Page 42 - Smart Photography

MASTERCRAFTSMAN
Dr. Kiran Desai

Enchanting

World Dr. Kiran Desai Dr. Kiran Desai is a senior medical practitioner with
a passion for photography. In spite of his very busy
schedule, he manages to find time for his beloved
hobby. In January 2018 he conducted his 3rd One Man
Show at the Jegangir Terrace Art Gallery in Mumbai,
the earlier two being in 2006 and 2007.

As told to Rohinton Mehta

Tell us about yourself and how did you get
into photography? Umbrella of Elves
As a school boy, I had a liking for photography.
Circumstances did not allow me to buy a
camera then, so I started collecting good
pictures from magazines like Illustrated
Weekly, Dharmayug, etc. I studied the
pictures for composition, proper lighting etc.
My drawing teacher Ramdas Nikumbh honed
my skills to draw and imbibed in me lots of
tips for drawing better pictures. The same
principles are applied to photography as well.
Around 1960, my parents bought me a
Debonair camera for Rs.7 during our visit to
Nepal. This was during my school days and
I started taking photos. My first outing was
to Matheran, about 100kms from Mumbai.
Matheran is considered to be the smallest
hill station in the world. I took lots of snaps.
Later, in 1983, I bought a very inexpensive
Canon camera. My friends and well-wishers
appreciated my photos taken with the Canon.
This encouraged me to purchase a Nikon SLR
in the year 1987. I then enrolled myself in a
2-day photography workshop conducted by
Rohinton Mehta.
How do you find time for photography in
spite of your busy schedule?
You have to find time for your family and
friends as well as for your passion, no matter
how difficult it is. If you keep saying, “I have no
time” then your sub-conscious mind will ensure
that you have no time! Though these days my
photo outings have been reduced, I try to go
for Sunday morning shoots. I find that these
outings refresh my mind and I feel relaxed.

Obviously, your genre for photography
is nature/landscapes. Do you plan out
a photo shoot or photograph whatever
comes your way?
Smart Photography February 2018 Basically, I photograph whatever comes my © Dr. Kiran Desai
way, unless I am going out with photographer
friends who know the locations we are going
to. In that case, some amount of planning is

42 done.
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