Digital technology has brought photography down from its high pedestal of an elitist pursuit to an everyman’s hobby. On World Photography Day, Monalisa Patsani of Orissa POST takes a look at how professional photographers are working today and beating the competition.
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Bhubaneswar, August 18: The coming of digital cameras, while taking photography out of art studios and doing away with cumbersome processing technology, has made the field competitive. In the intense competition that prevails today, there are some who are making a mark with their unique perspectives and pursuing photography out of passion for its aesthetic appeal.
Sabyasachi Jena loves macro, landscape and sports photography. And he has been clicking pictures now for 10 years. “My family loves art. That probably got me interested in photography. I used to click photographs on an analog camera as a child. Later I became interested in graphics and pursued a short-term course in photography. I bought a camera after I got a job.” For Sabyasachi photography is a way to keep away from depressing things. His shots have featured in magazines such as Outlook and National Geographic and he says these have kept him motivated.
Amit Jana, who is known among peers and friends as Camera Baba, is a portraiture and landscape specialist with eight years of photography behind him.
“I am a traveller and I love photography. I take photographs and store them like memories. I have visited different parts of Orissa and taken photographs. Through photography I want to make people realise that Orissa has many spaces to explore,” he said.
Amit and other photography enthusiasts have formed a group that is currently documenting beautiful spots in Orissa. “When I had no DSLR, I used to take pictures on mobile phones. And now I do weeding, architectural and landscape photography,” he says.
A relative newbie to the field is Swati Sucharita. She realised her interest in wildlife photography after joining a photographers’ group. “When I joined Mushroom, I got the opportunity to learn and develop skills in photography. Though I love macro and wildlife photography, I also like to take pictures of people and do candid wedding photography,” Swati said.
She believes one can make photography an interesting profession if one has the necessary passion and dedication to keep going.
Photography started as a hobby for Sankar Kanhar. A professional today, he stuck to photography despite odds. “My parents were unhappy with my decision to pursue photography and even stopped talking to me for about two years. But when they realised I was doing good as a photographer, their attitude towards me changed and they have accepted me and my passion,” he said.
Sankar is a well published photographer whose portfolio includes several noted publications.
