COUPLES

To turn leisure pursuit into obsession, Verma the photographer convinced people to unfetter their fantasies into reality in photostudio. He attracted people by getting them clicked in different states dresses and style, for e.g. Rajasthani or Kashmiri. Getting clicked in “Kashmiri dress” became trendy among couples who travelled on pilgrimage to Jammu. Couples who got themselves clicked used to conceal the photograph from the rest of the family as it was not meant for display. If somehow got caught parent in laws used to critically comment- Oh what a shame!!!!!! He is getting himself clicked with his wife. Slowly and gradually people fell in love with the risk involved in getting themselves clicked. And photostudio became a laboratory to experiments with the conventions. Photostudio became hit among women as it became the space to secretly wear make up and bellbots as both were thought to be the taboo in society. Verma learned more about his craft by watching films. He watched frames and compositions closely in the films and tried to capture people on his camera with different angle. He learned about “close ups” from hit hindi movies of his times and technically experimented by shooting brides in close ups. Not only “frames” but “backgrounds” also became important for technical and aesthetical details. Couples got themselves photographed in gardens, between flower fields (as in 70’s farukhnagar was famous for flowery), Bajara fields and even sometimes in buffalo stables.