Interview by Sourabha Rao
When artists are brimming with love and respect for nature and its many marvels, when art revels in the artist’s humility, the joy that spreads through human creativity will know no bounds. This singular joy that stems from Earth’s beauty will bring the misty realms of Hokkaido, the vast and stunning savannahs of Africa, the sprawling salt plains of Kutch, the mysterious depths of Corbett to an eager beholder’s receptive mind and heart, and then to another and another.
The dusk pair of swans, © Rahul Sachdev
Here’s such joy that a wildlife photographer’s work always intends to share. Over to Rahul Sachdev on being a photographer and an ardent worshipper of nature.
1. Did your love for nature inspire you to take up photography or was it the other way round? What are your early memories related to wildlife and photography as separate things?
Unlike a lot of my friends who have great stories about visiting the forests and being in nature as kids, I did not visit a national park until around 2003 (Ranthambhore). I blame my uncle and neighbour (Harish Tiwari), who used to read out stories from Jim Corbett's books to me almost every night, for infusing the love for wild in me. I used to own a small collection of animal figurines and they were my treasure. So I believe the love for nature – more specifically for animals – came first to me.
I really do not know when I got really hooked to photography as a medium to show what I see. I used to try my hand at landscape photography during my time as a student in a beautiful town called Troy (NY). Surrounded by fall colours, it was very tough not to get into photography. I was miserable at landscape photography then, and most likely, I still am. Since I had a camera with me, I took it along while going to national parks and at about the same time, I started seeing images made by folks like N. C. Dhingra, Jagdeep Rajput, Niranjan Sant, Aditya Singh, Vijay Cavale etc. The simplicity and trueness in their imagery struck a chord in me and I started reading up about and falling in love with the camera as an instrument and photography as a form of human expression.
Three to tango or was it two? © Rahul Sachdev
2. What are the milestones you would like to recognise as defining moments in your life as an artist?
While I am tempted to write about the 'two tiger' image from Ranthambhore, I want to talk about another important moment in my journey. This happened somewhere around 2015 as well (just before the Ranthambhore trip where I made the 'two tiger' image). It was the month of June and I was in Sattal for some bird photography. I have a habit of spending time near all tea stalls in the hills as they invariably end up being hotspots for birds. Beside one such tea stall, I met a pied thrush, a beautiful chap. He gave us a gala time as he was busy collecting worms that he was carrying back for his kids. Now a pied thrush is a pretty rare bird and I was mighty pleased that I made some images of this jewel.
Tiger goddesses, © Rahul Sachdev
I came back home from that trip and posted it in a forum. I got a lot of nice comments and one very different phone call from a friend. It was a call to discuss a photographer's contribution to a photograph. How was that pied thrush image of mine any different than someone else’s? That conversation stayed with me. It made me start thinking about what I want to do as a photographer and it sort of gave me a path in terms of where I wanted to take my photography. Ever since around mid-2015, I have started trying to make images that convey more than just the obvious. I like this journey and hope I can continue on this path for a few more years. By the way, I thank Avinash Khemka for that call (for all I know, he might not even remember it).
Pied thrush with a worm, © Rahul Sachdev
3. What is it about wildlife that compels you to document their life, apart from the obvious fact they are all uniquely beautiful?
Beautiful and captivating they all are. In my case, I am probably compelled to show how they live in perfect balance with nature. I am compelled to show their stories, and most of the time my interpretation of their stories is more than what is actually transpiring. I think my drive is to show emotions in nature and show them as strongly as I can through my imagery.
The butterfly effect, © Rahul Sachdev
4. What allured you about photography to pursue it as an art form?
I used to sketch a little during my school and college days. I was always attracted to drawing but I lacked two skills, big time – sketching humans and colouring. I believe with wildlife photography I took care of both those things. Nature paints and I simply click. It becomes much easier to convey stories that way. Now with wildlife photography as well, I believe there are two streams. One would be documentary style images and the other would be adding your own interpretation to the images you make. I do not think one is better than the other but I do believe it is the latter that attracts me to photography. The joy of creating something different/unique is what drives me.
© Rahul Sachdev
5. What are the places of wilderness that have been calling you back time and again across the globe, and why?
I haven’t visited many places that I hope to, but from what I have seen, there are three places that stand out. The first would be Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park), second, Amboseli (Kenya), and third, Corbett National Park.
Corbett makes the list not only because it is a dream setting, but it especially makes the list because it is a place that I have done the least justice to. It is a place that really challenges me and I hope that one day I will find a way to do well there.
Elephants in Corbett, © Rahul Sachdev
I am particularly fond of making use of dust and light in my images and Amboseli is perfect for that. The fact that it has two towering icons of the natural world (the African elephant and the mighty Kilimanjaro) helps a lot as well.
African elephants with the mighty Kilimanjaro in the backdrop, © Rahul Sachdev
My journey as a photographer really started in its true sense once I started making images of birds and specifically water birds. Needless to say, I was drawn to Bharatpur from my early days. To me, going to Bharatpur is almost as if I am going to a place to meditate. It has the ability to instill calm and make your mind clutter-free. It is a place that has tonnes of opportunities and some magical light during the winter months. It is a place that I can peacefully settle in.
Bharatpur, the bird haven © Rahul Sachdev
6. You as a birder and bird photographer have made a singular impact on those who have been following your work. How do you view it in comparison with mammal photography?
To be honest, I actually don’t think I qualify as a birder. I am not really that good with identifying the tough warblers/babblers and the like. I do know some birds and I certainly enjoy making images of all of them. Early on in my journey as a photographer, I think bird photography (especially water birds) appealed to my lazy nature. Lying quietly on the ground for an hour or two, waiting for a duck to pass by or waiting for the waders to come in with the tide came naturally to me. It was very similar to lying on the couch watching my favorite TV show.
Heaven in Hokkaido, © Rahul Sachdev
Mammals seemingly should have been easier to click as they won’t be dancing around tiny twigs, but I found it harder with mammals. Especially because I took an unusually long time to find the compositional balance in my photography. I always seemed to be making either very tight images or images that just did not connect well. I think over the course of time, I have started to understand composition and use of elements slightly better and that has helped me in both bird and mammal photography.
Today I barely distinguish between bird and mammal photography. I try to approach both in a similar way.
7. Is there a particular animal or a bird you relate to?
Wow, my wife will probably scream ‘sloth’ but I completely disagree. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I will be able to relate to any of them. They are just far too superior to me. I am in awe of a lot of them but shouldn’t really list all of them. If I could twist your question to ‘particular animal or bird that I enjoy being around most’ then the answer would be elephants. I am not saying that because they are always active or always doing something etc, it's just that I find watching them extremely peaceful...that’s it.
Elephant in Amboseli, © Rahul Sachdev
8. Could you tell us about some artists who inspire you, whose work you look up to, and why?
The first artist that I really remember is ‘The Starving Photographer’. I don’t even remember whether he was on webshots, or flickr or had a website, but this guy who went by the name ‘Starving Photographer’ used to make some stunningly beautiful landscape images from around the Washington area if I remember correctly (this was around 2004-05). I then took up reading a few books, and John Shaw's book on Nature Photography stayed with me for a long time. As time passed and I started focussing more on wildlife, I got really drawn into images that talk loud but yet are in themselves very calm. I do not know if this makes any sense but there are a few artists that seem to be in tune with that thought. Federico Veronesi, Vincent Munier, Marco Ranconi are a few of them. Three brilliant artists for the sheer clarity of expressions in their images. Three chaps who I think every aspiring creative wildlife photographer should follow.
Symbol of calm, © Rahul Sachdev
9. Apart from travel and photography, are there any other hobbies you dedicate your time to?
These days I wish I had a hobby called ‘sitting at home’ because that’s all that most of us seem to be doing with the situation around us. I guess on-and-off my old love for sketching keeps calling me but I don’t make as much time for it as I should.
Periscopes of the Mara, © Rahul Sachdev
10. As an artist, how do you think wildlife photography can inspire wildlife conservation?
I think for India, as a massive population, I would like to categorise ourselves into three age-groups. 60 and above, 30 to 60, and younger than 30; it is the younger generation that is the key for conservation. I think with the kind of history our country has had, the seniors (above 60) lived most of their lives just trying to make ends meet or building a base for future generations. That future generation was us. We as a generation got luckier. We had a base to build on (at least many of us) and it is our responsibility that we take the opportunity that life has given us to ensure that the younger generation realise the importance of wildlife and nature conservation.
Having said that, I believe that in addition to ‘understanding the importance’, it is also necessary for everyone to fall in love with the magnificence of nature in all its glorious details. That is where we as wildlife photographers come in. That's our job, be it by documenting some stunning behaviour, or simply documenting the vibrant beings around us or by making some thought-provoking imagery. Every decent wildlife image out there has the power to kindle the inquisitiveness of a child, the power to make them wonder and make them want to know more about the natural world. Once they want to know more, nature is marvelous enough to make them fall in love with it. I know I am making it sound simpler than it is, but well, we all need some positivity and hope.
© Rahul Sachdev