Follow your hobbies… Mine was photography !!
Originating with Greek roots, and meaning ‘drawing with light’, Wikipedia sheds more light on the word ‘photography’ by disclosing that around the year 1800, British inventor Thomas Wedgwood made the first known attempt to capture an image in a camera by means of a light-sensitive substance. Today, photography has become popular as a hobby, business, and career in various fields – wildlife, amateur, commercial, art, architecture, science & technology and journalism.
For me, photography has been a means to step into nature and enjoy its wild flora, fauna, together with its freshness, and aromas. Photo-walks, sometimes through rough terrains, not only create memories but also allow creativity, exercising both the mind and the body. Capturing the beauty of birds, animals, and wildlife and enjoying the diversity of nature is also an important means to popularise and promote conservation of nature and highlight the importance of sustainable coexistence.
I was a keen photographer having toyed with cameras since the age of 14-15 years. My father introduced me to photography on a 120mm film format Japanese Sunflex camera, which initiated my interest and I gradually progressed to the Russian Zenit 12XP, which I considered as a poor man’s Nikon. Later, over time, I used a miniature Pentax Auto 110 along with various Canon models like Canon QF, AE-1 Program, A-1 and the EOS-100. In the digital era, I started with Canon 7D and presently use the Canon 5D Mark IV along with my first-ever Nikon D850 – both full frames.
Back in the day I also learnt darkroom processing at the hands of able mentors – Dr Subrata Das and the late Mr Samir Das. My prime work-spaces became portraiture, macro, and wildlife, although I have never missed an opportunity to try my hands at architecture and landscapes. My pictures have been featured in photo-exhibitions, newspapers and also selected amongst the ‘World’s Top 25′ in Wild Bird Trust & Wild Bird Revolution, the web-blogs of the National Geographic.
Although I am nearly 4-decades old in photography, I am still a student and learner!
