Your aim may be true, but be ready to rough it out ……..Simit Bhagat
Mumbai: Wildlife and nature photography is highly competitive and the going is not easy. But ask any professional photographer and he or she will tell you that the rewards are many. To quote David Attenborough, naturalist and broadcaster: An understanding of the natural world and whats in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but great fulfilment.
If photography is the career you wish to pursue, be prepared to spend many years honing your craft. There are few degrees or diploma courses in photography that are equivalent to an HSC certificate, so enrolling into a junior college is a must, but you can join any number of workhops, shortterm courses and nature camps.
In Mumbai, one of the few exceptions is the one-year apprentice training course in photography offered by the Sir J J Institute of Applied Arts. Other leading institutes in India are Fergusson College at Pune that has a one-year basic course in photography, and Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan at New Delhi which offers a year-long diploma in professional photography. Jamia Millia Islamia, also in New Delhi, offers a PG diploma course in photography.
Sachin Rai, an award winning wildlife photographer, who carries out two-day workshops every months says: We teach students how to make the best of their cameras, and also conduct post-processing classes. The main idea is to give students a basic idea of nature photography and train them in taking photographs in different natural light conditions.
The St Xaviers Institute of Communication (XIC) and the Photographic Society of India (PSI) at Fort also offer excellent courses in photography. At XIC, participants are trained in aesthetics and technical details of photography, while the PSI organises two-month courses in basic and advanced photography. The minimum qualification required for most of the courses is that you pass Class X.
The key is learning how to capture wildlife in natural light conditions and most importantly, without disturbing them. Concern and love for birds, animals, insects and their habitat is important. We organise nature trails to parks and sanctuaries at different times of the year to impart practical knowledge to students, said Rai.
Such tours give budding photographers a chance to develop observation skills, and an understanding animal behaviour. Environmental groups like Sprouts also organise sessions and workshops on nature photography.
Anand Pendharkar, director of Sprouts, says, The idea is to help people get closer to nature and train them in the art of photography. We have outdoor and indoor sessions in our workshops, and coursework includes digital photography, the use of macro lens, photo editing, etc.