Beauty undiminished

Ishara JAYAWARDANE

How many of you can recall one of Shakespeare's poems when the bard declares that the woman's beauty is forever preserved in the form of his poems? And these poems from the Elizabethan Age have certainly stood the test of time Well Shakespeare may not have know this, but today we have the camera that captures moments that pull at our heart strings evoking much emotion.

Indeed one may say that a photograph is a poem in material form preserving the memory not in writing but in color and design and shapes. Daily News spoke to Indu Bandara on her upcoming exhibition, Sri Lanka women: Portraits by Indu Bandara.

What appeals to you about photography?

I really do believe that a picture is worth a thousand words - each picture tells a story. This is what appeals to me about photography, and I feel passionate about capturing a moment in time that will speak its story time and time again over many years.

And when I see something of beauty or a moment that I feel should be remembered, I feel the need to click and record it, so that it can be relived time and time again.

How do you introduce yourself?

I grew up out of Sri Lanka because my father was a career diplomat and we moved from country to country every two or three years. I was born in Thailand and have lived in eight countries: Thailand, Russia, the US, South Korea, Egypt, Australia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. I have gone to a total of 12 schools.

I graduated from the Year 12 program from Narrabundah College in Canberra, Australia and received by BA in Mass Communications (2003) from Monash University.

Is there a story behind Sri Lanka Woman: Portraits

I wanted to showcase my photography skills and exhibit my work, as a way of introducing my skills. Even though I have been doing photography professionally, I haven't shown my work in such a large scale before. And recently I have been concentrating on portraits of people because I find them to be fascinating - pictures of people tell interesting stories about the individuals being photographed, and also inspires me when I meet them and get to know them. So I chose portraits to be my theme for the exhibition, and women in particular because so many strong and inspirational women have made me who I am as a person both personally and professionally. And in the process, I wanted to show how beautiful and inspiring the women of Sri Lanka are.

All the models who have taken part in this exhibition are family members and friends - none of them are professional models. They volunteered their time to help me launch my career in photography. And the result has been an amazing collection of images that tell very inspiring stories about the individuals. I wanted to showcase contemporary Sri Lankan women as the people they are naturally - as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and professionals - and the backgrounds are all natural outdoor settings because my style of photography is very natural and non-studio centered. I also love natural light and made use of it in different areas of Colombo and Kandy where the shoots took place. I wanted those backgrounds to serve as historical mementos as well.

Who is or what has been the greatest influence on your photography?

I wouldn't be able to point out one particular person who has influenced my photography. I study the work of many photographers, but am a keen believer in creating my own style and identity. I have done many different types of photography, ranging from landscape and weddings to birthday parties and rugby matches. But I find that the greatest influence on my work and what brings out my best work is when I work with people. This is the reason I'm showcasing portraits for this exhibition as well. There is so much depth to a person that you may never be able to photograph their entire identity, but my models have shown a part of themselves that inspired and influenced me to produce some of my best work.

How old were you when you started photography? How have your photos changed over the years?

I got my very first camera at seven and have been taking photos ever since. I used to take a lot of pictures of landscapes, flowers and places while I was growing up. It was only in the past few years that I've concentrated more on people.

How would you classify your photos? Do you call it modern or abstract?

I like to think of my photography as more of a natural way of photographing - I don't go out and try to do something extreme just for art's sake. For me, it's about letting the subject speak for itself and being the medium that transfers it to a wider audience.

Any your plans for the future?

I hope to continue my photography professionally on a larger scale, and possibly make it more international. I am also working on a few projects to showcase the beauty of Sri Lanka - still being a tourist of sorts, I want to capture the essence of my country in more detail, which would include a wider area of the island.

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