The photographer now has a coffee table book to her credit - Hydandseek. It's collage of the colours, textures, and moods of the streets of Hyderabad. The pages of the book are peopled by happy souls that don't have a care in life. Says Lakshmi, "It is a collection of both my past and more recent work."
Lakshmi speaks of how her art
teacher encouraged her drawing abilities and the talent to think in visuals during
her schooling in Bahrain. She avers, “I chose engineering in class 12th,
this was when my thinking actually got a lot more three-dimensional.” But her
journey as a photographer per se started much later. Says she, “My brother lent
me his shoot-at-point camera during my college days and then, I clicked whatever
I found interesting. I tried my hand at various other genres like abstract
photography, nature and people.” She adds, “Slowly, I found that street
photography is what I liked doing.” She never ceases to look for interesting
moments to shoot.
This photographer who has no
official training in her field had showcased in Alankrita, an ace art gallery
in the city, many years ago and still continues to showcase at different
galleries in Hyderabad. One of her past collaborations, Hyderabad Diary 2011, a
diary publication by Hindi Milaph, presents snapshots by a group of talented
local photographers. The diary features candid shots in the Nizami city’s lanes
and by-lanes.
One of Lakshmi’s “personal projects” is “to
document lesser known monuments in the city that will do with better
maintenance.” Sitarambagh Temple, Hayat Bakshi Mosque, Patancheru Tombs, Purani
Idga, Moula Ali Dargah, and Sarai
Khana (a royal guest house built by one of the prominent Nizams in his time) are
some of the sites in her list. Says she as she shares a breath-taking picture
of Hayat Bakshi Mosque post-renovation, “These are places many people do not even
know exist.” She agrees that tourists as well as locals get to enjoy only ‘popular
sights’ like Salar Jung Museum, Charminar, Hussain Sagar and tacky amusement
parks.
Many of these monuments are under threat due to air
pollution caused due to industries among other things. Patancheru Tomb is a
typical example. Among her prominent
subjects are Jama Masjid and Idga Masjid. Within the premises of the mosque lie
the ruins of an old Turkish bath. The Jama Masjid remains one of the principal
places of worship in the city. Interestingly, prayers are offered only twice a
year at Idga – on Eid-Ul-Fitr and Bakreed.
Lakshmi
gushes, “I love the spontaneity of the people of. They still hang out at
Irani Chai cafes to chat about their favourite stars - there is no sense of hurry in them. Also, in the heart of the city, unlike in the old city, is it tough to click people pictures without the subjects getting
self-conscious.” But has Hyderabad
changed in all these years especially since she started off her love affair
with the camera which was in 2005? “The distinction between the old and new is
stronger now – the two don’t interact much.”
She mentions Raghu Rai and French photographer
Claude Renault among her favourites. She opines, “A photograph must tell a
story, it is not just meant to be pretty. I loved Raghu Rai shot of a corpse on
the shores of Yamuna with Taj Mahal as the backdrop.” There is a grand tomb
right behind the corpse and the corpse in itself is lying unattended! She signs off, “Photography is only 20
percent technique and the rest is art. Composing something a sight you see into
a photograph is also art.” But points out that a photographer breaks the rule
of composition when he is emotionally drawn to a sight.
To get your copy of Hydandseek by Lakshmi Prabhala visit: https://www.flipkart.com/hydandseek-visual-tribute-hyderabad/p/itme7y9up3gbtpyr?lid=LSTBOK97881920533258PATUD&pid=9788192053325
To get your copy of Hydandseek by Lakshmi Prabhala visit: https://www.flipkart.com/hydandseek-visual-tribute-hyderabad/p/itme7y9up3gbtpyr?lid=LSTBOK97881920533258PATUD&pid=9788192053325
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