Photography is an art and it just captures the beauty of the moment in all its best. Though it does not require great skills at the initial stages, but later found that it does require a deep understanding of the techniques and patience to capture wonderful shots.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I am Sivakumar, a passionate Wildlife photographer fascinated by animals, birds, nature and enjoy travelling to places of interests and new destinations. I am professionally a Business Owner with 20 years’ experience in ITES service environment solely responsible for all creative, marketing communications, branding, creative aspects, and business and KPO process activities. Creative works were always close to my heart.
Born in Coimbatore, India - I have been lucky to have my surroundings closer to the Western Ghats, and I used to make frequent weekend trips focusing on the landscapes and birding during my initial stages of my passion.
2. How and when did you realize your passion for photography?
Hobbies are of different kinds and it is one that you would be loving and enjoying to do the most. Of all the hobbies that we see and hear, I love Photography the best.
Photography is an art and it just captures the beauty of the moment in all its best. Though it does not require great skills at the initial stages, but later found that it does require a deep understanding of the techniques and patience to capture wonderful shots.
I’ve been using film cameras earlier and then switched into Digital Point and shoot camera in the early 2000s, and then I bought a DSLR and then expanded my gears to multiple DSLRs, telephoto lenses to capture wildlife.
3. What are some tips you would like to share with amateur photographers?
Wildlife photography is a challenging hobby to get into because it takes a lot of commitment. To excel in this field, you not only have to develop your camera equipment skills, but you also have to learn about the animal behaviours to shoot them.
Photography is something that just does not happen overnight. One has to devote time and develop patience and learn the art of good photography.
One of the essential requirements either for a career or as serious hobbyist in wildlife photography like any other photography is both creative and technical skills. Moreover, a wildlife photographer is required to have a lot of patience and ability to wait for the perfect moment to capture an image. Like any photographer, they should possess additional skills such as good hand-eye coordination, creativity, a keen eye for detail and be familiar with Imaging editing software’s to edit and process images.
4. What are the important skills one should have to be a successful photographer?
Photography is a vast subject, there are so many subjects to choose from on which to master and which one would enjoy. I love to click mostly the natural ones or the ones that gives me a perfect satisfaction of where I am in.
To get good shots, one needs to understand a few concepts of photography like lighting techniques, backgrounds, arrangements and so on, so that when the outcome is done, you get a wonderful shot. Practicing is another method to get your shots to the perfect, the more you practice on your choice of interest, the better your shots would become.
A good photographer would always be in search of the right subject, light, exposure, composition, etc. to capture good and everlasting memories.
5. What are various opportunities available for aspiring photographers?
Anyone with an image-capturing device can get started with photography, that makes it fun and personal for everyone. Yes, you don’t need talent to take pictures, but unless your goal was to make photography your art medium, there’s nothing wrong with just snapping pictures with no concern on technicalities nor aesthetics.
To take it up as a profession, aspirants of Nature / wildlife photography requires a keen eye, and sense of composition, along with the technical knowledge to use cameras and lenses properly and creatively. They should know how to safely locate and observe wildlife without endangering themselves, the animals, or the environment.
6. Which is your favourite book and why?
The Internet and social media is a treasure of inspiration for photographers. But even in today’s technologically-driven world, there’s still no true substitute for picking up a book and getting lost in the pages.
In terms of photography books, some of the most widely-recognizable images produced during the 20th century can be attributed to American landscape photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984). His mastery of the technical aspects of photography is impressive, and his secrets are revealed through his series of photography books.
Though I have not read all his books, I think "The Negative" would be one of his most important ones. He goes into a great detail in explaining his system of exposure: "The Zone System". It historically an important book on photography as well as being very educational.
7. What is the best part you like working as a photographer?
Being Adventurous - The beauty and also the curse of wildlife photography is that one cannot change almighty Nature. One cannot change the weather and the light, where the wild animals want to go, what they want to do, and nature takes its own course. We can’t get pictures if we are too far from the animals, but if we get closer, they may get away—or even worse, they may attack you.
Wildlife photography is about capturing a split second, when the light and the animal behaviour come together to create an emotional image.
8. How did you manage to take such beautiful photos of wild creatures?
I have travelled a lot for my photography passion in the last 10+ years in India and across continents to get these photo opportunities, and have made some great lifelong friends along the way, who have travelled with me to many beautiful destinations to be a part of the nature.
For me, photography is not just taking photos, it is a way of life. I would say that being in nature surroundings gives me the utmost satisfaction. I truly believe that everything in nature is connected, and as wildlife photographer, to view and photograph the vibrant nature of the animals, wildlife and birds that inhabit this diverse world we live in.
I’m Sivakumar, a photographer of wildlife and nature from Coimbatore, India. I am a passionate photographer traveling across many national parks in India and Africa in the last 10-12 years. Wildlife photography is a genre of photography concerned with documenting various forms of wildlife in their natural habitat. Wildlife photography is widely believed to be one of the most challenging and rewarding genres of photography, in that the subject of the photograph is dynamic. Photographers have to be vigilant enough to be able to capture the perfect moment. least.
- Interviewed By Kusum Jha
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