It is early days in India and ace photographer Fritz Hoffmann is already warming up to the idea of letting his camera go on exploration mode. His initial observations: “Like China, the density of population particularly strikes a new entrant to India. Another noticeable fact is while China’s population is ageing quite dramatically, India is

bustling with youth.” Drawing a parallel with China comes from the fact, that Fritz has spent a considerable part of his career there. “I was seeking to broaden the scope of my work in the increasingly globalised world, hence I moved my home to Shanghai, in 1995,” he informs. The American had the distinction of being the first foreign photographer after 1949 to receive journalist accreditation by China’s foreign ministry with permission to reside outside the capital, Beijing. Known for producing photographic narratives that document a wide array of social issues, his work has been featured in a range of international print media and he is a frequent contributor to the National Geographic Magazine. “I grew up among six siblings and our parents exposed us to natural surroundings. I wasn’t much inclined towards academics and hoped to be an artist. But eventually photography was my call and it is still calling the shots,” he says.
Was his decision to opt for China as the chosen land an attempt to break free from pre-conceived stereotypes surrounding the communist country? Fritz says: “I stepped into China at a time when the country was going through a period of industrial development. Unfortunately, I had not witnessed the American chapter of a similar phase, hence the urge as a photographer to chronicle it was hard to resist. Perhaps I also wanted to change my perspective of America,” he says as an afterthought.
Studio Pomegranate’s invitation to conduct the Destination Workshop in Kolkata was a good enough reason for Fritz to include India in his itinerary. “I was always keen to visit India but it never happened until now. I feel it is vital that Indian photographers document changing India and the workshop is a step in that direction. I am simply here to share my expertise on the finer nuances of the craft and sensibilities involved,” feels the self-taught photographer. Usually the image of impoverished India is the predictable line, most foreign photographers walk, but Fritz steers clear of any such stereotyping. “I prefer photographing humanity, rather than singling out conditions like wealth and poverty,” he says.
The photographer provides an interesting insight into China: “In the beginning, a new comer’s experience is limited to visuals only. You don’t understand the sounds and smell of the place, even the food is a new experience. And that was a time, when the advent of the cellphone and the Internet was yet to happen. So the initial days as a photo journalist were the most challenging one. And not to forget, the numerous paper works that was part of the work culture. Even travelling from one city to another involved a complicated process of applications that often ended up being rejected. Instead of letting the sense of alienation overtake me, I enrolled at the Shanghai University to learn Mandarin. And once the language barrier was broken, life in China was a more tolerant affair,” he says.
Commenting further he says: “The rapid economic growth had created a class divide in the country, with a section stashing too much wealth while there is a huge low middle-class populace. For an average Chinese, a stable life is high on the priority list, hence education is of utmost priority. But it is also resulting in too many graduates and not enough jobs. During the years spent there, I noticed that the traditional ways of life-long association with the country, like their medicines and Marshall art, are getting sidelined. But there is no denying the fact that China is in serious pursuit to emerge as a power to reckon with in the global arena.”
Fritz has moved back to Boston since 2008, yet China remains his area of focus. Will he repeat the China story in India? The famous photographer is not revealing much, beyond a smile.