Photography Is About Adapting & Adjusting
The challenges of photography in crowded places
Last year I was invited to participate in a group exhibition. The theme was a broad and general one based on the city I live in — Hyderabad. I decided to photograph the Kacheguda station, an iconic monument built by the Nizam of Hyderabad, Asaf Jah VII in 1916. The building is a pristine white structure with domes and arches that were inspired by the Mughal and Rajasthani architecture.
There was no way one could miss the enchanting presence of the railway station when passing through the neighbourhood. I have memories of getting onto a train a couple of times from this station as a kid but have no particular memory of the journey itself. I remember vividly how even as a child I was struck by its magnificent structure!
Though familiar with the Kacheguda station, it felt like a daunting task when I set out to photograph the place. I always shoot in quieter places, from a vantage point or the car. I maintain a distance from the subject of my photography unless I am amidst nature.
At the station on the other hand, I knew I would have to be right in the middle of crowds and the chaos of people rushing to catch a train or those eager to reach their destination once they had arrived in the city. Not surprisingly, I was greeted with curious stares when I entered the premises with my camera.
Apart from the travellers, the constant set of people one finds at the railway station are the auto wallas (local transport) and the coolies (workers) who carry the luggage for the passengers. And there is also a general public which hangs around the station. So, when I started my work, some of them came forward and offered suggestions, some posed, some acted indifferent and some just stared! The most interesting were the ones who looked curiously in whichever direction I aimed my camera to figure out what I was photographing.
The first visit was not as I had expected it. The timing of the visit was wrong. The station was rather isolated since there were no trains arriving or departing, and it was an extremely hot day. I decided to go back two days later after I had checked the timings of the trains. This time around it became easier. The “station-regulars” recognised me and were not taken aback like the first time around.
The station was buzzing with human activity which made it a vibrant, dynamic, and energetic location. I shot from my DSLR and my mobile camera. When I was done taking pictures of the structure from the outside I managed to walk in with the camera inside as well and took a few pictures. As I mainly focused on the structure I did more of those than of the people.
The name Kacheguda comes from a nearby lake which is now non-existent. Interestingly the station was initially called the Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway. The station connects Hyderabad with other major cities of India. The Indian railways have given it an “A” grade for its efficiency. It is a structure seeped in history and architectural splendour with modern facilities. It is a blend of history and modernity that runs heritage train services like the Deccan Queen and the Kacheguda express while also running the superfast express Vande Bharat.
I had taken pictures of the Kacheguda station for the exhibition but eventually submitted some other photographs for the exhibition as I felt I had not done justice to the station. But that’s the beauty of photography. You grow through the process of taking photos. You learn how to improve, adapt, adjust, modify, and get more creative when you are out there to photograph. To step out and step into challenging situations and locations is also a good experience.
My takeaway from that experience was that when shooting in crowded places, it makes a huge difference if we get to know it as well as possible and also make our presence felt a few times over. People are usually friendly and curious. Everything depends on how one approaches them and their space.
We may not always get that particular photo we are looking for but there is progress for sure every time we try.
