Dhritiman Mukherjee

What does it take to be an ambassador for the natural world? If you ask Dhritiman Mukherjee, the answer is every breath and every moment. The award-winning photographer speaks to Tanvi Dhulia about his journey and philosophy.

- Tanvi Dhulia

When pursuing the Bengal Florican in the grasslands of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, in Uttar Pradesh, Dhritiman Mukherjee would make his way to a twig covered hide at 4:00 am, in complete darkness. He would refrain from using a torch so as to avoid disturbing creatures in the night, sometimes pausing at the sound of a rumbling growl, which he knew belonged to a tigress, vigilantly protecting her three cubs.

For eight days, the celebrated wildlife and nature photographer spent up to nine hours in the hide, waiting to document one of the most endangered birds in the country. It was only on the eighth day that he managed to capture an image he was satisfied with.

For him, a day without pictures isn’t considered a day wasted. He says, “Each day I learn more about the subject’s behaviour and their peculiar habits. It helps me prepare to make a good image of it in the future.”

“I always considered myself talentless in photography. I never understood how people could take good photos. After a long time, I began to understand it mathematically.” Even though his skillfully framed pictures would say otherwise, Mukherjee will often emphasise that he is not an artist. “I am a documentary photographer,” he explains. “I don’t use nature to express myself. Instead, my goal is to use existing art in order to create a record that would benefit science and inform the masses.”

The Fundamentals of Caring

After two decades of wildlife photography, the most notable evolution, for Dhritiman, is the way his sense of purpose has reshaped itself. When he bought his first camera in 1997, photography was all about the thrill of the experience.