ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE JUL-AUG-SEP 2021 (Vol IV, Issue XXII)
FASHION AND WEDDING PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER
Article Published on: 13TH JAN 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
Swayam's photography journey was like an adventure. He fell in love with this passion when he was 10 years old when his dad bought him a film camera. Initially, he took many ugly and blurry pictures but as a memory, he has kept them all in an album. In the beginning, he didn’t know all the technical aspects like the exposure triangle or the depth of field as he never took a photography course but he has always tried to document things on his own though he has seen that it’s not enough. He did learn that there are a lot of rules to follow while taking good pictures but he also learned that beautiful pictures come from passion, from one’s Commitment to being able to bring something special and unique through a shot.
After completing his Animation course in 2015, he gifted himself his first self-owned camera - Canon EOS 700D. Getting a good camera was his first target. Now it was time for him to start his dream of taking quality pictures but he had no idea how it worked. He kept taking pictures in 'auto mode' for a while and was disappointed at how bland and awful the photos were. After maybe a year or so, he finally realized (accepted?) that the key reason his photos kept turning out poorly was that he didn’t understand the concepts of photography. He wanted the camera to do one thing, and it seemed to always do the other
For the next 2 years, he kept clicking pictures of people, products, landscapes, etc to find his niche and continued to find & note down the mistakes in the pictures he captured. He believes that his photography journey represents his transformation. From feeling lost to gaining self-awareness and discovering who he is! He works almost every day to improve his craft, and as a person gives more than he can take.
He kept learning from his mistakes and finally, in 2017 he stepped into the professional world of photography with his new baby Canon 5D Mark 4 as a Fashion and Portrait photographer.
After starting photography a little over a year ago, he feels that he has definitely grown to where he is now today. It has been a fantastic journey so far and he can’t wait to see what the future holds. Becoming a professional photographer is a thing that doesn’t happen overnight. He has learned so much about lighting, posing, composition, and post-editing. Even after learning the techniques, he continues to learn something new every day and soaks up all the knowledge that he can. He believes each photo that he can capture is a priceless moment in time cause that’s a moment that one can’t get back and being able to capture something like that is truly special.
SWAYAM JARAMANWALA'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DE MODE
Q: What was your first thought when you started photography?
A: Being a self-taught photographer the first thought on my mind when I started photography at the age of 15 was to make that click count as back in those days I used film cameras with very limited shutter counts, unlike the luxury of today’s digital cameras with high storage capacity memory cards.
Q: How do you as a photographer make sure that the thing, person or landscape you want to shoot looks the way you want it to?
A: The human eye is selective far beyond cameras and you have to learn to see how the camera sees in managing time and spatial relationships. Then you have to determine what is important and what is extraneous in a scene. And how to direct the viewer to the intended elements, including or emphasizing them through camera controls and composition. Before all of that, you must learn to command the camera functions efficiently.
Q: From your point of view, what makes a good picture?
A: A decent composition with fantastic light and timing, with a bit of post-processing, can make a great photo. The same goes for outstanding composition. You will be able to make up for the lack of light to some extent.
Q: What is your favorite subject to photograph?
A: I enjoy photographing people and landscapes the most. Capturing people’s emotions at the moment helps me understand human nature in a better way and similarly capturing the true essence of landscapes gives me the joy of being connected to nature in its purest form.
Q: Since photography techniques and equipment change quickly, it is important to stay up-to-date. What do you do to always keep up with the times?
A: It gets really difficult to find time to read about new photography techniques and equipment on a daily basis because of the ongoing regular commercial projects. But thanks to today’s digital world where you have access to tons of information with just one click. I listen to podcasts related to new photography techniques and equipment watch videos for the same and try to implement them in my work by experimenting and renting new equipment in my free time.
Q: Nowadays almost everyone has access to devices with which it is possible to take pictures. What do you think is the difference between a professional photographer and any other hobby photographer?
A: There are undoubtedly a plethora of differences between hobbyists and professionals in photography or any other field for that matter. If you ask people which ones are the key disparities between the two, you'll get as many answers as there are cameras. You'd be hard-pushed to find anyone who would claim it comes down to the gear. You'd be equally hard-pushed to find a professional who believes it comes down to talent; there are spectacularly talented hobbyists and highly underwhelming professionals. The real difference is something that every professional I've ever met in any creative career has and that hobbyist does not: a specific mindset.
Q: Are you a detail-oriented person?
A: For me being a professional photographer for the past several years, it is very important to have an eye for detail. I believe those are the tiny little details that make a great picture.
Q: Which one is your favorite lens and why do you prefer it?
A: Canon 50 mm f/1.4 is my all-time favorite lens. First of all, it is very light in weight and very convenient to carry. It gives a very soft depth of field which gives a nice dreamy look that is very much suitable to click portraits.
Q: What, in your opinion, is most important to consider while shooting portrait pictures?
A: Shooting portraits is one of my major interests that got me into photography. Any portrait you click must tell a story. It should have some meaning in it and not just good lighting or just good composition. The lighting and compositing should be equally balanced to tell a story.
Q: Which editing software do you usually use? Describe your skills in that software.
A: I prefer using Adobe Lightroom to organize and process my images. I use this software for Non Destructive image editing, Light and Color control, and Composition control.
Q: In your free time, what kind of pictures do you like to shoot and which ones do you avoid?
A: I enjoy my free time by experimenting with lighting and composition techniques to create still-life images with whatever comes in handy. It may be just a coffee mug and cookies or a wristwatch or a soft toy. Basically any kind o inanimate object. I avoid shooting pictures that involve me in the frame most of the time. “ wink “.
Q: How do you feel about your book being featured in DE MODE?
A: I feel extremely honored to have the opportunity to share my journey in one of the most reputed and globally recognized magazines, DE MODE. It’s a warm feeling that you get when your hard work is paid off well.