What does he look for in a model?
``I look for images that are different from those I have done on the previous occasion,'' says Salian. In this business, constant innovation is the lensman's byword or he stands the risk of being phased out. ``Your images have to reflect change because yesterday's picture is too old''.

Just how much does a photographer contribute to a photogenic face?
Quite a lot, believes Salian, especially as every photographer shoots the same model differently. ``Besides technique, other factors, too, get plastered on to your picture. A photographer is actually a psychologist on a shoot. The human factor is something a fashion photographer cannot forget. You need to communicate the idea to the model and make her/him perform beautifully or else you would end up with a synthetic-looking picture. You have to make them feel comfortable and beautiful.'' And that, essentially, is the difference between one photographer and another. ``It may be that 100th of a second that works for the model. And we get the credit for it,'' he laughs. His most challenging shoot? ``Difficult to say, there are challenges on every shoot - difficult light set-ups or maybe a big picture''.

What does it feel like being surrounded by beautiful women?
``I am very gentle with women,'' laughs this self-confessed women's fan but adds in a more serious vein that beauty for him goes beyond the face. ``I have grown up with women - I have four sisters - and they have brought out the best in me. For me, these models are not just faces, they are friends.'' Salian does not believe in defining beauty only by physical standards. ``I've met some sterling women who may not have achieved public laurels but have fought hard in their personal life.''

Who's the most beautiful model he has shot?
``Hard to say. There's a list of people I could name,'' he says, ``Mehr Ramphal, Anu Agarwal, Madhu Sapre and Kamal Sidhu...'' The best-looking male model? ``Arjun Ramphal, no doubt about that,'' he says.

Over the years, what changes has he seen in the fashion industry?
``I think models have become more professional. They are more involved in their career and have a better understanding about their photogenic aspects, their own idea of a certain look. They are thinking people today,'' he says. Photography, too, has changed tremendously, he feels. ``It is a lot slicker, and as there isn't too much technique involved, it is also much more casual,'' he says. Indian photographers, take heart! For this lensman feels that Indian photography can stand up to the best in the world. ``Indian photography is international today''.

Isn't glamour a limited field?
``I would not call myself a glamour photographer. I have checked out everything - still life, spots, nudes... I haven't limited myself to beautiful men and women. The search is still on,'' he says.

What's Ashok Salian most likely to say?
``You look beautiful!''

What is he least likely to say?
``I think you look awful!''