interviews take around 20% of the space; 20% of the space is for the advertisements; 15% of the space is for the reviews of new products (as I have stressed earlier, gadgets are not more important than the human for photography); 5% of space is for studio lighting and post processing techniques; 10% of space is for announcement of new products and competitions; 15% of space is for useless questions and useless answers. Most of those who ask questions, introduce himself/herself as an aspirant to become a fashion photographer! Their questions will only be on the gadgets (Without knowing their one requirement, I don’t know what photography they would do). 15% is for the pictures from the readers and a few critiques on the technicalities of the photograph (Damn! who needs perspectives or ethics?). It is the same with any magazine.
Very rarely, they glorify the late photographers of the past, who had contributed extra-ordinarily for the society with photographs. Last month, ironically, I found an interview of Mr. John Isaac. He is an ex-UN photographer. He had been to different countries and documented the cultures, colours and sorrows of the different communities. His perspectives were really impressive. He had said that he places humans before photography. He said if a human being is suffering, he would help the human first rather than taking photographs. I liked this particular statement. In these days, there are umpteen photographers capturing the poverty artfully to sell them for a high price in the galleries; some photojournalists, in this process of capturing “Sensational”, damage the dignity of the subjects in a few seconds. In this era, Mr. Isaac has denied a Pulitzer prize to protect the dignity of his subjects! The magazine publishing his interview is a greater surprise.
I am happy that it has happened at least once. It would be great if interviews of such humane photographers get published every month. It gives energy to us that there are photographers who have broken these cubicles, yet getting the recognition they deserve. Highlighting these photographers and their works continuously can trigger a chain reaction to break all these cubicles. For example, if a group of photographers get inspired and concentrate on rural health issues and the holes in the horrible health care system in India and take it to the government-run medical college students and policy makers, the doctors of the futures can be inspired to break the cubicles and the policy makers would be forced to plug the holes in the system respectively. Similarly, if every cubicle is broken, on the long run, sustainable and equitable development is possible. If the mainstream media takes up this role, transparent and accountable governance can be achieved in the far future.
Any creation should have a purpose behind it, according to me. I am not for ‘art for art’s sake’. Taking photographs to showcase that I’m a photographer will get me recognition. But, to break the cubicle named ‘mainstream’ we are captivated in, social usefulness by reaching to the people and influencing them through the photograph is really important. This cubicle has kept everyone, including the doctors, advocates, teachers, photographers, journalists, engineers and all others, for serving the creamy layer of the society named urban middle and upper classes, while a sizeable majority of the rural and urban poor suffer with the denial of access to these cubicles.
There are vast resources for the photographers in these cubicles. If one reads the photography magazines these days, he/she can easily understand that they are in full swing to reinforce these cubicles. If one reads without seeing the cover, the content may confuse the reader if it is a magazine on lifestyle or fashion. Yes, these magazines publish interviews of mainly the fashion photographers, at times about the photographers of other commercial genres. These interviews take around 20% of the space; 20% of the space is for the advertisements; 15% of the space is for the reviews of new products (as I have stressed earlier, gadgets are not more important than the human for photography); 5% of space is for studio lighting and post processing techniques; 10% of space is for announcement of new products and competitions; 15% of space is for useless questions and useless answers. Most of those who ask questions, introduce himself/herself as an aspirant to become a fashion photographer! Their questions will only be on the gadgets (Without knowing their one requirement, I don’t know what photography they would do). 15% is for the pictures from the readers and a few critiques on the technicalities of the photograph (Damn! who needs perspectives or ethics?). It is the same with any magazine.
Very rarely, they glorify the late photographers of the past, who had contributed extra-ordinarily for the society with photographs. Last month, ironically, I found an interview of Mr. John Isaac. He is an ex-UN photographer. He had been to different countries and documented the cultures, colours and sorrows of the different communities. His perspectives were really impressive. He had said that he places humans before photography. He said if a human being is suffering, he would help the human first rather than taking photographs. I liked this particular statement. In these days, there are umpteen photographers capturing the poverty artfully to sell them for a high price in the galleries; some photojournalists, in this process of capturing “Sensational”, damage the dignity of the subjects in a few seconds. In this era, Mr. Isaac has denied a Pulitzer prize to protect the dignity of his subjects! The magazine publishing his interview is a greater surprise.
I am happy that it has happened at least once. It would be great if interviews of such humane photographers get published every month. It gives energy to us that there are photographers who have broken these cubicles, yet getting the recognition they deserve. Highlighting these photographers and their works continuously can trigger a chain reaction to break all these cubicles. For example, if a group of photographers get inspired and concentrate on rural health issues and the holes in the horrible health care system in India and take it to the government-run medical college students and policy makers, the doctors of the futures can be inspired to break the cubicles and the policy makers would be forced to plug the holes in the system respectively. Similarly, if every cubicle is broken, on the long run, sustainable and equitable development is possible. If the mainstream media takes up this role, transparent and accountable governance can be achieved in the far future.
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About the Author: Nivedan is an intern at National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), Pune. With self-nurtured knowledge of photography, he experiments with photography and other forms like posters so as to use them as tools for sensitization, advocacy and social transformation.
Contact Nivedan at nivedanmangalesh@yahoo.com
About the Author: Nivedan is an intern at National Centre for Advocacy Studies (NCAS), Pune. With self-nurtured knowledge of photography, he experiments with photography and other forms like posters so as to use them as tools for sensitization, advocacy and social transformation.
Contact Nivedan at nivedanmangalesh@yahoo.com
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