It is never too late to pursue a hobby again, especially if you have set goals for yourself and are ready to learn from your critics. That, perhaps, is why P. Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Trustee of Jeevan Blood Bank and Research Centre, and his photographs are to be watched out for. Right from his home page www.natureimages.in to the assignments he has set for himself, Dr.Srinivasan gives one enough reasons to believe he is a photographer raring to go. Hetalks to Liffy Thomas about the “dormant bug” that woke up in his mid-50s and his photographs that go for a cause.
“I lost 20 years of photography as my professional commitments were demanding, but now I want to make upfor the lost days,” says P. Srinivasan, going through images of animals and birds he captured, all in action. It was in his teenage days that he first held a box camera and spent time learning the art in a local studio. The interest continued until his post-graduation days, but slipped into hibernation from 1988. However, 2008 was turning point as the shutterbug in him got smitten again. “My well-wishers from the Photographic Society of Madras pursued me to restart my hobby. Now, one week in a month I am in the wild,” he says. The keen trekker has over 10,000 images in his archives.
All the striking nature photographs in his collection also contribute to a cause. Dr. Srinivasan is donating the proceeds collected through the sale of print images to the Jeevan Blood Bank for the ‘Make Blood Free' programme, which supports children with cancer and thalassemia.
Before the end of the year, Dr. Srinivasan has also taken up three important tasks to complete. He is working on two coffee table books on photography, plans to conduct an exhibition of his works and acquire a formal qualification in photography. A photo series on beaks is also on his list.
Also keeping him going are the two laurels he received last year.
The Photographic Society of America published his photograph ‘Bea-eater' in their journals. Yet another ‘Bea-eater flying in air' won the first prize in the nature category at the National Photo Salon. There are more prizes in the offing too.
