I took up photography early, but stopped after marriage: Waheeda Rehman

On World Photography Day, the veteran actor talks about her love of capturing the Nature, birds and animals; adds she plans on taking a trip next year to explore her passion further

A few years back, Waheeda Rehman decided to learn photography. At 81, she put up pictures from her safaris across the globe in an exhibition for the first time. A photophile since a young age, her love for the craft took a backseat once she got married and her children began taking up most of her time.

Waheeda Rehman (Fotocorp)

“I started photography very early but there was no one to teach me. At that time, I bought a Rolleiflex camera. I started clicking photographs using that by reading the literature in the manual. I always carried it every time I stepped out of my house or during outdoor shoots,” she shares.

Talking about how she often reached out to cinematographers of her films to help her learn the art, the veteran actor says, “I remember asking Faredoon A Irani (cinematographer) about the technicalities and settings of clicking a picture. He used to say to me, ‘Don’t ask me. I use a big camera.’ So, there wasn’t much help I received there (laughs). They used to be busy with their work.”

It was in 2014 when she met professional photographer Himanshu Seth who eventually taught her photography: “He began taking groups to safaris, both in India and abroad. He would make all the arrangements and at the main camp, he would teach us. I like capturing the nature and birds and animals in their own habitats. Sometimes, we would keep going to the same location just to capture them in different kinds of lighting.”

But Rehman has no plans of hosting another exhibition. She’s eagerly waiting to take a trip once normalcy restores. “I wish I could do it regularly. Par ghar pe kaam rehta hai. I want to keep learning from my mistakes and improve my craft,” the Delhi 6 (2019) actor ends.