An evening with Mr. B Ramana Kumar
On Friday, June 7, we had an insightful session by Mr. B Ramana Kumar. Mr. Ramana explored how compelling photographic images can transcend cultural and linguistic barriers to convey powerful narratives. Mr. Ramana illustrated the impact of photography in documenting heritage, evoking emotions, and influencing perspectives. His engaging session was filled with insightful anecdotes, practical tips, and a presentation of his award-winning work from across India and around the globe.
About Mr. Ramana Kumar
Mr. B. Ramana Kumar is a practicing lawyer registered with the Madras High Court. He is the Senior Standing Counsel for Taxes. Earlier he had practiced as a chartered accountant for about two decades. Mr. Ramana is also a qualified cost accountant.
Mr. Ramana is a Fellow of the Federation of Indian Photography (FFIP) and has obtained two international distinctions from France, Proficiency in Photography distinction from the Photographic Society of America and also a distinction from the School of Fototechnik, Delhi ASoF.
A serious hobbyist photographer, Mr Ramana has won awards, medals, certificates, and honorable mentions, in various national and international salons in over 65 countries in all the six continents. He has conducted many exhibitions. Mr. Ramana was commissioned by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), to shoot the heritage buildings of the Nilgiris as part of the project to document them.
Mr. Ramana is a life member of the Photographic Society of Madras (PSM), one of the oldest photographic societies in the world. He was President of the Society in 2016-17. Mr. Ramana makes regular presentations on photography and is a judge in many national and international photo salons and competitions. He has also been the committee member, volunteer and treasurer in salons conducted by the PSM.
In addition to monument and architectural photography, Mr. Ramana also does many other kinds of photography including food, glamour, still and macros photography. Yet his heart lies in travel, where he has covered nature, wildlife, people, streets, etc. His images were featured in the famous film ‘KHO’ which was directed by K.V.Anand, also a member of PSM. Mr Ramana has travelled all over India from Leh to Kanyakumari, Meghalaya to Rajasthan, Agumbe to Tatekad, Hampi to Qutab and from Taj to Tanjore and various foreign locations to shoot his photos.
A powerful medium
The famous director Balu Mahendran, when inaugurating an important photography exhibition, expressed deep admiration for the photos on display. He admitted that it would have taken 200 feet of film to cover the story that a photo in a single frame could capture. It is said that a picture conveys more than 1000 words. That is what makes photography so impactful. In short, photography is a powerful medium that we can use to convey impactful stories if we are creative enough.
History
Photography was invented in the 1840s. It was first in monochrome (black and white) format. Photography came to India in 1857. One of the earliest institutions is the PSM. In fact, it is the third oldest club of its kind in the world.
Different genres
There are different genres of photography.
Travel photography: Taken during travels.
Photojournalism: Here, the attempt is to explain an event with the help of photos.
Macro photography: Here, the photographer zooms (blows up) one part such as the head of an ant to show the structure in great detail.
Fine arts photography: Used to tell the story in one frame. (e.g. the highest motorable road in the world Leh, Katunga pass)
Documentary photography: Documenting an event such as a wedding.
Photography as a hobby
Photography transcends age. At the PSM, the age of members spans from 12 to 88.
It is a myth that photography is costly. When Mr. Ramana began in 1986, that was indeed the case. But with the advent of digital, that no longer applies. Today it is about spray and pray. We take many photos and choose what we want. Some smart phones can take 10-15 photos per second.
The spin off benefits of photography are tremendous.
- We come to know various people and expand our network: photographers, resort owners, travel agents.
- We can learn about the history of a place. Mr. Ramana learnt quite a bit about Hampi. He also understood how to identify the calls of animals during a trip to Tadoba.
- For Mr Ramana, photography has resulted in greater wellness. A camera in hand leads to lower blood pressures, sugar and stress levels.
- Since both sides of the brain are used, photography increases our creativity.
- Photography broadens our perspectives and makes us look at everybody positively.
- Through our photos, we can raise our profile in the social media.
Visual storytelling
Mr. Ramana illustrated with several photographs, all taken by him, how we can convey a powerful story.
Waiting for the master
In the photo below, the faithful dog has been anxiously waiting for its master for more than 24 hours.
Talk before the bath
Taken at Araku Valley, the photo below features the water carriers of the region. They must walk long distances to get water. During the day they will be busy. Here, they get an opportunity to talk to each other.
Sister as mother
In the photo below, the mother is working in the fields to feed the family. The six-year-old girl is taking care of her baby brother. The little girl must hold the baby carefully. Here, the melancholy in the eyes conveys the responsibility she is carrying on her young shoulders. The photo not only conveys the problems of the poor but also highlights women empowerment. (We grumble about small things. We must realize how fortunate we are.) This photo won an award at an event in Moscow.
To fetch a pail of water
In the desert, we cannot see water anywhere. Yet, in the photo below, the desert women must keep walking to find water somewhere as indicated in the photo below. There is a serious water shortage in many parts of the world. We must recognize this. The message is simple: Do not waste water.
The power of nature
The photo below illustrates the power of nature. We are nothing in front of nature. In the photo, the people look tiny when compared to the steep mountains.
The Himadri from the aircraft.
The photo below conveys the breathtaking beauty of a sunrise on the mountains. For Mr. Ramana, the position and timing had to be perfect to capture the first rays of the Sun. Only the top of the peak is seen here.
Tribals living in poverty
In this photo, there is only one blanket. The man gives it to his wife even as he braves the cold.
Three generations
The photo below illustrates the process of ageing which is a natural phenomenon.
The flower of the cactus
The cactus flower, a beautiful sight, blooms in the night. With the first rays of the Sun, it shrinks. Timing is important. There is a window of only a few seconds to shoot the photo. Mr. Ramana woke up at 4 am and waited for the right moment to take the photo below.
Forest of Ranthambore
Mr Ramana was traveling in a jeep in the forest. It was very hot. Not one sound could be heard except for the sound of the jeep’s engine. Mr. Ramana asked the engine to be switched off so that he could “hear” the silence. Suddenly he saw a parrot moving carefully in a roundabout way before reaching a tree and making a small sound to her chicks. They came out. Immediately after she left, they went inside. With the height being just 20 feet from the ground, such precautions were necessary. These chicks would be juicy food for various preying animals. This photo vividly conveys that the maternal and survival instincts are as well developed in animals as in humans.
Mr. Ramana showed that even the photograph of a vegetable vendor can convey a lot. He took the photo of people praying at a mosque inside the Taj Mahal. Even the local photographers of Agra were not aware of this mosque.
Mr. Ramana also showed an auto carrying 23 people. The photo brings out the ingenious transportation mechanisms used in the rural areas of India.
Other photos which Mr. Ramana showed, included a beautiful farm in Sikkim, a photo of the Lord Shiva taken out in the chariot festival of the Mylapore Kapaleeswarar temple and a man coughing while a woman is coughing. He also showed the images of women prostrating on the road before seers, to seek their blessings in the Triplicane locality in Madras. The photo vividly conveys the respect we have in India for the saints.
Concluding remarks
Mr Ramana spoke about his visits to Kanha and Tadoba and the resulting publicity in the social media. (Kanha Tiger Reserve, also called Kanha National Park, is one of the most famous tiger reserves of India located in Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra's oldest and largest National Park, the Tadoba National Park, lies in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state and is approximately 150 km from Nagpur city. He also referred to an invitation to the photo festival in Salem. Festival and the North Kerala religious festival Theyyam.
Q&A
Mr. Ramana is a multifaceted personality who has tried and succeeded in many areas: CA, lawyer, Insolvency Professional, government advocate. He acknowledged the blessings of God for his reinvention every five years or so.
The key to reinvention is to take small amounts of risk by trying something new, without giving up something we are doing. Mr. Ramana would work on photography after dinner when his family had gone to sleep. He would do this 2-3 times per week. This was hard work but not stressful. He loved every moment of the stretch.
Generally, we should have more than one hobby when we are young. Mr. Ramana himself dabbled in violin, cricket, football, etc. He settled on photography later in life. If we have the inclination, we will have time. It is just like we can aways find some space in our stomach to consume dessert after a sumptuous meal!
Every image must be processed to some extent. Earlier, this was largely manual. With AI, we can play around with various parameters. AI can be used to erase or add components. However, we should not indulge in doctoring or manipulation. In short, technology is useful, but we should be in control. We should leverage it to our advantage without being unethical.
Photography teaches us important lessons. Mr. Ramana recalled an experience when traveling in the cold regions of the Himalayas. He was wearing seven layers of clothes. It was difficult to attend to the calls of nature or even eat small quantities of food. It was not easy to sleep as well. After such an experience, he stopped complaining about food. The very fact that we can sleep and eat normally has made him contented. Photography is a great leveler. We must accept what is given. We cannot complain. Photography helps us to develop resilience in our personal and professional life.
In his initial days as a photographer, Mr. Ramana would gather images and then try to stitch them together into a story. Now, with all the experience, he can reverse the process. He can visualize the image in his mind and wait for the right opportunity to shoot the photos he needs for the story. Thus, Mr Ramana wanted to see a tiger kissing its cub. He got this opportunity in the last of the 6 safaries at Kanha. This shows that love exists even among ferocious animals. The guiding principle is that people must be able to infer the story from the photo during the exhibitions.
On the Katunga pass, Mr Ramana was flanked by IndoTibetan Border Police on both sides. Mr. Ramana was planning to shoot a photo with one of the policemen in the background. But the policeman’s face was blank. Only the white of the eye could be seen because of the blistering cold. So, Mr. Ramana decided not to take the photo.
Mr. Ramana has never taken photographs of beggars, garbage, mother feeding a child, beggars in front of temples, slaughtering of animals, etc. He does not want to show the country in poor light or breach privacy or affect the sensibilities of people. Mr. Ramana believes the photos he takes should make people happy, not unhappy.
Sometimes, Mr. Ramana pauses and is not in a hurry to take photos. That was the case when he saw the tiger and the cub at Kanha. He decided to savor the moment before taking the photo. Similarly, during the Kapaleeswarar festival, he is more focused on praying to the lord for his blessings rather than taking photos.
When a home maker makes a tasty dish, we are not bothered about what mixie or pressure cooker she used. Similarly, what matters is how we leverage the human eye. The human eye is the most powerful camera in the world. It can work across all exposures and shutter speeds. The camera is only a tool. It is the eye which provides the instructions. Amateurs can use any kind of entry level camera.
Mr. Ramana began with a Nikon which his sister brought from the US. It is important to feel the functionality of the camera. It should become an extension of our body. That is what Mr. Ramana did when he got the camera.
Many brands are available today. DP Review and even Google provide a good review of cameras. We should also not underestimate the power of phone cameras. They can do a lot.
The image should be sharp. So, focus is important. The subject must be in focus.
Then comes the composition. There are some rules like triangle, Fibonacci, etc. These rules ensure that the human mind will acknowledge and appreciate what it is seeing. The rules can be broken only in exceptional situations.
Then comes editing. We can add shadows, colors and highlights. But we should not manipulate.
We should be persevering. Mr Ramana wanted to shoot the sunrise in Mahabalipuram. But after driving 50 km, he found there were clouds which blocked the view of the Sun. So, he returned and went back again the next morning to make one more attempt.
Ansel Adams once mentioned that a photographer should shoot 1000 photos and then start all over again. During travel, all the shoots cannot be planned. Some will be incidental. So, an element of serendipity is involved. We must wait for the right moment and be prepared when it arrives.
Every town has photography clubs. In cities like Calcutta, there is a club on every street. These clubs host programs, workshops, etc. We can leverage these clubs. We do not even need to travel physically to these clubs. Sitting at our home using our desktop, we can access various resources.
We should not feel shy about taking photos. The more we keep shooting, the more the expertise and the interest we will develop. We should just go out and start taking photographs. While doing so, we must follow the rules; appreciate privacy, the security guidelines at airports, etc.