Retro Kolkata : First of all Heartiest congratulations for your selection in Retro Kolkata Magazine Green Edition. Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your background.
Souvik Hello Retro Kolkata! Thank you Very much for giving me this opportunity. My name is Souvik Layek, basically from West Bengal, and professionally I'm a senior digital Artist working for movies. Photography has always been with me from my childhood. I loved painting landscapes, then from studies I learnt about composition, colour theory and all the other technical aspects, but the real magic happened when I bought my first camera a few years ago.
Retro Kolkata : How important is photography to you? How did you start photography?
Souvik Photography is very important to me as I feel, photography is the way to express my Art.
After finishing my bachelor's I was too focused on my career as a digital Artist, then when I felt stable, I took my first pro camera Sony a7iii back in 2018, then started going on photo-tours, took in-hand training from professionals and started seriously.
Retro Kolkata : What motivates and inspires you as a photographer?
Souvik I love being outdoors, into the Nature. Colors of Nature, the changing of seasons change everything from lights, colors, everything. So the same location looks different every month, sometimes it looks so flat-boring and other days it looks so amazing, driving me to take out my Camera.
Retro Kolkata : Which genre of photography do you like and What inspires you? Which masters of photography have inspired you in your photographic work?
Souvik I like Landscape, Nature, Astro and Portrait.
I do follow many masters But I truly admire and Inspired by Daniel Kordan, Marc Adamus, Mads Peter Iversen, Thomas Heaton, Mark Galer, Alyn Wallace etc.
Retro Kolkata : What type of camera, lenses and lighting equipment do you use?
Souvik I like being light, always with the least equipment. I do use Sony Full frame cameras, Sony A7iii or A7Riii, which are mirrorless systems, and lenses, Sony 20mm F1.8, 24-105 G f 4, 70-300 etc.
I shoot in natural light mostly but sometimes I use my Godox 860ii flash for macro and portrait.
Retro Kolkata : What subjects inspire you and prompt you to look for the shot?
Souvik Landscapes, Mountains, Jungle, Waterfall, lakes, Stars, MIlky-way, Interesting people etc.
Retro Kolkata : Do you prefer black and white shots or colour?
Souvik I prefer Color, but sometimes I do black and white also.
Retro Kolkata : What is the best project you have worked on and how did you get involved with it?
Souvik Still now I don't have any paid professional project, But I'm working on my personal projects, mostly travel and landscapes of different places in India.
Retro Kolkata : Where would you like to be in 10 years time and what are you going to do in the next 6 months to get closer to that goal?
Souvik I don't have any specific plan, but yes I will try to travel as much as possible and take wonderful photographs throughout the various beautiful locations in the world. For the upcoming 6 months I will travel through different states in India, India has a lot to explore and I want to cover India first.
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