Living in Paris, a teacher by profession, Mr. Roland Mechaud by the mid 1950s felt an immediate urge to follow something else in life that could enrich his view about the rest of the world. And he soon found photography as the perfect means for realizing his objectives.
Though advised by friends and professionals that it is hard to establish oneself as a photographer, Roland set out with his wife Sabrina on a tour of Asia in the early sixties. This was how he recalled the beginning of his major twist in life when he started sharing his account of more than 60 years of life as a travel photographer.
After all these years Roland has accumulated a wide range of experiences in travel photography during his travels that took him mostly to places in Asia. He enjoys driving his own car during his photographic adventures in foreign lands. It was during one of his photographic stints in Singapore that Roland came to hear more about India and Afghanistan. According to Roland, these two countries were primarily responsible for his transformation into a travel photographer of repute. Roland still carries a fascination for Afghanistan and India, due to reasons he can’t put in words but understood best by the camera.
Roland’s acquaintance with Kerala started in 1965 and ever since he had been to Kerala on more than six occasions. His latest visit, this year, is to capture the many facets of monsoon in Kerala. “It requires lot of patience and the will to come back to try and capture the maximum of monsoon moments. Because the pattern of rains over the years has become highly unpredictable,” says Roland. Yet, this gentle and seasoned professional still keeps his passion for the monsoon rains in Kerala, a photographic challenge, which he still considers would require more attempts in future.
Musing on Kerala, Roland says: “I first saw Kathakali in 1965. And I find the people of Kerala very kind and open. They are always ready to help and share; a reason for me to visit Kerala again and again.”
According to Roland, the marvel of Kerala as a travel destination is its sheer variety. The sea, backwaters, cultural marvels; with all these Roland feels that those visiting Kashmir some years back are now flocking to Kerala.
His major published works include the one that came in National Geographic magazine titled ‘Winter caravan to the roof of the world.’ And his first published book on India was “India of 1001 nights.”
Technology developments haven’t put hurdles in the life of Roland. When it comes to photography, he still relishes taking pictures with his old and ever reliable Leica. He still relies on fax for communication and doesn’t resort to email and mobile phones even in the rapid pace of the modern world.
Roland has now become a revelation of sorts in photography; and of course an ardent follower of Kerala; especially the monsoon. And when he decides to visit India, Roland usually loves to start with Kerala.
