Aditya Arya, Founder, Museo Camera Centre for the Photographic Arts
ADITYA ARYA an eminent commercial and travel photographer, Aditya Arya began professional photography in 1980 after graduating in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University.
Podcast
Overview
Photography is one of the strongest tools of storytelling. From the early 1880s to the speeding 21st century, photography has taken birth and evolved beautifully. What once took hours and hours of process and development is now accessible at the touch of a finger. Photography has narrated history, captured geography and recorded the lives of millions of people. It has truly helped humans hold on to memories forever.
About Aditya:
Today on TBCY, we have with us a very accomplished individual who not only cherishes photography but has also created something very beautiful out of his love for it! We are pleased to welcome Aditya Arya on the podcast today.
Aditya is a very well known historian, photographer and archivist. He is the Founder of the very fascinating museum- Museo Camera Centre for the Photographic Arts.
Discussion:
In an articulate conversation with our host Ashutosh Garg, Aditya takes us on his incredible journey of passion, history and evolution. He shares with us the story behind the Museo Camera Centre for the Photographic Arts.
“Something that used to always interest me was the history of my own profession”
A museum that celebrates the art, craft and evolution of photography. The museum has some of the oldest and vintage style cameras and other photography related items. It is a very well known museum and is accompanied with an amazing restaurant as well.
“This museum is about how photography evolved”
Aditya reminisces about his time collecting cameras. He shares some interesting anecdotes that take us back to the time he hunted cameras from all around the world and brought them back to our country. An incredible photographer himself, Aditya explains what goes into capturing a good photograph. He talks about the evolution of photography and shares some very interesting facts of its origin.
His profession is driven by his passion for photography and he has gifted the world with his incredible collection and knowledge.
Profile
ADITYA ARYA an eminent commercial and travel photographer, Aditya Arya began professional photography in 1980 after graduating in History from the St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University. He wears Many Hats and has been a still photographer in the film industry in early eighties After a brief stint in the Mumbai Film Industry where he did stills for some of the leading directors, he moved back to Delhi. In addition to his wide-ranging Commercial and Travel portfolio, his work has been published widely in books and travel magazines around the world. He is known for his expertise in the field of advertising and corporate photography, specializing in Products, Interiors and Food.
He led expeditions and treks for some of the leading travel outfitters in 80,and 90,s all over the Himalayas..
Over the last few years, he has been completely immersed in the subject and practice of photographic conservation. He has honed his skills and knowledge on preservation, restoration and archiving. He has played a pivotal role in the establishment of India Photo Archive Foundation and the Neel Dongre Awards/Grants for Excellence in Photography.
At present, while also actively pursuing his professional advertising and commercial assignments, he divides his time between his photography archive and Museo Camera – the only Photography and Camera Museum in India. With more than 2000 rare and iconic cameras and other equipment, this museum traces the history of photography from the 1870s to the Digital Era.
Today in the fast paced world of megapixels he is also immersing himself in the slowness of analog processes and at the same time slowing down many born digital photographers and artists by mentoring them.
Aditya has also turned alchemist and artist practicing and teaching the art of vintage photographic processes such as salt prints, egg albumen prints, gum bichromate and wet plate photography.
He has been on the Jury of the National Art Exhibition 2014 organized by Lalit Kala Akademi and many other national shows. He has also curated several shows of archival and contemporary visual works, both nationally and internationally. These include the National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi,Mumbai ,Bangalore and the National Museum, New Delhi,Salarjung Museum hyderabad and several galleries and museums in Canada, London, France, Spain.
He was a guest faculty at Sri Aurobindo Centre of Art and Communication and also previously at the Jamia Millia Islamia University’s Institute of Mass Communication. He was also a mentor at Habitat Photosphere, a photography festival initiative by Visual Arts Galley, India Habitat Centre. He was also the Director at the Academy for Photographic Excellence (APEX), one of the India’s leading photography academies based in New Delhi, and a Guest Fellow and Curator at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.
Aditya’s passion for working with his hands extends to his farm where he grows a range of pesticide free vegetables and medicinal plants.
