This week’s Member Moment features work by Varun Kathawate, whose photos capture quiet moments of solitude and beauty in the everyday. His photo Overlook won first place at our 4th annual Student Show, The Camera Has Its Shyness. Scroll down to see his pictures and to read the interview!
PL: What got you interested in photography?
VK: I got interested in photography during the pandemic with an old film camera from a friend. I soon realized just how each property is a carefully crafted choice to yield the perfect photo. The inability to review the photo right after taking not only compounds the stakes but also impresses a sense of artistic urgency that is not easily replicated. Film photography entrenches me in the idea that I will not necessarily be able to get the perfect instance of composition, and that is okay. I can capture the moment as it was, not how I wanted it to be.
PL: What type of camera do you shoot with?
PL: When taking pictures, what are some objects or elements or feelings within a scene that inspire you to take a photo?
VK: I am inspired by the right combination of light (or the lack thereof), and composition. I try to capture the immediate sensation I feel when viewing a given framing, whether it be joy, simplicity, or uncertainty.
PL: Of the pictures you submitted, can you share an interesting story about one?
VK: This photo, Overlook (above), was captured during my time in Japan at the top of a museum in Hakone at an overlook of Lake Ashi and the distant Mt. Fuji . The view outside was a stunning scene of nature, but I was more drawn to the people interacting with this view. The mother pictured here is solemnly focused on the overlook, while the child seemingly fidgets with a toy. At the time I almost wanted to chastise him, to convince him why he needed to stop messing around and enjoy the view outside. I wondered why his mother did not do so.
After a few minutes observing their relationship, I realized why she did not; she was taking simple joy in being in her child's company, not needing some forced or contrived experience, but rather enjoying the mere presence of being able to share the moment with her son. As I came to this realization, I had to suppress a tear. My father had passed away suddenly when I was a child, and I wondered how many of these moments he shared with me, similarly content in the moment.
PL: What do you enjoy most about digital/film photography and what is challenging about it?
VK: I enjoy the community aspect of photography, getting to share special moments or interesting uses of technology with my loved ones. However, film photography is increasingly cost-prohibitive, thus spurring my switch to digital.
PL: How would you like to grow this collection of photographs?
VK: I hope to spend more time in Philadelphia as a silent observer to learn more about how ordinary people interact with their loved ones, and how this is a shared human experience.
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