G o a   A s s o c i a t i o n    O f    P h o t o g r a p h e r s

A Photographer & his Work

By Frederick Noronha

PANJIM, Dec 9: Goa is not made up only of beaches. It comprises a
colourful and varied people, lively traditional occupations,
religious monuments and landmarks, houses big and small, and some
of the most picturesque scenery in India.

Mapusa-based photographer Thomas Vaz makes this point strongly
through his work, which was showcased at the Kala Academy on
Wednesday in a special screening of his slides at a programme
organised by the Goa Association of Photographers (GAP).

Through his 300+ slides which overran a marathon three-hour
screening, Vaz depicted the many faces of this small yet scenic
state. This prominent photographer specialises in landscapes, and
Vaz's speciality is his ability for composing eye-catching shots.

"You have to look at the world from an unusual angle. Otherwise
photographs don't hold out much interest to the viewer," Vaz
advised the eager photo-enthusiasts and others attending his
slide-show, organised in association with the Kala Academy.

At one of Old Goa's shrines he got locked in by mistake while
waiting for the sun to cast its shadows at exactly the right
spot. In the famed Mangueshi temple, Vaz explains how he slept
low to get a curve of the temple-tank arch to frame the shrine.

Beginning with sun-rise shots against palm-fringed roads, Thomas
Vaz made his photographic-journey across the state showing Goan
lifestyles, traditional occupations, religious monuments, fairs
and festivities, flora and fauna, village life, farming
operations and related themes.

Vaz's eye has caught on well-preserved transparency film homes
that range from the aristocratic to the modest yet artistic
houses of the simple peasant. Each has a charm of its own.

Vaz's photographs span at least two decades, and already form a
useful record of the rapid changes taking place in Goa.

"In these fields, there are now large buildings," said Thomas
Vaz, pointing to the spot where brilliant yellow sunflowers once
stood in Mapusa.

Beaches have since got built-up, in the intervening years since
he took his photographs.

Some areas are far less green than what they were when he
photographed them, like for instance the coconut-palm fringed
road linking Saligao to Mapusa. And simple Goans have meanwhile
turned more 'sophisticated' losing their rustic charm they seemed
to have in earlier years.

Vaz explains that his photographs have been often reproduced
locally. He winces, though, when pointing out that some editors
have 'cropped' his photographs in ways which he did not intend
while pressing the shutter.

"If anyone would like to reproduce my photographs, all I request
is that they contact me before doing so. I will give the
permission... in the interest of Goa," says Vaz. He believes that
the dozens of view-cards that he published and spread across the
globe helped to make this region better known worldwide.

Explaining the 'tricks of the trade' that he picked up over the
years, Vaz stressed the importance of shadow-play, the need for
patience while anticipating photographs, and also explained how
youngsters entering the field could improve their results.

Vaz explained why he took the pictures he did, and how persistent
practise in the field of photography can improve anybody's
skills. Some foreign visitors from the US and Germany were also
present for Vaz's slide-show.

GAP, incidentally, is a newly formed photography club aimed at
promoting the hobby of photography, and general interest in it,
through regular programmes.

It has already held a Photo-Walk through the 'Latin Quarter' of
Panjim, Fontainhas, and plans to hold an exhibition-cum-contest
along with Fundacao Oriente, the cultural foundation, early next
month.

GAP was launched after a photography training programme was
conducted some months back by artist Anupama Korgaonkar. Photo-
enthusiasts from across the state have been showing an eagerness
for such activities, coming up soon after Goa's first photo-club
was launched.

Proposals for other photography-related activities, or those
willing to sponsor the same, may kindly be sent to architect
Arvind D'Souza on telephone number 22 04 12, or via
email at the address arvind@goa1.dot.net.in  says a press
release from the Goa Association of Photographers. (ENDS)