Our Country Is Very Well-Positioned For This Profession: Wildlife Photographers

What is the scope for wildlife photography in India?
Given India's richness in wildlife, our country is very well-positioned as a place for this as a profession as well as a hobby. Given the diversity that we enjoy, you could travel to a totally different environment every two to three days, no matter which city you are in.

Do you think wildlife photography is essential to conservation efforts?
Yes, that's essentially because a picture speaks a thousand words. A two-page article might not inspire the kind of emotion that a picture does. Also, since conservation should appeal to the masses, and I think we all have a nature lover within us, a picture of a tiger, dead, in a snare or trees being cut, will have a bigger impact on the masses and drive them to contribute money, if not do something about such things themselves.

Is wildlife photography a very competitive field?
Today, you see far more young Indians with good photography equipment taking to shooting nature. Wildlife photography is no longer the reserve of the white man as it used to be. I think that's a very good thing.

What advice would you give to aspiring wildlife photographers?
You should just start as young as you can. Digital photography has made it easier for people to pick this up, at least as a hobby at a relatively low cost. It's not just for the most educated people. Anyone could pick it up.