Abhishek Deopurkar, a stunning landscape photographer speaks about his photography life and experiences in our interview.
Hello and welcome to snaptured, please introduce yourself, and tell us about your career in photography, and how did you get into this?
I am a landscape and nature photographer based in Pune, Maharashtra. Besides working as a SAP Consultant, I am also following my big passion: landscape photography. In the last years I’ve spent much time indeed travelling to explore new places and discover new things.
I have always found myself enjoying any kind of Art. As a kid I explored every possible different type of art form I could. I tried sketching, drawing, dancing;I also learnt some music instruments like keyboard & guitar etc.
My love for landscape photography has really been a confluence of my love for the outdoors, and creativity. My obsession for the photography started few years back when I was introduced to a DSLR camera by one of my friend. I really enjoyed playing around with it, and soon I was hooked.
What genre of photography you like to do?
I am passionate about landscape, nature and night photography, but always on the lookout for other interesting opportunities that catch my eye.
You have a fantastic and inspiring portfolio Can you tell us how you got started into photography?
When I bought my first DSLR I tried to click everything from a bird in my window to my cousins wedding photos. Basically I wanted to capture everything that came in front of me. So as Henri Cartier-Bresson Quoted “Your first 10,000 photos are your worst” and at that time I was busy clicking mine
Slowly I became more serious about nature and landscape photography. I started looking at many photographs of some of the best photographers and with time built a list of favourite images. Looking at those I tried to find out what it is that makes those photos special and what I like about them. For example I was always drawn to landscape photos with some great foreground elements to build up the composition, sharp from foreground to background.
What difficulties you face in the field of your photography?
One of the challenging aspects of Landscape photography is uncertainty of nature. You can go to a beautiful location, you can use the best camera gears but in the end all we need is a great light which is not in our control.
However, what is under our control is deciding at what time of day and year we are at a specific location, how to compose the photograph when we are there. What is also under our control is what we do to the photograph after it is taken. The way we convert the image, the way we change colors and contrast, the way we crop the image, the way we distort or warp the image, as well as all the other things we can do during image processing and optimization. All these things are fully under our control.
Sometimes I also face some issues related to camera equipment such as my camera has very limited dynamic range,so sometimes I have to click multiple exposures for a particular scene and later merge in Photoshop. So there’s a will, there’s a way.
What motivates you to take pictures and make them great?
As said above I get a lot inspiration from other photographers. I follow their work for their unparalleled exploration and ability to make me say “Wow!” aloud whenever I see their images.
Even if a photo just captures a brief moment in time it can tell a story which goes much beyond that moment. I can marvel at what led to that photo, how and why it was taken. Some photos are full of adventure, when I look at them I wonder how it must have felt to stand there beholding that view. I imagine myself standing there. I just want to drop everything and get out there and shoot.
Typical question, which image is your very best till now? We know all of your images are best but we want to know that one best image.
It is hard to pick any one image as my favourite. But one image I believe that is very important to me personally is “Ripples”. This image received many awards and recognitions which changed me as a photographer and I started taking my photography more seriously than I used to. It has an interesting story behind it. On one amazing day, while roaming around Pune, I stumble upon this place near Mulshi Lake. The unique quality of light and glow that can be seen this photograph was not due to sunrise or sunset. In fact, this was shot at 3 pm in the afternoon. Like most photographers, I’ve trained myself to completely forget about shooting during midday, but sometimes, life can take you unawares and great things can happen. This was a good reminder of the same.
What gear you usually use for your photography?
- Camera body – anon 550D
- Lens
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 II
Canon EF‑S 18‑55mm f/3.5‑5.6 IS
Canon EF ‑ 50mm ‑ F/1.8
Do you like to do indoor/studio or outdoor Photography?
I am all about outdoor photography.
Which programs you use for editing purpose?
I use Lightroom and Photoshop
What is the best advice you can give for the young upcomingphotographers?
Maybe a tip for people who start with photography: Take your time. I know, in the beginning one can’t wait to take spectacular photos. Those other photographers have such great portfolios and it can be quite frustrating if you compare your work with those when you start with photography. It’s good to have a goal and to know where you stand, but always remember that the photos in those portfolios are only a selection of the best. It takes time to achieve something equally good. Also don’t go crazy over expensive gears and spend your money on learning the aspects of photography instead – Invest in Experiences, NOT Equipment.
Finally, what is your goal for life? As a photographer
Keep on shooting, explore new places and refine my techniques. I try to come back with my best images on every trip I take. Several people have asked me to lead some workshops, so I may endeavour to make that happen in future.
Some of the Recognitions which Abhishek Deopurkar got till now
- Received FIRST PRIZE- Landscape Category in CAMARENA Academy Annual Photography Awards for 2015
- Featured on National Geographic’s Your Shot official Instagram account
- Images published in leading magazines like Creative Image Magazine, Chiiz Magazine
- Interview published on website – livingit.in
- Image showcased in Mahatta Gallery, 2017 Photography Exhibition.
Follow Abhishek Deopurkar on social media
Facebook / Instagram / 500px / Flickr
