If You're An Indian Photojournalist, Sign Up With This Online Database Now

If You're An Indian Photojournalist, Sign Up With This Online Database Now
Abhinav Kakkar

In today’s digital age, everything and anything can be sent, written, saved and screenshotted with the click of button. With the rise of social media, the constant consumption and dissemination of information has left little room for comparatively ‘traditional’ art forms. While artists and photographers have evolved and adapted to the various platforms that are now available, the ease with which content can be copied and reused from official websites and Instagram pages, unknown to its creator, has made it even harder for freelancers to keep their heads above water and make a living.

Ritesh Uttamchandani shares this sentiment. An established name in the photography circuit, he himself is relatively new to freelancing, and tells us just how difficult it really is. “A few years ago, we tried to put together a union of photojournalists. Can you believe that we still don’t have such a union? As probably one of the largest number of people who directly make a living off photography, we have no backing, no lobbying power, and of course, no negotiating power either.” The assignment of projects is as skewed as the fee structure, he explains, as the better international assignments are more often than not offered to outsiders, who he says, fly in, shoot and leave, with the “leftovers” being handed to their Indian counterparts. “It’s a well known fact that a foreigner working in India is paid more than an Indian. Why? Because their standard of living demands so. Why hello! We’re both currently in the same country right? Very often when I would talk about these issue, people who say, ‘but where are the photographers? Well, here they are now!”

What Ritesh is referring to is a newly established online database of freelance Indian photojournalists that he has set up, countering this very argument. The database serves as a repository of talented Indian origin photographers who have at least 3 years of work experience, be it with a media agency or freelancing, who showcase what they considered their best photograph, along with their place of residence and contact information in the form of an email address, website or social media pages.

The site, as Ritesh explains, is beneficial for both employers as well as the photographers.

“This is not some employment exchange where photographers should expect a heavy shower of assignments to fall in their lap every morning. This is for local papers, news agencies, researchers, students, and anyone really, to source images from people. If a photo-ed wants a picture of the oft reported donkey sanctuary in Nanded, and do not have a budget, hire locally. Brief him/her well, save ten grand and get a decent raise in the next appraisal for saving company money! Or if you’re on assignment, say somewhere in Andhra, or the Northeast, I atleast have a few numbers I can call and confirm the story before I go. Who knows, my new friend may even help me with a new story and he gets paid too if I convince the publication to run it. In case of trouble too, especially for women photographers, this list can prove to be handy. Ad agencies can work with photographers directly or buy their stock images without middlemen! Our biggest problem today remains that we ‘creatives’ don’t communicate. I think the resource is a fine place to know some fine photographers across the country and learn/know or help them with what they are doing.”

A steady stream of revenue is among the biggest challenges that freelances across any field face, and the same applies to photography. Being an independent venture, the database too requires monetary assistance, which Ritesh’s sister has agreed to finance for a year, although many photographers have pledged to support this endeavour, enabling it to further grow over the next several years. “So far only one female photographer has actively some forward and made a contribution of INR 500. For a freelancers, that’s a big step to take. Simple maths tells me that if 50 photographers shell out INR 500 each, the database is sorted for some more years. It’s the price of 2 drinks on the weekend, or a terrible Salman Khan film, stale samosas and soggy popcorn at best,” comments Ritesh. Other than finances, the challenge for him is language - English is not a native language for a large percentage of Indian photographers, making communication with them a struggle.

‘India Photographers Database’ lets you register free of any costs! All you need to do is send across a low resolution image of your best/favourite photograph, taken by your of course, your full name and your website/social media page to indiaphotographerdatabase@gmail.com. “I agree it’s a tough spot to be in, when someone asks you to give one photography that would make an editor curious enough to see your work and hire you. It’s a war of thumbnails at best, and even if I had to pick one image of mine that draws a stranger’s eye to it, I’d shit bricks,” says Ritesh, adding, “I knew long ago that I’d like to give back something to the community and profession that has given us all so much, and this is just one tiny step in that direction.”

If you’re looking to sign up as a freelance photographer or in need of more information you can head on over to the website or drop an email to indiaphotographerdatabase@gmail.com.

Featured image photographed by Abhinav Kakkar.

Related Stories

No stories found.
logo
Homegrown
homegrown.co.in