Beyond Phototips

You’ve watched Casino Royale, or Babylon A.D.? Yes? Then you’ve seen traceurs in action.

They’re the guys who run around cities, jumping over walls, climbing the outsides of buildings and generally doing ‘impossible’ stuff. Their ’sport’ is called “Le Parkour” or “FreeRunning” and the practitioners are called ‘Traceurs’. Their goal is to get from point A to point B in the most graceful and efficient way physically possible.

Now, where’s the creativity?

Their creativity is in the way that they tackle each obstacle. Each of them may go down the same route, but tackle the same obstacle in different ways. See this video clip to understand just what they do.

What can you learn?

1. Conditioning is King – Traceurs have to be able to deal with real-time changes in their environment. They practice for hours every day in an effort to develop an innate “muscle memory” that will help their bodies understand their commands and adapt their movements instantaneously.It’s the same with photography. If you practice enough, your adjustments will come to you so naturally that you will forget about the technical aspects altogether. Practice makes perfect. It also helps you forget about the camera and think more about the things that are going on around you… essential for a ‘brilliant’ photograph.
2. Understand you environment – As a photographer, you need to understand everything that’s going on around you while taking photographs. This is more important if your environment is one that is constantly changing.
3. Use the environment to your advantage – This is an offshoot of the previous point. Knowing what to expect in a given situation will help you plan out your shots in advance, anticipate what is about to happen and make the most of that situation. A keen eye for detail can help you in this.
4. Keep your mind free – Your mind is at it’s creative best when it’s free of inhibiting thoughts. Lots of practice will help you with this. It takes your conscious thought away from repetitive actions that you’ve practiced a thousand times before, and helps you concentrate on the creative aspects of your photography that confront you.
5. Know the rules and respect them – This may seem odd at first. Do ‘the rules’ mean the rules of photography? Do they mean the law of the land? Do they mean the confines of ‘good conduct’?I believe that this means all of the above mentioned points. Know the rules of aesthetic photography, The law of the land, and the limits to which you can push decency. Stay within those confines, and people will respect you and treat you well.
6. View the world through childrens’ eyes – What could be less confining, more innocent and more questioning than a child’s mind? Try to view the world through a child’s eyes and you’re sure to see something different and new all the time.The traceur is urged to do this because that is what they’re after… a mind and body free of the restrictions imposed on it by ourselves, yet responsible and ready for action.
7. Express yourself – The traceur seeks a world free of inhibitions, and their freedom of movement beyond the “traditional” gives them a form of creative expression that is unique.You have that freedom too… your camera gives you a means of expressing your thoughts that is impossible for some. So, do not restrict yourself.
8. Know who you are, and why you want to do what you do – A traceur’s journey is hard on the body, mind and soul. It is a path that is as difficult as the highest form of martial arts at it’s very zenith. Traceurs who want to attain this peak are advised to ask themselves why they want to achieve that level.Why does this matter? Because, as with anything, if you know your intentions and motivations it will strengthen you and guide your thoughts and actions. If you do not intend to reach the very peak of your skill, you will know that you need not put in your best efforts here… Rather, seek out where your efforts should be directed to achieve your goal.

I’ve recently been enthralled by “Parkour” videos that are freely available on the internet and have been studying their training methods and the reasons why they do what they do… If you get nothing else from this post, I hope you go away with an appreciation of how wonderful the movements of these athletes are, and a yearning to be be able to do something close to it.

This post is part of the Beyond Phototips Birthday series, see the other posts from this series here.

This is a guest post written by Aarathi Edward, an avid photographer and media relations expert. She is totally in love with the film dark-room and has, at my behest, consented to share the magic that she experienced when first introduced to the gloomy, un-illuminated side of photography.

Photo: WhiskygonebadThe first time I really took notice of a photograph was when I was about 8 or 9 and my Dad had taken a picture of my sister sitting on a tree. Looking at it, you could make out just what kind of person my sister is – prim and proper (even then – on a tree; aged 12 or 13) and always responsible.

I later found another one he had taken when we were much younger. This was also a posed photograph; not much scope for creativity – and yet, he managed to catch the little imp dancing in my eyes with the mischievous tilt of the head and the responsible, seriousness that always was my older sister (she has lightened up a lot in the last 5 years though). One glance at this picture and you knew which kid was the brat and which one the good child.

I think you get by now what I’m driving at. It always amazed me how just one static, two dimensional 5×8 frame could tell so much. Dad’s old Yashica range-finder was hallowed and we were never old enough or responsible enough to ever touch it… So I was thrilled when, in the second year of college we had a whole year devoted to the study of photography. This was when I discovered how to develop film… and began believing in Magic!

Photo: Violator3It kinda dragged in the beginning when we had to sit in class, look at the camera and learn the physics behind it when we were itching to load up and go clicking! Though appreciated a lot more now, it was with great delight that we finally abandoned our books to replace them with the third hand Pentax that the college loaned us. Armed with this and all the black n white film our allowances could buy, my classmates and I were off to make our pictures speak a thousand words.

The golden triangle, the rule of thirds, leading lines, depth of field, perspectives… everything we’d learnt so far had to be brought to life through that tiny viewfinder. Every curved corridor and staircase was photographed to death; every flower had its insides examined in great detail; every single arrangement of stationary, fruits, pretty glassware… Finally when all our rolls were exhausted, we were lead in groups of six to the dark room!

Photo: galo/*The boys were delighted at the opportunity to scare the living daylights out of the girls. The girls were apprehensive about wrecking their carefully manicured nails. I, being the most claustrophobic person I know, just wanted to get out! Not wanting to ruin the film and be made to start over again on a fresh one, I strained to remember everything I’d learnt on those boring afternoons at my desk. To my great surprise, I realized I actually had paid attention. The chemistry was taking over!

The only perfectly developed roll of film of my batch was my reward. The compliments of the faculty and the jealousy of the classmates helped me forget some of the claustrophobia and I was eager to get on with the printing process.

Photo: PujaThe next day I wrangled a spot in the first group so I wouldn’t have to use someone else’s used developer. The icy cold of the water mixed with the crystals made me a little skeptical; for some reason creating images always felt more like a warm process, full of energy. Anyway, we got the machine set up and the tubs filled with chemicals and water. The negative was slipped in place and the photo paper was taken out of its cover. Every single eye was on the timer.

Suddenly you could cut the silence with a knife. As the photo paper was exposed and then immersed in the developing solution, there was not a sound in the room. It was as if the whole bunch of us had stopped breathing. And then it appeared. MAGIC!

I knew immediately that I was hooked for life. I don’t have my own dark room yet; I just hope they still sell B&W film when I do!

Susheel’s Recommended DarkRoom Books and Tools on Amazon.com

I’ve had the opportunity to interview Suchitra Vijayan, founding member of Lines of Grey, an NGO which helps street children find a means of expression. Lines of Grey gives the children disposable cameras and asks them to take pictures of things that influence their lives… or just to take pictures. The goal being to experience the world through their lens, and not the lens of someone who comes to that part of the world just to take photographs.

Here’s what she had to say about a variety of topics, including their recent exhibition of photographs at the British Council lifestyle lounge.

Susheel: What is Lines of Grey? What does the name signify?

Suchitra: Lines of grey is an NGO that seeks to take photography to the doorsteps of marginalised children in communities around the world. Our NGO is founded on the belief that “Every Child is an artist”.

To answer why “Lines of Grey ” I need to talk about my fascination with the colour Grey. This goes back to my own love affair with black and white photography. Like all great love affairs, it started with this heady feeling of getting the wind knocked out of me and I was in an expedited hurry to learn and discover everything there was to know about this medium. In that process I came to understand this subtle but complexly layered colour called “Grey”. Grey is an achromatic colour between white and black that exists in the state of great lightness, caught between the lighter side of black and darker side of white. Lines of Grey represent the street children who are a part of this project; each shade with its complex mixture of shadows, highlights and mid-tones. They are the product of economic and social injustice that is rampant in this world. These children are prisoners of prejudice, social attitudes and numerous negative associations. Just like the shade Grey, these children live on the marginalized edge of extremes. They are the existing reality and a beautiful abstraction.

Susheel: How did you get the inspiration/idea for Lines of Grey?

Suchitra: In early 2007, I was at a point where I felt frustrated with my own growth as a photographer and often had a nagging feeling that I was photographing clichés. This sense of unrest translated into conversation with a friend of mine, where we discussed how images of third world often portray poverty and misery, and the people who tell their story are often people who have ever experienced the circumstance themselves first hand. Our conversation shifted to the Tsunami victims and we wondered what would the children and the people affected by this crisis photograph? This thought process was the begining, “How would the afflicted photograph their stories ? What would they photograph? How would they choose to tell their stories?”. This was around the time when I was leaving for Tanzania and even before I left, I decided to experiment with this concept. Lines of Grey was born as a result of that curiosity.

Susheel: Why did you pick photography as the medium of expression, and not one of the other creative media such as painting, writing, poetry or song?

Suchitra: Two reasons actually. First, photography is personal to me. Photography is a medium that I grew up with and it was easier to work with a medium that I was familiar. Second, photographs posses the power to shock or to idealize, they create in us a sense of nostalgia and act as a memorial. They can be used as evidence or to identify us. Images affect the way we view the world and rely upon them to create own reality of the world we have never experienced. In this context photography is an ideal way of bringing to the worlds attention the inescapable act that children have a unique perspective. Whether children grow up in luxury, on the cold urban streets or in a denuded rural area, their take on life reflects a world in which hope is the primary element.

Susheel: Doesn’t photography have a rather steep learning curve? How do the children deal with it?

Suchitra: Children are motived by humour and play. The philosophy at Lines of Grey is to let the children have fun and enjoy the process of learning through artistic discovery. Children are excited about the process of capturing what is around them, rather than learning they place emphasis on documentation. I don’t think the children are consciously aware of this learning curve.

Susheel: The equipment used must have been rather simple, can you specify what you used for our more technically inquisitive readers?

Suchitra: We used Kodak Disposable cameras the first time around and now we use Kodak KB – 10.

Susheel: Your exhibition at the British Council in Chennai was a great success. Is this the first exhibition that you’ve conducted?

Suchitra: Yes

Susheel: For those of our readers who are thinking of showing their work publicly, what experiences do you have to share with us about putting together an exhibition of photographs?

Suchitra: Get your ideas together. Clarity of thought is essential. Invest time in what you want to showcase , how you want to do it and what you intend to gain from the whole experience. Get your technical details right , how to frame , what size. What works with what. Talk to people, discuss your thoughts. Think of permutations. This process helps to iron out the creases and fill gaps in your ideas. Start early, this is essential. In situations like this , Murphys Law will set in the moment you start planing. Give time for last minute mishaps.

Ask. This is your chance to ask the dumbest questions. Its ok not to know. Sometimes the easiest thing to do is ask others. Finally , have fun enjoy the process. When faced with passion , talent is a very poor competitor. If a lawyer can pull off a photography exhibition, anyone can

Susheel: Most of the work on display was not your own. How did you select the pieces that you finally showed? Was there any particular criteria?

Suchitra: Photography is very personal, what appeals to one might not to others. I picked the first set of images that appealed to me. Then took it to other members of the Lines of Grey team. We narrowed it down to 20 images. We tired to have a eclectic mix. That would encompass the range of subjects and images the children had shot.There was no one formula that we followed, if there was one it was to put the best images forward.

Susheel: What is Lines of Grey’s most recent endeavour? When can we see the results?

Suchitra: Our recent work is with 10 girls from the Government Juvenile Centre for girls in Purasaiwalkam. We just started the project and got the first set of contact sheets. The results will be out in the next couple of months.

Susheel: Your photographs of the children at Arusha are often from the perspective of a person in communication with the children, thereby making the viewer feel the same communication. The pictures are also very “natural”. How do you manage to keep the children from feeling self conscious?

Suchitra: I spent over 6 months in Arusha (Google Earth Link, Google Maps Link) and at least a couples days a week with the children. I think it is about the comfort level that we shared with each other. Children have a natural flare in front of the camera.

Since the children themselves were experimenting with photography they understood the process of looking through the lens. That could have been the reason why they weren’t conscious.

Susheel: When it comes to photography, do you bother a lot about the knobs and buttons on the camera, or do you just go at it in “auto”?

Suchitra: Photography is reflexive to me, I don’t know the rules , so I don’t know if I have broken them. I think I am some where in between. So sometimes its in the auto mode and sometimes its settings am familiar with.

Susheel: Can you share with us some of your sources of inspiration in photography?

Suchitra:The list keeps changing off course. I don’t call it inspiration, I call it obsessions. I go through phases where I am obsessed with a certain photographer and I read up almost everything about that photographer: skill , technique, style , mood, stories behind their greatest work.

For a long time it was Salagado. Then there was this time when I was smitten by Koudelka. E.J. Bellocq followed. Currently I am obsessing over Nachtwey.

Lines of Grey is an on-going effort to improve the lives of children through photography. If you would like to learn more, Visit the Lines of Grey website. The photographs taken by the children at Arusha can the viewed at the Gallery page. The gallery also has short essays written by the children, some of which are soul touching.

There are also pictures of the children taken by Suchitra. You can also Donate Money or Books, Sponsor a Child’s education, Help raise funds, or write a Blog post to help support their cause.

For many of us, photography is something more than just a hobby. Photography has become the way we earn our living, its become the way we communicate, the way we express our deepest emotions and convictions.

It is also an intrinsic part of history, recording and reminding us of who we are and where we’ve come from as a community. Contraverses is a blog written by Mahesh Shantaram, a photo documentarian who believes deeply in the power of photographs to tell us who we are and what we’ve done and in the power that images have in helping us express ourselves.

He tells us here, of one of the first artists who caught his eye as he was starting off on his journey of discovery in photography.