BHARATI PAWASKAR
Sharing a passion for taking pictures, the seven shutterbugs first met on a rainy evening in Margao and taking baby steps in their ever first photo walk, they gradually became inseparable from their hobby of photography combined with love for nature and history. That was the birth of Goan Shutterbugs, Goa’s first photography association of amateurs exactly a decade ago, on September 6. Commemorating that moment, Goan Shutterbugs has organized a walk at Rachol Fort on September 8, beginning at Rachol Seminary at 3.30 pm. The core group of seven photographers, Saish Borkar, Saurabh Dalvi, Apoorv Bhembre, Nilesh Prabhudesai, Sayali Sawant, Radhakant Divkar and Lynn Barreto Miranda, has only strengthened with time as their tribe grew.
“As of now, we have 280 registered members and our desk is open for new memberships,” announces Apoorv Bhembre, founder secretary at Goan Shutterbugs. A businessman from Margao, Apoorv recalls the initial days when most of them were amateurs, still learning the nuance of photography and sharing their knowledge with each other as they matured in photography. “We were self-taught as we learnt with trial and error method through books and YouTube. Only two-three among us were professionally trained. Hemant Chandwani, Sanjeev Sardesai and Ashlesh Kamat joined after a couple of walks and are now our core members. With over 100 walks, exhibitions, workshops, contests and two photography festivals, it’s a great and fulfilling journey, especially with our president Lynn Barreto Miranda, who has been a catalyst in binding and gluing us together, till date.”
“Our first small walk turned out to be a giant impetus in forming this group. We also hosted two major photography festivals and had the privilege to felicitate two eminent Goan photography stalwarts - Thomas Vaz and Ramesh Ganesh Sakhalkar. Today, many of our members are most sought photographers, not only in Goa but nationally, for wedding, fashion and commercial photography. Among them are Aslesh Kamat, Saurabh Dalvi and Hemant Chandwani who chose to be professional photographers,” smiles Lynn, the founder president of Goan Shutterbugs.
“Over the years, our ever enthusiastic members have been documenting Goa’s rich heritage, its vivid ethnicity and thrilling festivities, feasts, jatras and events like Carnival, Bonderam, Chikhalkala etc, and have produced a rich data bank of photographs for posterity,” shares Lynn. Nevertheless, the group was privileged to walk into Cabo Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s residence at Dona Paula to document and archive the Raj Bhavan at the then Governor of Goa, Bharat Vir Wanchoo. The photographs still are a part of Goa Governor’s official website. “It was a moment of pride for us to step in the most treasured rooms to document the precious objects,” recalls Apoorv.
Hemant Chandwani was a 15-year-old teenager when first photo walked with Goan Shutterbugs. A professional photographer now, he gives the credit of boosting his moral, offering initial inspiration and a platform for his amateur photography. Hemant graduated in Fine Arts (Photography) from Symbiosis, Pune and today freelances with clients like Taj Hotels. He was assigned by the Ministry for Tourism for photographing Northern India for Incredible India campaign. In November 2018, Hemant was invited by Germany Tourism for a month-long tour to capture the monuments of tourist interest from entire country. “It was an amazing experience,” shares a thankful Hemant.
Aslesh Kamat, again a product of Goan Shutterbugs, today runs his own photography enterprise along with printing and graphic designing. Admitting that photography will always remain close to his heart and his main employment, Aslesh recalls, “The platform gave us exposure to people and places. We witnessed historical places, heritage homes, festivals. We exhibited our work, held competitions and won prizes. We must have received 10,000 entries for our contests.”
All of this boosted his morale and Aslesh began getting inquiries for professional work. Someone on Facebook liked his carnival pics and asked if he could use them on his website. Aslesh documented festivals for him. His work was appreciated. “After graduation I began freelancing for newspapers and magazines. Eventually I entered into events, commercial and wedding photography. And here I am, all thanks to Lynn and Goan Shutterbugs,” says a humble Aslesh.
Saish Borkar’s experience is similar. An IT professional Saish who is with Goan Shutterbugs since the beginning, shares, “As a hobby, photography is very relaxing. The walks and talks across various places in Goa helped us learn about our history and geography. The festivals we covered offered us a glimpse of our culture and heritage. We were lucky to have historians like Sanjeev Sardesai as a part of us. He introduced us to places that held historical importance. He took us down the memory lane and made our walks memorable.”
As vice president of Goan Shutterbugs Radhakant Divkar observes that the photo walks and workshops offered learning experiences and enhanced their aesthetic taste. “We learnt the nuance of photography, the importance of minute detailing and how to capture beauty in a frame. Some of what we documented over the years may not be there today or tomorrow. We have some rare pictures which are a treasure of Goan history, art and culture. If anyone wants to use our photos for a book, we would be happy to share our treasure trove,” declares Radhakant.
Treasurer at Goan Shutterbugs and a real estate dealer, Nilesh Prabhudessai admits that the group could thrive because it found a dedicated, committed and passionate leader in Lynn. He briefs, “We have largely been successful in our mission, but a lot is yet to be achieved. A decade ago photo walk was a totally alien concept in Goa. We sowed this idea. Those of us who had cameras met and decided to share our knowledge with other like-minded people. What began as learning and sharing between a few gradually turned into a bigger stage. Photography was a fad in those days. The photo walk got good response on Facebook and people inquired about our next walk. Lynn suggested the name Goan Shutterbugs and we officially launched ourselves on August 10, 2010, on World Photography Day.
However, Nilesh feels that their motive has not been achieved 100 per cent. A decade ago, it was different. Hardly few had cameras, but today every mobile has camera and so anyone can click a photo, put on social media, get likes and satisfy his ego. Exhibiting platforms are not required. “Hence, we need to add new, fresh faces and give a momentum to our mission which we fear is getting diluted. Social media has changed the face of world but the joy of capturing something wonderful and exhibiting on a wall where the public views and appreciates, will still overrule our hearts. A decade’s journey taught us so much, now we hope the younger generation takes the baton and carries forward our legacy,” expects Nilesh.
