Seeing a vision of black and white

It was a dream come true for veteran photographer L.E. Samararatne when he launched 'Learn to See' - a compilation of the pick of his creative effort spanning six decades.

For 20 years he had tried hard to find a sponsor but failed. When the President's Fund called for manuscripts for publication, Samare (that's how I prefer to call him rather than L.E. or Sam) saw his opportunity. He sent in an application. Many months passed with no response. Samare didn't give up. At long last a letter came asking him to submit a dummy with the selected photographs.

As he confessed at the launch, for three years the 'struggle' went on. When at the end of it, he was asked to find "a sophisticated English editor", he was nonplussed. Where to find such a creature?- he wondered. His choice of one-time Observer colleague Gaston de Rosairo worked. The panel was happy with what Gaston wrote. And then the final okay came.

Samare worked with Stamford Lake (Pvt) Ltd. in producing his "photographic essay" comprising around 125 black and white photographs. To Samare, it's a book done for self-satisfaction. In the process he tries to let the budding photographers 'learn to see'. "My primary intention is to guide the artistically minded photographer, as to what the man behind the camera can achieve with even the basic equipment," he says.

Samare gives some basic guidelines. "The process of taking a photograph begins with a camera with a clean lens, which is free of dust, dirt, fingerprints, and fungus. Next we look around at the space in front of us. Look at what we see critically. Assess the scene for any picture possibilities and plan on what you intend to capture on camera. Visualize the final image in your mind's eye, which is probably the most essential item in obtaining a good image. What are the interesting elements within this open vista confronting us? Can we isolate an area or an object that is of actual interest?"

To the average reader, the book is a thing of beauty. One can enjoy the work of "a superlative artiste", in the words of chief guest at the launch D.B. Nihalsingha, who also reminded us that Samare has earned many a distinction for the talent he has displayed on a wide canvas ranging from news to portraits to landscapes to weddings to pictorials.

In this day when everyone is talking of colour and digital photography, Samare is bold enough to present a classic collection of black and white pictures. Most of them have been taken with the good old Rolleiflex cameras.

He presents his selections under Pictorial, Women, Children, Men, News, Travel (impressions of a visit to London) and Aerial Art.
The Pictorial section shows how Samare 'learnt to see'. The misty mornings in the plantations, the climb to Sri Pada, sunset at Jaffna lagoon and many more have been 'documented' with a keen eye. His portraits bring back memories of many a personality - some well known and others less known. Many of us still remember the 'Pond's girl' whom Samare shot in the days when he was a commercial photographer at Chitrafoto. She was among many old Lake House contacts who turned up at the launch.

'Learn to See' also portrays Samare's success as a news photographer. If I remember right, he was the only one to move over from Chitrafoto to the newspapers and be a success. He brought in a classic news picture of a demonstration against the schools take-over capturing a solitary female in white amidst a crowd of women demonstrators with opened black umbrellas to protect themselves from the pelting rain.

'Aerial Art' is a fine memento of the leisurely times we enjoyed strolling about in the Fort 50 years ago with no barricades or armed escorts.

'Learn to see' gives us the chance to have the best of Samare's work in our library. Add to your collection and place it next to Lionel Wendt's Ceylon. That's what I have done.