Journey towards my PASSION

Trying to write my first blog and am not sure the way to frame a blog but with all the strength and courage, I am attempting to spill my thoughts in the form of words.

It is always been said that one should have a “Passion” in life, it makes you happy and acts as a stress buster – I admit to it. Although it took me almost 3 decades to zero down on to my passion but yes, I can say I know what makes me happy. That’s Photography!!! Probably the reasons of me taking such a long time was because I couldn’t understand the actual meaning of the word PASSION. From my school days, I had an affinity towards colours and drawing or sketching has always been one of my favourite subjects since my school time. To get associated with colours and fetch some additional pocket money, I used to take drawing classes for school going students and used to teach them basic tricks of effective drawing. Always was a back bencher during college times and used to sketch professors and teachers when the lectures used to bore me. With age, the burden of education increased, and also the mind got diverted towards other fascinations keeping me away from colours. As days progressed, I entered into corporate arena and hence  the world of computers. Gradually computers unknowingly made me drift away from my pencils and pens as they had become just a medium to sign cheque books and letters.

My first Digicam - Samsung Digimax S 600

Got married to Neha by the end of 2006. I always had a conventional “HotShot” camera before marriage but got my first digicam as a wedding gift - I was thrilled. It was a Samsung Digimax S 600, a point and shoot camera with 5x digital zoom. It was an ignition to an old hobby of playing with the colours and I thoroughly enjoyed clicking pictures with that camera. Luckily both myself and Neha have an inclination towards wildlife. It was Dec 2007 wherein one of my office colleagues asked whether I would be interested in joining their group for Kanha National Park based in the heart of India (Madhya Pradesh). Not knowing much about wildlife at that time, I thought it to be a good option for winter vacation and immediately pounced on this opportunity. It was my first visit to the wild and could enjoy the jungle in its true sense. That experience had a great impact on me and I fell in love with the vast diversity of Mother Nature. Thus the journey started…….

The first sighting of the majestic beast (tiger) was mesmerizing and I could then enjoy its true beauty. The utilization of my digicam was done to the fullest. A deadly combination of wildlife and photography was slowly impregnated in me. Thanks to Sagar Gosavi (whom I consider my teacher in photography) who gave my talent a new dimension by teaching me different modes in a small digicam of which one was “MACRO”.

My first Macro Shot

Another one - tried several attempts

My first sighting of the majestic beast - although not clear will always remember this chap as the looks were so mesmerising. While clicking him, my hands were litterally shivering with thrill...

Now my digicam was my best buddy and one of the essentials during any outings. After Kanha National Park, the group decided to visit Ranathambhore National Park in Oct 2008 and how could I resist myself from being a part of it. This visit to Ranathambhore made me realize that now the time has come to get a better gear to capture quality pictures – not that this digicam was not giving methe output but the hunger to get a better reach to the subject made me take a decision to get a new buy.

My first DSLR Kit

Finally when I made up my mind for a new buy, I had a slender budget and was all geared to get a digital camera with higher zoom. One of my friend who works for Sony then mentioned to me that there was an offer going on in his company for Diwali wherein the employees were to get 25% discount on the MRP on Sony products. This was the time where in I stretched my budget and bought my first DSLR Sony Alpha 200 with 18-55mm and 75-300mm. Over thrilled with my new gears, I started visiting Sanjay Gandhi National Park (a national park which is 10 minutes drive from my residence and which was not properly explored by me earlier). My new gear travelled its first outing again to the birth place of my passion – Kanha National Park again in May 10 and should say the experience was worth remembering. Now by this time I started appreciating the difference between the pictures taken from digicam and DSLR.

Now my weekends were not in my bedroom spending time in front of the IDIOT BOX but with my new buddy. Travelled to many places in and around Mumbai to explore wildlife.

Places visited regularly were

1. 
   
   Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP)
2. 
   
   Sevri Wetlands
3. 
   
   Uran Wetlands (unfortunately not in existence due to human greed)
4. 
   
   Mahim Nature Park

My gears started travelling overseas and could manage to click some amazing pictures of wildlife at London Zoo and London Wetlands.

Opps!!! During all this, my childhood affinity towards colours which slowly ignited as a hobby had turned into a passion, a passion which relieves me from my stress. Whenever depressed, I pick up my gears and m off to shooting. My strength, my wife – Neha, who always supports me in my crazy hobby turned passion and gives me space to have an extra marital affair with gears.

October 2009 was the first time I entered in the jungles of Maharashtra – Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (Nagpur). I was mesmerized to see such a beautiful jungle in Maharashtra but was equally disappointed to see the way it was managed and maintained. By this time, I found my inclination towards bird photography was more than mammal photography. Bird photography, considered to be one of the difficult aspects in the world of photography, has always been very fascinating, as one has a huge diversity of species to be admire and click. Bird watching and photography needs telephoto lens to reach the subject. After the visit to Tadoba, my hunger increased and so was the time to make a hole in my pocket. This time the appetite was a good telephoto lens for which the hole to be made was even bigger than the previous one. Could finally manage to convince myself first and then the rest to buy my dream lens – Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG APO OS HSM.

Sigma 150-500mm F 5-6.3

After testing it in my home ground, getting exceptional results took my new friend to Little Rann of Kutch (Dec 09 / Jan 10) – the paradise for birding. With a better reach and frequent encounters with wildlife, I now had a flavor and sense of the behavioral aspects of certain birds and animals. Such study about individual characteristics helped me a lot in shooting the species as I could gauge when and how to get close to a subject to get the best shots. It was time where in Mother Nature accepted us as her kids and started calling us on a regular basis. I could get an opportunity to visit Jim Corbett National Park, Delhi (Jan 10), Pangot and Sattal (Jan 10), Ranathambhore National Park (March 10), Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh (May 10), Pench National Park (May 10).

To see my entire galary, please do visit www.wix.com/itsyogi8/mypassion.

Some of my clicks from my Sigma 150-500 mm

Greater Hooppe Lark

Tigress

Green Bee Eater

Peregrine Falcon

Sigma 500mm F 4.5

With my hunger increasing day by day, with Gods’ grace and support from my wife, family and well wishers, I have decided (rather booked) my new professional lens “Sigma 500 mm F 4.5 EX DG APO” a lens which has cost me a fortune and I am expecting the delivery of my new dream by mid of September 10.

With the rate at which Mother Nature is losing her charm falling prey to the growing concrete jungles, I would be more than happy if I could make any difference in her conservation with my crazy passion. I hope that a small step of capturing her beauty through my lens and trying to educate by all the best possible means to the network will help me serve my purpose.

God grant me the serenity,

To accept the things that I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can

And Wisdom to know the difference!!!