When I bought the camera, I was a novice and learnt the technicalities by learning. Within 3 months the number of photos taken was around 3500. I realised that in 1000 pictures, only 100 were good. At that point I stopped a bit because of the dilemma of whether I should continue with this pattern or not. Bracketing will let the camera shoot multiple images with different parameters. The best one can be selected. But doing this all the time will not help learning. So I paused for sometime to learn angles, composition and technicalities. I analysed the images and found out optimum parameters for different situations and started to practice them after a month. The number of photographs taken, decreased drastically. But the quality of output and also the number of good photos in any given set of photos increased. So the block helped for good.
When I came to NCAS it was new for me and initially, we were in house-hunt and also trying to know each other. At that time I could not see anything that can be shot. It took some time to get accustomed to the new environment and I could hardly notice anything photogenic, though there were a lot of subjects and objects around. Slowly, I started noticing these. I removed this block by deliberately carrying the camera in the hand, though I had a bag. I gave me the energy to click instantly. When I went to Narmada Bachao Andolan at Barwani, I clicked some pictures that came out very well. Later I used them in my designs on many occasions. Afterwards, I was inseparable with the camera. It became an integral part of me; an organ; a third eye.
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When I carried the camera with me in the hand, I eventually saw a hawker selling mango juice. This object in the picture was chiseled ice floating on it.
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Photos that I took when I went to the Narmada Valley
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I had the last block, when I started to design book covers and posters for NCAS. I was concentrating on that and my camera again went into the bag, mainly because of sleepless nights. I would sit there after office hours to design. Atleast four nights in a week were spent on that. With drooping drowsy eyes I could not concentrate on photography. But I realised something at that time. Whenever I was asked to document field visits I took pictures of meetings and discussions. I realised that it was not my interest and I should concentrate on more productive things. I openly declared that I won’t take pictures of meetings and discussions anymore as i am more interested in issues and people related to that. I also realised that I required backgrounds for designing. So I started to click grass, leaves and other objects up-close. All my colleagues gave a foul cry that I am taking pictures of unnecessary things (at times, deliberately out of focus), and adamant that I am not taking pictures of the meetings and discussions. With sheer clarity of thought I replied that I depend on my brain and not the eyes to take pictures. In a few days I gave a surprise by designing a few good posters using the “useless photographs” as backgrounds.
A few of the "Useless" Pictures
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So in all three instances I have come out as a better photographer. But the state of nothingness has hit me to some extent. I will write on it when I come out of it.
