Manish Mamtani is an enthusiastic nature photographer with a passion for capturing breathtaking landscapes and celestial wonders. Born and raised in Nagpur, India, Manish pursued a career as an IT/Finance consultant in the USA. It was during a trip to Yosemite National Park in November 2010 that he first encountered the majestic beauty of nature, sparking his love for photography.
Today, we are pleased to have the award-winning landscape photographer Manish Mamtani with us in this session of ConflatingVisions to share his inspiring journey. We believe this session will definitely motivate thousands of aspiring photographers to follow their passion.
Hi Manish, glad to have you with us today. Please tell us a few lines about you.
I am an avid nature photographer, who has travelled widely across beautiful destinations in the US. Born and brought up in Nagpur – India, I came to the US to work as an IT/Finance consultant and discovered my love for photography. My work includes Landscapes, Aerial, Night/Astro and Infrared and has been published in National Geographic, Vanity Fair, Better Photography Magazine, Digital Photo and many more Magazines, Newspapers and Online Media.
How did you get into photography? How were your initial days in this field?
It all started after my first trip to Yosemite National Park in November of 2010. I was awestruck by the sheer beauty of the Majestic Park and after this trip; I started planning my other trips for Photography. When I started, I used to take pictures of anything and everything but slowly I developed an interest towards Landscapes – Astro, Nature, Aerial and Infrared.
Is it what you do full-time?
I am in the process to do Photography full-time. Otherwise, I am a Chartered Accountant working as an IT/Finance Specialist.
You mostly shoot landscapes. Why is it so special for you?
Yes, I shoot mostly Landscapes. The beauty of nature inspires me. I always feel at peace whenever I am close to nature. I still remember how excited I was when I saw the Milky Way for the first time, or the Aurora Borealis or the meteor shower. The same level of excitement is still the same and this is what drives me to enjoy and capture the beauty of nature.
Which genre of photography is your second favourite? Why?
I love to do Wildlife photography when I am not taking landscapes. I like to learn about the behaviour of wild animals and capture their candid moments.
When did you start shooting with drones? From where did you draw inspiration to photograph using drones?
I started Aerial Photography about eight months back when I got my first drone.
I always used to wonder how birds see the world and I wished I could do the same. When I heard about Drone cameras, I was really excited to venture into it. Even though it doesn’t allow me to fly like birds, but it does allow me to see the way they see. That’s why I call it Bird’s eye view photography.
You seem to be in a love affair with stars. What motivates you to photograph the stars?
You got that right. My love for the night sky is the reason I ventured into Astro/Night photography. To me, the stars are not just sparkling dots in the sky, they are prized jewels visible to those who seek them. Hiking in the night sky not only fulfils my appetite for adventure but also makes…
Please share your tips for making good landscape photographs.
Three suggestions when it comes to Landscape photography.
Try to create storytelling Images by using the composition rules.
Understand the histogram.
Be creative and do not copy others. Try to think out of the box.
What are the equipments other than a camera that finds a place in your camera bag?
Other than the 2 cameras I carry, you can find various lenses in my camera bag. I carry Canon 16-35mm F2.8L, Canon 24-70mm F2.8L lens for infrared and Day Light Photography, Canon 70-200mm F2.8L for wildlife, Rokinon 14mm f2.8, Rokinon 24mm f1.4 and Canon 8-155mm Fisheye lens for Astro/Nightscapes. You can also find Batteries, Memory cards, Polarizer, ND and GND Filters, Flash Light, Intervalometer, Water and some snacks in my camera bag.
How do you plan before going for a shoot?
A lot of effort goes into the planning and execution of a picture. Some of the Natural events that I capture happen only once in a year, like capturing a specific meteor shower and if anything goes wrong (For example – bad weather), the wait time is one year.
For Astro Photography I make sure to scout the place during the daytime to avoid any last-minute surprises. I use apps to find out exactly where and when the Milky Way will rise. I carry extra batteries and memory cards if I decide to stay longer to shoot time lapses.
Which are some of your favourite landscape destinations so far and why?
I love the National Parks of the USA and the way wilderness is maintained here. My favourite place for Night Photography is Arches National Park in Utah because the night sky is really dark in Utah and not affected by the growing light pollution all around. For the day Landscapes, I love to visit Yellowstone National Park for its sheer wilderness and beauty.
Please give us the information on your workshops. How can one enrol in your workshops?
I am doing 1-on-1 workshops right now and will also start group workshops in The US and in India from next year. The information can be found on my website – www.manishmamtani.com/workshops
Do you have plans to conduct a workshop in India soon?
I am talking to some of the institutions to set up something for India. I want to travel across the country and conduct Landscape – Astro and Infrared talks and workshops.
And, one last question of this session Manish, if you have had one wish…
If I have had my one wish come true in the field of Photography, I would love to have my own Galleries all across the world.
Awards:
1st Place – Plymouth Juried Fine Art of Photography Exhibition/Contest.
Best of the Show and People Choice – Click Landscape and Cityscape Exhibitions, Dallas
Fan Favorite and Honorable Mention – ND International Awards
3rd Place – Spider Awards,
3rd Place – Moscow International photo awards
Fan Favorite and Honorable Mention – Share the Experience Contest 2014, 2015.
And other awards and Honorable mentions in International Contests including Sony World Photography awards, IPA, Big Picture, London School of Photography, etc.
Please Note: All the photographs used in this post are shared by Manish Mamtani himself. He has given us consent to use the photographs in this feature. The copyrights of the photographs belong to the photographer himself. Kindly do not use them without his permission.
