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unique

unique
eye
photography , delhi

Outdoors, on a ground paved with small rectangular red and grey tiles, to the left of the frame there is a large pale grey soapstone statute of the seated Buddha mounted on a bluish grey marble cubical pedestal. A silver-grey metal plaque on the front face of the pedestal has brown lettering in Hindi above its translation in English. It explains the significance of the Dhyani Buddha which symbolises “prayer for enlightenment, unshaken strength, commitment to liberation and determination to fight with all evils and temptations nonviolently”. In front of the statue, four men in red T-shirt and blue jeans stand one behind the other, in profile, in ascending order of height. From left to right: Shaishav Singhal (26), Tarit Khanna (32), Vikas Kapahi (48) and Bharat Kumar (47). Each of them is holding a digital camera up to their eye with both hands and aiming it at the statue. The wall behind the statue is almost obscured by a row of green trees and plants.
Against the backdrop of a row of tall trees with green leaves, there is a large statue of Dr Ambedkar wearing trousers, a jacket, and shoes. The statue faces the camera and is mounted on a tall cubical pedestal. The brown shiny metal statue shows Ambedkar in his characteristic pose of right arm outstretched and forefinger pointing. The photography team stands side by side with their back to the camera and raising their cameras high to capture the statue. The back of their red T-shirts says “UNIQUE EYES” in white capitals, and below it, the word “Photography” in white upper-lower case.
From left to right: Shaishav, Tarit, Vikas and Bharat sit outdoors on a broad grey marble platform, wearing blue jeans and red T-shirts. Except for Bharat, all wear spectacles. There is a row of ornamental palms behind them with scaly brown trunks and green feathery leaves. Shaishav sits with his right leg dangling and left leg folded at the knee and resting on his right thigh. He rests his left hand on Tarit’s right shoulder. Tarit is sitting cross-legged and looking at Vikas. With his left elbow resting on his left thigh he has placed his forefinger on his lower lip. Vikas, sitting cross-legged, is looking at Tarit and grasping Tarit’s right hand with his right. Vikas’s left arm rests on Bharat’s back. Bharat, looking at Tarit, sits with both legs dangling and his right arm on Vikas’s back.
Shaishav, Tarit, Vikas and Bharat stand one behind the other with their bodies slightly turned to face the camera. They are smiling as they hold their cameras up to neck level with both hands, the lenses pointing forward. Behind them is a red sandstone building and some green shrubs.
From left to right: Bharat, Tarit, Shaishav and Vikas stand side by side in a row. They are holding their cameras close to the chest with lens pointing forward. Behind them is a brown metal statue of Dr Ambedkar seated in a brown metal chair with sturdy legs and carved back. His right arm is on the armrest and he clutches a book, presumably the Indian Constitution, close to the chest with his bent left arm. In front of the four men is a large purple sign. It shows the words Dis is my Ability, the first and last words in large white letters and the middle two words in smaller blue letters, so that the Dis and Ability appear together.
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“We are now beginning to get paid for pursuing our passion”

You seldom see Shaishav Singhal (26) from Delhi without his digital camera. “It has become a part of him,” says his sister Shreya. He caught the photography bug as a teenager and he began to take his equipment with him everywhere he went, whether to the market with his mother to buy vegetables or to social functions. Even if he was accompanying his family to a wedding he would ask eagerly, “Can I take my camera?” And he had to be told, “But we are guests, beta, you can’t go around taking photos there!”
 
Shaishav and his friends Bharat Kumar (47), Tarit Khanna (32) and Vikas Kapahi (48) form the core of Unique Eye Photography, a truly unique initiative started by their parents in 2014. “Last year we began the process of getting it registered,” says Shreya, who is the Manager of Unique Eye. Shaishav and Tarit have Down Syndrome, Bharat is on the autism spectrum and Vikas has a specific learning disability. Their parents had met at a vocational centre where their children were learning the standard skills imparted to persons with disabilities. They wondered: “Can’t our children be taught something beyond baking and pottery and diya-making?”
 
At this point, they encountered “a kind gentleman” called Mohit Ahuja (knowdisability.org), says Shreya. He offered to train the youngsters in photography and give them the use of his studio. They started learning composition and editing. What began as a hobby gradually turned into a passion, and now, practically a profession. In 2020 they slowed down when Covid hit the country but they picked up speed once the crisis had blown over. They are currently being mentored by Siddharth Puri at the Society for Child Development, Shakti Nagar, New Delhi.
 
Each of the four has their own areas they’re specialising in. Vikas is interested in product photography and covering events; Bharat and Shaishav, in portraits and products; and Tarit in nature and wildlife (especially animals). Once they had acquired the necessary skills the parents asked themselves, “What next?” Through their informal network of family and friends the young men started getting assignments and later, lucrative propositions from corporate clients.
 
Over the years, Unique Eye has collaborated with renowned brands such as Panasonic, Harley Davidson and BNI. Last year they covered a Nippon Paint conference in Goa. They have covered many Special Olympics Bharat events in Delhi NCR, the most recent one being a six-day bowling event. Their work has also found its place in art events and galleries; one of the works was recently selected by the Down Syndrome Association, UK. Unique Eye also exhibits their photographs at exhibitions such as eCAPA – the annual exhibition held by The Art Sanctuary, of artworks by neuro-diverse artists.
 
Working on assignments that often entail 12-hour workdays helps to build their stamina and give them a much-needed sense of routine, says Shreya. Shaishav and Tarit, being the gregarious souls that many Downs persons are, call out to people at these events and say, come and get your photos taken!
 
“We don’t want this to be a ‘pity’ thing, charity work,” says Shreya. The four young men are paid a monthly salary and get their fair share of the clients’ fees. In fact when an assignment comes up they now ask, “How much are we getting paid?” And rightly so, for this enterprise paves their way to financial independence and, one hopes, to an independent life in future.

Photos:

Vicky Roy

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