Uday K Photography

Though a photograph might be a commodity, photography is not and cannot be evaluated on that basis. Apart from technical abilities, every photographer brings specific background, experience, personality and artistic vision to the job. So comparing two photographers is like comparing apples to oranges.

If you are shopping for a Photographer and if you’re biggest criteria is price. You are doing a BIG mistake. Just like everything in life, “What you pay is what you get”. Most clients assume that pricing is fixed even if the complexity of the job is not. Shooting a portrait of a grown up is different than shooting a kid. Shooting a wedding is different than say a birthday event. Actually shooting two weddings are also different. Asking friends and relatives for recommending a photographer, is a good way to start the search.

Here are top 5 criterias to consider for judging a Photographer before hiring for the gig(in no particular order)

1. Talent – Getting a photographer who is technically good is easy but a gifted one hard. Just because a photographer has been shooting these events for years does not necessarily make them good. Plus, photography is an art and everyone’s taste is different. So you need to evaluate for your own taste.
2. Artistic Vision – Ask for their ideas on how they perceive the shoot? What new and different can they bring to the table that they haven’t done in the past?
3. Experience – Has the photographer shot this kind of event before? If yes, look at the samples of work. If no, then you can try them for a smaller gig before a BIG event.
4. Passion – Is he/she passionate about what they do, or are they just doing it for the money. Someone who is very passionate will rub that passion on to your shoot and that experience will be great. They will not rest till they are absolutely happy with the result.
5. Personality – Ask for references, apart from his/her technical and artistic vision. You should also check how well they work with everyone on the job. You certainly don’t want a yelling/cranky or inconsiderate person even if that person is a genius. A great personality will bring a positive atmosphere to the whole shoot and make it an absolute pleasure to work.

In the end, remember a photograph is a moment in time that is preserved by the timing, finesse and vision of a Photographer. So shop wisely.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend

Tip1 Hire a Professional Photographer not someone with a professional gear.

Janani performing her Arangetram at the Eisemann Center in Richardson, Texas

A well planned event is half the success and if that event is planned a year in advance, then it can be PERFECT!

Apart from getting the event place booked, next comes the booking of a Photographer and Videographer. Most Bharatanatyam students and their parents  think last about who should be Photographing the Arangetram. The old fashion way of thinking is hire someone with a professional camera or God forbid even hand over to an Uncle who has a pro camera to shoot, so we can just print pictures from it later.

Now think again!

Considering you have been learning Bharatanatyam for maybe 7 or 8 years and planning for this Arangetram from a year in advance. A little more thought should be put on deciding who the right person should be to capture those once in a lifetime moments.

If you want to hire the best in the Industry then you have to book them fast. Most dance school can recommend Photographers who have worked with them in the past and know their work. It also makes sense to hire them first for a smaller gig, generally like a photo shoot for the brochure/invitation. This will give you an opportunity to see their work first hand and also get a feel for them before the BIG event. Plus it also gives the Photographer a chance to get comfortable with his subject and know the strengths and weaknesses of the dancer so he/she can do a good job on the BIG day.

Tip 2 Stage Manager and Photographer should be in sync.

The Photographer should get to know his/her Stage Manager right from the dress rehearsal. The Photographer can coordinate with the Stage Manager during the dress rehearsal and provide expert advice regarding the stage lighting and setup. Mostly it has to do with the lack of  lighting on the stage and other technical stuff about lighting like projections and Gobo’s. If everything is taken care during the dress rehearsal, then actual Arangetram can be a perfect from a lighting perspective.

Tip 3 Rest your Pose

Just like Photography is all about moments, Bharatnatyam dances are all about striking the right pose to give the correct expression and portray the right image. However, for a Photographer to get that moment, he needs all the help he can get from the Bharatnatyam student who will be performing. If the student does not rest their pose before proceeding to the next one, the shot that it will represent will be vague and awkward looking. Photographically speaking it will be a moment lost or rather not there.  Ouch!

Tip 4 Family and Friend group shots.

Before the BIG day, I recommend making a list of family and friends that you would like to get group shots with. It often happens that after the Arangetram, friends and family huddle around the student to congratulate. There are folks who crowd in the hallways and take pictures. There is a rush of people to get the picture taken and often some people get missed. Talk with your Photographer beforehand where he/she would like to get these shots done and let your guests know to arrive to that location after the Arangetram. It is always best to take group pictures with family just before the Arangetram, when the makeup is GOOD.

Tip 5 Even in the digital age, PRINTS are still sexy

After the event is over and the Photographer hands over digital copy of the images. Most people are very happy with the CD of images and rarely print them and look at it again. Considering it was momentous occasion in your life and a big achievement, it seems a rather lame way of looking at your images. Plus the picture is only going to look as good as your monitor or digital frame. A print on the other hand will always show you true colors and has a feel that is more personal and intimate. You should check with your Photographer if he/she can deliver a coffee table style book or album. This is the perfect way to treasure and look at them after many many years, even when your current digital frame/monitor is no longer working or obsolete.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend

Intended Audience: Photo Lovers with No Photography background

Though most people wouldn’t agree with me on this, but I believe Photography is more art than technique. A camera is a tool, just like a brush and the art you depict and vision you create defines you as an artist. This post is intended for Photo lovers who do not necessarily know what goes behind making a successful photograph. My attempt is to explain the process of making a good photograph in simple terms.

Before pressing the shutter…
It is often taken for granted by most people that a Photographer simply clicks the shutter on a camera and gets that perfect image. There is lot to capturing the moment than just the best camera equipment or being in the right place at the right moment.

There is a lot of thought that goes before the Photographer (at least the good ones) clicks the shutter on the camera. Here is a comprehensive list of thought/questions that goes through his/her mind before they snap the picture. Mind you not all of them is necessary and in due course comes intuitively.

• Working on a story means doing research. Sometimes to get the right shot a photographer has spent months or even years to get to the heart of the story.
• Anticipation and Patience, waiting for the moment.
• Being respectful and sensitive to your subject.
• Where is the light coming from; above, side, indoor, outdoor? How do I direct the available light to the subject? Do I need a flash?
• Do I need to blur the background or have everything in sharp focus?
• what all is needed in the frame determines which focal length lens to use.
• Is the primary subject balanced with respect to the background? Is there something in the background which look like sticking out of the subjects ears or head or …you get my point.
• Framing the subject and orientation(Vertical/Horizontal)

Here is an example of a shot that I took in Chinatown in New York City, NY. This was the frame I saw through the camera and the moment I captured. But I wanted to convey my point about the various expressions in that moment. This I could achieve by working on the image in my digital darkroom. See the post processed example below.

After pressing the shutter…
When the shutter clicks, the moment is captured but the photograph is not done yet(generally). It has to be taken to the darkroom (nowadays a digital room) to work on the image. Finessing an image does not mean twisting/manipulating the truth (Wow! that’s a loaded word) but enhancing the image to drive the point. The reason being, the camera might not be able to portray the entire vision the artist had in mind. In the darkroom, the image is opened up in a photo editing software like Photoshop and worked on. Some of the aspects considered

• Color correction.
• Do we need to reduce the color/enhance it?
• Does the story need to be in B&W?
• Managing the contrast
• Reframing/Cropping the image.
• Does the subject stand out in the picture? Do we need to dodge/burn parts of the image?

Sometimes none of these steps are necessary as everything worked out just right when the shutter got clicked. I wish, I had that more often.

An artist once said, “A photograph is made when the moment meets the Photographer.” Being in the right place at the right time is important, but seeing the moment is an essential part of making the photograph.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend

Last weekend was a power packed weekend of shooting really talented artists. Saturday was Suchitra’s Bharatanatyam Arangetram under the guidance of Guru Revathi Satyu at the Eisemann Center, Richardson and on Sunday it was a delight to watch Preksha Vankawala perform her Arangetram under the guidance of Guru Shalini Varghese at the Irving Arts Center, Irving. Both these events were blessed by renowned artist “Priyadarshini Govind” from India.

Both the girls belong to the Arathi School of Dance. This dance school was started back in 1980, 30years back and was the 1st of its kind in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

Some of the glimpses from those photo shoot. A complete list to both gallery will be listed soon.

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this post
• Recommend on Facebook
• Buzz it up
• Tweet about it
• Subscribe to the comments on this post
• Tell a friend