 The photograph stares back at you. A feeling and
emotion captured at the right moment, frozen and framed for
posterity.
I pass on to the next photograph and
again stand mesmerised by the black and white photograph. This time
the subject's mood is ecstatic. The pure vibrant joy of dancing that
only a maestro can achieve. I marvel at the photographer's uncanny
ability in capturing the very soul and essence of the subject. The
venue was the 'coffee' pub in the premises of the music college and
the occasion was an exhibition of a few black and white photographs
of famous musicians and dancers by Arvind R. Krishna. The collection
of photographs speaks volumes about the person behind the
camera.
 The
art
Arvind R. Krishna is 26 years old and
has many feathers to his cap. He is a photojournalist, a Carnatic
vocalist and a mandolin player, besides being a software engineer
(presently in the U.S.) A typical Arvind Krishna photograph is
impossible to ignore. He lets the artiste to dominate the shot. Dark
backgrounds showing unlit backdrops create a definite mood. Black
and white photographs shot without flash (so that the artiste is not
disturbed during performance). The film used is Kodak T max Ilford
PAN 400 ASA, plus 100 ASA rolls that have been pushed to as high as
1600 ASA. Often underexposed to register only the required details,
the prints are over developed to bring more white to the highlights,
creating interesting effects. In the present collection he has
captured such eminent musicians as Mandolin U. Srinivas, T.V.
Gopalakrishnan, Rajam Iyer, Sowmya, Balamuralikrishna etc. Some
dancers like Anitha Ratnam, Revathi, Shobana also are
featured.
 His
passionate love for the camera was sparked off when he came to an ad
agency looking out for a shooting schedule. It so happened that the
agency was on the lookout for a specific photograph of an incident
that had occurred in the city. Something Arvind Krishna's keen eyes
had documented in his portfolio, along with photographs centred on
art, culture and political themes! He has since worked with India's
leading newspapers, magazines and ad agencies.
Frozen moments
Arvind Krishna himself a musician and
student of Mandolin U. Srinivas, and a rasika - enjoys a good vibe
with fellow musicians. This results, of course, in stunning
photographs. Pieces of frozen music. Arvind was able to pursue his
photojournalism with lot of encouragement from his parents. What
started as a hobby became a serious pursuit. A number of Arvind
Krishna's photographs combine his deep interest in music with his
behind-the-lens expertise. Arvind Krishna has a good portfolio -
both in colour and black and white - of various south Indian
dancers, Hindustani, Carnatic, Pop and other musicians. Arvind
Krishna has created portfolios for a considerable number of
musicians and dancers.
The exhibition was inaugurated by the
rhythm veteran T. H. Vinayakaram on 15.12.2000. He appreciated
wholeheartedly and said that all his photographs have life in them.
His special remark was that the photograph of Sri Semmangudi
impressed him. He felt as though Semmangudi has come alive to sing
with him.
The exhibition will be open for one
month, delighting the hearts of all photography enthusiasts and
music lovers.
By Girija
Subramanian
(ark commercials)
More
Articles | 
