Atul Kasbekar:
Photography, Sri Lanka and Jetwing
Atul Kasbekar is perhaps India's best-known photographer. A graduate
of the Brooks Institute, Santa Barbara, USA, he has been actively
shooting in India since 1991. His editorial work appears in editions of
Cosmopolitan, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, L'Officiel and Vogue on a regular
basis. Atul's advertising clients include Adidas, Coke, Omega, Tag Heuer,
Pepsi, L'Oreal to name a few. Atul conceived the iconic Kingfisher
Calendar for the UB Group. The calendar is now a cult phenomenon and is
seen as a platform for Indian fashion.
Atul in action |
Q: Research on you says that you were studying to be a
chemical engineer. Why the change to photography?
A: The answer's quite simple - no chicks! The ones who were
there were brighter than me anyway, so I dropped out to pursue
photography. Been in the industry for two decades now and loving every
minute of it!
Q: Being India's best known photographer, what inspires you
when on a shoot?
Checking the end results |
A: What is inside me, all my experiences, my emotions and my
feelings all come out in that click of the button as they do with any
photographer. That makes each one's style of photography unique and it's
important to remember that our art is for the mart. Commercial
photography is all about being you within the parameters of the brand's
requirements.
Q: The current image of a photographer is someone who covers
functions, events and so on. What are your thoughts on this image?
A: In India that was definitely the image of a photographer
about 20 years ago! Covering weddings, functions, line people up and
then click was the standard. That was the impression that people had of
a photographer, even in my case my girlfriend's (who is my wife now)
parents were quite apprehensive! But now, photography is becoming
recognized as a valuable art form and a viable profession and is ever
evolving in its reach and potential. Take wedding photography, now that
we were on the subject. As I said earlier, it used to be people in one
line, click and done.
Now, entire books are being done for weddings, using unique shots,
which are candid, natural and actually bring to life the memories years
later. That is what this is all about!
Q: You travel a lot for shoots, in fact being in charge of the
Kingfisher Calendar for the 10th year now. Is this your first time to
Sri Lanka?
A: Oh no...this is actually my fifth or sixth time here!
Q: That's interesting! And what do you feel are the best
aspects of Sri Lanka?
Atul Kasbekar |
A: Definitely the people. They are just so friendly, and are
full of goodness and honesty, you don't find that everywhere. The food
is amazing as well, and I also am a huge fan of Geoffrey Bawa and his
work, absolutely loved staying at Jetwing Lighthouse because of that.
Q: Jetwing were partners on the Kingfisher Calendar 2012
shoot, what thoughts do you have on the properties you stayed in?
A: Very nice! The food is consistently amazing, which is very
rare. The buffets were a killer, I've definitely put on weight and had
to monitor that the girls don't pig out. We stayed at Jetwing
Lighthouse, Jetwing Beach and Jetwing Sea, but shot all over including
Jetwing Era Beach and Jetwing Sea. The Spa at Jetwing Sea is quite warm
and inviting, and the rooms, especially at Jetwing Lighthouse are great.
Q: What advice would you give for amateur photographers?
A: There has been no better time. For amateur photographers,
people looking to get into it or even professionals since the onset of
digital photography. Back in the day, the costs were prohibitively
expensive, with a lot of thought needing to go into a single shot due to
the use of film rolls. Post production was even worse! With computers,
it is much easier, definitely more efficient and a different level of
creativity is possible. The moment a shoot ends, the images can quickly
be processed, retouched and sent off with minimal fuss. As for advice,
if you have an eye for photography, it doesn't matter that every other
person is in it, as talent always, always shows.
Q: Any memories that stand out during your stay?
A: Well the whole shoot is bit of a blur, what with trying to
finish off for the day! Jetwing Era Beach was definitely one to
remember, it suddenly started raining and didn't let up for the day. We
were holed up inside and ended up with our makeup artist - Kapil Bhalla
and the amazing chef there, Chef Kumara making biriyani for all. Great
memory.
The Kingfisher Calendar 2012 will be launched in India on December
18.
Courtesy: Jetwing Hotels
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