WallMag: What made you interested in photography?

I started photography in the year 2017. At that time, I used only my mobile phone to explore the world around me. Initially, I used to capture from the diverse genre. But gradually I got attracted to the street & wedding. Things that made me interested in these two are:

CAPTURING THE AMAZING RANGE OF LOVE AND EMOTION OF PEOPLE

Whether they are your own, a friend’s, or a client’s, portraits are an amazing photographic subject. Being able to capture that is both a fantastic photographic challenge and a profound learning experience for me.

SHARING MY PERSPECTIVE

Everyone sees things differently. If you put 100 photographers in a room and you’ll get 100 different photos. The way I see the world is always different than others, and it’s a different perspective.

PRESERVING THE BIG MOMENTS

Life is filled with “big moments”. Births, weddings, first steps—these are all moments that should be documented for family history. And a lot of the big moments aren’t times when you’d hire a professional photographer. So, being a professional wedding photographer, preserving the big moments is important to me.

WallMag: What type of photography do you like? Are you a self-taught photographer or have learned it from somewhere?

I mainly like Wedding Photography. Being a wedding photographer, I would say that it involves an exciting mix of portraiture and event photography in a wide variety of settings and groups. Along with that, I also like street photography that allows me to capture street stories from a different angle and in a different mood.

Yes, I’m a self-taught photographer, but thanks to the people who have been guiding me to grow.

WallMag: How would you define your photography style?

For me, an artist's work must be good consistently to be considered as an art. I take each image to bear sense and hit sensible viewers. A storytelling frame not just narrates the moment but also helps the photographer to narrate the feelings about the subject. Frames, composition, figures, and storytelling are some of the most important factors of street & wedding photography. Along with that knowing the importance of the subject, including powerful emotions & complementary colors, you can enjoy your photography.

WallMag: What do you like the most about photography?

The few things I like most about photography are :

Recording events and capturing memories - By being able to capture a special moment in time, I carry the memory of that event forward with me, allowing me to share it and remember it with those that were there.

Traveling - There is so much interesting stuff to photograph in other places including landscapes, wildlife, architecture, and people from other cultures. Travel broadens the mind and exposes me to new concepts and ideas, and is an excellent learning opportunity, provides so much creativity.

Meeting new people - Chance encounters with people curious as to what you might be photographing can lead to directions to other points of interest.

Creativity - Being creative is something we don’t tend to allow ourselves to do as adults. Photography is a very acceptable form of creativity that allows endless flexibility in how we adapt it to your style. 

WallMag: Could you please share an image of your photography gear.

WallMag: Who is your inspiration in Photography, and why?

For me, not only one person is my inspiration.

Vineet Vohra sir, Navin Vatsa sir & from Kolkata sir Soumya Shankar Ghosal, sir Subrata Dey are my inspirations in Photography. In general, we do street photography based on the street’s daily life but these people used to capture streets based on abstract and geometrical things making a magical combination between still & street life. Mainly I love the way how they intricate forms, structures, figures everywhere, be it on the street or the wall anywhere.

WallMag: What keeps you motivated?

If the term motivation comes it’s always self-satisfaction which is very important for me, and this is the key element to improve my skill. Because my viewers will not be able to connect with my photograph until I am satisfied with my work. Along with this, winning many contests keeps me motivated always.

WallMag: How far do you think participating in awards/contests is important for a photography career?

Up to a certain level, participating in awards/contests is important because it always gives the start-up boost in the carrier. Along with this, it’s important to earn money by doing some professional works like – wedding, event, etc. But winning lots of awards is not the only measurement for a photography career.

WallMag: Could you please describe your experience of participating in the WallMag Diwali Contest 2020 and marking your presence as 1st winner? What tips would you like to give to upcoming participants?

I came to know about this contest from Instagram Handle and decided to participate in it as I had a few Diwali photographs. I submitted two of my clicks there. I got stunned when I saw that one of my photographs as the 1st Winner.

I would like to say, just keep clicking your frames from your angle and perspective, don’t try to copy frames from other photographers, and keep participating in any photography contest. One day you will be the winner, as the proverb says – “Slow but steady wins the race”. 

You can follow Papiya Das on Instagram to stay updated with her work.

You can also have a look at her Winning Photography Submission at WallMag Diwali Photography Contest 2020.