Your photography is very potent when it comes to evoking certain kinds of emotions ; whether it ' s the inherent serenity of the magnificent landscapes or the beautifully etched character portraits . What is the creative process behind all of this ? How do you place your subjects exactly where you want them and translate that onto film ?
I remember my first editor at Tony Stone Images . She liked my work , and said it was detailed and portrayed people ’ s real lives in a personal way . She then went on to explain how the advertising world and the commercial stock photography industry wasn ’ t into “ reality ”, generic images and eye catching snippets of the world were what they were looking for . It took quite some years to find my own style but in some ways I guess it found me . Whenever I visit a place , I instinctively piece together the local people , or sometimes tourists and the scenery in a way that I hope the final image kind of tells a dreamy but realistic story about the place or people . This can often become quite an extensive and sometimes complicated task . Clothing , is an essential make or break element . More often than not people just aren ’ t wearing the right sort of clothing to represent that far off look which I am looking to portray in my final image . Unlike the props , the light cannot be ordered or arranged . For me that warm glow of sunlight , 15 mins after sunrise or 15mins before it slips away is as important as the subject matter itself ; without it the image simply cannot work as it should .
Which country / region / people have you felt the most at home with , while on your photographic journey ?
I think every country offers amazing photographic opportunities , experiences and different feelings of inspiration . In terms of people I have been lucky wherever I have travelled and managed to find individuals and teams who have assisted me in my photography . Given the nature of the project , with its logistical challenges , maybe remoteness , cultural differences , tricky locations , weather , etc , you soon build up a team spirit with the people involved in each shoot . I have often visited them years later . In fact I have stayed with the same family 4 times in a rural part of Vietnam and have had the privilege of shooting three generations on film . I am almost considered to be a part of their family now .
What inspired you to do what you do for a living ? Do you have any heroes who might have unwittingly egged you on ?
I think I kind of ended up living my dream , even though the goal posts have changed . I will never have the financial security that other people I know have , but the list of amazing memories and experiences go on forever . I guess the National Geographic photographers were my Icons , Steve McCurry especially . I was also in awe of Sebastiao Salgado with his documentation of people in less developed countries and always tried to attend his exhibitions in London . I also worked in higher education at a photography department in the U . K for 6 years which exposed me to fine art photographers , from Joel Sternfeld , William Eggleston to Andreas Gursky , and the list goes on . I think absorbing works of great photographers helps you to develop your own style .
Buddhism and everything related to it , seems to be one of the more recurrent themes in your photography . What do you think draws you in about this and helps you capture the subjects in complete harmony with their surroundings ?
Well I am not a Buddhist , but I love Buddhist monks , and something about just their presence , well let ’ s say a Buddhist temple without the monks is a little like a sky without clouds for me . I remember before I visited Angkor Wat for the first time in 2004 , I found myself asking travellers if they had seen Buddhist monks within the ruins , it was important for me to feature them in my shots . That simply continued from Angkor to Bagan and other historical sites around Asia . It ’ s something I would like to pursue actually , to build a more extensive collection of Buddhist monks . I think we all love them really .
Finally , If you had three necessary pieces of advice to give to any aspiring photographer , what would they be ?
1 . Try and gain inspiration from the greats . 2 . Follow your heart and dreams as much as possible . 3 . Try to adapt to the ever changing medium of photography without losing your sense of who you are and what you are passionate about .
Shreeja Chatterjee shreeja @ chiiz . com Shreeja Chatterjee is currently an undergraduate student of English Literature . She sees herself as an intrepid Ad mogul , akin to Don Draper , in the near future . Decidedly a pop culture addict , she has to watch two movies a day to get her bearings .
Cambodia , Siem Reap , Angkor Wat , Buddhist Monks walking Along sunken tree , crossing river at sunset .
Cambodia , Angkor Wat , Buddhist monks leaning against library pillars .