WHEN one thinks of a mentor, the immediate understanding of such a figure is someone who welcomes you with the possibilitiy of immense learning that helps in both personal and professional development.
The ability to expand in goal setting, connection and mastery of a particular subject matter cannot happen without encouragement from virtuous seniors – one that looks at an established relationship (between the young and old) as an opportunity to pass the knowledge onwards.
While the writer in this case did not have the pleasure of learning photography side-by-side with Eric Peris, his wisdom deeply resonated even through a brief sit-down conversation to understand the passion behind his work.
“Photographers don’t like to be told how to shoot, you need to give them somewhat of a freedom to experiment (to fulfill a brief),” he expressed.
As we have come to know during the last encounter with the man for an exhibition he participated in, the ‘art of seeing’ is one of the most crucial aspects he believes a lensman should master.
“Being aware of what you are trying to capture, its surrounding and going where the light takes you (not the other way around) are just some key elements of what entails such ‘art’."
This fact is most significant when one is utilising mother nature and the environment as a subject.
Having dabbled in photography since the late 1960s, Peris, who is now 82-years-old, notes that a true photographer would also work towards taking full ownership of the entire end-to-end photography process he/she possesses – from the conceptualisation of an idea to the development.
“Back then, this also meant printing our own works, and I made sure I did that for myself,” he added.
“You can’t be giving your captures (whether it be negatives or raw images) to someone else to take over, and this is only because they would not know what you want as an end result.”
Having worked in newspapers (The New Straits Times) beginning in the mid 80s until the late 90s, Peris’ passion and perseverance led to his appointment as photo editor in 1991 before retiring 3 years later (in 1994).
“Photography itself was interesting because I remember while grooming myself in the practice, everyone was doing it.
“Press photography was particularly intriguing for me because you are attempting telling a story, and illustrating it through clicks. This is a complimentary, if not the primary, aspect of a reporting.
“Hence, it is really important to see and understand what you are trying to record, having that narrative in mind. It’s not a matter of just pointing and shooting,” he shared.
Even after retirement, it did not stop Peris from continuously putting up and participating in showcases just to be able to connect and share the story across to audiences.
“No repeats,” said the well-respected photojournalist on what defines a composed photography project.
“I remember this vividly being told to me by my mother after successfully showcasing my first exhibition,” he noted.
Peris credited his editor ‘Mr. Saba’ for the advice and encouragement, which allowed him to later craft a momentous career in photo journalism.
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“I was in Singapore then, contributing for a fanfare magazine.
“One thing to remember is that in photography, you do not have the liberty of going back to clarify your notes in order not to miss a story. If you miss a crucial or climactic moment, then that’s it.
“My editor at the time often tells me that (irrespective of the platform) ‘...you owe your work to the reader’. This only meant that our readers must get the best.
“I thanked him (Mr. Saba) very much for that. It marked the beginning of my journey in understanding deeper on what photojournalism truly meant,” he added. – The Vibes, July 9, 2022
*Follow photojournalist Eric Peris for the latest on Facebook to marvel his historic works over the decades.
