One of the renowned names in photography, Dabboo Ratnani started as an apprentice to Sumeet Verma. Today he is the last name in Fashion photography. His trademark however, is outdoor photography and his favourite model? You guessed it right - Pooja Bhatt.

Tell us, did you always want to be a photographer?
Not at all. Actually, it all happened by accident. I used to help my dad in his business. After my HSC I told my mom that I wasn't interested in studying anymore and that I wanted to be a photographer. I said I'll give it a shot. If it works, great. Or else I have my dad's business to fall back on.

But why a photographer?
I had a flair for photography and I liked it as a subject. Even in school picnics and family holidays, I was the one with the camera. I am basically a gadget freak. Everything from computers to music systems excite me.

My bother's friend was an amateur photographer. Maybe even that influenced me. Also, when I first walked into Sumeet Chopra's studio I was overwhelmed by the huge prints on the soft board and all the numerous pictures there. I thought to myself I would never be able to do this.

So how did you start off professionally?
I first bought myself a camera and did some amateur photography. After seeing the photographs I decided to give it a shot. I assisted Sumeet Chopra for 4 years, before I finally ventured out on my own.

Do you remember your first shoot?
Of course, I do. It was in March 1993 when I was still assisting Sumeet. I did the film publicity for Aatish. We were in Mauritius for 40 days. It was a major assignment. I shot some pictures of Sanjay Dutt while we went fishing and those pictures appeared in Stardust. Then, there was no looking back.

Even during the four years that I was with Sumeet I used to do my own shoots and portfolio on weekends. I would show them to Sumeet and take his inputs on them. This helped me a lot.

You did a major chunk of your work with Pooja Bhatt? Tell us about that?
Well, I had just started out then and I was thrilled to have Pooja Bhatt the actress pose for a beginner like me. She has been my favourite face. In terms of attitude in front of the camera and also in terms of her inputs in the picture, she is just fabulous. She enjoys photo sessions with a vengence. In fact she enjoys it much more than her film shootings. And that comes across in her pictures.

Of course, Aishwayra is the prettiest face to shoot. You can't go wrong with her. But Pooja is the most versatile.

You deal with stars all the time. Is it difficult to manage all the egos?
Not at all. My approach is very straight. If the person vibes well with me and I am comfortable, only then we decide to go ahead with the shoot. But, if a person makes me uncomfortable or throws attitude at me, I would not like to work with that person. However, till date that hasn't happened to me.

I am not a pushy person at all. I let the star wear whatever he or she wants to wear. I don't force my opinion on anyone.

In fact, a lot of photographers have an attitude. More than the stars themselves. But I have had no problems with anyone so far.

How important is professional training for a photographer?
To be frank, I have never had any professional training in photography. But you do need to assist a photographer to learn the tricks of the trade. That is very important.

A course can only give you technical knowledge - the theory part of it. Finally, it all boils down to your eye - how you look at things, your approach. The course cannot teach you how to visualise. That is your input as a photographer.

What differentiates the work of one photographer from the other is basically his eye. His way of looking at things. Technically everybody learns. Finally, it is your style, approach or composition that will set you apart from the rest.

I believe to be a commercial photographer you don't need to know how your roll is processed or even the history of photography. You should know what you want as the end result and you should be able to explain that to your printer. I didn't need to know when the first camera was invented. Although I did want to do a course in photography from Santa Barbara, it was too expensive for me at that time.

How do you improvise on your art?
A photographer tells a model what to wear, how to do the hair and the makeup. For that I attend fashion shows to see what clothes are in. I also surf the net a lot. You have to keep up with the latest both in terms of technique and the gadgets. I also watch a lot of foreign film to see camera angles and techniques.

You need inspiration to drive you. The day you feel you are stagnating you might as well give it up. When I am bored I go and buy myself a new camera or lens. So that there is some excitement in my life. Then I am all charged to use my new gadget and see the results.

What are the personal attributes needed to excel in this field?
You have to be technically sound. Apart from that you have to have a good aesthetic sense. A sense of style is imperative for a good photographer. It is the photographer who dresses up the model. So unless you have style the models you dress up are going to look bad.

My style is more casual and candid. A photographer who dresses up snazzy and gaudy will make his models look snazzy and gaudy. You also have to be down to earth and not high-headed.

Has the photography scene changed much from the time you started and now?
I started off as an ad photographer. In fact, I never intended to be a film photographer. Those days all advertising photographers looked down on film photographers. They didn't think it was cool at all. But today all the very same people who told me that are here with me doing what I am doing.

Moreover, stars were used to studio shots where they were made to look overly glamourous and very staged. I introduced the outdoor pictures. I shot the stars on road dividers and bars.

Of course, I took a lot of flak for it. Film magazines said it's a phase. "The stars will cooperate with you for 2-3-6 months. What will you do after that? This outdoor thing is not going to work." But on the contrary, there has been no problems so far. I also did a lot of black and white pictures."

Do you have any tips on how should an aspirant go about being a professional photographer?
First and foremost you need to buy an SLR camera. The first step is to try and get the technique right - understand basics like film speed, etc. You can even learn through books or surf the net. I shot a lot of films during my training phase.

Get a personal portfolio of your pictures ready and show it to ad agencies and magazines. You have to convince them to give you work. Otherwise why would they take a chance with a newcomer? For that you have to create your own personal style.

Anyone who assists me for some years and branches out on his own should not do work that is identical to mine. Then why would anyone go to him? They'd rather come to me. You have to have your own style. Initially it's going to be difficult but you have to keep the spirit.

What about the future?
I plan to put up a lab and do my own printing. Then I also have plans to set up a graphics studio. I would even like to get into ad film direction. I have been in this profession only for the past six years and I feel it's too early to drop this and start something new. But yes, I am definitely going to do something related to photography in the near future.

What camera does Daboo use?
I use a Nikon F5 and Hassleblad - a medium format camera. I have more than 50 lenses.

What are your hobbies?
I like music a lot. I have more than a thousand music CDs. I use that to ease the models. Great music always pays off. I am also a gadget freak.

- Nivedita Jayaram Pawar