Please introduce yourself, where are you based and where do you photograph wildlife?
My name is Arindam Saha and I come from City of Joy – Kolkata (West Bengal, India). I work at IBM as a senior IT consultant. Photography is my chronic addiction. My favorite subjects are various aspects of mother nature such as birds and insects. My love for nature from my childhood days probably made me appreciate the beauty of nature more than anything else through the viewfinder. I believe birds and insects are the most incredible creation of nature and it has always been a pleasure documenting them through my camera. To photograph wildlife, I travel around the country but most of the time my favorite zone is around my home, form where I started the journey.
How did you get started in wildlife photography?
My fist DSLR camera, Canon 1100D which was a gift from my wife, which kick started my photographic ventures. With my first digital SLR I graduated from being just another photography enthusiast to a serious photographer. Behind all these my biggest source of inspiration and support all throughout has been my wife, who also happens to be my biggest critic and my best friend. In my short venture until now as a photographer my photographs have made some recognitions such as these provided me with the much-needed motivation to improve my craft and educate myself more about the nuances of photography.
What kind of equipment do you use and why did you choose it?
Canon 80D, Canon R5, Canon 100-400mm, Canon 100mm macro, DCR-250 Macro Filter, Canon 16-35MM, Canon 50mm f1.8, Canon 600mm IS II. I have chosen this gear based on my areas of interests, for birds and wildlife I am using primes and mid-level zooms lenses for insects I am using macro lens and filters. Sometimes I try to capture the urban and natural landscape as well and that is the reason, I have chosen the wide angle zoom as well.
What's the most challenging aspect of wildlife photography and how do you overcome it?
Animal behavior is not same as we humans. They have different habits and thought process. It is critically important to understand them in order to get a better story and moment. Always before going to actual filed everyone should know the basic behavior/nature of the species, so that we can understand the events in the field and get the better way of documenting it.
I always try to educate myself before going to the actual filed. Sometimes my friends help me to get the proper information. Most of the time I experienced in 1st attempt I never get success to capture the best shot. It always take a 2nd and 3rd try. So, it is important to visit the same place, again and again, to get the best shots / to know the species in the field.
Can you share a particularly memorable experience or encounter you've had while photographing wildlife?
I will always remember the day when my son 1st time went with me for a birding trip. In that trip we enjoyed a lot, and we got few decent shots of various migratory birds. It was a short weekend trip, but the memory will remain unforgotten in my life.
How do you approach photographing different species of animals, particularly ones that are dangerous or difficult to access?
As I said earlier understanding the Animal behavior is critically important. When I fix my wish list of species, I start educating myself about the species and the habitat of the species. And according to that I fix my project.
How do you post-process your images, and what software do you use?
I am using Photoshop Creative Cloud and Canon Digital Photo professional as post-processing Tools. But honestly, I do not promote very extensive methods/workflows. I believe less is more / get the best shots in the field.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue wildlife photography as a hobby or career?
Wildlife photography is one of the most toughest stream of photography. It requires technical skills and knowledge about nature, with the sense of visual art. As it is an outdoor photography and requires lot of fields work you need to maintain your physical and mental health always. Last but not the least, you must have love for mother nature which will drive you for all the hard work.
What projects are you currently working on or planning?
At present I am not working on any project, just keep practicing on species that are available on local areas / home. But in future I have a decent number of projects in plan. E.g., I. Red Panda ii. Tibetan Desert Fox iii. Snow leopard iv. Visit 3 rainforests of India (Amboli, Agumbe and Matheran).
How do you enrich your passion of wildlife photography?
I try to travel many unseen places as much as possible to capture wildlife as per my wish list. I also sell my images in various new medias and international level newspapers and magazines. I also participate in exhibitions and contest as well.