Oliver Saurabh Sinclair is an Indian born photographer who started his career as a wishful Polo player who thought horses were the best way forward. He was diverted from this passion at the age of 18 by none other that Richard Avedon.Having worked in the Avedon Studio he assisted many others based out of London. All this work to be able to earn enough to keep him out of University and pay for a project inspired by the Avedon Studio.Other Faces of India is a body of work trying to capture the back bone of India. The people who make the country, not the celebrity or the powerful. He has worked on several BBC and National Geographic productions in order to facilitate this journey.
Field Assisting & Work Experience:
Delhi shoot for Aviva Insurance (June 2010)
Digital Time-lapse and Field Assistant for BBC Human Planet (Zanskar, Jan/March 2010).
Field Assistant for BBC Human Planet (Jaipur maques, Cranes at Kichen, Rajasthan, December 2009).
Photographed advertising campaigns for Talwar Jewelers, Tahir Sultan (Dubai based fashion house), among others. (2008/2010)
Dior Watch/Crystal campaign (2007), various campaigns for Indian Designers and Fashion House (2007/8).
Field Producer and Time-lapses for BBC Natural History Unit/Discovery series on The Ganges (2006/7), and Off The Fence/Voom/National Geographic series Urban Monkey(2007)
Photographed Gucci launch at Milan Fashion Week for Japanese Harpers Bazaar.
Campaigns in partnership with Kim Andreolli, London 2003 to 2005
Vidal Sassoon Advertising Campaign for 2004 to 2005
Three Wallpaper magazine covers 2004
Two photo essays in Wig Issues 1 and 2
London based freelance assistant and photographer March 2002 to 2006
Clients include:
Sam Taylor Wood, Wolfgang Mustain, William Klien, Donald Mc Phearson, Pamela Hanson and many others.
Nick Knight : September 2001- February 2002
I worked as a full time photographic assistant. It entailed research of lighting techniques for future shoots. Production for equipment and organization of logistics for any location work. Overseeing of printing and colour matching of chromalins as well as some archival work.
Metro Imaging, London : February – August 2001
Equipment manager for three working studios. Handling production of shoots. Maintenance of in-house equipment including 5/4 and 10/8 cameras.
Richard Avedon studio, New York, June – November 2000
Full time assistant. The job included printing black and white images. Maintenance of in house processing and printing equipment as well as lights and cameras. Archiving and research of lighting techniques for future shoots including the Dior Homme and Higher campaigns. I worked in both in-house and location situations on various shoots.
Photographed the Kumbh Mela, India, January 2001
Two months of location work at this religious festival. Shooting a series of portraits capturing the back bone of India. This culminated in my first solo exhibition and the beginning of a yearly project shooting on the streets of India.
Co-presented the Tiger Special for the Really Wild Show on BBC1 (a BAFTA nominee) April 1999
Exhibitions:
Exhibition at Kunst Am Spalenberg, Art Basel 2009.
Solo exhibition at Eclipse Walton Street of ‘Other Faces of India’ shot in 2003 sponsored by Adi Adi beer and Bombay Saphire.
Equipment experience:
Cameras: Hasselblad H2/P45, 10/8, 4/5, 120mm and 35mm
Lighting: Broncolor, Ellinchrome, Pro-Photo, Strobex, HMI, portable LEDs and many others.
Education:
Mayo College, Ajmer, India 1992-April 2000
Principal’s Gold Medallist 2000 for highest achievement in the school, College Monitor 1999-2000, House Captain 1998-2000, Polo Captain 1999-2000, President of the Debating society 1999-2000, President of the Photographic society 1997-2000, President of the Dramatic society 1999-2000. School colours awarded Cross Country Running, Polo, Basketball, Debating, dramatics, show jumping and photography for high calibre of performance in the school.
Fluent in Hindi and English.