NATIONAL12 [ (Spotlight Weelky)]

Wide Angle

The growth of the media over the last decade has widened the field for professional and amateur photographers

By AKSHAY SHARMA

The growth of the private-sector media over the last decade has seen an expansion of opportunities for professional photographers. Photojournalists scurrying in and out of news conferences and feverishly clicking their buttons at public functions have inspired a generation of younger aspirants.

"The number of people interested in photography has almost doubled in a decade," says Bimal Satyal, a seasoned photographer. "The numerous contests for amateur photographers have sharpened the focus on cameras."

But there are difficulties that are not easily understood. "Photographers are at a disadvantage. Painters start with a blank canvas and add only what they want, while the photographer must eliminate other distractions like clutter, phone lines, graffiti," says Kajun Piya, an amateur photographer. "By reducing the scene to its lowest common denominator — while emphasizing shape and pattern — you can create images with dramatic impact."

Piya adds: "Nepal is the cheapest place in the world to buy cameras and accessories. And newspapers now are giving professional photographers a wide open field."

The art of photography depends on lens choice, light, color, contrast and shooting angle. "The silhouette of a dormant tree in winter or the outline of an airborne flock of geese at sunset needs no explanation as to what they are. Their forms are familiar, yet often deemed mundane. By learning how to integrate shape, form, texture, lines and patterns into an image, a whole new world of photography unfolds," says Nikhil Shrestha.

Dhorje Lama, a professional lensman, says: "Isolating a single object or its parts against a clean background is a good starting point to produce successful images of shapes and patterns. Learning to see how form echoes itself or how it links to its surroundings is another starting point. The final outcome can be symmetrical, off-balance, or even chaotic. The key is to realize how shapes play off one another to create the effect you want."

Piya says: "By adjusting the camera angle, you can create a diagonal composition. I often do this in my flower photography. Rather than present the image as a static vertical, I tilt the camera so the photo depicts the flower as if it was growing diagonally."

Dhorje adds: "When making photographs where lines become the primary focus, the key is to depict some sort of motion. Whether it’s the tranquillity of a horizontal line or the locomotion of a diagonal one, the conveyed movement directly affects the success of the image. Observe how lines interact with one another and how they move from one direction to another. Look for unusual camera angles to offset them in unique ways. Finally, try combining different types of lines into a single photo."

"Shooting tall buildings in their entirety is fine, but this often results in a clichéd image. By isolating sections, juxtaposing other buildings against them, or finding reflections on their surfaces, you can create even better images," suggests Dhorje.

The world is jam-packed with texture, yet this is often overlooked as a photographic subject. "To help train the eye to find them, walk through a forest, your backyard, or the nearest local park. Without your camera, look closely at every object; study the surface of a single item or the interconnectedness of many. Learning to see textures is the first step to opening a new door to your photography," suggests Dhorje.

"Lines, patterns, shapes and textures can all be recorded in both color and black-and-white. Color shooters have a distinct leg up because they can make an image with one color that flows into another to create the pattern. Given black-and-white’s abstract quality, images can be interpretations of reality that emphasize graphic qualities of light and form," says Mahesh Manandhar of the Universal Studios at Dillibazar.

"To use black-and-white productively, you must learn its characteristics: this film interprets all that it sees in shades of gray. The more extreme these tones become, the more effective the pattern or texture can be. As the contrast between bright whites and deep blacks increases, you can infer more shape," he adds.

"Each photographer has his or her unique way of seeing the world. Some see it through telephoto eyes while others view it with wide-angle ones, but almost any lens can be used to capture patterns, shapes, textures and lines," says Manandhar. "As your eye becomes trained to see these compositions, you’ll find you can use any lens to successfully record them.