SAMIRAN PAUL

Nestled in the lap of eastern Himalayas is this charming little town called Kalimpong where I was born. Growing up here, the place has grown on me and I cannot really describe in words how beautiful and bountiful nature here is with its ever-changing hues. This is what I believe is the infinite source of my inspiration in whatever I do. As a child, sketching and working with colours interested me. Over time, there has been a deliberate shift in trying to capture the endless beauty of my surroundings within a photo frame. Thus it is that my canvas today is the flora and fauna around me and the colourful lives of a multitude of distinct ethnic groups who are the original inhabitants of this place.

Coming from a modest background, the question of owning a camera as a child and pursuing photography as a hobby just did not arise. Much later, my father presented me with a basic Ricoh camera which I treasure to this day. But for the photographs here, what I am using is a Nikon D90 D-SLR.

Apart from teaching Physics at the Kalimpong Girls' Higher Secondary School, I have taken up freelance photo journalism contributing to the local media channels. My wife and my daughter have been very supportive of my passion for photography and are my best critics.

It’s not everyday that one gets to live his dream. However, I have been very fortunate to have pursued and lived my dreams. To me, photography is an expression of one’s creative mind. I have learnt much in the past few years and I must say that more of this learning has come from my failures than from my successes. It has been an interesting journey so far with a long road ahead. Learning and developing my art remains the motto.

There has been no lack of encouragement in the past three years. I was featured in the September, 2009 issue of the magazine Talk Sikkim and again recently in the English daily Bengal Post. Three of my still photography documentaries have been published so far and I was nominated for the Sony World Photography Organisation in 2011. My photographs have also found a place in national and international salons.
Some awards and recognitions have also come my way and there have been several exhibitions in Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad and New York etc.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/8771123@N08/