A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH NATURE - Manish Mamtani

It is widely assumed that nature and landscape photography are simple to capture. You choose a suitable place, point the camera in the right direction, and click. In truth, there is more to the story than meets the eye. We spoke with Manish Mamtani about how he went from being a hobbyist to being enthusiastic about capturing beautiful photographs, and what the secret sauce is behind his gorgeous and hypnotic images. Manish Mamtani is a nature photographer who also works as an accountant. He specialises in landscapes, night/ astro photography, aerial photography, and infrared photography. He was born in Nagpur, India, and currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He discovered his interest for photography in 2010, when he visited Yosemite National Park for the first time; since then, he has regularly been spotted in National Parks around America documenting the solitude and beauty of the majestic parks. Excerpts:

- SANCHIT MISHRA

How did you get into photography? And how did you begin your journey with this technique?

I discovered my passion for photography in 2010 when I first visited Yosemite National Park in the US. I was mesmerised by the sheer beauty and wilderness of this majestic park. After this trip, I started planning my other trips for photography. My experience in Yosemite was the reason my hobby of taking pictures turned into my passion.

I always used to wonder how birds see the world and I wished I could do the same. When I heard about the drone cameras and that they could offer this view, I was really excited to venture into drone photography. Even though my drone doesn't allow me to fly like birds, it allows me to see the way they see.

My love for night sky is the reason I ventured into Astrophotography. To me, the stars are not just sparkling dots in the sky, they are prized jewels visible to those who seek them.

Your style of photography is quite different and amazing. Can you give us a summary of this genre and what is involved?

When it comes to photography, I always try to be creative and try to capture something unique. I do a lot of Astro/ Night and Aerial photography these days. These two genres are quite different from each other.

My general approach is to do research of the location before going to shoot. For Astrophotos, I try to find a place away from the light pollution and use apps to find out when and where the Milky Way would rise. I try to avoid last-minute surprises by scouting the place during the day when possible. Some of the natural events that I photograph occur only once in a year, like capturing a specific meteor shower and if anything goes wrong (For example - bad weather), the wait time is one year.