Photography is hard work

BANGALORE: You see them at every public function, clicking away to glory at the expense of the spectators’ view. At times, you may even curse them, but the photographers ride through the boneheads who brawl. On December 18, six photojournalists from across the state were given the T S Satyan Memorial Awards for Photojournalism.The awards were presented under six categories. The Lifetime achievement award was received by Yagneshwara Acharya (Yagna) — Mangalore, Best Newspaper Photography by K Gopinathan, Best Professional Photography by Netra Raju — Mysore, Best Magazine Photography by Bhanu Prakash Chandra ­­ — Bangalore, Best Freelance Photography by Regret Iyer — Bangalore and Best Online Photography for Gopal MS. The first edition of the award was in memory of the well-known photojournalist T S Satyan, who is considered one of India’s earliest photojournalists. The award was presented by Governor H R Bharadwaj, who was reminiscent of his association with media persons during his days as a minister. “I am not a journalist, and I am not competent to give you (journalists) advice. But journalism should not bog down to pressure,” said Bharadwaj. Recalling his acquaintances with journalists, he said: “I personally knew fathers of many of today’s journalists. It feels weird when they write or talk against me, as I expect them to respect me,” laughed Bharadwaj. Editor, author and columnist T J S George who was present at the event said, “These are bad times to be in the media, like politics. In the latter, a politician can go to jail, come out and pretend that nothing has happened. Such pretence is not possible for those in the media. We must remember the clean, straight-forward and professional journalism that was followed by Satyan. This award will inspire future photojournalists,” said George. He added that the concept of news photograph had changed over the years. “25 years ago, a news photo meant a minister standing behind a microphone. This has changed tremendously,” he added. K Gopinathan, one of the winners, appreciated the recognition the photojournalists were given. “We look ordinary and shabby, but a lot of hard work goes behind our work. We have to brave rains, cold, winds and any other environmental obstacle to take pictures,” he said. While photojournalism has undergone a paradigm shift in terms of technology, the basic tenets have remained the same, according to K N Shanth Kumar, editor of Prajavani. “With the advent of technology in photography, it takes a lot of effort to produce a bad photo. Photojournalism, according to me, is the combination of the art of photography and discipline of journalism,” he said, stating that Satyan had left behind an indelible influence and inspiration for the present photographers.