Quite early in his career, software engineer Manoj Sahoo chose to tread a different path. TheBhubaneswar-based techie gave up his job in IT to follow his passion for photography and conservation.For the last 10 years, Manoj has been clicking bird and motorsports pictures,winning several awards.
From his formative years, Manoj was serious about making a career in photography and his aim was to make a living out of it. He says, “I am from a middle-class family and my father was a school teacher. He was a great admirer of nature. I was greatly influenced by him during my teenage years. Spending quality time in the lap of nature is something I love. I like to be alone with nature and often think how God has made it so beautiful. Though I got a job in a reputed IT company, I was not satisfied. My character is somewhat like R Madhavan’s character in the movie 3 Idiots. But there is a difference. When he left an IT job to follow his passion for photography, Madhavan had to struggle a lot to convince his parents. But my parents were happy with my decision. In the initial years, I had to struggle hard to make both ends meet. It was then that I decided to try commercial photography. I got a chance to cover motorsports and other events inside and outside the country. Till now,through my pictures I have successfully covered motorsports in 10 countries.”
Manoj has visited 10 countries and been a part of international rallies such as BBIN (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, India ) covering 4,500kms in 20 days in 2015; IMT ( India, Myanmar, Thailand) covering 5,722kms in 19 days in 2016; King’s Cup trophy in Thailand in 2017; India-Russia Friendship Motor Rally covering 9,000kms (India Leg and 12,467kms Iran, Azerbaijan-Russia);and Drive Across Asia (India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos). Besides, he has carved a niche as a wildlife photographer working for the conservation of birds and has been felicitated by international organisations.
In fact, though a motorsports photographer by profession, he is a wildlife photographer by passion. He studies birds and their habitats. “I started wildlife photography in 2008 with a Nikon D50 and 70-300mm Basic Lens.Photography is a pleasurable experience, but bird photography is mind-blowing because of the variety it offers. It is a challenging job, but you don’t feel tired anytime. I have been photographing birds for the past several years and the photographs are magical, they are unbelievably good. However, increased human presence in the wilderness is damaging bird habitats and adversely affecting ecological processes. I visit Sikharchandi in Bhubaneswar and other natural habitats to study birds’ activities every Sunday. I spend hours to study them and click photos. I observe what they eat, how they live and how they mate. In recent years, bird populations have been facing a number of threats. Tropical deforestation has led to a decline in the number of birds apart from poaching by local people. I have started conserving the sparrow at Pathargadia since 2012.”
Manoj adds: “When I was in Bhutan, I used to go for birding. I was surprised to see that birds were not scared of human beings and they carried on with their activities. In Odisha, if you go for birding, birds get scared. It happens because of rampant poaching of birds. Once I saw a group of people put a net to poach Gray and Black Francolin. I caught them red-handed and handed them over to the forest department. You will be surprised to know that no one eats the meat of Drongo because it’s completely black in colour. But I got to know that some local tribals had started poaching Drongos for their meat and I reported them to forest officials.”
Manoj was the first to sight Steppe Buzzard in Odisha which was recognised by Tim Inskipp, authorof Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. He is also the founder of Kalinga Birds and Odisha Birds where 3,250 members post photographs of birds and their habitats in Odisha. Manoj’s photo found a place in the 100 best photos and 100 great photographers list at the 3rd International Annual Photo Award in 2017. He also won the first prize in a photography competition organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Manoj is of the view that extinction is a natural part of evolution and happens for many reasons, but birders can be part of responsible environmental stewardship and take steps to minimise the risk of more bird species becoming unnecessarily extinct. He says, “While our world is changing, not all birds are able to change along with it, so understanding the causes of extinction and how to help birds overcome those hazards is a great way to promote bird conservation before more species vanish. I have seen how other countries conserve wildlife and nature perfectly. So I would like to request our government to take measures to save our wildlife and nature from extinction. Awareness should be the key.”
He also emphasises the role of birders: “First and foremost, birders can always minimise extinction risks by putting birds’ best interests above their own. That means always following proper birding ethics, including bird photography ethics, and being considerate of the species at all times. Introducing more people to birds and birding is an exceptional way to save birds from extinction because the more the number of people involved in protecting birds, the more effective the protective measures will be. Be patient with new birders, get involved with birding festivals, introduce birding to children and take steps to raise awareness about birds and the hazards they face.”
He continues: “While natural evolution will inevitably lead to some bird extinctions, the negative impact of artificial threats cannot be overestimated. Invasive predators, fishing lines, balloons, wind farms, litter and even holiday decorations can all be grave threats to birds, but there are easy steps every birder can take to reduce those risks dramatically.”
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP
photo courtesy: manoj sahoo