Retro Kolkata : First of all Heartiest congratulations for your selection in Retro Kolkata Magazine Green Edition. Please introduce yourself. Tell us about your background.
Subhradeep : Thank you Retro Kolkata for selecting me in your upcoming Green Edition. Let me introduce myself: My name is Subhradeep Jashu from Howrah. I am a banker by profession and photographer by passion. I have graduated from St. Pauls' College, Kolkata in English Literature and further completed my Masters from University of Calcutta. But somehow in the conflicted path of my life , I left the academic line and opt for competitive exams. After few attempts, I cleared banking exams and joined in Bank. Last 10 years , I have been in this profession and refuse professional upgradation in order to live my passion and for my love that is Photography.
Retro Kolkata : How important is photography to you? How did you start photography?
Subhradeep : Photography is Oxygen to me. It gives me immense pleasure in my busy schedule. To me photography is moment's monument.
The start of photography may be traced back to my childhood days. I was brought up in joint family and saw my uncle using slr camera 32-33 years ago. This injected an interest of photography in my life. When I was in Class IX , my father gifted me Yashica Reel camera and that is the first footstep towards my love for photography. After 10 years from that, I invested almost 3 months salary while doing a part time job as teacher in a school to buy first DSLR(Nikon) camera. Then gradually I have upgraded myself months after months as better photographer. Hope this process will continue till the last breathe.
Retro Kolkata : What motivates and inspires you as a photographer?
Subhradeep : I think the beautiful world around us and the activities of birds and wildlife captured through my camera and the enjoyment of the people by viewing my photographs motivates me to capture more and more and my senior and junior photographer friends who also provides hard labour on field for photography inspire me a lot in photography.
Retro Kolkata : Which genre of photography do you like and What inspires you? Which masters of photography have inspired you in your photographic work?
Subhradeep : The genre I like is Wildlife Photography and the lives of birds, wildlife, insects, reptiles which are the essential object in Nature to live on earth inspires me to freeze the moments associated with them. The different perspectives that connects the wildlife and Nature inspire me in this genre of photography. The action moments of birds or animals in different seasons have inspired me along with their habitat shots in my photographic works.
Retro Kolkata : What type of camera, lenses and lighting equipment do you use?
Subhradeep : I use DSLR and Mirrorless camera( Nikon D500, Z6II & D850) that are from Nikon. The lenses I use are 500mm Prime lens , 70-200mm lens, 16-80mm lens and 24-70mm (for mirrorless camera body).
Retro Kolkata : What subjects inspire you and prompt you to look for the shot?
Subhradeep : The action moments of wildlife like hunting, eating of kill or action moments of birds like preening, flying subjects inspire and prompt me to look for the shot and also some good habitat shot I use to collect from field.
Retro Kolkata : What exactly is wildlife and natural habitat conservation & why is it important ? How can you as a photographer help protect wildlife and conservation?
Subhradeep : The natural habitat conservation is nothing but to keep alive the natural habitat for basic requirements of food, water, reproduction or nesting and protection against predators. Wild life conservation is very much important at present because it provides balance and stability to Nature's process.
I think as photographer, one has wide opportunity to help protection of wildlife and conservation. We should be careful about regular usage of nature based products, we should keep ourselves calm and composed while visiting national park and should maintain silence. Besides a photographer has close affinity towards nature. While doing photography, we should not disturb the natural habitat , should keep distance with the animate subject so that they also feel easy with us. Now a days , gaining social media fame creates a lot of turmoil regarding the disturbance of wildlife. We should be aware of these facts. Finally a photographer or be it other, one should have proper knowledge of behavioural aspects of the subject.
Retro Kolkata : What is the best project you have worked on and how did you get involved with it?
Subhradeep : Frankly speaking, I still look forward to work with such big projects for conservation. But I think for conservation, one's work should be started from home. If we plant trees, create natural habitat for birds and wildlife around our home, then it will be a successful project one can work. In this case, we should remind that thousands drop of water makes an Ocean.
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?
Subhradeep : Next 10 years, I must look for being a better photographer along with knowledgeable conservationist and obviously by God's grace, if I earn fame for sake of photography, I must be a down to earth person. Every day, every month, I am learning. It is an eternal process. Next 6 months , it is important as the new season is coming . I will implement the homework on field that I gain in photographic subject so that the classwork may be evaluated by myself properly.
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