People’s Person

Ranjit Singh captures human emotions

He likes to do things with his own hands,there’s a freedom and joy in it that Ranjit Singh simply loves. And photography not only makes Singh use his hands,but involves his mind and imagination too. So,through his recent exhibition,We The People,Singh doesn’t strive to send a message or make a point,he simply captures people and their expressions in varied situations. Natural,taken at random,without any flash,artificial light,brush work and sans any computer editing,the exhibition comprises black and white pictures,for Singh didn’t want any attention drawn to colours,and wanted the focus to be only people’s faces,their smiles,thoughts,ponderings,laughter…children form a major part of the collection with many pictures taken in villages. “When you are out on an excursion with your camera,many children gather around you,fascinated and eager. It’s then that I have clicked many of these pictures,” Ranjit points towards a little girl,all smiles and carrying a small baby,a boy with a tea cup,children looking out of a jharokha,grinning outside a mandir…what touches you most about these is the sheer simplicity and joy on the children’s faces,in spite of their plain surroundings and meagre means — two boys with vacant eyes,staring back at you with a thousand questions,a woman who wears years on her face without any complain,a mother and daughter lost in prayer,a little boy with an umbrella and dog as companions,walking a path that’s strewn with uncertainty,a man near a rain-washed window,staring at nothingness…”Just look at the pictures,make of them what you will,” smiles Ranjit,who’s picked up nuances of photography as he spent time with a professional photographer friend and has been shooting for eight years now. ” I make all the prints myself. My last exhibition was photographs of trees. In the future,I hope to click coloured photographs with abstract designs,” Ranjit’s looks ahead. Held in collaboration with The Indian Express,the exhibition is on at Alliance Francaise till January 12.