A family portrait taken by Mandal with his large format film camera
June 9, 2017 By Staff Report
A 40-year resident of Forest Hills and father of three is looking to honor dads in his community and commemorate Father’s Day in a unique way.
While June is traditionally trumpeted by greeting card companies as a time to honor both “Dads & Grads,” local fine art photographer Krish Mandal wishes to focus on celebrating the father part of the equation for 2017 by offering specials for family sessions.
“I want to use my brand of unique and uplifting images, where ‘Dad’ is the center of focus, as part of an effort to revitalize the charm of a meaningful family photograph,” said Krish Mandal, whose studio in Forest Hills is aptly named “Photography by Krish Mandal.”
“My dad gave me my first camera,” says Krish. “And my second, too, actually. He taught me how to use this magic box, but just the basics. Since then, it slowly became a kind of obsession. I’ve always photographed my own family but lately I’ve been taking photos of my dad (and mom) regularly for the last few years now, because they are getting on in age.”
He says this specific attention to the important people in his life is what he wants families to offer their fathers this June 18th to let them know that they are special.
Dante’s View, Death Valley National Park, CA by Krish Mandal
Over the last 25 years, Krish practiced photography as he traveled throughout the U.S., and abroad. While working to build his reputation, he sold his fine art landscapes, industrial images, and commissioned works to galleries and private parties. Now at his Forest Hills studio and through his website, he offers three genres of portraiture to clients; “Personal Branding, Children & Families, and Boudoir.”
Mandal’s experience in photography dates back to the film era.
“I started in film from 110 box-camera film to large format 4×5-inch sheets. I learned to see with film, it was slow and meticulous,” he shared. “Film isn’t dead. I still shoot my 4×5 film camera! There is always both angst and anticipation while you wait to get film developed, the same as it was back then.”
Although he embraces the convenience of digital photography, Krish says there was a significant trade off when the widespread shift to digital was made.
Krish Mandal at work
“When digital came out, I was thrilled to be able to see my photos right away. Having digital snapshots on cell phones is really convenient, and I have lots of images of me and the kids on my phone,” he says. “But, what we lose, is something that we can actually hang on to, a quality worthy of mounting a framed print over the mantle in our homes. Without a print, you lose the history. Personally, I don’t know who my great grandfather was, as I have no image of him. That’s kind of sad, but there’s no reason for that these days.”
Nevertheless, Krish warns that digital photography by itself isn’t bad, but over dependence on it has its flaws.
“We need to recognize that photos on digital media become meaningless after a while, and they can disappear without warning. We should have images that build our family legacies. That’s what I want people to understand. It’s not about film or digital. It’s about the quality of the art, your family, and what you keep. It’s about what you’ll have to hand down to your kids to show them who their grandfather and great-grandfather was, and be able to tell their stories in the form of real photographs.”
Interested readers can view some of Krish Mandal’s work at www.bykrishmandal.com/dads-and-grads/, where they can also receive a $200 Print Pack when they schedule a Father’s Day family session. He can also be reached at (347) 685-4324.
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