An Epson master, Prabuddha Dasgupta is known for his bold and individualistic style. He stormed into the world of photography with his controversial collection of portraits and nudes of urban Indian women called Women and has not looked back ever since. He is among the finest B&W photographers this world has seen and his work continues to be displayed in many international institutions like the Museo Ken Damy, Brescia, Italy, and Galleria Carla Sozzani, Milan, Italy.

What was it that got you interested in photography?
My parents were artists and I was trained to be a historian. But five years of university education destroyed my love for history and my dreams of becoming an archaeologist. That was when my artistic genes probably kicked in and I took up photography. Also for a shy person like me, photography became an easy way to meet and get to know women; something I was otherwise too reticent to do.

As a self-taught photographer, was it more difficult to make your mark in the highly competitive and creative world of photography?
No I don’t think so. Also there was not much choice in photography education when I was getting into it. The other option was to assist somebody but unfortunately there was nobody whose work I respected enough to want to assist at that time. I am talking about things 20 years back.

Did the early years of copywriting help you build your photography career? How?
I think my years as copywriter helped my photography in more ways than one. Firstly, I think the idea that I did not have to earn a living doing pictures allowed me to stay pure and uncompromising. I had nobody to please but myself and I could develop my sensibility without commercial pressure. Secondly being in advertising obviously gave me a first hand view of the business of commercial photography and I could slowly find my niche and yet stay true to my own personal vision.

I am bored with the perfectly composed, beautifully lit, technically competent image

Which photographers would you say have inspired you?
The list is long and forever evolving. I think at any point of time in your life you look for work which has some resonance with who you are at that time and that is what inspires you. Work that has feeling, is sincere and unpretentious and that punches you in the gut is what inspires me. I do not have too much patience with the new “conceptual” photography.

You have said that your work has been and continues to be based on a minimalistic simplicity. Can you please elaborate on this point?
I am not very good with explaining or analysing my work. All I can say is that I like to work with instinct and from the gut and I like to zero in on the essence of whatever is my subject, minus any frills or embellishments. Therefore in formal terms it is minimal and simple, although in content it may be complex and layered.

What is it about black and white that you like so much?
It is a language that I understand and feel comfortable in. Also it helps my minimalistic approach by removing the surface distraction of colour.

Are all your photographs a result of a deep thought process or do you also like to be spontaneous?
I think it’s the interest in my subject that necessitates deep thinking. Once that is assimilated, the act of photographing is always spontaneous, within the parameters of my larger take on it. For instance all of my new work is more in the territory of the “snapshot”, an almost subconscious recognition of something that causes an automatic reaction of bringing up the camera and hitting the trigger. It has more to do with feeling and less to do with the perfect photogenic moment. I am bored with the perfectly composed, beautifully lit, technically competent image. My interest is in the raw, vital poetry of a moment.

Work that has feeling, is sincere and unpretentious and that punches you in the gut is what inspires me.

How do you choose your subjects?
I like to stay open to anything that might find a certain resonance with my life. I never consciously ‘choose’ a subject. If something interests me I just go in there and explore.  Sometimes it works and becomes a long term project. At other times it is abandoned altogether.

Can you tell us more about your book project on urban street children in India, If I Were Rain?
It was the brainchild of a group of young women from an organisation called Youthreach. The idea was to give the urban street child a platform to be seen and heard, something they had never had before, with the larger purpose of bridging the gap between the haves and the have-nots in our peculiarly unjust urban society. I took on the task of curating and editing the work of a multitude of photographers and interacted with these children at various levels. It was a huge learning experience. It changed my perspective on how I view the street child. I would ask all your readers to get hold of this book. All the proceeds go back to rehabilitating these children.

How do you handle criticism especially when it comes to your nudes?
Just the way I handle criticism about everything else in my life. My work with nudity and sexuality is something I believe in as an essential part of our lives and vital to our existence. So to ignore it in my art would be to ignore something fundamental in the human condition. The critics are those who would brush these issues under the carpet. I can’t take such criticism seriously.

You were one among ten photographers worldwide to be invited to publish a collection of nudes titled 'Nudi' with Motta Editore, Milan. How different was it to work on this project as compared to shooting for your highly acclaimed publication Women?
I didn’t work on the project. The publisher had seen some of my work with nudity, introduced to her by my friend and fellow photographer, Jeff Dunas. She liked the work and invited me to contribute. So it was work I had already done that featured in the book.

You don’t follow contemporary trends and stick to your individualistic style. Does this make your work that much more challenging?
I think it is much easier for me to follow my own path. Maybe it doesn’t sit well in some trendy “art” circles but for me I don’t really have a choice. Either I follow my own or I give up photography and do something else.

You are one of the Epson 'Masters' in the worldwide Epson Pro programme. Can you tell us more about it?
I think it’s a wonderful forum. I find Epson doing more in the field of photography than most other corporations. They are much closer to photographers’ needs and especially in the area of digital printing, they are constantly listening to what the photographers want and come up with solutions. It’s a dialogue that’s very rewarding for us image makers. I am delighted to be an Epson Master.

	Quick 7: Your Favourite Printer: The one I am waiting for- The Epson 4990! Your Favourite Shoot: My last shoot for Conde Nast Traveller in Sri Lanka. Your Preferred Location: Goa. It is home and my favourite place. Favourite Photographer: No such thing! Most memorable story: Shooting portraits of a certain woman and discovering that she was actually a man. Current photographers you like: Too many to list here. Toughest day at work: Any day with certain Bollywood types.

Photos by Prabuddha Dasgupta | Fotosocial