Thursday, April 27, 2006

18. AUTOBIO(PHOTO)GRAPHY - 1


In case the title sounds confusing, I mean that I plan to write about my biography in relation to photography. I would like to ruminate over how my interest in photography started and got stuck and never grew more at some point ! Some photographs of those periods of my life would be posted along with those incidents.

I remember the very first time when I handled a camera. It was immediately I finished my school and was about to enter into college. My friend had a borrowed camera to take some snaps of him in our school campus. He had the loaded camera and asked me to 'click' him in all different poses. I made him accept that one of those poses would be to my liking. I think it had 12 shots. 11 shots were over. For the 12th I made him stand on the cycle-stand and I lied down on the ground and took a shot! The film roll went for processing and printing and I don’t know what happened to that last click. I got only a comment that my friend looked like an abnormal skeletal structure! I felt sad that my friend had no taste for that ' cat's eye view '.
Then it took some years for me to have another camera, probably in my late twenties. This time I owned the camera and it was a Yaschica J, a viewfinder camera. I was just clicking around and nothing big about those days. But then I got my first SLR, a Mamiya Sekor. That would be in the late seventies, not my age this time!

In those days an SLR camera was a rarity and people were accustomed to see
TLR cameras of 120 format dangling around the necks of people. Interest in
photography makes one to keep taking photos and if something good comes out of it and if it gets due recognition that could make one feel great and the interest ,now turns into passion. Same thing happened to me. I did my B&W processing and printing in one of the two dark rooms of the Physics Department of our College. The Physics Professor V.Srinivasan was so kind enough that I can use the dark room anytime that I like. Since he showed interest in my photos I used to show now and then some selected photos. When he was impressed with one of my photos of that early period of my photography he had it in the departmental notice board with the technical details under my name. The word spread. Many students came to me with compliments or asking questions about it. That single photograph (Photo:1) got me some recognition in our campus and that kindled my interest further.

15 comments:

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

Sam,

That shot was really nice tells a lot! You must have really refined your photographical skill, I realised that seeing from your earlier postings.

I am too a crazy after just clicking on anything. Keep posting, I love to read them all!!!

Orani.

Sivabalan said...

Sam,

Now I know the secret behind the photos in all your blogs.

Thanks for good blog.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sam
Nice article. Waiting for the next one. Do you draw or paint?
Composition skills are excellent.
Close-ups should breathe life.
I see that in your pictures.
How do you achieve clarity?
My Dad taught me that aperture 5.6
and speed 1/60 will get me decent
still life pictures in sunlight.
I am saying this from memory.
I do not use camera anymore!

தருமி said...

hi Oorani,
"You must have really refined your photographical skill,.."//

yes, i should have but the pity is that i didn't!!

in anything i acheive moderate success but going beyond that...well, i have always disppointed myself on that. that has been my 'life story' in nutshell!

தருமி said...

thanks a lot, sivabalan.
sorry fo the delayed response

தருமி said...

thank you, kozundhu
" Waiting for the next one"// rummaging for the very old photos for some time. got only partial success.

it seems you are like my daughters. i tried to put some photographic knowledge into their heads for no avail.

"Do you draw or paint?"// i tried..!! just read my reaction to Orani, just above this comment!! :-(
""//

தருமி said...

see you soon.
what your uncle suffered (by being in my class), you too have to undergo. what a pity! why should fate be so cruel to you !

இயற்கை நேசி|Oruni said...

//what your uncle suffered (by being in my class), you too have to undergo. what a pity! why should fate be so cruel to you ! //

You know Mr. Sam you have a good sense of humour, it is good for heart... hmmm that is good being a guest lecturer to torture more ;-)))

Anand V said...

>>
My Dad taught me that aperture 5.6
and speed 1/60 will get me decent
still life pictures in sunlight.
>>

f/5.6 is big enough to blur the background considerably but again the shutter speed depends on the angle/amount of light and ofcourse the speed of film.
The holy triangle of exposure..

Shutter speed x Aperture * ISO

Masilamanis said...

I too have a great interest in photography and so I always carry a camera with me to capture lfes' rarest moments. Thank you for the neat writing.

தருமி said...

masilamani
in that case i would like to see your photos. why dont you start a photo blog? please.

தருமி said...

thank yoiu satya.
hope you have the patience to go thru all the rest :)

Anonymous said...

Hello Sir,

Its Seeniraj MBA student from American COllege. I have a problem with my current Blogger Id. SO its been a touch late in contacting you. Anyway how are you?

Regards
Seeniraj.

Anonymous said...

Hello Sir,

I am J.Mohan you old Student. I was your student on 83Zoo17. Can you remember Me?? My email id is mohanwood@hotmail.com.

Regards & Waiting for your email!
J.Mohan

தருமி said...

seeni,
my personal mail id: dharumi2@gmail.com
welcome to communicate thru that id.