Celebrated filmmaker shares photo tips & life lessons

At a time when the omnipresence of smartphones has turned everybody into a photographer, those who are serious about the pursuit of photography need to be even more conscious of their craft. What they put out and capture within their frame is a reflection of their seriousness, and their personal aesthetic. This was the message that came out strongly at ‘Shadows and Silhouettes,’ a photography competition hosted by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) at the Apeejay Stya University on August 25.
To attract students interested in Journalism and Mass Communication, SJMC conducted the virtual photography competition for those who have just completed class 12.  Cash prizes for the winners and certificate of participation were awarded to all registered participants. The first prize was Rs 3,000 and the second prize Rs 2,000.
According to SJMC Dean Sanjay Ahirwal, storytelling is an integral part of Mass Media and visualisation is a centrepiece of storytelling. “Whether it is photography, videography or cinematography, pictures can project far more than words. And that is why the School of Journalism and Mass Communication puts extra emphasis on the training of video and audio together. We allow students to get their hands dirty with practical work, getting comfortable with cameras, microphones and editing machines. This photo contest for budding mass media practitioners is to inspire them to get attuned to the art of photography.”
The photographs sent by students were judged by renowned film director Habib Faisal, best remembered for his directorial debut, Do Dooni Chaar (2010), which won the Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue.

Faisal said choosing one’s frame must be a considered, well-thought-out decision. “As students of photography, be really choosy about framing your picture. When we choose to put a frame, let it be a really thought out decision. What is it that is driving you to use that frame? That is your editorial judgement. You are editing out everything else and you are choosing this,” said the filmmaker, who adjudicated the competition. “Editing goes into everything from writing a novel to making a film. However, the most complex of editing is in a still photograph. There should be thought going into what you are choosing to frame, unless of course, you are a news photographer. Your photographs need to say everything on their own. If you do become a professional photographer, you must treat competitions seriously. Your picture is going to represent your discipline and your passion for photography which goes into the craft, content and choice of content.”
Isha Chatterjee’s picture of a man on a ladder won the first prize and the second prize went to Kanika’s silhouetted picture of a monkey sitting on a roof-top with a tilted iron pole adorned with a crown.
If photography is a moment frozen in time, the SJMC workshop was a useful exercise in inculcating just the right work ethic for it for the click-happy generation entering the profession of mass communication.

“Storytelling is an integral part of Mass Media and visualisation is a centrepiece of storytelling. Whether it is photography, videography or cinematography, pictures can project far more than words. And that is why the School of Journalism and Mass Communication puts extra emphasis on the training of video and audio together. We allow students to get their hands dirty with practical work, getting comfortable with cameras, microphones and editing machines. This photo contest for budding mass media practitioners is to inspire them to get attuned to the art of photography.”

–sanjay ahirwal, Dean, school of journalism and mass communication, Apeejay Stya University

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“Your photographs need to say everything on their own. If you do become a professional photographer, you must treat competitions seriously. Your picture is going to represent your discipline and your passion for photography which goes into the craft, content and choice of content”

–Habib Faisal, Filmmaker and contest jury