Photographer Kaushik Dolui on his new project Transformation

Born in Howrah, West Bengal, India but currently working and living in Kolkata, Kaushik Dolui graduated and completed Master Degree in Economics from Calcutta University. In his childhood days, he did the drawing and painting, later in his mid-twenties he developed an interest in photography. We conducted a short interview about his latest project Transformation.

Kaushik Dolui

How did you begin to develop an interest on photography? 

In my childhood days, I did the drawing and painting, later in my mid-twenties I developed an interest in photography. I also completed a photography course form a local institution in Howrah, during the period of analog era. Earlier for two/three years casually I used to send photographs in different national/ international salons but without any success. My first international acceptance came from a FIAP salon of Hongkong in the year 2005. Slowly I started thinking about it seriously and decided to move on further. Later I participated in different photographic salons under FIAP and PSA patronages and won many awards/acceptances over the time and it is still continuing and received Excellence FIAP Honors from Federation de l’Art Photographique in 2009. Published/selected many times in Dodho(6 times), 24 works as editor's favorite in Nat Geo, Monovisionawards, iphotographeroftheyear (silver-award 2017 ), photoawards, ndawards, fineartphotoawards, 35awards, photographize magazine (issue no 38) , px3, tzipac, fotodng, 1x, moscowfotoawards, Annualphotoawards, DNG Magazine(Issue no-156), thecrazymind, jaamzin, Photoimaginart, monovisions (interview), tagree, theflyingfruitbowl edgeofhumanity and Gold winner in Tokyo foto awards 2018(tifa) in fine art/collage category  

Amongst all the awards and acceptances, which is the most interesting or exciting for you? Why, and which work was it for?

Certainly there were some works where I involved myself more passionately gave me immense pleasure when that works were rewarded. But at the same time some works failed to do so. Anyway I never give up. There are some works namely ‘Different moods’ Modern living’ Parallel lines II, Time of Departure etc. had been the most rewarding. In some cases I tried to convey a social message about the loneliness, despair, anxiety and lastly social isolation of old age people, sometimes I try to unravel loneliness of our modern city life and sometimes adjustable layouts of lines and forms from different perspectives or angels.

What do you want to convey about your current project Transformation?

Consider someone removes your subjectivity from you and merely turns you into an object. In this age of post humanity where people are not treated as subjectively when all time your presence in surveillance map i.e your present and future are programmed. Questions arise, do I have any subjectivity left or should I? The last identity of human being is subjectivity but lastly turns into an object like formation, what will happen then? Here I tried to explore two types of objectivity in our home space as well as outer space and in both cases we are treated as an object where subjectivity evaporates into our modern day reality.

How much preparation do you put into taking a photograph/series of photographs?

The first thing I do is to find a concept and sometimes it came to my mind when I am simply walking on a road. I always try to feel everything very closely as a sensitive person in our day to day life. Later I capture or try to construct the same (series) through digital editing. Many ideas come and go , some leave deep impression what motivates me to do something in future. Frequently I stayed in the deep Himalaya during our trekking/ expedition in my early days and now I realized it has intense impact on me particularly in my creative thought process. At the end, photography is an art, which can reflect reality in the early days now we can fabricate it entirely in our times, by setting off reactions and emotions, by appealing to the imagination of the viewer who will re-create it in his/her own thought and sometimes one can find a new meaning to their life. 

Which is your personal favorite style or 'golden rule' that you embrace about composition in photography?

Over the time I always wanted to create something new and in a broad sense something new to this world, not just capture an image or not stealing from reality. I have developed my own style where I can establish my feelings more intensely. I always tried to capture the photographic elements in such a way that later I can develop my dreams, self-expression in a unique way. I try to convey a quiet stillness of emotion with a deep thought to the natural surroundings creating the unique vision. I never tried to stick any rules or styles for a long time .I believe, over the time everything changes and it also affects the thinking of composition in photography.

What is your special way (technique applied) to create intrigue in the minds of the viewer of your photographs? 

No special technique is applied except some modifications so that I can give an idea stated earlier, to my thoughts. And if it can touch the minds of the viewers, I am successful. 

What would you recommend people who want to make photography works of art as yours to start (doing, tools or practices) with? 

Firstly I utter the old saying “always follow your heart”. Nowadays, there are numerous photographic platforms, many salons many awards/ acceptances etc. Everything fine, but what is eternal, we should think about that. Before we die, we can pass this world something new, which the future world will remember and act accordingly.

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