Debashis Banerjee Interview
Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself and what first drew you to wildlife photography?
I am a wildlife photographer and expedition leader, and the founder of Wild Wonders Expeditions, which conducts specialized wildlife photography expeditions and workshops focused on some of the rarest and most elusive species on our planet. My journey into wildlife began around 2006–07, while I was working in a reputed IT firm and pursuing my growing interest in wildlife alongside my career. I was curious to understand animal behaviour and the different environments they inhabit, and I also took part in volunteer activities with NGOs, including census and conservation work.
Photography came much later, around 2008-09, initially as a way to document and keep a record of what I was witnessing. Over time, I became increasingly serious about the science and art of photography. Finally, in 2018, after 15 years in the IT industry, I decided to leave my job and pursue my passion full-time, founding Wild Wonders Expeditions. More recently, filmmaking has also become an important part of how I tell stories about wildlife and the natural world.
Q. Was there a particular moment or encounter in nature that changed the way you see the wild?
One encounter that changed the way I see the wild happened almost a decade ago in the wilderness of Manas, while I was tracking a tiger. I unexpectedly came across and photographed a Clouded Leopard in broad daylight, a remarkable sighting for a species generally considered nocturnal and largely arboreal.
As the news gradually spread around the world, I was told that this was the first documented face to face sighting and photographic record of a wild Clouded Leopard in its natural habitat. To this day, I remain the only person from India and, to my knowledge, across South Asia to have photographed one in the wild, with other records largely coming from camera traps or rehabilitation facilities. Even after almost ten years, that record remains unchanged. The experience taught me how unpredictable nature can be, and how even after years in the field, the wild can still surprise you with something extraordinarily rare.
Q. As both a filmmaker and photographer, how do you decide whether a story is best told through a single frame or a moving image?
For me, the decision comes down to the story I want to tell and the behaviour I am witnessing. A single frame is often ideal for an instantaneous moment a fleeting expression, a split second interaction, or an unpredictable action that may never repeat. But behaviours such as hunting, courtship, or raising young often unfold over a sequence of events and are better experienced through film.
After years of spending time with some of the world's rarest and most elusive mammals, I have learned that the field often dictates the medium. Light, behaviour, and the unpredictability of wildlife all play a role. Photography allows me to distil an entire encounter into one decisive frame, while filmmaking gives me the freedom to let a story breathe and unfold naturally. Ultimately, I choose whichever medium can capture the essence of that particular moment most truthfully.
Q. What does leading expeditions teach you that working behind the camera doesn't?
Leading expeditions has taught me resilience in ways that working behind the camera never could. I have spent time in environments ranging from around -40°C in the high Himalayas and polar regions to over 50°C in deserts and tropical wilderness, often working long hours in difficult terrain and unpredictable conditions. But beyond endurance, expeditions teach you patience, adaptability, and responsibility especially when you are leading others into remote and challenging environments. You learn to respect nature on its own terms, to remain calm when things do not go as planned, and to keep going when the conditions are far from comfortable. Those lessons have shaped me as much as photography itself.
Q. Wildlife photography often demands patience. What's the longest you've waited for a single shot, and was it worth it?
For me, patience in wildlife photography is often measured in years rather than hours. Some species have taken years of repeated expeditions and fleeting sightings before I could finally photograph or film them the way I had hoped. With Sand Foxes, for example, it took me nearly six years before I was able to get the kind of close photographs and footage I had envisioned. The Black Leopards of Manas have remained elusive for more than a decade, despite my visiting the park for nearly 16-17 years. They would appear only briefly, often in the darkest hours. It is only recently that I have been able to film a mother with her two melanistic cubs. These experiences have taught me that the best encounters cannot be forced; you simply have to keep returning, keep learning, and be ready when nature finally gives you that moment.
Q. How do you balance capturing breathtaking visuals while ensuring you don't disturb wildlife?
For me, disturbance is not simply about distance. Every species has a different circle of comfort, and understanding that is a crucial part of responsible wildlife photography. With some species, you may be relatively close without bothering them, while others naturally require a much greater distance for their comfort and often for our own safety. What matters is recognising whether my presence is influencing the animal's behaviour or movement in any way. After years in the field, I have learned to notice subtle changes a pause, a change in direction, or an alert posture that may indicate I am affecting the encounter. The moment that happens, I give the animal more space. The photograph is never more important than allowing wildlife to behave naturally.
Q. What's one misconception people have about life as a wildlife photographer?
I think the biggest misconception is that wildlife photography is a glamorous, non-stop adventure travelling to beautiful places, finding rare animals, and simply pointing an expensive camera at them. In reality, it is a physically and mentally demanding discipline that requires enormous patience, preparation, and fieldcraft. You may spend hours sitting still in freezing winds, heavy rain, or extreme heat, often without making a single photograph. Much of the work is actually understanding the species, its behaviour, habitat, and the conditions around you. And then there is the isolation—being away from family and loved ones for long periods, often in remote regions with little or no communication with the outside world. Sometimes, the most important decision is knowing when not to take the photograph whether because your presence may influence an animal's behaviour or simply because you recognise that the moment will not make a meaningful photograph. The final image is only a small part of what goes into making it.
Q. Have you ever had a close encounter with an animal that completely changed your perspective on nature?
Yes. One of the encounters that profoundly changed my perspective was again my face-to-face encounter with a wild Clouded Leopard in Manas, almost a decade ago. I had been tracking a tiger when I unexpectedly found this incredibly elusive animal in broad daylight. What stayed with me was not only the rarity of the encounter, but the realisation that nature does not follow the rules we create for it. We often study species, understand their patterns, and form expectations about their behaviour, but the wild is full of exceptions. That encounter reinforced something I have learned repeatedly over the years: no matter how much time you spend in nature, you can never truly predict what the next moment will bring.
Q. Which species or ecosystem has fascinated you the most, and why?
The Himalayas have fascinated me the most, perhaps because of the sheer diversity of life they hold within one of the most extreme environments on Earth. From Snow Leopards and Pallas's Cats to Himalayan Brown Bears, Lynx, and Wolves, many of these species are incredibly elusive and have adapted to survive in harsh, high altitude landscapes. I am particularly fascinated by how these animals adapt to constantly changing environments and seasons, often enduring extreme conditions that would be impossible for most life forms. Their ability to adapt and survive is incredibly powerful. What draws me back is that there is always more to learn. Every expedition reveals something new about the animals, their behaviour, and the fragile ecosystems they inhabit. After years of exploring these mountains, I still feel there are countless stories waiting to be discovered.
Q. Climate change and habitat loss are major concerns today. What changes have you personally witnessed during your expeditions?
Over nearly two decades of working in the field, I have witnessed noticeable changes in many of the landscapes I regularly visit. In the Himalayas, I have seen changes in snowfall patterns, shifting seasons, and changes in the availability of water and vegetation, all of which inevitably influence wildlife. In some regions, human activity and infrastructure have also expanded into previously remote areas, increasing pressure on fragile habitats.
What concerns me most is that these changes are not always dramatic or immediate they can be subtle and gradual, but over years of returning to the same places, you begin to notice them. Wildlife is remarkably adaptable, but there is a limit to how much change ecosystems and species can absorb.
Q. If you could photograph or film one place on Earth that you haven't explored yet, where would it be and why?
There are still many places I would love to explore, but if I had to choose one, it would be the underwater world of our oceans. I have spent most of my life exploring terrestrial ecosystems from the high Himalayas and the Arctic to the rainforests of Borneo and the African savannah but the ocean represents an entirely different world that I have barely experienced. It is a vast ecosystem with an incredible diversity of life, much of which remains hidden from us.
I would love to explore it through photography and filmmaking not simply to document individual species, but to understand and tell stories about an ecosystem that exists largely beyond our everyday experience. The idea of entering a completely different world, with its own behaviour, light, movement, and challenges, is something I find incredibly exciting.
Bio:
Debashis Banerjee is a wildlife photographer, filmmaker, and expedition leader from India with nearly two decades of experience exploring wildernesses across the Himalayas, Indian wilderness, the Arctic, Bornean rainforests, African savannahs, and beyond. He is the founder of Wild Wonders Expeditions, conducting specialised small-group wildlife photography expeditions and workshops focused on some of the world's rarest and most elusive species.
Interviewed By: Vanshika Gupta
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