[Interview] Photographer Palani Mohan’s ‘Small Miracles’ Captured on Film, on The Frame

Photography gives us the ability to capture brief, fleeting moments in time and make them permanent. Whereas the subject of a painting might have to sit for hours or even days, the subject of a photograph may not even know the picture is being taken.

Palani Mohan is an award-winning photographer who holds the view that if you slow down and look around you, you will find “small, beautiful miracles that take place all the time.”

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Mohan about his experience as a photographer and his collaboration with Samsung on The Frame.

Life Through a Camera Lens

▲ Photographer Palani Mohan, Katie Barget for TEDxSydney | CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mohan photographs a variety of subjects, from his famous pictures of eagles on the outskirts of Mongolia, to the various shades of Hong Kong, and just about everything else in between.

Many of Mohan’s projects have led him to travel around the world, visit new places and meet new people. Before the pandemic, Mohan spent as much as six months out of the year on the road for work. Now, however, he spends a lot more time staying in one place.

▲ Man and Eagle over tall grass (2013)

Mohan says he hopes that, when people look at one of his photographs, they get the same feelings of awe as if they were standing right beside him when he took it.

“Most, if not all, of the time when I’m taking my photographs, I am alone, especially when I’m doing landscape work,” he comments. “So when people look at my images on the screen, or in a magazine or print, I would like them to feel like they’re standing where I stood and seeing what I saw when I made that image. If they can do that, I’ll be very happy because my job will be done.”

On The Frame, viewers can experience Mohan’s stunning work in premium, QLED picture quality that brings photos to life. When viewing his work on The Frame, Mohan says, “I hope [viewers] see what I see. I hope they look at my work and see what a magical place this world is.”

▲ Hong Kong through the clouds (2016)

Technology Shines a Light on Detail

An interesting aspect of Mohan’s work is that a large portion of it is black and white. Whereas other photographers may focus on the colors in a scene, Mohan often removes the color to let viewers focus on other aspects of the subject.

▲ Water Dragon (2019)

Art and technology have already been intersecting for some time, with technology being used as a medium for both creating and viewing artworks. And innovations such as The Frame are bringing the two even closer together, making pieces more accessible and opening a world of new possibilities for producing and showcasing art. And this is especially true for artists like Mohan who value attention to detail very highly.

▲ Golden Eagle (2013)

“The Frame gives viewers the chance to look at a piece of art as the artist wants them to view it,” Mohan says. “It feels so real, viewing images on The Frame. It changes the interaction you have with the artworks you look at. You see all the details and tones – you can walk up and see the work as the artist really intended.”

It is the quantum dot technology in The Frame that gives it its spectacularly vivid display, and that delivers the finer detail that illuminates texture and contrast. “Attention to the minute details is very important to me. I place huge importance on the quality of my work, the tones reflected and how the visual image is presented. This is a huge part of what I do,” Mohan relates. “I go to extraordinary lengths as far as the quality of the final image, and I believe Samsung and The Frame do exactly that too. The screen resolution on The Frame is out of this world – simply unbelievable. And I think it’s a wonderful marriage when you have an artist who also puts quality above everything else. When the two meet, the result is magic.”

Palani Mohan’s work is available in the Art Store on The Frame now, and 14 new pieces will be available from late November.