At the world of Iqbal Nature get Light & Life

CHENNAI: In a royal white rustic chair, surrounding some of his magnificently captured photographs, and a golden-black antique field camera to his right mounted on a tripod, sat photographer Iqbal Mohamed, a man of few words. A miniature bat hung over the antique field camera, with a rather prominent signature of Sachin Tendulkar. “Iqbal last shot with his Zone VI field camera for the cricketer in 2009. He had captured thousands of frames with the camera, and now keeps it close to him, holding onto memories of his good old days,” narrates Anuradha Iqbal, wife of Iqbal Mohamed.

For the lensman, photography began as a hobby. Spending his time at a library in Chennai, years ago, Iqbal stumbled upon the works of American landscape photographer, Ansel Easton Adams, and was awe-struck. At that moment, he decided that he would immerse himself in photography for the rest of his life.

It was a calling, even beyond a career.

How has photography evolved from when you started?

Well, dating back to the time I started my career in the late 80’s, it was all about films, colour transparencies, colour negatives and black and whites. Depending on the desired result, a particular film would be chosen. Besides, the cameras too were varied, Large Format, Medium Format and 35 mm, each to their own possibilities. I revelled in it by shooting mostly in large format and waiting long hours to see the end result. I could tell you it is certainly worth the wait.

Then came the era of digital cameras. It took a few years for these cameras to come anywhere close to the images that films offered. Today, digital cameras have come a long way, including mirrorless cameras. I am now happy to shoot with them.

It also helps me to juggle between colour to black and white easily by making minimal changes to the setting. The new age cameras can handle so much more than a film camera, making everything happen faster and helping the photographer stay focused on creating better images. We now also have Artificial Intelligence.

A group of photographers near ninth mile, The Nilgiris

Every individual is now a photographer with just a mobile phone in hand. What is your take on this? Has this transformation helped in bringing out the artistic abilities of people?

Each one of us is born creative. Most of us can’t draw, so it is challenging when we present our visuals. The mobile phone cameras, especially with multiple lenses, have made it possible for every individual to be a visual artist. Therefore, mobile cameras are a boon. Over time, as we move beyond taking selfies, to taking pictures of different subjects and situations, there will be genuine efforts made to take better pictures. This will get people started on a journey of visual discovery. The ease of taking pictures with a mobile phone and to share them immediately is immensely gratifying.

Who is a photographer whom you are personally inspired by?

I really can't choose one. Galen Rowell, David Muench, Ansel Adams, all of whom are brilliant landscape photographers.

You have worked with well established photographers on numerous ideas. What is that one aspect you still wish to capture and why?

I am a light stalker. I worship natural light. I find every moment new and different. I want to capture every new thing I observe. This is an unending voyage of discovery for me. 

Monochromes have been around since ages. Of late, they have taken a predominant form in the photography industry. Even in the film industry, with the recent film Oppenheimer, it uses black and white frames to depict perspectives of characters. What is your stand on the same? How do you see monochrome evolving?

Monochrome images and colour images have their own appeal. B and W images are more dominant in the world of fine art, and while capturing a period or classic feel. I am rather passionate about nature, which is colourful. It must be a colour photograph to do justice to it. There are times when nature itself looks colourless. In such situations, I normally take achromatic images. Moreover, when we need to capture the vibrancy of life, we have to go colour, else the soul of the image is lost. Like all trends, monochrome too will have its run. People will take images of all kinds of subjects in monochrome.

Do you believe that photography by its nature, as a mix of science and art, is still hard to pitch as a career option?

For me, photography is art. The science part of it is a tool that helps me get more and more creative. The more sophisticated the equipment, the better the possibilities to realise my vision. If you want to make a career in photography, you have to see yourself as an artist, which is challenging. If you are passionate about this art form, only then can it be a career option.

Drone photography has shaped a major part in the perspective of how photos are taken. What is your take on the use of drones as a recent technological addition to the field of photography, and how do you incorporate them?

I remember in the pre-drone era, if you wanted a high angle or aerial shot, it could be done only from atop a crane or a helicopter. This was not easily accessible, nor affordable. So very few of such shots were done for mainly commercial and research purposes. In that sense, the advent of drones is very liberating. Now high angle shots can be done quite freely. But at times, it is used even when such a perspective is not required, or appealing, just because we all like new gadgets. Don’t we?

(Iqbal giggles)

The photographer wishes upcoming photography enthusiasts to follow their dream, and invest their heart and soul in the journey of photography.

“Go for It !” exclaims Iqbal.