Chirodeep Chaudhari: Ideas and Dealing with the Rut

Knowledge is a slow gain. There are no shortcuts. Rigour and patience are of utmost importance. Photograph Chirodeep Chaudhari

Chirodeep Chaudhari talks to Raj Lalwani about how a great idea is something that can help you differentiate your photographs from the rest.

When I meet photographers, be they young rookies basking in the first flush of seeing their bylines or even seasoned pros; conversations generally swing between technology and anecdotes of bravado. It is rare to meet photographers revelling in ideas, their execution and dissemination.

Good old-fashioned hard work done with intelligence and honesty is the real secret.

Photography—An Activity of the Intellect
What the eye sees is a result of what the mind has made sense of. My work has always been about the idea. My students often ask me, “But, how does one get ideas?” There is no one way, really. I just keep doing the right things in between phases when the mind is fallow. This involves a variety of things, most of which have no relation to my photography, at least not directly.
So, I read, watch movies, go for a play or just indulge in conversations that range from civic issues to caring for stray dogs. There is a serendipitous quality to how knowledge is acquired, and the quality of the idea is directly related to one’s knowledge. It is really that simple.

For me, once the idea is conceived, the execution follows naturally 

About Chirodeep Chaudhari 
Chirodeep Chaudhari has, over the years, actively documented the city of Mumbai through a variety of personal projects. With his latest work titled ‘The Commuters’, he has created interesting juxtapositions of the inner worlds of the local train passenger.