The art of finesse

Light and composition are the two things that I largely work with; the camera is just a tool,” begins Pallon Daruwala. The ace Bengaluru photographer’s tryst with photography started 32 years ago, apart from studying the field for four years. An innate yearning to narrate a tale through pictures egged him on — ultimately leading him to the top — and Pallon made it as the first Indian member of International Association of Architectural Photographers (IAAP). Over the years, Pallon ventured into fine art, commercial, portraiture, landscape, performance, architectural and industrial design photography. But, fine art tops the list of his favourites. Pallon, who holds a Bachelors in Fine Art Photography, believes in the superiority of the medium. “The thing with fine art photography is that the quality is fit enough to be hung on walls. Fine art as a subject can cover any genre. You can have fine art fashion photography, fine art architectural photography and the like,” he says.  Sandeep Khosla, Vinita Chaitanya, RMZ, Embassy and Soumitra Ghosh are some of the clients Pallon has worked with.

But in the recent past, his specialisation has been narrowed down to architecture and industrial photography. Despite striking a balance between fine art and commercial photography; Pallon believes it is the feasibility of the latter which helps him pursue the former. “You cannot really make a living out of fine art prints. My commercial work is what allows me to indulge in my love for fine art photography.”

But, is that all which kept him going? Clearly not. In fact, it is the little nuances and those little unmissable quirks that help him capture life even in the abstract and mundane. So, what drives Pallon to pursue excellency with every frame?  “When I hang a picture, there’s a little piece of me in it. There has to be a story to the concept that I’m shooting. Photography is a very pure art form.” His word of advice to wide-eyed photography enthusiasts is simple — to be discerning and sensitive. “It’s important for photographers to develop a sense of humility. You need to get into the skin of the subject and learn to see the humour or sadness in the subject. If you don’t experience the emotions, you won’t be able to do full justice to what you are capturing.”

The New Year seems promising, indeed. “I will start working on a new series of fine art pictures early in March. The exhibit will be held in Bengaluru and a couple of other metro cities, and will be showcased towards the end of the year,” he signs off.