THE ARTS

Big Ben Strikes Ten

Author/ Being Neighbourly
18 November 2024

“Hong Kong is home. It always has been.”

Bharat Khemlani

So, does Big Ben Photography [the name of his outfit] have something to do with the UK?” I ask photographer Bharat Khemlani. As it turns out, the name derives from a childhood nickname between cousins. “I was on of the older ones, hence ‘Big’ and ‘Ben’ instead of Bharat. Then, when it came to setting up my photography outfit, my kids said, “Everyone knows you as Big Ben, so why not go with that?”

So that was that. Big Ben Photography was born in 2017, but Khemlani says his love of the camera was there much earlier. As young as four years old, he shares he was brandishing a camera — he shows me the proof in a black and white image of himself looking less Big Ben than ‘Very little Ben’.

Bharat was born in Gujrat, India and came to Hong Kong as a baby. His father was already establised here and he now has a network of relatives across Hong Kong. His wife had a similarly early beginning in Hong Kong and they have two sons. Bharat attended a local English-medium school and burnished his Cantonese through daily infusions of Entertainment Tonight, “the best way to learn”, he admits.

I’ve seen some of Khemlani’s work but, luckily, he’s brought his portfolio, which he spreads out on the table. They’re themed photographs: dramatic scenes of Hong Kong “the long exposures just blur all the small details,” he shares; ‘Flora and Fauna’, including shots of monkeys and minuscule flies; and ‘Postcards from Around the World’ — shots of world-renowned architecture in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and Paris.

The Hong Kong-centric shots elicit particular enthusiasm from me and as a photography enthusiast, I can’t help but ask questions about how certain techniques were achieved or why he chose not to crop a particular photo.

He says that he uses some of these pictures as teaching materials and does a variety of photo-related work through Big Ben Photography from bread-and-butter commercial shoots to photography extra-curricular activities at schools and event photography; and he tries to submit artistic work for competitions when he has time.

“I set up Big Ben in 2017, but I’ve been taking photos since I was four.”

Bharat Khemlani

“There’s a story behind this one”, he says, finger hovering over a stunning photo of the statuesque Eiffel Tower. “I left my wife and kids at a café and went off to get a different shot of the Tower from the ones that are usually taken. Finally, I was on one of the bridges across the Seine and was setting up to take my shot, when I saw that someone had actually written, ‘Big Ben was here”. He adds that this really gave him a fateful sense that he was absolutely where the universe wanted him to be.

Khemlani’s fascination with the wonders of the world aside, Hong Kong remains his primary subject and he says he will never leave, what with his love of life here and his wide circle of relatives. His portfolio highlights his passion and what appears to be a responsibility to show the multifaceted, and, yet, often little known, parts of the city he calls home to others who might be less attuned to the subtleties of the territory.

Appropriately, given his knowledge of Hong Kong and love of capturing it with his Canon, he unpacks a number of other photographic series and spreads them out on the table, earning him an admiring audience in the manager who approaches, not to mention the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from me.

Being Neighbourly welcomes Bharat Khemlani’s participation in our inaugural art exhibition, Transitions, November 21-25 at the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.

Khemlani shares 3 things that have influenced him creatively

The transformative effect of pointing a camera at people

When I was around four years old, I first discovered the magic of photography. At family gatherings, I witnessed adults engaged in serious conversations with furrowed brows. Armed with a camera, all it took was a simple “Smile!” from me to replace their frowns with the most genuine and inspiring of smiles. Bringing joy to my relatives’ faces brought me immense happiness. I have encountered many more smiles since!

The flora and fauna on a trip to the Philippines

A holiday to the Philippines in the early 1980s with my aunt and uncle introduced me to breathtaking landscapes and wildlife, fuelling my passion for Landscape and Wildlife Photography. I saw open blue skies and sprawling fields with vibrant greenery. I was compelled to capture these images, wanting to show the beauty of nature to my family and friends back home.

Collaborating with other people in the creative field

During my tenure at various companies from 2003 to 2016, I collaborated with photographers and graphic designers and my fascination with photography continued to grow — particularly in Product Photography. I’ve had the privilege of meeting incredible individuals, some of who have become dear friends and mentors. Their guidance and friendship have been invaluable.