Recently, Rai was in Katmandu as a judge for the Photo Journalist Club’s photography competition. He talked to The Week’s Nitya Pandey during a stroll around Patan Durbar Square while simultaneously clicking away to glory.[break]
Photos: Bikash Karki
How did you enter the world of photography?
It was purely by accident. I sometimes call it God’s grace or a stroke of luck. I was fiddling around with my old camera and clicked a picture of a baby donkey. My brother sent it to the newspaper, Times, in London. They published it over half a page. That’s how I got noticed initially and the rest, as they say, is history.
What motivates you to click pictures?
I’m fascinated by the world around me. For example, this Durbar Square where we’re standing right now has so much zeal and energy. It feels like a blessing to be here and be a part of it. I feel that every moment is special and has the potential to become immortal if captured correctly.
Any inspirations at the moment?
Everything, everybody and every moment inspires me. As a photographer, all you have to do is find a reference point. A perfect picture is a perfect merge of people, places and perspectives. A straight angle is an easy trap that many photographers fall into. We should try to avoid it. I follow the “nudge” that I get when I come across somebody or something and “boom!,” I capture it immediately. That’s how spontaneous it should be. For example, at this moment, I’m getting all the inspiration I need from Patan Durbar Square.
Is the architecture here any different from the rest of the world?
Everywhere I go, I find a different world. The architecture of Nepal is quite unique in itself. However, I feel that the palaces and monuments could have been renovated better in terms of color combination and texture. It’s too bright in some places, and the white stands out conspicuously. I think they could’ve gone for lighter and softer hues.
What, according to you, is the most important thing in a photograph?
For me, the most important thing in a photograph is the emotion it contains and the feelings it evokes. A photograph should be genuine. It should encompass reality in its frame. It’s just a matter of a split second’s click. A camera is very powerful. When a moment is gone, it never comes back but it can be captured and frozen forever with the help of a camera. All I look for in a photograph is how clearly and honestly a particular moment has been captured.
You were also a part of the Jaipur Literary Festival. As a photographer, do you find any meeting point between words and images?
I don’t believe in clichés like “a picture speaks a thousand words.” I say, pictures, too, are like human beings. Do we always speak? No. So why should they? Also, I believe that a thousand words need not always be voiced. Sometimes, they may end up becoming noise. By this, I don’t mean that pictures can never talk. They can. But they are a complete entity in themselves, and they have every right or reason to stay silent if they want to. Silence, after all, can be more beautiful and consequential than words.
Have you trained yourself to become a photographer?
I believe I’m the product of big and small experiences. At my age, every moment becomes a milestone. Every little thing becomes a school. I don’t have a magic finger. I’m training myself all the time. I just trained myself rigorously this afternoon. There was so much to look at and capture around me that I had to sit down and take a breather for a moment. Nature trains me all the time and so do simple lives and common people.
Do you ever feel the jitters whenever your work goes out into the world?
I never feel the slightest trace of nervousness. I’ve had so many exhibitions in so many different countries so far. And I stand there like a rock by my work. I don’t think that everybody has to fall in love with every work of mine. It’s a matter of mood, a moment, or an eye. I know what I’m doing and that gives me the ultimate satisfaction.
What do you think are the qualities of a good photographer?
Patience. And it’s not just a quality that’s required by a good photographer but every human being who wants to succeed in life. I’m of the opinion that if you can wait long enough, life and the Buddha will dance for you. It’s only a matter of time. And I also believe that all should consider their jobs their “dharma.” When that happens, everything becomes perfect.
How do you deal with camera-consciousness that a lot of people seem to suffer from?
I could say for sure that even if I were photographing a group of fifty people, none of them would be camera-conscious because they wouldn’t even realize when I took the snap. With well known figures, you’ve to be a little smarter regarding these things, but it’s not impossible to capture those moments when they are at their casual and natural best.
How many times have you come to Nepal?
I’ve come here a couple of times before. I was here for the late King Birendra’s wedding. I still have those pictures with me. Then I came to Nepal this one time for an assignment where I had to photograph a young Rimpochhe born of a British mother who had become a Buddhist. I think it’s a beautiful country where I can click a lot of pictures.
So what are your future plans?
I always follow the energy that leads me to my pictures. I feel like there’s so much left for my camera to capture in my own country. I travel all over the world and somehow my heart always leads me back home. So I want to click more pictures in India and come up with more books on photography in order to add to the bulk of work that I already have. I just want to keep working, learning and clicking.
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