The perfect click

Every photographer has their own way of interpreting images and bringing out a story. For Ashok Saravanan Ay, it’s about connecting art with his photographers.

The full time graphic designer enjoys being a photographer during his time off. He says, “It’s a serious hobby. During my childhood, I would always doodle in my notebook. Growing up, I couldn’t pursue that hobby so I studied computer science instead. When I had to look for a job, I joined as a graphic designer because it helps me stay close to the world of art.”

He’s been pursuing photography for more than 10 years now. He has tried his hands at all the genres of photography. He says, “Some of the genres I’ve tried is wildlife, fashion and wedding. I’ve realised that they aren’t really my cup of tea. I prefer to do travel or abstract photography. Portraits are also my forte.”

Though Ashok sounds like a quiet man, his pictures speak a thousand words. The colours, designs and composition he uses in the pictures bring out a life that one wouldn’t find normally. So how does he do it?

“There are certain rules and guidelines that any photographer has to follow while clicking a picture. Aside from that, you know when you see something that you can make it look better than what it is, or bring out the story it has to say just by looking at it. Sometimes it’s also the subject of a personality or a deja vu moment that makes the picture pop,” he explains, proudly.

Being a travel photographer, he says that one of his favourite pictures is one taken during his visit to Taj Mahal. “The picture of Taj Mahal has been clicked numerous times and they always look the same. I wanted to find a different story and talk about it from another angle. So I found one,” he shares. “In 2013, when I went to visit the place, I learnt that you aren’t allowed to carry any sharp objects with you — to keep the designs intact. But I found a few workers just outside Taj Mahal who were using needles and hammers. I kept them in the foreground and took the picture. It not only talks about the building but also the life around it,” he adds.

He has also travelled to Kolkata, Varanasi, Jodhpur and few other places in South India. Ashok says that he is yet to venture into Leh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh.

Being a graphic designer, he also uses his software skills to add elements to his pictures. He says, “To add an element like that needs a lot of pre-planning. I look at it in three stages. Firstly, focussing on the subjects. Secondly, taking care of the technical aspects of taking a picture. And finally, the presentation. For this to look good, I need to know the first two really well so that the final presentation can look nice. But I never add something that is not there. I just enhance the element from the original picture.”

Ashok believes that one should connect photography with art. “If you were to travel to Europe, you would find a signature style in every picture.

In India, the culture of each place is different. There is no signature style that branches across the country and that’s what makes photography in India special. I want to capture each culture’s art in my photography and share my stories through that,” he smiles.