Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Prof BW Jatkar Taught Me The Essence of Street Photography as Fine Art



Prof BW Jatkar a night before the Dahi Handi would call me to bring my shop help at Dadar Ranade road , the shop help was young Khwajah who came to learn English at my shop , his father was my painter ..Khwajah would carry Prof Jatkars camera bag.. and invariably I would get lost and than finally fetch Kwajah from Mr Jatkars house .

He would come by jeep to Alibagh to shoot the bullock cart races and I came by boat but this giant of a man taught me a lot, shooting seagulls at Bhaucha Dhakka , Haji Ali , and he taught me processing printing and was the person to introduce me to my next Guru Mr KG Maheshwari.

For many years all three of us sent our prints to the various Salon and this added to my learning.

I gave him the golf caps he wore and would stitch his safari as a token of all he taught me as he did not take money from me at all.

He was very fond of my family on his visits to my house , he bonded with my wife daughter , and was there at the wedding reception of my eldest son Asif Shakir.

His death was sudden and a great blow if I miss anyone it is the jovial laughter booming voice of Black and White Jatkar I met his student Mahindar Patil this year after I was returning from the Dadar Dahi Handi.

He was one of the finest learned photography promoting President of PSI Mumbai.
I as his chela learnt all good things and only remember all good things ..many a folks tried to malign him but that is the way of envious society.. God is the greatest judge why we become judges and sent peoples morale to the gallows beats me till this day.

If you have good Guru you have achieved the best in life God gave me 3 Gurus Mr Malushte Prof Jatkar and Mr Maheshwari.

And I wont forget Mr PC Little who made me the Hon member of Horizon Camera Club.

But there were others who came and changed my life many I shall name a few Vinay Parelkar , Bhupesh Little Anil Risal Singh Vilas Gholse Umesh Salgaonkar Vishwas Morye Mr PK Bhatia Mr Jothady, Jimmy , Milind More ,NageshSakpal and others whose name I dont recollect but how can I forget Sridhar..

So becoming a photographer I carry the collective ethos of all those I met at my camera Club Photographic Society of India and who changed my life positively.. If I forgot some name forgive me ..

Today what they taught me now lives in the soul of Marziya Shakir 4 year old street photgrapher Nerjis Asif Shakir 1 year old street photographer my grand daughter .. Canon 60 D users Marziya uses the Canon 7 D with vertical grip.

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