Achievements
Raj Bhai holds various offices. He is the MD of Creative D. Studio, member of Photographic Society of Nepal, founder of National Forum of Photo Journalists, member of Photographic Society of India and member of Rotary Club of Bagmati. He is also a former Secretary and founder of Khichapokhari Youth Club, Past president of National Forum of Photo Journalists and former Vice President of Nepal Photo Journalists Association.
Among the scores of appreciations and awards he has received, Raj Bhai Suwal is most proud of the one given by the ‘Shree Bhadrakali Sana Guthi’ in 2003. Showing me the framed letter of appreciation, written in Newari, he translates it into Nepali word for word. One can see that this token of appreciation by the peers and elders of his community, recognizing and lauding his achievements, holds a lot of meaning for him.
After ten years of doing photography, the ace photographer felt the need for more of theoretical knowledge in his chosen field, and, in 1999, went to Mumbai to take training in glamour, flash, night, digital, product, tabletop and still life photography. While there, he also trained in computer software including Photoshop, Coral draw and Flash.
Among his eminent teachers were Ashok Mehta, Girish Mistry and Hari Manidhar. In 1997, Raj Bhai had also attended a Photography Trainer’s Training course conducted by Daniel Meadows of the University of Wales, (Cardiff UK), jointly organized by Drik Gallery and The British Council, Bangladesh.
Raj Bhai himself has been a trainer in numerous photography courses including Basic Photography Training organized by The Reiukai Nepal as well as those organized by Center for Women and Development, Media Point and RAMP (professional model institute) besides others.
Raj Bhai mentions that his clients are spread all over the world, including India, Australia, France, Germany and USA, and that his ambition is to make a world class, well equipped studio for advertising photography in Nepal. His favorite piece of equipment is his Mamiya RBN 6/7 camera and says that it is an expensive camera, the full set costing him almost Rs.8 Lakhs.
Yes, indeed, Raj Bhai Suwal has come a long way in life and is at the pinnacle of his profession today. Appointments now have to be taken a week in advance even though he works from 10 to 14 hours a day. However, his rise to fame hasn’t been easy and according to Kamala, it is only since the last four years that his career has really taken off.
He remembers the time when he had to work seventy-two hours at a stretch while shooting a tele-serial, “That was the most memorable time of my career.” No doubt he had been driven by the need to prove himself, besides his natural quest for perfection.
Aspiring photographers can learn a lot from Raj Bhai’s modus operandi. “I usually like to meet my models three or four times before starting to shoot. This gives me the opportunity to study their faces and thereby allow me to have a concept ready before clicking away.” He is meticulous in his planning, although occasionally he has to work fast. “For the cover of the last issue of ECS, I met the model only on the day of shooting,” he says, “But, I made her comfortable by cracking a lot of jokes. This way I had a chance to study her facial expressions while she was in a relaxed mood. I told her to sit on a chair, toss her hair and lean to the side.
‘Like this?’ she asked me. I said, ‘tilt your head a bit more’. And, click, click, click. It was done! You can see the results for yourself.”
Raj Bhai claims to have the largest private collection of photography books in Nepal and advises enthusiastic new photographers to choose their field of specialization first before venturing further, “Different people are suited for different kinds of photography.”
Among photographers in the country, he holds Sridhar Lal Manadhar in high esteem, “He was actually the one to set the trend in professional photography. He is a pioneer in this field.”
He is of the view that there are fewer women in this field because of the physical hardships associated with professional photography. And yes, he has never participated in a photographic competition although he aims to hold an exhibition five years down the line to celebrate his twenty-five years in the profession—something to look forward to for sure.
“He loves to listen to Gazals and Jagjit Singh is his favorite,” Kamala reveals. To my query, “Does he also sing?” she replies, “Just wait a while longer and he might well start!’
