Hello and welcome to GMax Studios,
We're thrilled that you,
agreed to be interviewed by us.
It's my pleasure.
The first thing we'd like to know is that Where did wildlife photography,
Actually: photography, and then wildlife photography when did it start?
Actually, I was drawn to wildlife and nature much before I picked up the camera
Around 30 years ago When I was in college around 1987
I would go to the jungles nearby
and look at the birds,
and some of the bigger animals
I just fell in love with them.
And it became a recurrence My friends and I would observe them
Not much later, photography began.
I was introduced to film cameras
and I would go to photograph at many national parks, wildlife sanctuaries
and conservatories, I would visit often.
And I started documenting these species
from the standpoint of biodiversity and as means of educating myself and others.
And then, after much learning and observation,
I found that
these big animals: tigers, elephants
the bigger birds - eagles and flamingos,
the world already knows a lot about them.
But the smaller creatures and species,
butterflies, bees,
ants and damsel flies,
there are wild flowers and plants,
the world knows very little about them.
There are no photographs,
nobody's even heard of them.
Then, as a means of spreading awareness,
I started to photograph those species.
Then I started writing about them.
When digital media came, I published my work on websites
I wrote blogs, and articles
I gave those those articles to
web magazines as well.
And not much later
I took up wildlife photography professionally.
That means, before photography You had an interest an wildlife,
and then you took to wildlife photography.
That's correct.
Photography is considered an expensive hobby The equipment - especially for wildlife photography
You need specialized gear for that
Now, If you're passionate about anything in life
you need to make certain sacrifices.
Nothing comes without compromise.
Instead of going to the theater so often You save that money.
You can buy a lens with the amount you save.
You cut back on eating in restaurants
you save some more.
But this passion, that you have -
If you want to keep fueling it
If it has to grow:
You need to develop it enough
into something you care about.
Because the joy I get from that
that I won't get from anywhere else.
But when I take a photograph,
when I process that image
and share it with the world on social media,
the likes I get on those, and when people comment on them
That goes on for years.
People also ask me a lot of questions,
sometimes the images reveal something new
that was never seen before.
Something that is new to science.
That gives me great joy.
It's a satisfaction like no other.
of course, if you want to pursue this
you are going to need money.
Now, with wildlife photography
having equipment on its own is not enough.
You need to also go to jungles and forests
and even that requires funds.
So there are, some compromises,
that you end up making.
Your first assignment -
with which you were able to make money,
tell us about that.
To tell you the truth, even now - in India
one can't think of becoming a wildlife photographer full time.
As a hobby or,
if you're familiar with many genres of photography
if you're doing that -
the you might be able to survive.
But when I started my career around 20-25 years ago,
any photographer - and especially a wildlife photographer
it was very difficult to make a living.
You had to publish your articles in magazines,
get them published in newspapers
go to schools and colleges or events
and do a slideshow there.
Maybe then, you could earn some money.
But frankly, it is very much less.
And so, you can't completely
pursue wildlife photography as a career.
As a side income,
as one income source
or as an additional income source
you could think about it.
Would it be fair to say,
that along with being a wildlife photographer
on at least ONE of the many branches of wildlife photography -
you must have command or be an expert of,
and only then will you be able to generate an income?
You may be right, because
Whether it is wildlife or any other genre of photography
If you have knowledge on a particular subject
then that will show in your photography.
Now, for instance, if you're into bird photography
and if you go to photograph them in the summer,
when there are no birds in the nearing lakes or water bodies
then you won't be able to photograph anything.
Which is why you should know that which flock of birds,
at what time of the day
and during which season
come to a particular pond or lake or forest.
So if you haven't done your homework
then your photography won't be worth much.
So, having knowledge about your subject and that genre of photography,
is a must.
Normally, when you go, for a wildlife photography expedition
How do you prepare, what is your mindset
and how early do you start preparing for an expedition?
If you want to photograph wildlife dedicatedly,
going with your family on a picnic,
or a family holiday to a wildlife destination
and you're photographing tigers
in a national park or sanctuary
that is one thing.
But as a wildlife photographer
if you're going on a tour or a safari
that takes at least 3-6 months of preparation.
Because these days, especially in Indian forests
3-6 months, 90 days to a 120 days
the park grounds of the jungle, or the jungle safari
that is open to the public.
We need to book those in advance online.
Then which season is the best to go in,
when the tigers can be seen
how many cubs does the tigress have?
which areas are they frequenting?
We need to keep a constant track on their whereabouts
by getting in touch with the forest officials and guides regularly.
That's how we get our knowledge, those tips
for better understanding of our subject.
Only then we can visit that forest
and we can photograph that particular tiger or that family,
that's how we are able to.
Now, for instance I was able to do this in May,
when I visit that jungle again, say, I go there in October
till then those cubs have grown by three to four months.
where are they roaming now?
we need to keep tracking that as well
only then will I have something
worth sharing or keeping.
If I were to blindly step into a jungle and click photos
there's a lot of difference in that
and the photographs I am able to get
after carefully studying and planning.
Normally, when you go for your wildlife photography tours,
do you go alone, or are there a few people with you,
or some assistants, maybe?
Normally, wildlife photography,
is done in groups.
If we talk about India,
If a jungle has a jeep safari,
or a tiger safari,
the capacity of that jeep is 4-6 people.
Four people can comfortably,
four photographers at least,
because they have a lot of gear
it is easier for them to move around, that way.
Hence, four photographers sit in one jeep.
And so, I always do this go in groups,
but there are photographers who go alone
Of course, there are budget constraints
the cost of hiring a jeep,
is divided between 4-6 photographers
or if you can afford to go at it alone,
if it's a professional assignment
that's funded by a magazine or media agency
so you can do it that way.
It is possible, but
I particularly,
prefer to go with a group.
The gear and equipment needed for wildlife photography,
it is quite heavy. I mean,
600mm lenses, etc.
do wildlife photographers carry all this equipment on their own?
Yes.
Because,
like I just said, a jeep safari only has place for four people.
If I get an assistant on board,
and say, I don't have the equipment on me when I need it,
or if I get another photographer to come along,
that would make a world of difference.
Which is why it's better to carry your own gear,
have two to three camera bodies on you,
Maybe one camera body has a long zoom lens or a prime lens
another one might have a smaller 70-200mm lens,
for instance, a tiger comes really close
or there's a herd of elephants, a very big herd,
and I need to shoot on a 70mm focal length,
then it becomes possible.
I prefer zoom lenses personally, because they are versatile
If a tiger is coming close or coming head on
or is a part of a big streak,
I can capture it more easily
than with a 600mm or a 500mm lens.
I get asked this question a lot
If one wants to take up wildlife photography as a beginner
how should he or she go about
and what would be the basic lens that you would suggest?
Now it so happens that, wildlife photography has many genres.
There's one that I do - macro photography
there's bird photography
there's animal photography
and there's nature and landscape photography as well.
If you want to do nature or landscape photography, then you'll need wide-angle lenses
you'll need neutral density filters and sets of other filters
in the case of what I do - macro photography
I need close up filters or macro lenses.
For bird photography, you need 400mm lenses and above.
it could either be a zoom lens or a prime lens.
For mammal photography you need the bigger and the smaller lenses because
sometimes the animals are closer
for that you need the medium range lenses also
like the 70-200mm lenses
and you also need the 600mm lenses.
So what kind of
photography,
do you want to do?
and to which jungle are you going to?
your gear depends on that.
So which genre of photography do you specialize in?
I do close-up or macro photography
a lot of my work has to do with close-up and macro photography
which is why I use pure macro lenses
I also extension tubes for additional magnification
and specialized filters as well.
For this genre of photography, what is it that you need,
as a virtue in a photographer
I don't mean skills, I
equipment.
I mean traits.
One thing that you need,
is a love for nature and wildlife.
If I were to ask a fashion photographer to go into a jungle and sit there
and wait for your subject to show up,
he might not make it.
Because he's not used to that environment.
Wildlife photographers who understand that they
have to climb hills,
I have to go the forest in the cold weather early morning,
I have to shoot in constant rain,
one who has such a mindset,
one who is fascinated by mother nature,
when that person goes to the forest with their camera
they can do great in wildlife photography.
For you,
when you take a photograph,
when is it that you feel
that you've taken a good one,
and it has something of great value?
I look at two things.
Being a wildlife photographer, if there's a new butterfly
or if it's a new species - it means a lot.
It may not be a great picture,
but I would still keep it because it's rare.
I have seen this thing for the first time, whatever it may be - wild animals, butterflies, or a bird
it is a big thing for me.
I would try to photograph it anyhow,
whether a branch or leaf is obstructing my view, I still capture it because
it is a new living species I've captured.
After that, photographically I will try to see
if the exposure correct or not,
is the picture sharp enough,
does it sit within the rules of composition?
Can I do something in post-production - all that I try to see.
Only then that image becomes nice enough to present to people.
But, for the record
even if that picture isn't great
that creature isn't seen by anybody, so it becomes important to share it with people.
For me personally, as well as those who are familiar with my work.
From the awareness point of view.
This is a rare photograph of creature that nobody has ever seen.
It could be a snake, a butterfly or a bird - Himalayan birds for example
people are still discovering new birds there
and so it means a lot to the photographer
and from the point of view of science also
because it is a new species.
Do you think that wildlife photography,
is much more noble in its approach
because with the help of these photographs
a lot of people become aware about our wildlife.
So, do you think that it creates more awareness
than some other forms of photography?
a hundred percent.
Which is why there are two main parameters I look at
one is looking at it from the point of photography
the other is looking at it from the point of view of science.
that way I'm also involved in educating people about nature.
A picture of a butterfly captured by me,
helps attract ten more people
and then give them a sense of nature.
I don't just share it on Facebook or Whatsapp,
it is displayed in many schools as well.
Publications use them for science references and botany references and in zoology,
I don't think this happens in any other genre of photography,
like it does in wildlife photography.
So this, like I said earlier
I take great pleasure in this.
When I took the photograph, I was satisfied then
but when other people look at it from this perspective -
"My God,"
"this is the magic of nature."
"How is this possible?"
"How is this creature existing?"
"How is this creature surviving in the wild like that?"
When I'm able to show this to them,
It really makes it my day.
So this way, people get educated,
and become more aware of nature too.
Alright then, let's talk about some gear and equipment
what kind of cameras and lenses are you using currently?
Currently, the camera bodies that I'm using are those of Nikon
I use a Nikon D500
and a Nikon D300
Prior to this I had a Nikon D7100
I still use the DX lenses
reason being that
the 1.5x crop factor or the 1.5x zooming factor that I get from them
a 600mm lens becomes a 900mm lens.
400mm lens and vice-versa
for the kind of reach wildlife photographers need
to photograph a bird from distance or to bring it closer.
So I use Nikon bodies,
and I prefer using Tamron lenses.
Like the Tamron 90mm macro lens
and the 150-600mm zoom lens
or the 70-200mm mid-range zoom lens.
Those are the lenses that I use normally.
When I was speaking to you earlier regarding Tamron lenses,
I had mentioned to you that
that I didn't have a great experience with those lenses,
which to this day, I can't seem to forget.
But to see an accomplished wildlife photographer like yourself
who takes the kind of pictures where,
you don't get a second chance
That's correct.
relying on Tamron lenses for his work.
What has been your experience of Tamron lenses?
I've been using Tamron lenses from a long time.
Maybe more that 20-25 years now,
when Tamron hadn't even launched in India officially.
even then I was using Tamron lenses.
Because I believe that,
Making cameras is an art
and making lenses is also an art.
So those companies who are making lenses specifically, they know how to make them
and what the photographer needs.
The don't have different priorities
It's not like they're
spending their time on camera bodies,
or some part
like camera flashes etc.
This doesn't happen with lens manufacturers.
So, right from the beginning -
I really liked the quality of Tamron lenses,
They're reasonably priced,
For me, to be able to afford the dedicated camera brand lenses
it wasn't possible back then.
Maybe I still can't afford them
because frankly speaking, like I said earlier,
that a wildlife photographer like myself doesn't make as much money
I have to consider a lot of things when it comes to gear
So I see the one lens company that's spending a lot of money of research and development
one that understands what photographers and people what they are looking for
and I opt for Tamron lenses.
Particularly, if you look at their macro lenses,
every three years they develop new technology.
They have 90mm VC (vibration control) lenses
they also have moisture proof lenses.
When I'm photographing in puddles and muck for my macro work
having a moisture proof and a dust proof lens really benefits me.
I work during the monsoons.
A lot of macro photography is done during the monsoons.
So this is what I look for in a lens
and it works for me.
Do you photograph using a tripod?
Not a lot.
Because in my particular genre - macro photography
the insect or creature is sometimes 3 inches away
sometimes it's 3 meters away
sometimes it's in a ditch
sometimes it's hiding between leaves
by the time I try to adjust the legs and the height of my tripod,
the poor things run away.
So I miss that opportunity if I use a tripod in that situation.
For those who are interested in pursuing wildlife photography,
what advice would you like to give them?
Wildlife photography is really exciting
whenever you go in the wilderness, you get to see something new
you should definitely do it,
but do it seriously.
it shouldn't be that, you read something somewhere -
when you haven't even read your camera manual,
and just picked up the camera and then went into the jungle to take pictures.
It doesn't work like that.
If you want to photograph nature
and you want to pursue wildlife photography,
then it's important that you've done your homework.
You'll have to read up on it first,
and do your research.
Not too much, but a little bit at least.
And then when you go to photograph wildlife,
your photography will be much, much better.
Thank you so much,
many many thanks
for taking the time to speak with us.
You're welcome.
There was always this passion for me to create something
and I've never been an artist who can draw, paint, or do something but I can
I wanted to visualize that.
And I whatever I visualized,
I wanted to capture something.
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