Why I photograph

Why I photograph is a question that has bothered me for more than a year now. I will not lie and tell you that it is a question that has been with me ever since I returned from the Jaipur trip. Yes, I like to take photos because it gives me an escape from the monotony. But the question became bigger and started to command deeper attention when I moved to Mumbai and started taking images there.

This has strong significance because I rarely had time for myself during the year-long stay there. My job there was a mix of tie-ups, sales, events and required a lot of travel. I had quarterly targets and worked on most Saturdays. Most Sundays were spend in doing the laundry, buying groceries from the local shops and recharging. I know it sounds regular life but it is hectic and kills you from within. But despite the schedule and the slow death, I would go out and take images on some Sundays and public holidays.

If I compare and contrast the images I took in Mumbai to the ones I took elsewhere, I see how I have grown and how I’ve become confident and unapologetic about what I shoot. My mind tells me that I like to shoot chaos but I’m not completely sure of it because my mood and feelings drive what I seek. I further see a person who used to be afraid to get close to a subject but is not anymore.

I have browsed through the works of renowned and celebrated photographers – Henri Cartier-Bresson, Joel Meyerowitz, Bruce Gilden and Raghu Rai. I’ve watched films that have captured them on the streets, making an image, or read about them and in the process have learned from them. Bresson tells me that I must be aware of composition at all times, Joel tells me to go where my intuition takes me and to trust it, Bruce tells me that people are fascinating and shows how to use a flash and Raghu urges me to ask deeper questions.

The last time I attempted to answer the question – why I photograph, I ended with writing about the origin and the journey so far. This time, on the second attempt, I have barely scratched the surface. But what if the answer is a simple one? That it is an escape I enjoy whenever I get the time? Am I unnecessarily looking for deeper and complex answers? Likely. But aren’t simple things complex too? These are questions that I will think about and answer later.

Photography is still an escape for me and a little more than just a hobby and I intend to keep it like that until I can’t. Robert Adams says it right when he says that photographers may or may not make a living from photography, but they are alive by it. And maybe that’s why I photograph. I do not aspire to earn money or fame or be recognized through it. I do it because it makes me feel alive and because it helps me understand myself better.

Thanks for going through it. If you like it, you might want to read Photography and I – A journey.