5 Photography Tips from Raghu Rai

“A photograph has picked up a fact of life, and that fact will live forever.”

Known as the ‘Father of Indian Photography’ – Raghu Rai was amongst the early pioneers of photojournalism in India who is best known for his contributions in documenting various socio-political events such as the Bangladesh Brutalities (1971), Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984), as well as capturing beautiful portraits of icons namely Mother Teresa, Bismillah Khan, his holiness Dala Lama and much more.

While it would be justifiably unfair to categorise Mr. Rai’s decades-long work into one category or “style” – his approach to photography is intuitive, honest, and bold. In this article, we will look further into Raghu Rai’s techniques which hopefully along the way help you look at photography from a unique perspective.

?“Skills are never taught, they are acquired. I can give you a camera but can’t feed your vision.”

1. ?Observation: Learning to see, to really see takes patience and practise. To build your observation as a photographer you must become one with the place and the people. Mr. Rai only starts shooting when the people are comfortable with his presence (and often forget about his presence), this is the reason why in most of his pictures, people are turning away rather than looking into the camera.

Mrs. Gandhi, with Sonia, Priyanka & Rahul (Courtesy: Prinseps)

2. Focus on people, not symmetry: When asked about why several of his pictures were off centre, Mr. Rai responded promptly: “Where in India is anything in the centre?” In his works, the action is in the corners, in the periphery – a consequence of focusing on the action rather than the frame. One can only spontaneously capture the action when they are focused and observant.

Tea Vendor Delhi-Mumbai Train (1982) by Raghu Rai

3. The Philosophy of Photograph: Appreciate the silence says Mr. Rai. While many photographers or artists strive to stir deep emotions or create “noise” with their art, Mr. Rai takes a rogue approach, like that of the Buddhist philosophy of silence, he believes the greatest art is one that restores silence instead of disrupting it.

Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia (1990) by Raghu Rai

4. Black and White: The intensity of black and white photography easily surpasses that of a colour photograph. Raghu Rai for most of his career has shot in black and white.

?“Digital technology is so good and easy that you put any camera on autofocus, autoexposure, and it takes these flawless, well-exposed pictures, full of colours. That rang-birang is becoming such a vulgarity, that sometimes, with a vengeance, I convert my pictures into black-and-white.” (source )

From this quote for an Indian Express interview, it’s clear that Mr. Rai doesn’t necessarily despise colour or digital technology but rather its tendency to be “flawless”. While shooting in monochrome, there is a layer of rawness where the viewer is more focused on the subject rather than being distracted by the colour that surrounds them.

5. Hold on, then let go: It is often said that to be a genius you have to be a little crazy. The crazy is an obsession for the craft, and it’s easy to get caught up with perfecting it. For Mr. Rai, the process needs to be pure.

“What defines us in the world of art or in any other world are the chances that we have turned into opportunities for ourselves.”

Doubt shouldn’t plague your art because doubt makes you lose out on your honesty. You can work hours but once it’s finished you must let go of it completely.

Image Source: Raghu Rai Foundation

Learning about Raghu Rai’s photography is similar to learning philosophy – his works inspire you to see the world differently. The way he sees the world cannot be articulated or replicated, and that’s okay. What’s important is to make sure it comes from your heart – honest and bold.

Curious to know more about Raghu Rai? Check out our in-depth blog, ‘The World of Raghu Rai: His Photography & Life’