Featured Photographer of the Day: Amol Pandit

WallMag: Introduce yourself
I was born and brought up in Maharashtra, India but I have been living in Colorado, USA for about twenty years now. I was fortunate to be able to take several overseas assignments and live in Singapore and China for work and was able to travel a lot, learn the local languages and experience different cultures during the endeavor. I absolutely love to be in nature. I appreciate the incredible artistry nature offers and I like to share my experiences through my photography and hopefully spread some happiness around through the journey.

WallMag: Tell us where it all began. How did you become a photographer?
Although I designed digital cameras for about ten years and I am familiar with all the insides and the technical aspects of a camera, I was not into photography too much. While I was in Singapore on a long term assignment for my work, I came across one of colleague's exceptional photography work. Being naturally inquisitive, I began to ask him questions to try to understand his process and his style. As we continued our informal discussions, my interest and curiosity grew. Eventually I got my first entry level DSLR and decided to try my hands on it. Before I knew it, I found myself going out frequently, eager to learn and wanting to get the perfect picture I could. Photography had effortlessly and expeditiously made its way into one of my most favorite hobbies. I continue to learn, evolve and revamp my style in this journey.

WallMag: How did you discover your style of photography? How would you describe your style?
I love to be out in the nature. I am very close to the mountains with some of the amazing landscapes and wildlife in the area. I hike almost every weekend, year around, through all four seasons. The mountain ranges, the wildlife, the sunrises and sunsets are mesmerizing. They offer peace and tranquility. They have played a significant role in my style of photography. I want to communicate what I experience on these hikes and when I am at the scene. I am always on a look out for capturing something unique, something non-traditional and I wish my style and my pictures will do justice to the amazing artistry nature relentlessly offers to us. I sometimes will also venture into fine art photography and I will continue to evolve my style but it will always be connected to nature.

WallMag: Who and/or what influences your work and why?
I am a self taught photographer. My style has evolved as I continue to practice and learn. Fortunately with digital cameras, it is easier to practice and learn with different settings. I continue to read, try different capturing techniques, try different editing techniques and look at other photographer's work. Because I am so close to the mountains and some of the best that nature can offer, I get relentless opportunities that I can use to continue to learn and improve which in turn influences my work to a great deal.

WallMag: Is there a photographer or artist who you admire or think they are killing right now?
I frequently look at photography work from all around the world particularly work that is different style and unlike what I do. There are so many people I come across with some incredible talent in photography and there is still so much to learn from them but if I have to pick one photographer, I would pick Ansel Adams. His iconic images have an ever lasting impression. With the technology available during his time, he did an absolutely astounding work in photography. He also promoted conservation of wilderness areas through his work which is truly inspiring.

WallMag: Tell us through your photography process. How do you complete your work from start to finish?
Being able to "see" the photograph before I take it is the key to me. That is where it starts. I am always on a quest to capture something unique, something very distinctive from the conventional pictures that I have come across. I look at the light and the composition. These two are very critical for me to get a good picture. Sometimes I may go for against the light and sometimes with the light depending on how the scene or subject is illuminated. I look for uncommon compositions that could make the picture stand out. Most importantly I want to make sure the picture constructively communicates what I experienced at the scene.

Once I have "seen" that photograph and have decided on the composition, I then work on the camera settings. If I am doing landscape photography. I may have a little more time to decide on the settings to use. If I am doing wildlife photography or something with action and movement, I barely have any time so I may set those ahead of time based on my experience so far on what would work best in that situation.

I capture in RAW format. It gives me more knobs to turn when I edit the pictures. Also if I capture in JPEG or any other compression the camera offers, I am letting the camera decide the processing. I would like to decide myself and not let the camera do it for me. I can then "develop" the picture the way I feel looks better.I use Adobe Photoshop for editing my RAW images. I do not go for excessive editing either do I add or delete anything from the scene. My editing is very basic. I then save the final image into the compression I desire based on where and how the picture will be used.

WallMag: What you do when you are not photographing?
When I am not photographing, I paint, I read, I go on outdoor adventures, I exercise and I also work with my team to design cutting edge high-tech products. Products that are used day in and day out in the medical industry, entertainment industry, transportation industry and even in space research to name a few.

Follow him on social media:

Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/tidal_hues
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TidalHues