In the picture

Just how much does a photographer contribute to a photogenic face?
Quite a lot, believes Salian, especially as every photographer shoots the same model differently. 8220;Besides technique, other factors, too, get plastered on to your picture. A photographer is actually a psychologist on a shoot. The human factor is something a fashion photographer cannot forget. You need to communicate the idea to the model and make her/him perform beautifully or else you would end up with a synthetic-looking picture. You have to make them feel comfortable and beautiful.8221; And that, essentially, is the difference between one photographer and another. 8220;It may be that 100th of a second that works for the model. And we get the credit for it,8221; he laughs. His most challenging shoot? 8220;Difficult to say, there are challenges on every shoot 8211; difficult light set-ups or maybe a big picture8221;.

What does it feel like being surrounded by beautiful women?
8220;I am very gentle with women,8221; laughs this self-confessed women8217;s fan but adds in a more serious vein that beauty for him goes beyond the face. 8220;I have grown up with women 8211; I have four sisters 8211; and they have brought out the best in me. For me, these models are not just faces, they are friends.8221; Salian does not believe in defining beauty only by physical standards. 8220;I8217;ve met some sterling women who may not have achieved public laurels but have fought hard in their personal life.8221;

Who8217;s the most beautiful model he has shot?
8220;Hard to say. There8217;s a list of people I could name,8221; he says, 8220;Mehr Ramphal, Anu Agarwal, Madhu Sapre and Kamal Sidhu8230;8221; The best-looking male model? 8220;Arjun Ramphal, no doubt about that,8221; he says.

Over the years, what changes has he seen in the fashion industry?
8220;I think models have become more professional. They are more involved in their career and have a better understanding about their photogenic aspects, their own idea of a certain look. They are thinking people today,8221; he says. Photography, too, has changed tremendously, he feels. 8220;It is a lot slicker, and as there isn8217;t too much technique involved, it is also much more casual,8221; he says. Indian photographers, take heart! For this lensman feels that Indian photography can stand up to the best in the world. 8220;Indian photography is international today8221;.

Isn8217;t glamour a limited field?
8220;I would not call myself a glamour photographer. I have checked out everything 8211; still life, spots, nudes8230; I haven8217;t limited myself to beautiful men and women. The search is still on,8221; he says.

What8217;s Ashok Salian most likely to say?
8220;You look beautiful!8221;

What is he least likely to say?
8220;I think you look awful!8221;