Sonu Sangameswaran gets into chat mode with Madhur Shroff, one of India’s top fashion and glamour photographers. And treats us to some vintage Madhur – taciturn, tongue-in-cheek and testy by turns! Read on for a glimpse into what lies behind the lenses.

You’ve had quite an illustrious career with work spanning across everything from advertising to beauty. How do you feel today knowing that you can work in multiple fields?
Photography started as a hobby. I did not assist anyone, nor did I take up any formal education in the subject. I used to shoot pictorial images as a hobby. I shot a lot of experimental images and my engineering background helped me develop logical and analytical skills as far as technique and lighting were concerned. So when I undertook any assignment, I would do a detailed study as to how I would approach the shoot technically; that helped me get good results, always. Mind you; those days we shot on film and there was no screen to look at.

Have you had to say ‘No’ to a lot of projects in your career?
Yes. More so these days. A lot of compromise has set foot in the business today. People expect you to work for ultra small budgets and expect international quality. What they do not realize is that if the inputs such as locations, models, stylist etc (which require finance) are not good, the output will suffer— no matter how good the photographer is. Clients too are getting penny wise and pound foolish. They spend a lot on the media but are miserly when it comes to producing good images to publish.

Tell us a little about why you decided to focus on glamour photography.
I did not decide on becoming a photographer in the first place. It just happened. Likewise with glamour. I just like to think that I am good at shooting people. Be it in any style, manner or circumstance. At the end of the day, glamour is nothing but a sub-set of portraiture. It’s just a mindset that you get into at that point of time.

We understand you worked as a computer engineer. How difficult was it making a decision to switch over to photography?
I just drifted into the field. I shot friends who were models over weekends, and when art directors and coordinators saw those pictures, they offered me jobs. Also the art director’s word on photographer selection was final those days— unlike today where some client servicing flunky pesters you for estimates and haggles over price without bothering about quality, or justifying the cost by discussing your approach.

Having done so much advertising photography, do you recount some particularly great shoots?
Each job is a new challenge. Some interesting shoots that I have done in the recent past were for Nivea, Jet Airways, Liril, Castrol, BPL, Idea, Durex, Reliance, Sony, Edelweiss, LG, Bharti AXA Life, Shoppers’ Stop, Pepsodent, Surf, Samsung to name a few.

Do you admire any contemporary photographers nationally and/or internationally?
Nationally speaking the so called famous page 3 photographers are hyped by the media and do pathetic work actually. Internationally, in the present day scenario, Nick Knight, Nadav Kander, Mondino, David La Chappel and Max Vadukul, are some people whose work I like.

Are there any stars you particularly like to work with when it comes to glamour photography?
Not really.

What kind of advice do you have for photographers who want to get a foot into the industry?
It’s too late to enter. There is too much of cost cutting and undercutting. It’s the era of 3 estimates and usually the lowest bidder wins. No body cares about quality any more, and the industry is celebrating mediocrity. If you still want to enter, do that but don’t say you weren’t WARNED…

Please share an often overlooked tip that can help users improve their photography skills.
Everyone from an amateur to a pro overlooks some aspect of a picture or the picture taking process due to many reasons. All I can say is that keeping an open mind and always keep thinking of new methods and styles. But the bottom line is that you must be good technically so that technique becomes like second nature to you and you are not conscious of it during the process of image taking.

On the technical front, do you think digital photography has killed film?
Do not rely on digital too much without knowing the basics as far as exposure technique is concerned. I believe that if you shoot film well, you understand digital better. It has its advantages, commercially speaking. It’s the same as email killing postal services, or Photoshop killing conventional air brush art. Technology continues to replace skill. 

Have you ever faced rejection with your work?
Not photographically speaking. Some good ad campaigns have not seen the light of day due to other reasons such as research, or change of product position etc.

What’s a typical day for Madhur Shroff?
Between my career as a photographer to my hobby as a landscape, wildlife and fine art photographer, to my passion as a national level pistol shooter, each day is different. ‘Typical days’ are for people with 9 to 6 jobs.

Photos by Madhur Shroff | Fotosocial