Bhasmang Mehta
Bhasmang Mehta

The kind of work you do speaks a lot about yourself and that's what helps in building your reputation. More than just promoting your brand, the kind of work you do is also extremely important. Bhasmang Mehta, a popular photographer who has his roots in Ahmedabad, Gujarat has time and again stunned everyone with his incredible photography skills. He is into nature and wildlife photography and has got immense talent in capturing beautiful moments of the flora and fauna. The photographer who grew up in a family of doctors was earlier into his family's pharmaceutical manufacturing business and has also been an industrialist for 11 years.

However, his creativity took him on a journey and today he has made a name for himself as a well-known photographer. He owns a photography company named 'Wildlife Sojourns' along with his wife Zankhana Mehta. Apart from capturing some breathtaking pictures, he also does his bit to conserve nature and wildlife. In a candid interview with Mehta, he made many interesting revelations about his profession, challenges he faced and much more.

Q: How do you promote wildlife conservation through your work?

A: I teach wildlife photography in the workshops that I organize and people from all over India take part in it. The workshops are a medium where I share my views of nature conservation. At my residence in my garden, we have kept numerous bird feeders where birds come and eat all day long. We always keep fresh water in earthen water pots for the birds to drink. We keep nest boxes in our garden so that certain bird species can make their nests in it. So far, we have recorded 35 species of birds visiting our garden every day. I believe food, water and shelter are three essential things of every living being.

During my workshops, I teach my participants why, how and where they can keep these bird feeders, nest boxes and water pots in their premises so that birds can make the best use of it. We give complimentary bird feeders and nest boxes to all those guests and participants who join our trips and workshops.

Q: So currently the situation is very critical. How has coronavirus affected the photography industry?

A: The current pandemic has affected the photography industry very badly. For that matter, even the travel industry and every other industry is suffering. As we are in the lockdown situation, all the national parks are closed for the entry of tourists. Hence, I have cancelled some of the upcoming tours and workshops. But it's the right decision to enforce lockdown. And we all must cooperate with the government and the decisions taken by our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji. The economy of the country might bring a crisis, but we must first take care of our health. Let's just be at home and try to not get in contact with the deadly disease.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge in your career as a wildlife photographer?

A: Well, my biggest challenge was to convince my family and most importantly to prove the society wrong. There are a few sections of people who would try to bring you down and discourage you. I have now given them an answer with my work. The other difficult thing I faced was to get out of my comfort zone. I quit my family business to take up wildlife photography as a full-time profession. Sadly, in India still, most people believe that if you are not a doctor, engineer or a chartered accountant; you are good for nothing. So, it was a tough call to make, in fact, the toughest but I am happy that things have fallen into place now.