Shiv Kumar proved that a picture is worth more than 1,000 words

Team DNA



Photojournalist Selvan Shiv Kumar died in Bangalore on Sunday after a protracted illness. Born on May 1, 1970, Shiv entered photojournalism when he was still in his teens and worked with most of the major newspapers published from the city in a career spanning over two decades.
Shiv was part of DNA's launch team and was instrumental in designing the popular Pic Me Up section, which he personally oversaw. His column, Focal Point, was a vivid take on the profession, which he sought to critique and guide. While he realised that photoeditors must embrace production and execution, he was convinced that it was action that defined the lensman. Little wonder, then, that he seized every opportunity to shoot from the hip, craving for that opportune moment in the field. DNA's pics were, and are, a testimony to Shiv's resolute belief in on-the-spot photojournalism.
Pic Me Up was just a concept in December 2008, the month DNA was born in Bangalore, when Shiv was asked to deliver a page filled with pictures that told a story. Not only did his team capture a changing Bangalore, they showcased some of the best pictures ever taken in this city. If journalism in Bangalore is rethinking pictures today, it is because DNA sought to explore an art that was crying for display — and attention.
Shiv took great pride in learning and encouraged his colleagues to pursue courses that detailed the nuances of fine photography. He was mighty pleased when, in July 1997, he became the first Indian photojournalist to be selected for the Willy Vicoy fellowship of the Reuters Foundation for a fall term at University of Missouri, US. That brought in a keen human-interest perspective to his later work.
Shiv (he left DNA in February this year) is survived by his wife and nine-year-old son who tell us how passionate a photographer Shiv was, waking in the wee hours to shoot subjects in natural light.
We, at DNA, thank Shiv immensely for reminding us that a picture is better than a thousand words.He seized every chance to shoot from the hip, craving for that big moment in the field