Rajan is a shutterbug; captivatingly evolved beyond his time. Although officially a freelance producer and photojournalist, with his own UK Company Firefly, his many multimedia projects amount to much more than this. Using high-resolution, motion stills and videos, Rajan brings to you visceral, interactive experiences that tell of social injustice and otherwise neglected cultural perspectives. Currently based in Delhi, Rajan’s recent work has included creating a Virtual Police Station, which has been adopted by several Indian states to use in police training institutes, as well as allowing the public to navigate their way around the signature beige and bureaucracy of the establishment. He also created a stunning exploratory documentary of the Bawana JJ Colony: a relocation slum where many of the families were forced out of their original shanty town dwellings, as part of a government initiative to pave the way for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The photographer’s 360 degree landscape allows you to inhabit the conditions of the slum and click on video footage of different women who speak out about the effects of their geographic isolation. This includes facing domestic violence due to lack of work, having been transplanted two hours from the city centre, and living with horrific substandard sanitation.
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At first then it is tempting to put Rajan in that twilight space between artistry and fact. Neither a journalist nor a visual creator, he must really be both. But this is a gross simplification. As Rajan himself stated: “it’s about the tangible power of the pieces. That’s what’s so intriguing: allowing people to access the atmosphere and moving them to take action. It’s not just some inert text on paper they’re seeing, or another repetitive ad about African children on TV”. What his work essentially does is accentuate reality – bringing to life all the colour and texture of international landscapes – and this surely constitutes a new business altogether: “I’ve had my work published with notable papers such as ‘The Guardian’, ‘Al Jazeera’ and ‘The Wall Street Journal,” Rajan added, ‘but there is still some digital reporting that gets turned down. I know it is difficult to integrate all the currently separate media departments at big papers, but I do feel digital integration is an approach worth pursuing – allocate someone to take charge of new technology if needs be. It could be a question of die or diversify. People do tend to become desensitised and more could be done to bridge that gap between knowing news and affecting the change that is needed. ” In the meantime, Rajan has found his virtual niche with NGOs and charities who openly invite his inspiring, interactives: “I work with a wonderful NGO called Nazdeek who raise awareness about the exploitation of the tea workers in Assam. People have the option to donate money once they’ve taken the virtual tour.” A grounded yet free spirit, Rajan embodies advancement in the wider, professional world.
You won The Guardian’s Student Photographer of the Year: tell us a bit more about your journey towards storytelling more interactively?
I started off as a photographer, working purely in that medium, but it never felt like enough. I began to add sounds and motion, and gradually changed to 360 degree captures and videos. I don’t look at narratives as a set form anymore. Different mediums contribute different elements: interviews are good for showing you the details; 360 captures are good at illustrating the environment; stills give you poignant moments. Making sure you learn as many tools as possible, and applying them to the correct situation, is key to being a successful multimedia freelancer.
Do you always shoot from a first person viewpoint in your documentaries?
Yes, mostly. I started off as a documentary photographer and shooting was about being as invisible as possible: to keep the experience of the environment more real.
The visual arts are a very vibrant medium: how does creativity and reporting come together in your work?
For me creativity comes in with the design and technical elements, where I affect how people navigate the shots and experience them. But I draw the line at changing the story or the facts. I will only make documentaries for the purposes of journalism, and the only concept you play around with are the aesthetics of the camera. This can change when working with NGO’s who wish to put out a strong message which might not balanced in terms of fairness and impartiality. That being said there is still and ethical way of presenting the facts and adhering to a standard of reporting that truthful and accurate that must be followed.
Do you have a particular area of interest?
I wish my work to give a voice to people on the lower strata who can’t speak for themselves. Since I’ve been in India, there’s just been one project after the next. I’ve worked in Delhi, Bhopal, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. There are so many counts of injustice and unlawful treatment in the country and I will get involved if there’s a way I can help to change it.
Could you tell us more about some stories you’ve done recently?
There was the virtual exhibition for Nazdeek exposing the maternal mortality in the tea gardens. Women are being forced to pick the leaves 8 months into their pregnancy and are miles away from any help: they are essentially trapped on the plantation. It’s basically slave labour. Most of the big tea companies – Tetley, PG Tips – import from there. There was also the project ‘Delhi Sleeps’ in collaboration with HLRN, which looked at homeless shelters around Delhi in December when the temperature dips below zero.
What’s been one of your most memorable projects?
What was amazing audibly and visually was a piece I did on the diamond cutters in Gujarat. There were skilled labourers who polish diamonds that come in from the mines before they’re sent to off to places like Antwerp. I remember the wave of sound that hit me before I entered the room; the screech of diamond against metal.
Aside from travelling, is there another part of the job you particularly enjoy?
Meeting really strong people: you talk to those who know they’re getting exploited and they’ll still be laughing and grateful for what they have: it's incredible.
In terms of current news is there any particular area you feel isn’t getting the deserved attention?
I think the conflict in Ukraine is still being underreported: it’s still happening!
What are your future hopes with Firefly?
I’d like to develop it into a community of independent freelancers, who have similar visions to me. I’d like graphic designers, storytellers and digital reporters to be able to come together and create something new and refreshing.
What’s a good tip for a successful day of shooting?
The 6 Ps: Prior Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance!
