Book: ক‍্যামেরার মন (The Mind of The Camera)

Writer: Sudeepto Salam

Genre: Non-Fiction

Dedicated to: Mr Nazrul Islam

Target Readers: Budding Photographers

Publisher: Charulipi Prokashon (Book Fair Stall #145-8)

1st Published: February 2017

©: Tania Akhter

Cover: Sudeepto Salam

Writer's Photo: Suman Asad

Price: 150/- (At Book Fair: approx. 113/-)

ISBN: 978-984-598-183-5

 

A very easy to read but pretty hard to describe, this book, is even harder to take it in for budding photographers who have bought a DSLR and think reading the manual that came in the pack has everything they need to know.

After reading the 100 small chapters, without any headings whatsoever, will make one rethink about every photo they have captured so far – where 'capturing' translates to clicks clicked at various subjects. And that's one of the basic problem the writer, a photojournalist, addresses – photography becoming more subject-based than the actual human (artist) taking it. In this book he complains, he talks with pride, he sighs, he wonders, tries to show the right path, and so on.

He also questions (Chapter #44) as if to himself-- "why no one asks a painter what kind of brush he uses but asks a photographer what gear he uses?"-- which actually compliments his statement (Chapter #02) -- "Gears are barriers, only knowledge is creativity". In the same chapter he also uses the classic example where one puts all the ingredients for a custard and stirs it all day exactly according to the recipe book but it just doesn't cook, since the cook-book never asked to light the fire of the furnace; the fire in you is the knowledge that leads to a creative mind – he adds.

I'm not a photographer, but knowing many, I believe this book will make you take lesser photographs but help you become better photographers!

 

Anik Khan is a poet and a journalist.