There’s so much to say but so little time.
Yet, ChandraSekhar Singh, the Personality of the Month for December, has tried his best to encapsulate his life with camera in few words.

Over 500 weddings and more than a lakh pictures old, ChandraSekhar’s camera and his keen eye never seems to be tired.

A purview of the Journey of a Banker and photographer ChandraSekhar.
Whistles

How has the journey of visual arts been so far?

At the age of 17, in early 1990s, my career took off that too in a Dark Room. ‘Dark Room’ is the place we process the film and the photograph. I learnt all the basics in Photography from an Editor of a Daily Newspaper. It was something thrilling to capture life on a ‘negative film’ and give it a ‘positive form’.

From that day my journey in Photography started and the journey is still on. My first assignment was our Ex-Chief Minister Late Mr.NTR. I still remember the day I entered his personal meditation room for a photo shoot. And my first earning was Rs.27.50 ps.

I did a short term course from a Photography School and then my Graduation. During my graduation, I used to appear for the competitive examinations on weekends and before I could complete my graduation, I had offers pouring in and I had to join the Govt. Sector in Banking Service. That was a period when, getting a government job was a big boon.

At the age of 21 I joined the service. I still kept my education going and I did my Masters is Hindi Literature and a PG diploma in Translation. Today my job profile doest have much scope for freedom, creativity nor involvement.

A place where an individual cannot think beyond the job and think bigger even though if he/she has the potential to make a bigger impact. I realised it’s the environment and the people around which make a big difference.

At the age of 24, I was married, when I was just in Service and my wife 19 was still pursuing her graduation. Shortly we had two kids [now Anurag (17) and Gayathri (15) ] happily staying with my parents and my brother’s family.

What are your other interests or passion?

Trekking and mounteneering was my another passion. I just go mad when I see snow capped mountain peaks. I had been to three high altitude Himalayan expeditions. Both my passions Trekking and Photography have many similarities. Whenever I scale a new peak I always think ‘where next’ and whenever I take best picture I feel ‘what next’. My endeavour to scale new heights was always on.

How has life been since you pursued your passion?

I want to share an incident which really changed my perspective towards life. It was in 1989 there was a small fire accident in our house in which some art works, books and some family photographs got burnt. I tried my best to save them but could not do that and I lost some of our family memories.

That day I literally cried and I realized that moments are precious. And from that day I realized that Photography is ‘the’ medium which I love. And Photography played an important role in my life. Though it has also become a part of my profession today, I take it more as a passion …. always with me.

The subjects I documented are of varied interest. I travelled to some of the most inhospitable and remote areas across India. Clicked some of the rarest events at the riskiest places.

I never had a count but I had clicked nearly two lakh images during last 22 years. During this process I could meet people from all sections in India. I could learn and see their lifestyle from common people to celebrities, I could interact with many – from new borns to centenarians. I could get the feel of the poorest and the richest.

[ROADIES at HYDERABAD]

I feel this particular field is more of studying people, reading their mind, heart and eyes and ofcourse capture them for posterity. I worked on Travel, Landscapes, Street life, Rural India, Historical Monuments, People, Fairs, Festivals, Rituals, Industries, Agriculture, Medicine, Advertising, table top, fashion and weddings.

What is your aim/aspiration in this field of photography?

Wedding Photography is my ultimate passion and must have clicked more than 500 weddings across India from all religions and cultures. It all started when I had a burning desire to capture moments at my elder brother’s wedding and I ended up buying my first SLR. I feel lucky and blessed for being part of a ‘lifetime celebration’ called ‘Wedding’. Watching the rituals, emotions and the fun from close quarters makes me happy and I never leave them go – I capture them to cherish all through the life for the loved ones.

I believe that there are some very special moments which are meant to be immortalized in the mind. Immortality is the key to every picture and my pictures should live many lifetimes. Its feel, its emotional value will be passed on for generations and can never be measured in terms of money. In Photography, being able to express my creativity is what drives me. As I said moments are precious and this is the only medium where we can relive every moment.

Design direction and Film Making are the other two areas where I am really passionate about. It is said ‘If you want to know what is Film Making – try make one’. And I made one. Truely – making a film is one of the most toughest and also a challenging medium for creative artists. I made my first short film titled Homecoming, based on a few childhood memories with a message that ‘happiness is always around us – we rarely recognise it’. I could pull in people around me – my neighbours, childhood friends and also family. I shot the film at the locations where I spent my childhood. I had also participated in three inernational film festivals and my film was accepted and screened at the Chicago Short Film Festival 2010.

There is a proverb : Life starts at Forty
Today I strongly belive even this

You have been in this field since years. How has the passion evolved?

There was a time when I used to go alone with a bag/rucksack on my shoulders and a camera hung on my neck for clicking pictures, pursuing my passion. Today with the blessing of online groups and invasion of digital photography, I feel there are thousands who are just like me – capturing life and happiness in different forms.

This is one of the first pictures taken in 1982 with a 120 film TLR box camera – Raymonds Toumb

And I came across the Hyderabad Weekend Shoots on Flickr based in Hyderabad and today I am one of the curators. I felt this is the right place I love and been there for more than three years and today proud to say that it is one of most active online photo groups in India. At Team HWS we could accomplish many innovative projects related to photography.

Today if I am asked about my aspiration in the field of photography ~ I would say that I love to make anything possible and share all the knowledge I have for the sake of a passionate photo enthusiast. There are many Colleges, Schools and clubs which teach Photography but I feel some things have to be self learnt. Finding and nurturing people in Photography with the right attitude and train them is my primary interest.

“There are some who can see their potential within themselves; there are some who need to be informed,”. I feel the right talent needs to be nurtured at the right time.

Just like every field has some secrets for success, Photography too has some untold secrets, which are not shared or rarely shared. I would love to share those experiences which make all the difference.

Tell us more about your online group, HWS

Team HWS:

At Team HWS, meeting people of all ages and coming from different background is making me learn many things. At Photography, every individual with different background will have a different interpretation. I can see the varied energy levels and creative skills in different age groups. They just lack the right guidance and channeling them the right way. These days I love to groom those skills for the right person. I feel really proud when I see people taking up photography and pursuing seriously. I am sure I can guide and bring out atleast 10 young, best and top creative artists in the field of Photography from India in the coming few years. I am always on the lookout of a person with the right attitude to give all that I have.

My endeavour for motiviating young minds and bring out the creative skills was always on and this has paved way to start ‘Ignite Hyderabad’ and today I am one of the nine curators at Ignite. Being a part of ignited souls is the biggest boon and an opportunity God has bestowed upon me. I am sure I can definitely give back a lot to the society.

Many keep asking how I manage doing different things. I simply say I just do what I love ~ I love my work, pursue my passions and love my family all three in perfect sync. Whatever I do they fit in these three and nowhere else

Twenty years from now I have many dreams to fulfill and the one on top of the list is being a Social Entrepreneur. Being used to at designing new things I feel why cant we reDesign our future and fulfill our dreams.

David A Williams said: “A camera is a device that connects your eyes to the heart” – I truely believe this and connect to it personally – I would like to be remembered for the joy, happiness, and sometimes the sorrow, my images evoke. Perhaps 50 years from now, I may not be remembered but my images will. After all I have just completed 42 years and I have 58 full years ahead to fulfil all my dreams.

Can you sum up your life so far in few words

LIFE IS COLOURFUL…… LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL …… LIFE IS PRICELESS
LETS ENJOY AND RELIVE EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE

This is the philosophy I live by today and I would like to share how it has shaped my life.

My childhood memories are still fresh and the memories still linger before me. My first day at school, crying for long – school days, friends and the rainy days which used to drench us with our school bags. I still remember all the games which I used to play during our childhood. Those colourful marbles, gilli danda and the galli cricket. But I also missed some things during my childhood. At the age of eight, I used to wait with my school dress and my bag eagerly at the bus stand …. for my mother to come from office. As soon as she gets down, I used to search her bag for something which she always used to get .. a corn or an apple. At the age of nine I used to help my mother in her dialy work as she used to come little late after work in the evening. I used to cook after my school hours.

Right from my childhood I always used to have a dream, a dream of achieving something new, which nobody has achieved and whatever I do I think of doing it with utmost dedication and with a difference.

Within few years I completed my schooling and college. Almost all my classmates were having an aim to become a Doctor or an Engineer I was still not inclined to any particular line. I used to do what my hearts says – I wanted to pursue something different. I love Art & Artists in every form ~ Music, painting, writings, poetry, actors, photography.

For any query, regarding photography,
On Fb, https://www.facebook.com/csekhars
Or e-mail : sekhar@rediffmail.com