“In photography, there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
— Alfred Stieglitz
Seldom photos conceive a hyper-reality which just heightens the actuality and obviously cannot be real. Photography serves as a delicate line linking actuality and fantasy. Points what you desire to see. Having a passion for photography is nothing extra-ordinary but Anurag Banerjee, a budding photographer from Mumbai has been able to intercept millions of cores with his striking abilities. Anurag hails from the enchanting city of Shillong and most of his pictures have the very essence of Shillong and rest of North East India in them. His portraits are amazing and his black and white photos seem brilliant. He has a knack of displaying emotions in every photograph he takes. He stresses on ‘technique as well as the ‘perception’ of a photographer in analyzing different layouts and segments around in nature. It was wonderful interviewing him who already has 50k+ followers on Instagram and has been celebrated by different photographic societies across India. Let’s explore his story below.
“Be careful to choose wisely, and make sure that you meet the right mentors, who can guide you through this weird journey called life. Reading is as important as anything else. Read the news, read novels, read about photography, read about history, read anything, but read.” Anurag Banerjee
Anurag tell us more about yourself.
I am an independent photographer based in Bombay. I grew up in Shillong and moved out in 2010 for attending
college in Pune. I have been living and working as a photographer in Bombay since 2013.
How did you begin photography? Is Mumbai your inspiration?
I became a photographer by accident. It was advised for students in our college to have their own
laptops and DSLRs, which is when my father bought me my first camera. This was back in 2010, and I had no
clue of what photography was at that time. The camera became my excuse to go round Pune, the new
city that I was in. And thus I fell in love with photography and realized this is all I wanted to do for the
rest of my life.
Bombay is as much my inspiration as any other city I would live in would be. What I am saying is that
sure I am inspired by the city, but that is more due to circumstance than the city itself, per se. That
said, I absolutely love the city and it gives me immense joy to live and work here. There are lots of
problems in various aspects of the city, but I do feel a sense of belonging in Bombay.
I would greatly attribute this to my upbringing and the place that I grew up in. Growing up in a small
place like Shillong, I was left completely awestruck with Bombay and everything about this maddening,
chaotic city thrilled me.
What are your motivations or causes?
There would be many. I am willing to work for any cause that I get an opportunity to work for.
Personally, I am driven towards and feel strongly for equal rights and would love to do something in that
regard.
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How do you choose what you are going to shoot?
I am driven by the circumstances that surround me. Living and working in Bombay, I find stories here
that I chance upon. I photograph back at home in Shillong because I have discovered that I feel homesick
from time to time in Bombay. Broadly speaking, you could say that I photograph what I am in love with.
This is what comes naturally to me.
“Bombay is as much my inspiration as any other city.”- Anurag Banerjee
What are you looking for in a great picture?
Honesty, not just of the subject, but the photographer. Also, sensitivity, empathy, and of course,
information. But I would rate a photographer’s honesty higher than all other things when it comes to making a photograph. It may sound simple, but to be completely, brutally honest with yourself before you make a picture is one of the toughest things that I had to deal with.
Which photographers inspire you? Why?
Oh my God! There are so many! I am inspired by photographers because of their bodies of work, because of the
subjects of their photographs, because of their vision, their voice. A lot of times, I am also inspired by
photographers because of the people that they are.
Is there anything you would like to share with aspiring photographers?
It is important to remember that other than being an art form, or a way to express yourself, photography is also a job. And one should always remember and respect that. No job is too small for you, no assignment is unworthy of you. Honesty is something that doesn’t come to you suddenly, nor is there a book about it that you can read.
It is a slow, patience-testing process and it takes time to inculcate honesty. This happens with the experiences you have and the people in your life.
