Photography as an art needs both education and practice. Reading articles, ebooks and viewing videos online are all great place to get started with developing interest in photography into something more serious.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
Hi, I am Asutosh Nayak, basically, I'm from Odisha, India. Currently I am studying in B.Pharm 4th year, @ Gayatri College Of Pharmacy, Sambalpur, Odisha and I started my career as a freelance photographer and continued and I started knowing new things about photography and camera day by day through YouTube channels and some of my Photographer buddies, they helped me allot through and day by day.
2. How and when did you realize your passion for photography ?
My father inherited his uncles cameras that had been used during the time my great uncle worked for National Geographic and brought them home, built a darkroom and taught me to use them. The first time I saw a photograph I had made come to life in that chemical soup, I was hooked, when people began wanting to buy my work, the deal was sealed. I was around 10 or so at the time.
3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers ?
● Hold the camera close :
Lot’s of amateur photographers tend to hold the camera while stretching their arms forward, away from their faces. This can totally destabilize your entire posture and reduce the image sharpness. Don’t be distant, keep the camera close to you and maintain maximum stability.
● Use the timer :
For an untrained hand, pressing the button to take a photo can create tiny yet uncontrollable and undesired movements, which gets you blurry images. If you use the timer, you have a few seconds to regain stability after the click.
● Zoom with your legs :
Need a close up? Try to get closer. Camera zoom is a great feature (especially if you have professional gear, which most beginners don’t), but you probably noticed that it reduces the quality a bit. Walking a few steps can save you some zoom distance and spare you that.
● Try different angles and positions :
Don’t set your mind on just one position. Be agile as you shoot and experiment with different angles. You don’t know for sure which one will bring you the winning shot. Moving around will also teach you a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of the different positions.
● Learn about photo editing :
This is not considered cheating. The best photographers in the world also use technology to enhance their works. Using photo editing tools will help you get more out of your images, and also help you understand contrast, colors, light and other important photography elements.
4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer ?
● Patient :
Photography tests your patience to levels. I've stayed static near dragonfly to get that shot of a beautiful dragonfly.
● Practice :
Always remember that your first 1000 photographs are your worst, so keep on clicking!
● Regularity :
Photography is an art and everyday you don't click or spend time, the artist in you dies slowly every day.
● Composition :
Composition is the artistic dimension of photography – knowing how you want the image to look. Although one aspect of composition is simply the photographer’s taste and creativity, you do have to learn how to think deliberately and intelligently about what looks good in a frame and why. There are certain universal principles that you should learn, rather than having to reinvent them through trial and error.
● Attention to detail :
Photographers need to have good attention to detail when taking photographs – they need to be able to capture light and color and think carefully about all components of each image. However, they also need to be detailed in postproduction. They must identify and fix any small issues in each photograph.
5. What are the various opportunities available for aspiring photographers ?
● Portrait Photographer :
From weddings to school photos, portrait photographers are on site with their equipment to capture the moment. They may operate out of their own studios as well as working on location, and if they are self-employed or own their own business, they'll have a wide variety of other job responsibilities, like billing clients, making appointments, processing images and framing photos.
● Commercial Photographer :
Commercial photography encompasses a range of photography careers that specialize in helping clients market their products or services. Commercial photographers take pictures of everything from buildings to merchandise to company employees, for media such as catalogs, advertisements and websites. In addition, they may document equipment or projects for company records and reports. This is often one of the more lucrative careers in photography.
● Scientific Photographer :
Scientific photographers document a variety of subjects in order to record experiments, illustrate technical information and bring to life images not normally visible to the eye. They often use special imaging techniques and equipment such as micrography, infrared photography, underwater photography and many more. Usually, scientific photographers work for government agencies, research facilities or universities.
● Photojournalist / News Photographer :
Photojournalists document people and events for newspapers, magazines and other publications. Whether they use only images to tell their stories or whether they also accompany them with words, photojournalists must be skilled storytellers.
Press or news photographers usually work for newspapers either on staff or as freelancers, and cover local or national events such as sports, politics or court proceedings.
● Freelance Photographer :
As a freelance photographer you can be your own boss rather than working on staff at a studio, publication or other company. There are opportunities for freelance photography careers in just about any industry, from news photography to event photography to fashion photography.
● Freelance Photographer :
As a freelance photographer you can be your own boss rather than working on staff at a studio, publication or other company. There are opportunities for freelance photography careers in just about any industry, from news photography to event photography to fashion photography.
Though it can be challenging to establish yourself in the business, the constant variety of assignments means you'll never be bored.
6. Which is your favorite book and why?
Photography as an art needs both education and practice. Reading articles, ebooks and viewing videos online are all great place to get started with developing interest in photography into something more serious.
6. Which is your favorite book and why?
Photography as an art needs both education and practice. Reading articles, ebooks and viewing videos online are all great place to get started with developing interest in photography into something more serious.
However, complex and specialized skill and you need trusted resources that you can depend on to take forward as a photographer. This where photography books come in.
Here’s my favorite photography books:
● Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson
● Better photo basics
● DSLR photography for beginners
Here’s my favorite photography books:
● Understanding exposure by Bryan Peterson
● Better photo basics
● DSLR photography for beginners
- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan
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