First time I worked with Rav was for a mothers-day shoot. I was commissioned to photograph her, her mum and her grandma in one shot. When they turned up I did not only meet very nice, fun and friendly Rav, but her mum and grandma were great characters too. Such a great trio! I have to admit that there was a slight language barrier between Rav’s grandma and me - but somehow the humour and a sense of understanding each other was definitely there.
So - it was with great pleasure that I received a commission to photograph the trio again. This time to coincide with Rav’s new book release - as well as the celebration of light day, Diwali. Rav had also brought some friends over to help enhance the feeling of festivity.
In order to give an impression of us celebrating Diwali - I wanted to create a dark and atmospheric room with candles and food decoration. I was sent props to use and the shoot was to take place in Rav’s place. I was given 2 hours to setup and shoot, but Rav was happy to extend the time a little when I got there. 2 hours was tight, but especially as I got there to see a 3 meter diameter glass dome above the room we were shooting in, and it was a bright sunny day. One thing is to expose the daylight away with flash, but I also needed to bring some atmosphere out with the candles. I took what blankets I had, ripped off the paper backdrop and got ready to cover as much of the glass dome as I could. However - the glass dome was 6 meters above me so the only way to get to it was to climb through a tiny window, in the top end of Rav’s bedroom window, to get to the roof. I am already not a very flexible with my almost 2 meter height, seeing me climb through that window was a sight to behold. (I never knew I could get my knee behind my ears - a move I had to perfect to get out.). I covered what I could of the window and got on with setting up the grand Diwali celebration table with the props I had. We managed to create a setting that had some of the intended atmosphere. Rav’s friends and family were not only lovely to work with, but managed to look and act relaxed and festive.
Rav comes across as a nice and friendly person when on TV. Having met Rav on several occasions now, I can truly vouch for her being the friendly, fun, and a sparkly, kind person. Having met her friends and especially her family, also gives a depth to understanding who Rav is, and she is exactly as you would hope from seeing her on TV.
I hope to work with Rav again, and if her mum and grandma is there too then that’s a-ok with me. Maybe next time we’ll get them all posing as Charlie’s Angels. I can especially see Rav’s grandma Biji getting into that…
Shot for Waitrose Food Magazine
Anoushka Shankar is not only the daughter of the world’s best known Sitar player but she is also an incredibly talented Sitar player herself. There was an incredibly calm aura about Anoushka as well as being friendly, fun and kind. Am I right in saying that the feeling of calm goes hand in hand with the image of Sitar?! Although I think that’s the case, the complexity of playing an instrument like the Sitar should surely make one wired, and not calm. The sitar, is hugely personal, often custom made, and has an almost religious aura about it. I had a blanket for this shoot and had to stand above Anoushka to photograph her. To be able to be on the blanket where Anoushka was playing the sitar, I had to take shoes off. Not to preserve the state of my blanket, but because I was on the blanket with the Sitar. A respectful way to treat such a complex instrument.
This shoot was for the Observer Food Monthly so an element of food needed to be included. As well as turning lettuce leafs into a pattern that would correspond with the pattern of my blanket, I also made a Sitar out of a Squash and had the lettuce leaves on Anoushka’s shoulders, almost like the base of some angel wings.
Shot for OFM
