The Co-Founder of Fuzz Factory Productions and a recipient of the Magnum Emergency Fund Grant 2016, Prasiit Sthapit thinks that his photos are nothing but a reflection of his curiosity. Recently selected for the prestigious World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass 2016, Sthapit, in an interview with the Post’s Marissa Taylor, talks about this exciting venture, his Susta project, and photography. Excerpts:

Despite holding a degree in journalism from Manipal Institute of Communication, India why did you not pursue a career in mainstream journalism?

It was after I studied journalism that I realised that I didn’t want to do it. I had always had an interest in photography, even as a kid. And it was after I watched the documentary War Photographer about the photographer James Nachtwey that I really wanted to take up photo journalism. I had a very idealistic notion of journalism then—about putting forth stories that were silenced and needed to be heard—but over time I saw how disillusioned I was about the commercial aspect of journalism.

After I got back to Nepal, my friend, Rohit Shakya, introduced me to people who introduced me to documentary photography and I discovered a whole new realm where I could do what I wanted to do without the confines of mainstream journalism.

Have you studied photography professionally?

I have never studied photography formally. I got a hold of the basics from my uncle, who is also a photographer, and then it has just been me learning through trial and error.

Why did you choose photography as a medium to tell your stories?

I think photography just sort of happened to me.  Like I said, I was fascinated with photos even as a kid. My father owned a photo frame shop and I would be around pictures and frames all day. When cable TV first came to our home, I used to get up early just to watch Discovery Channel and look at dolphins jumping through waves; the images on the screen would just fascinate me. One thing led to another and photography just happened.

How do you get your pictures to tell your stories?

 I think my pictures are just a reflection of my curiosity. If there is something that sparks my interest or something I want to say or somewhere I want to go, I do a bit of research on it and head out. I let the place and the people do the work for me; I just try to capture what I see.

What does photography mean to you?

Well, it is just like any other art form to express emotions. I think photography is a simple medium; it doesn’t take much to learn the craft, especially in this digital age. But as you get in deeper, you realise that it requires a lot of in-depth knowledge. I have been doing professional photography for the past six years and it still confuses me. I learn new things every day. I am trying to incorporate videos into my photography too. One day, if I realise that I have learned everything about photography maybe I will leave it.

Which camera do you currently use?

Right now I am using a Nikon D600. At Fuzz, we use the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, so I borrow that too and sometimes I borrow cameras from other friends too. There are so many technical aspects to the camera that I still haven’t gotten a hold of all them yet, and I have to consult with friends a lot. I am not very sound technically. And honestly, as long as I get what I want out of my pictures and they tell a story then I don’t think the technical details matter all that much. I think art is beyond all that.

 Can you tell us a bit about the Magnum Emergency Fund Grant and the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass?

Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, the co-founder of photo.circle, nominated me for the Magnum Emergency Fund Grant for my Change of Course project which is based on a little village called Susta, which falls on the border between India and Nepal. The grant is for long-term projects like the Susta project that I have been working on for the past four years. I have to now produce a photo feature for the same until September.

As for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass, it is a prestigious workshop for emerging artists from all over the world. For that, the 12 finalists, who were chosen from 167 nominees, have to produce a new body of work and participate in the programme that is going to take place in Amsterdam this September. 

How and when did you start your project on Susta?

My Susta project, titled Change of Course, started in 2012, during a photo.circle workshop. Photo.circle has been very instrumental in shaping my career. It focuses on Susta, and the stories of the people there who are divided between the disputes at the Nepal-India border, and the threat the raging Narayani River poses to them. If I had seen more visuals of that place or had more information then I would have probably never pursued the story. I had very little information about Susta and so I went there to know more. I want to take it further.

There is a lot of emerging Nepali talent, yet internationally, you do not see a large Nepali presence. Why do you think that is?

I think in any field, a lot of networking and connections are involved. We have a lot of talent like Hitmaan Gurung, Sujan Chitrakar, Lok Chitrakar, Bibhusan Basnet and Pooja Gurung. It’s sad in a way but we cannot completely reject the fact that there are certain key figures that can play a role in making you ‘famous’.  Having said that, there are many international art, film and photo exhibitions happening around the city and I think these events will help promote Nepal. The growth has been slow but it is getting better.

Are there any photographers whose work you admire?

There are a lot of photographers! There are phases, or days, when I like certain kinds of work. But I think photography is like any other language. As you evolve and learn, you begin to admire the works of others more and start appreciating it more.

Did you ever consider a 9-5 job?

Never. I understood that 9-5 was not something for me a long time back.

You are also associated with Fuzz Factory Productions which has, in many ways, helped change the scene of video-making in the Nepali music scene. What vision did you have when you started out and what plans do you have to take it further?

We didn’t really start Fuzz with a vision. We started making videos just because the videos that were being made then were just not up to the mark. It was a gradual process. We had a camera, we had a laptop and we just started taking videos. We wanted to do what we were not seeing.

But all these years we have mostly been doing only commissioned work. Through Fuzzscape, which is our new initiative, we want to create our own content as well—something that will last long. There are other ideas in the pipeline as well.

What motivates you to do what you do?

It’s curiosity mostly. These are stories that have not come out. I think mainstream journalism is too demanding and urgent and that does injustice to the stories that are being told as they lack the depth. What motivates me is my curiosity and my need to share glimpses of lives that are important.