When Atul Kasbekar started his career as a commercial photographer in Mumbai ( Bombay ), he was faced with entrenched competitors, established schools of photography and star photographers with god-like authority over media and advertising clients.
Within a short time, Atul's style of sass and sexy imagery began to excite designers, art directors and audiences around the world.
Atul drifted from a ‘respectable' career path as a chemical engineer, to do a photography course at the Brooks Institute. His handy manner with darkroom chemicals helped him develop new techniques and processes for creating images. These skills were put to good use later in Atul's life, when he became a ‘test pilot' for new films and papers that were developed by Kodak.
Models, actors, celebrities have walked through Atul's studio by the dozen. They swear by his easy affability that eases the space between the creator and his muse, bringing out their inner character and beauty that makes his images special and greatly cherished.
New dimensions
In the field of marketing, few photographers are regarded as highly as Atul Kasbekar. His contribution to the field of branded marketing properties has been an eye opener not only to his peers, but to advertisers, advertising and marketing professionals.
The Kingfisher Calendar was the first of its kind. It was the first calendar that went from being a cursory annual branding exercise to a coveted treasure that was available to a closely guarded list of recipients. It is today the first fashion event of the year, defining the character and course of the year to come.
Atul has also pioneered the concept of Corporate Imagery in India . Corporate Image (Case Study) is based on the notion that a corporate entity's most visible representatives should be the boldest image statement in its corporate communication.
The photography community
Few photographers can boast of spawning a generation of young photographers as convincingly as Atul. Four established fashion photographers in India have been assistants to Atul earlier in their careers.
Atul has been a founder member of the erstwhile All India Photographers Association (AIPA) which transformed itself into the PGI. Atul has served as the president of the PGI, and helped to bring in a number of policies and regulations that protect the rights of photographers in India .
