Tarun Khiwal was the first Indian photographer to win the Hasselblad Masters Award. He tells Fotoflock.com how despite his success he still believes that the beauty of life, and photography, is in its simplicity.

You have won many awards including the Hasselblad Masters Award, the Epson Stylus Pro, the F-Award, the Asian Photography Award, the My Style Lycra Award and Kingfisher Fashion photographer. Which award are you most proud of and why?
They’re all special; after all, with every award you get to know that people are liking your work, which gives you confidence. However, the Hasselblad Masters Award is very special to me as it is a very respected award and I was the first person to receive it in India. Even when I was a kid and even when I was starting off as a photographer, I dreamt of shooting with the Hasselblad camera. As a result that particular award is special to me.

You gave up your career as an engineer in order to become a full-time photographer. What challenges did you face in the process?
The biggest challenge was answering the question “now what?” I hadn’t trained as a photographer and there were no photography schools in India at that time (even today there aren’t too many photography schools here and they aren’t too good). So everything I learnt, I learnt from the school of life; for example by assisting many different photographers. In some ways this was even better than attending a photography school as I got more experience.

Are there any photographers whose work has inspired you?
Yes, many: Steven Meisel, David Lachappelle, Albert Watson, Jean-Baptiste Mondino. Here in India I have been inspired by Prabuddha Dasgupta and Bharat Sikka. However, it is important to point out that these people inspired me to become a photographer; not to copy them. Nobody wants to be ‘part two’ of a famous photographer, no matter who that photographer is.

Was the decision not to copy other photographers’ work a conscious decision?
In the beginning it wasn’t a conscious decision. However, when you leave a photographer, there is a period of time when your work looks like theirs. The challenge is to come out of the shadow of the photographer you’ve been working with and develop your own style. You need to learn the craft; not the style. If you learn the style then you haven’t really understood photography in-depth.

You firmly believe in “the magic of photography through capturing life rather than still matter.” Please elaborate on this statement.
As I said, all my education has been from the school of life. So I get my inspiration from people, from real life. When the model comes in front of me, when I see the garments that I’ll be working with, something happens inside of me and everything just falls in place. Or rather, 99% of the time things fall in place. I don’t worry too much about making mistakes; I just listen to my heart.

You say that you’re “obsessively basic” in your approach to life. Why is this?
Frankly I don’t know complicated things and I don’t like them. I think that people have lost the simplicity of life; they don’t believe in simple things any more.

You have photographed many celebrities including film stars, sports stars and politicians. What challenges do these shoots present?
The only problem with shooting celebrities is that they are very guarded people. They are always asking for other people’s opinions and “does this look ok?” As a result, you very rarely see photographs of celebrities that are in-depth, that you give you a true idea of the person; they are usually very glamorous and made-up. I’m completely the opposite – the first person I want to impress is myself and if others don’t like my work it doesn’t matter to me.
When I photographed Shahrukh Khan, when we were discussing the shoot, he asked me how he should dress for the shoot. I told him that if he just came wearing a white shirt, black trousers and a pair of chappals then that would be fine with me. So he arrived wearing just that. Then he asked me “where do you want me to sit?” I said “wherever you want”. So he sat on the floor and I shot him there. Many people have since told me that that photo of Shahrukh Khan is their favourite photo of him. And the reason it is so popular is that I was not shooting Shahrukh Khan, the film star, but Shahrukh Khan the human being.

Your career has taken you all over India and indeed the world. What have you gained from this experience?
It’s what’s made me who I am today. During my travels I have met so many different people and the way they walk, they way the talk, their reactions to my questions etc. are what inspires me.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers today?

I’m very much a people’s photographer and I believe it is very important to have an interaction with the model before shooting, to establish a connection with them. To do that you need to have a minimum number of people in the studio and the people who are there need to be told not to talk loudly or shout etc. Then you need to have a dialogue with the model and just wait for the magic to happen. I try not to direct too much: rather than showing the model a photograph of Naomi Campbell and asking “why don’t you sit like this?” I tell them “this is your space; do what you want to do”. I make them feel that, at that moment, they are the most beautiful woman in the world for me. And once that happens, their confidence level increases and the way they move changes. There’s an exchange of energy between the model and the photographer and that’s when I start shooting.
Today, so much of photography is pre-decided. The layout is ready and we just complete the task, like machines.  For example, in advertising work, you need to deliver what they want. That’s why I prefer editorial work – because you can go beyond that, you can experiment a little.  I’ve just finished two stories for Elle magazine, which I really enjoyed because they gave me the freedom to shoot they way I liked.

In an interview back in 2005, you mentioned your desire to photograph the Dalai Lama and Madonna. Is this still an ambition?
Yes and I would also like to shoot Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp. I want to shoot these people because they have so much character on their faces, so much personality. And I know that that day will come. When I started out my ambition was to have one of my photos published in a local magazine in Lucknow, and look where I am today. So I know that everything will fall in place.

You have become one of India’s most sought after photographers yet you also have two young children. How do you find the balance between work and family life?
It’s very easy actually because when I reach home nobody gives a s**t that I’m a photographer. When I’m in Delhi I drop my son at school every day and I always make sure that I’m home by five. When I reach home, I forget all about photography and, the next day, I’m recharged.
A lot of people unnecessarily pretend to be what they are not. I don’t carry that weight around with me because as soon as you carry that weight things start to go wrong. I believe in the simplicity of life.

Photos by Tarun Khiwal | Fotosocial