Uncle Sandy

Interview With Sandesh Kadur, the Inspiration Behind the Book 'The Cat in the Ghat'

When I finished reading the book 'The Cat in the Ghat', I was really fascinated by the Pogeyan. Then I read up on Sandesh Kadur, on whom the book is based. We decided to interview him to learn more about him and his work!

Sandesh Kadur is a renowned photographer and in 2013 was recognized by National Geographic Society as an Emerging Explorer. He also received the North American Nature Photographers (NANPA) Vision Award in recognition of early career excellence and continuation of vision and inspiration to others in nature photography, conservation, and education.

Here are his thoughts on how he got interested in wildlife photography, encouraging children to take up photography as a profession, and three things to be a successful photographer.

Thank you, for speaking to us Sandesh :)

IMC: How did you get interested in wildlife photography?

Sandesh: As a 14-year-old, I loved drawing and spent most of my time making sketches. At the same time, I liked being close to nature and spent my days and nights in the field. It was my early childhood curiosity that generated my interest in Natural History later. My father allowed me the use of his camera. It was an old manual camera which I used as a documenting tool, clicking the world around me. Before I went out with it, my father told me, “set the camera at F5.6 on a cloudy day and adjust to F11 on sunny days.” With as little information as that I used my camera to document everything from a bird to a grasshopper. Gradually, my love for the camera grew.

[pullquote]During school, biology interested me the most, but later on I got forced into the mainstream. My family sent me to the US to study hotel management. This was not what I wanted to do. But being in the US gave me a lot of freedom to explore my love for wildlife and photography[/pullquote]

During school, biology interested me the most, but later on, I got forced into the mainstream. My family sent me to the US to study hotel management. This was not what I wanted to do. But being in the US gave me a lot of freedom to explore my love for wildlife and photography. A brief stay in the US expanded my view of the world and made me realize that I could actually build a career in photography and documentary filmmaking. I started with three jobs while in college – a photojournalist at the college newspaper, a lab assistant for my research station in Mexico (Gorgas Science Foundation) during the weekdays and on the weekends I worked at a sanctuary called – Sabal Palm Grove. I earned my first camera, a NIKON 6006 out of these jobs. All three jobs were interconnected.

It was also the time when not much wildlife photography was done and the epitome was National Geographic Magazine. The pictures fascinated me and I dreamt of doing something of that scale. At that time (the early 90s) internet was in its infancy, so it was difficult to get direction about where to go. With no direction, I felt like a frog in the well, as there was no interaction with the outer world.

IMC: Today's parents seem to have become so much more competitive as far as their children's academics are concerned. What is your message to parents whose children want to do something different in their career (Funny that we call photography as something different, but its true I think)

[pullquote]I see a lot more parents interested in taking up photography as a hobby and as a consequence allow their children to take it one step further perhaps. [/pullquote]

Sandesh: I think…. I think, things are changing. Rather, I hope that things are changing. I see a lot more parents interested in taking up photography as a hobby and as a consequence allow their children to take it one step further perhaps. But certainly Photography is not seen as mainstream and that’s probably a good thing. I probably wouldn't be doing it if it was mainstream!

My message to parents is to allow their children to explore the world around them and develop a passion based on experience. It's only when parents are less confining and allow their kids to really immerse themselves in the vast world around them that they begin to have experiences that will all around make them a better individual. If parents can allow their children to explore what interests them, then that’s all that’s required to have kids begin to think out of the box and do things and create careers rather than conform to a career.

IMC: How do you think photography/ creating documentaries as a profession can be encouraged in children at grassroots level or school level?

[pullquote]All of us are very visual people - we are primates and as primates, one of our greatest senses is that of sight[/pullquote]

Sandesh: All of us are very visual people - we are primates and as primates, one of our greatest senses is that of sight. All of us are influenced most by what we see and photography and documentaries are simply channels by which we are exposed to a world that we may not otherwise see. Schools can add into their stringent curriculum some of these aspects that in my opinion will really provide an expansive thought process and at the same time help serve to educate and entertain young minds. I for one was certainly exposed to a lot of wildlife magazines in the form of National Geographic and was highly influenced by the images I saw. Of course, I never dreamed that I’d be making documentaries for them - but that’s another story. I hope that my work now plays a small part in influencing young minds to think and care about wildlife and the natural world.

IMC: What are the three things one needs to be a successful wildlife photographer?

[pullquote]Patience, Passion and perseverance are the essential 3 P’s in order to be a wildlife Photographer.[/pullquote]

Sandesh: Patience, Passion, and Perseverance are the essential 3 P’s in order to be a wildlife Photographer.

IMC: I am sure you would have been overjoyed when you read 'The Cat in the Ghat'. What books have inspired you as a child and what kind of books do you like reading now?

Sandesh: I don’t remember any children’s books while I was growing up the only books around me were magazines by National Geographic. I devoured every one of them. I didn’t need to be able to read the words as images transcend boundaries of language & script.

IMC: Lastly, Pogeyan - Tell us more about it and what were your experiences when you went to the Western Ghats in search for it?

Sandesh: The Pogeyan has come to represent the beauty and mystery of nature. The tribal people have named it the Pogeyan the cat the comes and goes like the mist very reminiscent of how the environment of the place is. It’s magical and mystical and the Pogeyan is at the center of it all and even though I never found the species again, it’s helped create an aura and an interest in people about caring for a world we know very little about. Even now, many new species are being discovered in the western ghats. That itself is amazing and a small reason why the natural world will never cease to amaze me!