Getting The Reel Picture

Author VP Mehta defies convention and opts for a film camera to click images for his books

Author and retired government servant,VP Mehta,would be looked down upon if he went by the definition of today’s generation. He shot pictures for two of his books with a Canon 850 film SLR,that he got in the 1970s. “Despite my young colleagues urging me to use a digital camera,I opted for a manual one. I feel that the play of contrasts that manual cameras provide is unmatched. Though it requires a lot of diligence,but it’s worth the effort,” says Mehta,as he flips through the 100 glossy images in his books,Chandigarh – City for All Times and Rock Garden – A Vision of Creativity. The images in the books comprise the Sukha Lake,lush green gardens,the city roads dotted with vehicles during peek traffic and Nek Chand’s sculptures at the Rock Garden. “I made over 250 prints for this,since I enjoy the process of selecting the best shots from manual prints,” rues Mehta.

Mehta tells us he is patient enough to see the results of his efforts once the pictures are developed. “Though digital cameras give you the instant comfort of viewing pictures and deleting unwanted ones,in the process,I feel,one loses the focus to click that one perfect picture in the first attempt,” says Mehta,adding how he enjoys keeping careless moments in his reel,which one often deletes from the digital cameras. “A crooked smile,shut eyes or a blurred backdrop,might not look pleasant initially,but when they are printed,they look good and make for lovely memories,” he adds.