STAR TRAILING

Santanu is a retired Indian Air Force Officer and a self taught photographer. He says, "In the last 17 years since I bought my first D-SLR, I have delved into multiple genres of photography. However, I developed special interest in Wide-field Astrophotography, Landscape and Bird Photography. My passion for shooting star trails and wide field astro-landscapes has ensured that I have travelled to the farthest corners of the country (lugging my heavy gears) - from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, and from Nagaland to Gujarat and Rajasthan. I have written a couple of e-books on shooting star trails and the Milky Way. My images have been published in magazines like Smart Photography, Chiz, Bon, etc. and have also received several awards in national and international exhibitions and photo salons. I have been awarded EFIP and AFIAP certificates by Federation of Indian Photography (FIP) and International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), respectively."

- Sweta Baruah

How and when did you commence your photographic journey?

I have been interested in photography since my student days. I began my journey with a Kodak point and shoot camera, then graduated to SLR in the 90s and bought my first D-SLR, the Nikon D 70, in 2004. After my retirement from the Indian Air Force, I took up photography as a serious hobby.

What piqued your interest in astrophotography in particular?

I would love to say that it is the mystique of the night sky. Yet, to be honest, I think the amazing star trail images by an Australian photographer named Lincoln Harrison were what drew me to this genre. Subsequently, as I delved deeper into the field and travelled extensively across the length and breadth of the country in search of dark skies, I fell in love with the entire process of shooting nightscapes - so much so that it is now an addiction.

That's interesting. And what is your choice of equipment for shooting photographs in this genre?