This morning I landed up at a Photography Seminar which promised to introduce the basics to a bunch of students. The photographer Ranjit Sinha, was a friend and I wanted my daughter who is working with me now to get a more formal exposure to the art of photography, so we landed up at 915 am and settled in.

The photographs shown were impressive (as they were bound to be, given the depth and width of the photographer’s portfolio) but what took me by surprise was that every photographic experiment that was discussed was something I had been exposed to in my professional life sometime in the past.

I realised then that I had some seriously talented photographers to thank. Suresh Sheth, Hari Mahidhar, Mitter and Ashok Bedi, Pankaj Shah, Ian Pereira, Sudhir Ramachandran, PS Rao, Satya Kumar, R.Bhagvan, Hadkar and later in Hyderabad Gunshe, Satya Prabhu, Claude Avezard, of course Ranjit Sinha himself, and some whose names I forget just now. The pleasure it was to work with them on diverse assignments was enhanced by the tremendous ‘on the job learning opportunities’ that the shoots provided and I am quite immodest in my claim that I have been trained in photography by some of the world’s best photographers. And my understanding of photography, its possibilities and its limitations is a finely honed skill that has become almost second nature to me.

I also realised that most of my favourite skills had been learnt in the age-old look and learn method. The hours spent voluntarily in mechanic shops as a child gave me my knowledge of motorcycles and automobiles though I must confess that todays semi computerised monsters are way beyond my ken. Of course this also brings to mind the shock on my parents faces when I announced that I wanted to grow up and become a mobike/car mechanic and live in my shed. As I see the cars becoming sleeker and the engine compartments tighter I thank the Lord that I did not persevere with my dream…my protuding stomach and my painful back would surely have been insurmountable difficulties in the trade.

Anyway, learning today seems to have packaged itself into modules of convenience and packages of viability. Photographers choose their specialisation based on market demand and going rates rather than on the innate passion or instinct for a particular kind of photography. Car mechanics are brand specific. And niche marketing seems to be the mantra of the day.

Aah well…I still wallow in the old school magic of learning on the job and flaunt my hard earned skills and carry forth the banner of our Company...Heartworks…because that’s the way I work…from the heart. Passionately.