A Master craftsman bids goodbye
In the D.R. Wijewardene era at Lake House the first entrance as one walked in from Fort, led to a neat studio. The tastefully done studio was named Chitrafoto and was synonymous with highest quality at the time. I remember B.P. Weerawardena, a big name in the world of photography being there. There was also L.E. Samararatne who, over time, established himself as a top level photographer as well as a photo journalist when he had a stint with the Lake House newspapers following the closure of Chitrafoto.
Towards the late 1950s ‘Samare’, as we all called him, moved over to the Dinamina Editorial and we had a lot to do together since I was also attached to the news desk. We also had Don Pasqual (he rarely used his surname Hettiararachchi – always preferring the Don P part) and a young guy Harvey Campbell joined a few years later. It was generally the practice that one of the photographers from either the Dinamina or the Daily News (being the morning papers apart from the Tamil daily, Thinakaran) covered an event common to all the three papers. The big burly Wally Perera and W.Piyadasa were attached to the Daily News.
Those were the Black & White days when colour photography was virtually unknown, except for what we used to call ‘colour slides’. Samare excelled in his art and always preferred to take portraits, landscapes and arty stuff rather than news pictures. As a Press photographer he had access to the highest in the land and made full use of the opportunities in capturing them.
He always tried to see something different even in a news picture. After retirement he continued to look for opportunities for creative work. He was also keen to teach the youngsters and was a regular lecturer at training sessions.
I remember his last exhibition which he held along with another professional, L.H.R. Wijetunga at the Lionel Wendt. Only black and white photographs were exhibited. “Photography was born black and white. It turned colour only many years later. However, black and white photography has over the years grown into a most powerful medium for record and preservation of information in the form of visual images,” an exhibition note explained.
The work shown was ample testimony to their commitment and dedication to the art they loved.
Samare exhibited a collection of 55 photographs which was a fine blend of moods captured through the lens of a skilled craftsman. He had a wide range starting with the alphabet – a little one writing on a slate to the young farmer in the dry zone and the ‘innocent’ to the ‘twins’ and the ‘aged’.
In my review in the ‘Sunday Times’ I used the heading ‘Give us more’ – I was so impressed by the impact of black and white photographs in an era when colour photography was the fashion of the day.
For virtually fifty years, Samare was my neighbour down in Kirulapone. He was keen on keeping fit. Once he retired he rarely missed his early morning walk with a stick in hand -”I always used to carry it to keep the dogs away,” he used to say.
Samare’s one ambition was to publish abook of his work. For several years he tried hard to find a sponsor. He was so happy when he succeeded in releasing ‘Learn to See-A Photographic Essay’ as a Stanford Lake publication.
Samare’s commitment is best described in the opening paras of the review Dr Lester James Peries did on the book: “Many, many years ago in my distant middle age a young photographer came to take a portrait of me for a Sunday newspaper. He seemed to know precisely what he wanted. First he said I should wear that familiar Bush – Jacket which I always wear on location.
Then in case I was mistaken for a wildlife enthusiast, should I not wear around my neck a cine – director’s badge of his trade – the view-finder?
Finally he suggested I use the cap I wear rather rakishly, which in some bizarre way was associated with me.
Now he said with professional expertise, I should stand by the cine-camera – that would complete the picture.
That portrait has been my favourite in that particular period of my life, smiling as though I had broken some box office record.
The photographer I need hardly add was L. E. Samararatne.”
LJP also summed up Samare’s journey: “Samararatne’s life story reads like a Mark Twain fable. From the deep south, a Rahula kid abandons his elementary education, arrives in the Big City, works in Donald Studios in Maradana washing prints sticking it out over the years, mastering the secrets of the dark room, graduating to studio portraits, joining as senior assistant at Chitrafoto, the fabled studio, inspired by D. R. Wijewardene, with Lionel Wendt’s collaboration and then to Lake House newspapers and the rest is history, and part of the legend that is Samare. (‘Learn to See”)
Samare’s departure marks the end of yet another stalwart amongst Sri Lanka’s professionals in an art we all love.