This week is perfect to zoom your lens on Bappa, using these handy tips from avid photographers
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Picture this: The air is tinged with hues of red, yellow and green as colours are splashed everywhere. Thousands of devotees fill the streets with chants of Ganpati Bappa Morya, dwarfed by giant idols that make their way to the city's beaches for immersion. If you're keen to frame this scene for posterity, join this Ganpati Visarjan photowalk.
To be conducted by Prerna Kale and Hitesh Baldota, members of Facebook group MumbaiOgraphy, the walk begins in Dadar West and moves to Shivaji Park, where you can take candid shots under their guidance. "We chose to host the walk on the fifth day because the crowds are still manageable. This will be helpful for women photographers," says Baldota. Carry a DSLR or a point-and-shoot camera. While a 35mm or 50mm prime lens is ideal, you can also carry 18-55 or 55-200mm lens.
On September 1
Time 5 pm onwards
Meeting pont Plaza Cinema, Dadar West.
Call 9975198449
'Find an angle no one else has'
It's important to try and innovate when it comes to visarjan pictures, because it's likely that the frame you've clicked is the same one that 50 others have. In 1991, when all the photojournalists I knew were waiting at Girgaum Chowpatty to take pictures of the idols being immersed, I got on a fisherman's boat and asked him to take me out to a spot in the sea from where I could capture the visarjan.
The resultant shot stood out from the rest in the next day's paper. The next year, when all the photojournalists could be found on boats out in the sea, where was I?âÂÂÂu00c2u0080ÂÂÂu00c2u0088Taking aerial shots from the seat of a helicopter.
'Don't carry expensive equipment'
If you want to be in the thick of the action, it's best to be careful. The crowd has a tendency to get wild, and you don't want to fall victim to their euphoria-driven antics. I remember a girl once carried a camera worth around R7 lakh, belonging to the college where she was studying, thinking it would help her get better pictures. Instead, thanks to the crowd, the camera was destroyed. So, if you're looking to be close to all the action, it's better to go in with inexpensive equipment.
Mukesh Parpiani, former photojournalist and head of photography at Piramal Gallery
'Don't use a flash'
If you're shooting the visarjan late in the evening, avoid using a flash while taking pictures. You will miss out on capturing the mood if you do. Instead, play around with the ISO and exposure settings on your camera, and make as much use of the light available to you.
For instance, the halogen street lights at Girgaum Chowpatty, although not too bright, will go a long way in adding character to your images.
Vishal Patil
'Decide on a narrative'
Even before you step into the visarjan, create a storyboard in your head — do you want to shoot a compilation of idols, or create a photo-story with the idols and devotees in the background? If it is the former, you can stand at a distance and take straight, clean shots of five or 10 idols. However, if you want to capture the movement, you need to get into the crowd and move around.
'Carry one set of lens'
Due to the excessive crowds, photographers avoid carrying extra lens. For capturing the ambience, go for wide-angle shots and to highlight the traditions, opt for tight close-ups or mid-shots.
Mulchand K Dedhia, founder, Photo Konnect
Some other challenges
> Beware of selfie-takers. They will appear in the frame out of nowhere, and can ruin the shot. Don't hesitate to request them to step aside.
> Be aware of your limits. Photographers are usually not allowed to click photographs of broken statues floating in water as it depicts the negative side of the festival. Due to concerns, cops also don't allow us to go into the water and take shots.
Prerna Kale
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