Winner of numerous awards from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016, Birds Category (Natural History Museum, London) to first place in the macro category in Nature Photography Network, Ganesh H. Shankar is also the co-author of the book, Daroji – An Ecological Destination and the founding member of Creative Nature Photography, a popular online photography forum. He has also served on the jury of several photography awards including the Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards 2017. As a nature photographer, Shankar believes that his is a long and never-ending journey in search of art, and he is always on the lookout for forms, shapes, details, postures, light and more that is relatable to life’s experiences. His artistry is evident in his images that take the reader to a whole new level of visual experience. He speaks to Lakshmy Raman about his work and why he believes that photographers must choose to define the intent behind their imagery.
WHY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY? HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY?
I completed my post-graduation in Computer Science and joined government service as a scientist. Though I am an engineer by profession, photography is my true passion. I took it up as a hobby over two decades ago. I bought my first point-and-shoot camera in 1993 to capture the beauty of the Western Ghats during a trek. A few years later, a classmate of mine introduced me to SLR cameras and bought one for me. I was hooked! I spent all my spare time exploring natural habitats and trying to capture some of its magic and glory. I taught myself the basics of nature photography by reading a series of books written by the great John Shaw.
WHO WERE YOUR INFLUENCES WHILE GROWING UP?
I spent much of my childhood years with my grandmother in a small coastal village called Bada near Byndoor in the Udupi district of Karnataka. She truly played a key role in my love for nature. My grandmother had the task of managing the household livestock. I often accompanied her to the nearby foothills of the Western Ghats to bring back our cows and buffaloes. Those silent, pristine streams and mountains and valleys etched lasting impressions in my mind. I grew up listening wide-eyed to stories my grandmother regaled me with about tigers attacking our cows, about King Vultures and more. I often saw vultures in the wild then, but sadly they are now a rarity. All these early experiences moulded my interests and made me who I am today.
WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER?
This story is from the October 2017 edition of Sanctuary Asia.
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This story is from the October 2017 edition of Sanctuary Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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