Learn wildlife photography at popular Bandra brewery

Who says wildlife photography can only be learnt in the dense depth of forests? This Sunday, the Doolally Taproom in Bandra will be hosting a workshop conducted by wildlife photographer and regular customer Russell Fernandes, who will be teaching photographers a trick or two that he has learnt about wildlife photography in his 12 years.

Tiger family, Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. PICS/RUSSELL FERNANDES

But, the question that arises is: Why choose an indoor watering hole as a prime spot to conduct a photography workshop? "In the jungle, a watering hole is where all sorts of different animals come together," reasons 34-year-old Russell Fernandes, a Bandra boy who, along with his three-year-old daughter, is a regular at the Bandra outpost.

Lion Tailed Macaque, Annamalai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu

"In the urban space, it's where you attract all sorts of interesting people across communities and interests; the concept is the same. Usually, I would not imagine doing a workshop at any place else other than a studio, but Doolally is the kind of a place where one can really feel comfortable." His workshop is not aimed at photographers, but those who have a passion for photography. "You don't have to own a DSLR or a fancy camera to attend it," he said, adding that the workshop would involve teaching people about the basics of photography including exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc, but a special focus would be on lighting and composition. "In wildlife photography, you get only one shot - you can't request the tiger to walk again. Also, the correct method of using natural light is vital, as you cannot artificially light up your subject."

Woolly Necked Stork, Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan

"We want to be useful to communities - they could be writers, photographers, cyclists, filmmakers, or anyone else, for that matter," says Tresha Guha, Brand Manager, Doolally. "Russell, one of our mug club members, thought his experience as a wildlife photographer could be interesting to other fellow photographers.

Russell Fernandes

So, when he suggested conducting a workshop for 12-15 people, we were stoked. A mix of amateurs and professionals have signed up and we hope this will encourage other communities to do something interesting with us," she added.