By Aroonim Bhuyan, IANS
New Delhi : Imagine looking at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in all its colours, all its glory as seen by a flying kite – and capturing it all on camera.
That is exactly what French photographer Nicolas Chorier, whose work is currently on display at an exhibition here, has done.
Chorier is a “kite photographer”. No, he doesn’t fly up with the kite to take photographs. He uses the kite to lift the camera while monitoring the visuals on a screen on the ground. And then he clicks, clicks and clicks.
His efforts have now resulted in a magnificent coffee table book, “Kite’s Eye View: India Between Earth and Sky”, published by Roli Books.
The book contains a spectacular kaleidoscope of aerial photography from across the varied terrain of India – the deserts of Rajasthan to the beaches of Kerala, the Taj Mahal in Agra to the temples of Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu.
French ambassador to India Dominique Girard released the book Thursday.
Why India? “Simple. I simply love India,” Chorier, 45, told IANS.
Chorier worked in India for nine years to come out with this unique collection of visuals.
“I used to come, stay for two months or so, return to France and then come again,” he said.
It was not easy in a country where aerial photography is prohibited. He had to take permission from government agencies and local police, besides encountering curious crowds who would converge to watch him flying a kite with a camera to indulge in his passion, which has now become his profession.
“I am the only person in the world who is doing this work on a professional basis,” Chorier said.
“But I did not invent this technique,” he quickly clarified. “It was invented by a French guy way back in 1888. I came across his work and decided to try it.”
Chorier was an avid kite flyer and an amateur photographer. It was a trip to Asia over a decade back to make a photo report on kite making in this part of the world that led him to this unique style of photography.
“My photographs are useful in the fields of architecture, archaeology, agronomy, tourism and national heritage surveys,” said Chorier, whose work has fetched him the Unesco Asia Pacific Heritage Award for architectural conservation.
Having devised tailor-made hardware and photographic techniques, he is now a master of the art form.
“I make my kites on the lines of the Japanese hexagonal Rokkaku kites,” he said. “I hang the camera on the thread and then fly the kite. A screen on the ground lets me see the vision from the camera – the kite’s eye view.”
He uses both digital – a Canon 5-D – and analogue – a medium format Fuji – cameras for his work.
Chorier has shot extensively all over the world, in places as diverse as Brazil, Malaysia, Laos and Uzbekistan besides India.
Coming back to his work in India and the book, he recounted various experiences over the years.
His worst experience, he said, was in Kochi where he was trying to shoot the fishing nets on the beach.
“A lot of people had gathered, and then came the media. There were around eight TV crews surrounding me even as I went about my work. This led to a commotion and I was taken to the police station.
“I had to call up various authorities, including the tourism ministry… Only then was I released. I was mad. I lost one fine day of work,” he said.
The most difficult condition he encountered was in Ladakh.
“It was very difficult flying a kite in Ladakh as the air is very rare. I broke several precious rigs while shooting there,” he recalled.
The most memorable experience has been shooting the Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad in 2001.
“The Maha Kumbh Mela was very strong for me emotionally. It was an amazing experience,” he said.
Among the other delights in his book are visual delights from Rajasthan – of Amber, Nagaur and Mehrangarh forts, Pushkar fair and Chittorgarh – the backwaters of Kerala and the palaces of maharajas.
So, is he a kite flyer first or a photographer? “A photographer!” Chorier asserted.