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52 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

Darius

Darius Manihuruk

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Manihuruk

he job of a still photographer is surely one of the least appealing in the spectrum of photography. In essence, the stills photographer parlays the vision of the lms director to the general public. There is little in the way of creativity and inventiveness. Yet Jakarta based photographer Darius Photography for me is a way to express and appreciate my imagination. I always hope I can transform my ideas and my imagination, something which in my mind to other people. I believe this job of a still photographer, which I have been doing for about four years now, is very interesting and unique. Photography in print media is common and I have been through that job for three years. That is why I decided to explore more opportunity in other media with more challenges. Darius has faced up to the many challenges of photography in the print media and has the accolades to prove it. He has won photography competition such as the Central Java Culture Festival in 1999 and Face of Indonesia by Lowe Lintas Advertising in 2004. To cap it o , he staged a
53 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

54 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

solo exhibition focusing on fashion photography in 2006. More recently, he participated in the Jakarta International Film Festival exhibition on stills photography. One of the more interesting experiences that I have been through is when I took a picture of my model in the middle of a tra c jam. It attracted a large crowd with a lot of people watching that session, Darius recalls.

55 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

56 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

Nonetheless, the task of photographing stills is not one to be sco ed at. According to Darius, the challenges of photographing stills are unique. You have to take pictures with good continuity, he explains, using the lmmakers term for seamless sequence of events. You also have to be careful to take a picture that is similar to what the lm or video camera man has taken. This is the one thing that is very important for me. Coordination between stills photographer, director and cameramen is not only important, it is crucial, because if there is no coordination between them, you will not get a good picture nor be able to capture the moment. Darius is very careful with his choice of equipment. He places a high premium on quality and responsiveness. Which is why he uses the Canon D20 with lenses 16-35mm f.2,8 and 70-200mm f.2,8.
57 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

58 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography

When I am photographing stills, I never use the ash because for me, the ash can be a distraction for the situation and shooting process, he explains.

Darius has a studio workshop in South Jakarta where he indulges in photographic work, shooting everything from still life to fashion photography.

I take photos by project, so I have to prepare and learn about every kind of photography, he said. NAZIR KESHVANI
59 APRIL 2007 Asian Photography