Interview Session with Agnimirh Basu

1. Tell us about your early life.

I did my schooling from Arambagh. Later I came to Kolkata and completed my graduation. I have stayed in Delhi for around 12 years. Right now, I am residing in a remote area, near the border of Jharkhand.

2. Since when did you get into photography? 

I was a student of Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata and my subject was ‘Painting’. I had to opt for photography because of my profession. I worked there as a photo journalist for 12 years and gathered a huge experience. Since then my journey of combining Fine Arts and Photography started.

3. Tell us about your inspiration.

I get inspired by seeing photos. Every photographer has a unique style and you get to learn many things from him/her.

4. Describe about yourself.

I am very impatient /impulsive. I prefer doing what I think at that moment. And hence, I tend to take decisions which my impulse governs.

5. Tell us how you combine Fine Arts and Photography.

Painting, Sculpting and Photography form Fine Arts. Photography was used as a medium to picture any particular event or article on a newspaper or magazine. I believe photography can also be created and arranged in a beautiful way like painting and poetry. Nowadays I am more involved in conceptual photography where I try to bring new flavour of fashion fused with artistic representation.

6. A painter visualizes his thought with the stroke of a brush . How do you visualize yours?

Well, this is much difficult for me to answer. A painter may have a different thought process from another painter even if the subject both of them deal with is same. I have my own thought process and I choose my subjects based on that.

7. What is your opinion on Candid Photography?

Photography is something which I do not differentiate like that. In school, you get to learn grammar, construct sentences which are similar to the technical knowledge required to take a photo. But most of the institutions do not teach you the way of narrating and story telling. So, most photographers are limited to specific genres. I appreciate people when I see them expressing uniqueness in their photography.

8. Why do you prefer Fine Arts Photography more?

A sea is a place where all the rivers come and meet. I have worked with every genre of photography which combines to form what we call the Fine Arts Photography.

9. Among all the works you have done, which work is your favourite till date?

My last work which is “Unfolded Story” ~ protest against today’s nude photography.

10. How would you differentiate your style of work with the rest of the photographers?

Nowadays, you can get a DSLR easily. Once you are aware of its functionality, you can frame an object and take a picture. But in order to reach the mass you need to think differently as the craze would increase day by day. I believe if the photographers do not come up with new ideas, then photography will face tough hurdles in the days to come. I try to portray uniqueness with new ideas and thoughts so that my every work turns out to be different from the other.

11. Do you believe photography institutions are good in learning photography?

Personally, I do not admire photography institution. If you dedicate much of your time to photography, then you can learn it with more ease. I organize workshops every year where I work with photographers to gather new ideas and picture them.

12. Your message for young enthusiastic photographers. 

Three things are needed to take a picture; Eye which is the lens of the camera, time management which is the shutter speed and the memory or the storage. A camera can be analog, digital or a mobile camera because camera does not take picture, a photographer does. If those three things are required by you then you are a photographer and if you can create something for which the people praises you then you are a good photographer.

13. Your message for Team LaughaLaughi.

I like enthusiastic people who dream big. All I cay say is that I am always with you and I wish all the very best in your struggle.

Picture Courtesy: Google Images