Read the complete interview with Tarun Khiwal.

tarun khiwal
tarun has photographed many stars of the
Indian film and music worlds as well as
working with big-name corporate clients
such as dior and Chanel. his many
accolades include the hasselblad Masters
award, the F award, and the asian
Photography award.
nationality
Indian
main working location
India
website
www.tarunkhiwal.com
◀ for this shot
camera and lens
hasselblad 501CM with Phase One 25
digital back and 50mm lens
aperture and shutter setting
f/11.5 and 1/250 sec
sensor/film speed
IsO 100
for the story behind this shot see over …
in conversation ...
TarUn KhIWaL
103
What led you to specialize in fashion photography?
I started as a portrait photographer. Over time, I shot
campaigns with fashion designers and eventually
specialized in fashion.
Please describe your relationship with your favourite
subject. are you an expert on it?
I treat myself as a people photographer. Whether my
subject is a nun in Kolkata, a holy man in Varanasi, or a
model on the streets of Paris, it is fundamental for me to
relate to them or else the portrayal is superficial. People
have always been my favourite subject. I’m not an expert
as the subject is vast and I’m still learning.
do you feel you have succeeded in being innovative in
your photography, or do you feel the shadows of past
masters over you?
It’s up to others to judge my work and decide whether it’s
innovative or not. I haven’t been influenced by anyone or felt
overshadowed; I enjoy myself and do what I want. I hope
that at the age of 90 my answer to this will be the same.
How important do you feel it is to specialize in one
area or genre of photography?
Commercially, it’s important to specialize. It isn’t possible
for someone to master all genres; one has to decide based
on what one likes. all the great masters of photography
specialized in one area or another.
What distinguishes your work?
When I make images I try to do so honestly and follow my
heart rather than the market. I don’t believe that beautiful
images can only be made by a set of rules. I don’t hesitate
to experiment or break the rules of framing or exposure.
as you have developed, how have you changed?
I get to travel a lot, meet people from all walks of life,
and experience all that is beautiful. I have learned to
see and appreciate what life has to give to us.
What has been the biggest influence on your
development as a photographer?
the biggest influence on my development as a
photographer has been my life and the universe
that responds to me.

104 FasHIOn and nUde photography beHInd the scenes 105
What would you like to be remembered for?
I would like to touch more lives through my work and
share experiences and knowledge with those I work with.
did you attend a course of study in photography?
I never received formal education in photography. I have
worked with many people from photography schools in
different parts of the world. through my interaction with
them I have noticed that the schools fail to teach students
to experiment. I don’t think many schools try to impart a
vision that’s open to learning or ready to question what is
being taught. I believe that it’s very important to see and
experience how life pulsates in the universe before one
can start making images.
How do you feel about the tremendous changes in
photographic practice in the past 10 years? Have you
benefited or suffered from the changes?
there have been great changes in the past 10 years and
the shift from film to digital has been the greatest. the
technological changes have only altered the means
through which one’s vision is realized. I follow my vision,
so the changes haven’t bothered me much.
can photography make the world a better place? Is
this something you personally work towards?
I believe photographers are making the world a better
place. Photojournalists and war photographers show us
atrocities. documentary photographers and those at
national Geographic make us more aware of our
surroundings. Photography is one of the most powerful
mediums of education, making the world more informed.
describe your relationship with digital post-production.
I’m very positive about computers and in particular
photography software because it has broadened our
vision and allowed for immense creativity.
could you work with any kind of camera?
at present I am using the hasselbald 501CM and 503CW
bodies with a Phase One digital back, and also the
Canon 1ds Mark III. I’m comfortable with any kind
or make when it comes to cameras and equipment.
Finally, to end on a not too serious note, could you tell
us what non-photographic item you find essential?
I always carry a book with me in my laptop bag to read
during shoots.
behind the scenes
I wanted to shoot this Louis Vuitton travel story
for elle magazine in hampi, in the Indian state
of Karnataka. encompassing the Vijaynagara
temple, it’s a beautiful, very spiritual place,
where one feels in sync with the surroundings.
09:15 09:25
07:30 09:45
07:45
07:30 after looking around the evening
before I had decided I wanted morning
light, so we arrived at the location early.
07:45 as it was an outdoor shoot in
difficult terrain I took three assistants –
all equipped with mobile phones, which
have revolutionized a photographer’s life
in such circumstances.
08:00 I wanted to create this story
against a background of textured rocks,
quite some way from our vehicles.
08:00
09.55 I used a v system Hasselblad
with a Phase One digital back.
10:10 The Lastolite ezyview tent
enabled me to view the laptop screen
shielded from the sun’s glare.
10:15 Malini banerji, senior fashion
stylist from Elle magazine, helped smita
with her outfit.
10:25 My assistant held a card close
to smita’s face to make focusing easier.
09:15 after we set up the lighting,
I did a few test shots and made minor
tweaks, using my assistant as a
stand-in for my model, smita Lasrado.
09:25 I take any opportunity I can
to experiment, and here I considered
using some coloured gels.
09:45 With smita in place, I tried
three pale-coloured gels that wouldn’t
affect the ambient lighting too much.
09:55
10:10
10:25 10:15
▶

106
FasHIOn and nUde photography
10:35 Malini and divya, the make-up
artist, checked the make-up, outfit, and
hair to see if adjustments were needed.
10:45 deciding to abandon the gels for
another occasion, I started shooting in
earnest. I had briefed smita on the story
I wanted and she took it from there.
10:35
10:45
11:30
11:35
11:30 I showed smita the images I had
taken to help her improvise on her look
and posture.
11:35 I was happy with this shot – the
low viewpoint gave me plenty of sky and
the pose was right.
11:55 For the next shot, I wanted a natural
surrounding that was minimalistic but
dynamic, and this spot was ideal.
12:05 smita had changed into a different
dress and needed help with her shoes.
12:15 I used a very low viewpoint to make
the most of the rocks and sky.
12:20 a lamp fitted with a reflector was
angled towards smita’s face.
△ in camera
11:55
12:35 I checked the direction of the
flash to make sure its light was falling
on smita in the way I wanted.
12:45
12:45 For this shot, I wanted smita to
strike a very graphic posture while taking
minimum support from the rock. Once she
understood the dynamism of her pose
I left it to her to build upon it.
12:05
12:15
12:20
12:35
▶

108
FasHIOn and nUde photography
07:30 next morning: I had explored
some other locations the previous evening
but decided to return to the same place as it
suited my intentions best.
07:50 The crew gathered again in the
early-morning light, ready for another
shoot – this time with smita wearing even
more dramatic footwear.
07:30 07:50
08:50 09:15
08:50 smita took the chance to relax
in comfy shoes while we were setting up
the lights.
09:15 retouching the model’s make-up
periodically is essential when shooting
outdoors, especially in the heat.
09:50 One of my assistants took an
incident light reading from smita’s face,
using a sekonic light meter.
10:35 Given the rough terrain and the
height of smita’s heels, she needed some
help to walk safely to a different spot.
11:35 Using a low viewpoint again to
emphasize the length of the boots and
set smita against the sky, I shot a variety
of poses.
10:35
09:50
11:35 11:55
12:10
11:55 shooting stills is like capturing
moments of a movie. as smita continued to
interact with the camera, I caught the mood
and dynamic pose I wanted.
12:10 Throughout the shoot I used my
50mm lens on the hasselblad.
△ in camera

110
FasHIOn and nUde PhOtOGraPhY
portfolio
▷ golden palace
the location is the exotic Lake Palace
in udaipur, rajasthan. I created this
backlit image using only the available
sunlight in one of the many beautiful
verandas of the palace.
◁ marching band
this is from a story I did with Vogue, using
the bandmen that are an integral part of an
Indian wedding. they have a lot of character
and charm. everyone was lit with a single top
light using a large Chimera softbox fitted with
the Broncolor Pulso G lamp attached to the
Broncolor Grafit a4 rFs power pack.
▷ white silk and taffeta
this image was created under mixed lighting
conditions. the model was lit with both flash
and continuous light. shooting with a slow
shutter speed as the model moved, the
continuous light created the blur and the
flash froze her movement.