‘When I shoot my subjects I see God in them’

Chennai

Chennai-based L Ramachandran, the first Indian photographer to shoot for Playboy magazine, sounds disarmingly simple when he says that he prefers to speak in Tamil as his English is not very good. It is an admission that is instantly endearing as we settle down for a chat. It also takes me by surprise as communicating effectively with one’s model is crucial to a good shoot session. “I often mimic the pose I want or give directions on where to look at, what to do with hands, angles I am looking for, and so on. You don’t have to necessarily speak the language to be on the same page creatively,” he says.

Born and raised in the small town of Kumbakonam, the 36-yearold self-taught photographer started his career as an assistant photographer with an advertisement agency in Chennai. He later went on to establish his own ad agency, Tharansia, in 2004. He photographed celebrities from south India extensively and shot ads for popular clothing brands. Later, as an art photographer, he did gallery shows in Hong Kong. 

“Although I was learning a lot through all these experiences, I wanted to do more,” says Ramachandran. He wanted to do glamour photography — nude photography, specifically — to capture women in their most natural form, an avenue he could not explore in India given the taboos associated with nudity. “I travelled to various south Asian countries I could afford to and made contacts in Bangkok, Pattaya, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia,” he says.

It was perhaps this unrelenting zeal that urged a film director from Bangkok to recommend Ramachandran to international photographers, Jarmo Pohjaniemi (of Playboy), Gary Cole and Alex Bravincar. Impressed with his work, they invited him for a 14-day photography workshop in Greece in 2012, an opportunity that was a game changer and made him realise his true calling. 

There was more he wanted to pursue. Later that year, he bought a ticket to Los Angeles to attend Playboy ’s one-day seminar, clearly a very long way to come for just a day from the dusty, overcrowded roads of Chennai. “It was a huge risk as I didn’t have any fall back option,” he recalls. 

It was a risk worth taking as he got the opportunity to assist Jarmo Pohjaniemi. There has been no looking back since. “My real education began then. Working with him I understood the finer nuances of this beautiful art. They gave me immense respect and genuine appreciation,” he points out. His work has since won him various awards and been exhibited at wellknown art galleries all over the world. 

A quick scan through his pictures and you can’t help but notice how he captures the alluring forms of the powerful female body with mature artistry and dexterity — these are simple, yet strong, portraits, stripped of paraphernalia. “Clothing dates and defines a culture. It can define the mood of a photograph, which can, in turn, clash with what is intended. Whereas, a nude body can convey thousands of honest human emotions — from solemnity and solitude to  freedom,” he explains with clarity.

One does wonder how he has seamlessly adapted himself to a western style of photography that is like forbidden fruit in India. Ramachandran says he never had any reservations about nudity. “When I see an unclothed woman, I do not see nudity, I see God. When I shoot my subjects in the nude, it’s without a sexual motivation. I want to present the mysteriousness of feminine curves and to play a hide and seek game with lights,” he says. 

Ramachandran says that he has been able to achieve such career goals because of his family’s support, especially his wife’s. “She was apprehensive initially, but now she understands what my work means to me and pushes me to do better,” says Ramachandran. 

Whilst his bold work is appreciated in the West, “There is not much demand for it in India; the curiosity is limited to art lovers. We need to realise that to remove one’s clothing is a physical form of liberation and the ultimate test of self-acceptance. It is nothing to feel ashamed about. Unfortunately, nudity is still considered taboo in the land that gave Kama Sutra to the world. Someday things are bound to change.”

Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!

Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!

Click here for iOS

Click here for Android