Jaspal Jandu Q&A
Background
How did you get started in photography?
Most of the photographers I know
started small. No-one picks up a very expensive panoramic or large format
camera and starts shooting - it just doesn't work that way. My personal
journey began with a disposable film camera. From there, I remember travelling
around with one of the first 3-megapixel cameras and creating some small
but fairly impressive panoramic images on my laptop. Although I now shoot
on a pretty esoteric film-based camera (Linhof
617), the principle has
always remained the same - i.e. the transmission of my hopes, thoughts
and desires through a photographic medium.
What's your background?
I am
a professionally trained economist by trade and it’s something which
I still enjoy debating to this day. Although as part of my ‘formal
background’ I have mixed with a pretty fascinating bunch of people,
I have always tried to explore other, more artistic, areas
of interest for personal balance. There's a great quote from
Leonardo da Vinci which
states that one should aim to "...study the science of art and the
art of science". I guess in this vein, it's healthy keeping one cerebral
hemisphere active with photography and the other with something
completely different now and again.
Who or what inspires you?
A creative endeavor cannot
commence without inspiration. First and foremost, one need
not look further than Mother Nature for she has beauty, power
and symmetry beyond imagination.
In photographic terms, I enjoy collecting prints from
Ansel Adams, Joe Cornish and Ken Duncan. I have had the privilege
to shoot with
both Joe and Ken and I consider them masters in their respective
fields. Taking in a trip to Africa with Ken was one of the
most enjoyable periods
of my life and it ended up inspiring me in a major way. If
you ever bump into me - or Ken for that matter - ask about
being chased (fully laden
with camera gear) by a bull elephant in Zimbabwe. If there
was ever going to be a single moment which pushed me to live
a life less ordinary then
it was probably that one.
The Visual Process
What makes a special photograph?
A special photograph has the ability
to totally immerse the viewer in another space. There is a magical moment
- I call it the 'Wow Reflex' - when a person reacts to a special image.
Within a millisecond the jaw drops, the pupils dilate, the arms unfold.
Although I am sure there are numerous psychological studies devoted
to this neurological response, the one key take-away is that it is totally
and utterly sub-conscious - you just cannot fake it. I'm not saying
that everyone's photos have to be this way, but if one of my personal
transparencies does not illicit such reflex from me then it is rejected.
Harsh but fair, I guess.
Why panoramic?
There is something intrinsically
epic about the panoramic format. For example, I'm sure if you
watched Lawrence of Arabia or even Lord of the Rings in a square aspect
ratio,
you would inevitably loose some of the sweeping cinematic experience
contained within. The panoramic frame (especially when printed
large and viewed close) requires the eye to scan from side-to-side.
This is
exactly the way the human brain works in real life and it is
a testament to the format that panoramic prints require little or no
dominant feature
to convey a total visual experience.
Why landscapes?
My own childhood
memories of growing up in London are ones of concrete and rain.
You can imagine how as the child of first generation Indian
parents my first
trips to the seaside absolutely blew my mind. I remember asking
someone if you had to pay to swim in the sea! In some cities
around the world
you now hear of kids getting stabbed for mobile phones and
its all insane. Their ‘landscape’ is one of roads, pollution and material
gratification. I am fortunate; I have been to many places and have been
lucky enough to do some pretty intense things. Is there a potential
photographic master out there in the urban wilderness? You bet there
is. Do I feel an obligation to inspire some of the not so fortunate
young people from where I grew up? You bet I do.
[Editors Note: Jaspal Jandu Ltd donates a proportion of all sales to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]
The Future
What keeps you going?
Tough one. All I can say is that there is a natural
'buzz' you get when you see a properly shot, properly composed transparency
on the light box. It’s completely indescribable. The buzz will get
you up at 3am in the morning, will get you hanging out of the sides of
helicopters, will get you climbing mountains of sand or snow. Then you
open up a copy of National
Geographic and realise how much more there’s
left to explore…
What or where is the future?
At some point we will
enter a completely digital world. Digital cameras will soon
be able to capture the saturation, vibrancy and sharpness of today's best
films. In
spatial terms, photography is essentially a 2D representation
of a 3D world and although I can't say too much on this at the moment,
I'm pretty sure
that certain imaging and viewing technologies will bring about
a new wave of photographic immersion. Irrespective of technology though,
the basic
rules of timing, light and composition will continue to make
special pictures special - we aren’t going to change the 'Wow Reflex' just yet…
Warm regards
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