‘The Ideal Client' Doesn't Exist, But Sometimes They Do!

It is not often that you get a chance to use a pun in an intro when a photographer makes his mark in the industry. With Arjun Mark you not only get a chance to use that pun in the introduction, but also get a peek into the clarity with which he operates and thinks. Needless to say that this clarity translates into his work. From shooting Jeff Bezos for a magazine cover to shooting latest fashion in freezing temperature, Arjun Mark is a name to reckon with. We caught up with him to find out more. Excerpts:

- Arjun Mark

How did you get into photography? And is it difficult for an amateur photographer to get into the field now than it was before?

After schooling, I enrolled for a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science which I discontinued shortly to peruse a three-year Bachelor’s degree in B.Sc. Visual Communication. This is where I got introduced to photography for the first time. Since then, there was no looking back from photography as this medium of art made me recognise an unexpected side of me that had become my approach of artistic exploration.

During college I was interested in scientific high-speed photography. My inspiration during those times was Harold Eugene Edgerton. I experimented capturing water splash and speeding air-gun pellets in my room with DIY sound triggers and motion detectors with conventional film DSLR cameras. All of this was challenging and excited me, and this is how I got interested in photography and slowly found my niche gradually to make photography a career.

“An amateur to become a professional in this field takes the same amount of time and effort at current times just like it way it was before”.

However, I feel many young amateurs in recent years find it more challenging to crack the professional market because their skill-set is compromised due to the excessive use of digital technology and social media. I have noticed that they are more absorbed with the result rather than the process, which stunts their learning process. Everything these days seem to be quick, hasty and as a result, rarely accurate.

What are some of the most memorable projects you have worked on when you look back? Any anecdotes that you would like to share?