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Raghavendra Rao

A gift of the camera is to see, and through seeing, understand a little more about the structure of life and world.

A subject must give and must not be occupied with other things...

... little by little becomes more a definition of approach to way of life."

— Henri Cartier-Bresson

A long innings as a visual man in the newspaper world made many an interesting encounter with people and events possible.

But then came a time, some time in mid-1980s, that one became tired of the continuous demand for negative stories.

This situation arose as the political happenings and politicians became more difficult to understand, making one feel more nervous and worried about the many one covered.

True, many a people, during that period of 20 years in journalism, did make a positive influence to my thinking and understanding of the world. But once I started feeling the emergence of ungainly ethics in the happenings in the country, particularly so in the world of politics and its coverage in the media, a question started haunting me: What would all this mean? How would it impact the younger generation and their concern for their future and that of the country?

This battle within...the disgust and the questioning ultimately led me to a different visual path. I moved away from people in a way, only to be beckoned by nature. In fact, the basics of our existence — the earth and the sky — called out to the visual sense. And there I was looking again; this time with significance, at the mountains, the rivers, the sky, the sea, the trees and yes, at the waves and the leaves. I ran close to them and they responded. And suddenly these visuals... the discovery was a tonic. My eye was now looking at the beautiful and the positive. I began on another journey... a journey to explore intensely the meaningful vista of visuals. Yes, an enquiry and intent brought me close to the world of mystery which was pursued with childlike curiosity and observation.

Once a friend quoted Wordsworth: "In whom persuasion and belief had ripened into faith and faith became a passionate intuition."

Oh yes, it was a new world and I was in it.

But why all this recollection?

On a recent day, feeling a little blue within and wondering whether life is not a seesaw puzzle, I chanced upon this picture of leaves. The radiant hue of pink and red with the criss-cross of twigs in black. It said many things to me, and recalled the times of being in tune with life and nature.

Of course, the question, who says every thing in life is fine, persists. But there is always a silver lining in the cloud. In my case, it is the eye and the visual. The eye `discovered' the leaf one day and photography became an intuitive, intense way of expression, and if need be, an opportunity of plunging into the reality of today. A gift of the camera is to see, and through seeing, understanding a little more about the structure of life and world around.

Yes, in the cluster of leaves I felt the colour of life and the mighty ocean and the waves created an awareness of relationship.

As I write this, the television channels are full of visuals of defeat and victory in the recent elections.

In a rush I turn off the set. And out in the open the moon is opening up and the trees stand silhouetted ...there is a nip in the air.

And a tomorrow to look forward to. There is comfort in the thought that the colours will be out, and the camera will be with me.

Picture by the author

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