Chiiz Volume 11 : Macro Photography

Swapnoleena Sen
Delhi, India
Dichotomy
50mm F/1.8 1/160s ISO800
A WORKSHOP BY JEET MUKERJI
It’s dark. It’s forbidden. It’s frowned upon.
But aren’t all the things worth doing are?
Delve into the magical world of fine art
figure study and learn the craft from the
master himself. Join fine art photography
expert Jeet Mukerji for a two-day immersion
into everything you need to know to
conceptualize, style and shoot photographs
that double as works of art as he shows rather
than tells the finer aspects of the marvel that
is fine art figure study.
MUSES, a one-of-its-kind photography
workshop, is one big opportunity to explore
your inner artist that often gets lost in the
bland bedlam that we call our everyday lives.
The second phase of Muses is scheduled to take
place in Mumbai. If you are a photographer
and have a love for fine art photography or
want to explore the genre, then missing out
on Muses photography workshop would be
akin to a cardinal sin.
The first phase of Muses, Muses En Delhi,
has already transpired and has left all those in
attendance in a trance. The workshop initially
started with some apprehension from the
side of the participants which soon dissipated
as the workshop progressed, leaving the
participants in awe and confidence that with
the right control of light, the most decadent of
shots can turn into sensual works of art.
In this genre of photography, understanding
the concept of light holds a lot of bearing.
To this end, a few exercises were practised
to make the participants perceive the source
and the path of light as projection of light
is something which needs to be felt and not
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setup. This concept aids in creating drama and
enigma around the subject, hence creating
an impression of implied nudity among the
viewers. This is something that distinguishes
vulgarity from fine art abstraction.
For the first day of the workshop, a small talk
on lighting adjustments for fine art figure
study shoot followed by a live demo shoot
with the model were on the agenda. From
explaining how to choose your model to the
type of conversations that a photographer has
with the model and how to set up lights, every
topic was discussed. It was an unlearning
of predefined notions and unearthing new
lessons, much to the edification of the
participants. The participants were later
asked to work independently based on what
Jayant Sidana
Delhi, India
they learnt in the workshop. The photographs
clicked by the participants were then
processed the next day as they learnt the finer
nuances of post-processing. The workshop
was an overall enlightening experience and
the results are now on display.
As Erol Ozan wisely said, “Some beautiful
paths can't be discovered without getting
lost.” Lost we got in the heady passion of the
photographers, lost we got in the dark atelier,
illuminated only by the strobe lights, only
to find within ourselves an artist, capable of
creating wonders with just a click.
By Priyashi Negi
Jeet Mukerji-Behind the Scenes
Canon EOS 80D 50mm F/1.8 1/400s ISO2500