JOIN USEven as a child, Sateesh Kumar Lanka was enamoured by the camera. His favourite companion was an old Kodak film camera that he used to capture glimpses of life and the printed pictures gave him immense joy. Later, moving with the times, he got himself a digital camera.
Sateesh believes that he has a knack for capturing moments, even though he doesn’t follow any particular technique or style. And moving to Bengaluru from Hyderabad gave him a golden opportunity to pursue his hobby on a more serious note.
He says, “I moved to the city to work as the Head of the Pharmacy Department in Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre. When I first came here, my wife and son could not join me. So I had some free time which I didn’t know how to utilise. That’s when I decided to pick up my camera once again. I explored a few photography groups in the city and I joined them on various photo walks.”
Sateesh started exploring his camera’s features at a later stage though. “Ever since I bought my digital camera, I’ve always kept it on ‘auto-mode’. But when my brother-in-law purchased a Nikon D5100, I took notice of the many manual options it had and started experimenting with these. Now, I use a Nikon Coolpix S8100. I even spent a lot of money buying certain lens for it,” he adds.
Another photographer friend stays close to his house and the two venture out to different parts of the city occasionally.
He says, “We meet with other street photographers over the weekends too but I love the impromptu photo walks that my friend, Guru and I plan. We love going around the busy streets of Bengaluru and visiting the nearby villages as well.”
The 43-year-old photographer says that Bengaluru is a great city for aspiring photographers.
Apart from street photography, he also enjoys concert and wildlife photography.
“Photography has become a part of my life. I am always on the lookout for new concepts, editing tips and learning techniques. This hobby has helped me communicate better with people as well. Whenever I take my camera out, I instantly feel relaxed,” he shares.
Ask him what he wants to accomplish with his work and he says, “It’s great that people recognise my work and give me their feedback. I want to connect with people and give them a chance to discuss the story behind the picture. That’s how I know that I have accomplished something.”