Ode to Mr. Bellihomji

Recently, I have been thinking of what photography has meant to me and my early inspirations that drew me into this world.

To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event.
~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

Back in college studying art and photography, I took an additional photography class with an older Parsi gentleman in Bombay called Mr. Bellihomji. He must have been in his seventies and the only reason he taught was because he loved it so much. He coverd the technical aspects of photography, composition, developing and printing black and white film. Every week we went on some kind of an outing to shoot at least one roll of film and develop and print it.

The interesting thing was that his idol was Ansel Adams and mine was Henri Cartier-Bresson. I discovered fairly early that I was drawn to taking pictures of people which was not what the focus of the class. But what I learned from my dear teacher was to see the various shades of gray in every picture I took and focus on the details. We were an odd enough couple…arguing about what was important to use subject wise but there was no denying that I cultivated my eye under his guidance.

When you make your choice of a professional photographer, be sure to choose carefully. Find someone that fits your style. Someone that has spent the time in cultivating their art and can see those shades of gray 🙂

To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It’s at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.
~ Henri Cartier-Bresson