From the moment he refused to take up a managerial job and chose full-time photography to his sister’s wedding, where more than consoling her during her departure he constantly fretted whether the best moments had been captured, Boon Patnaik was always a photographer above everything else and loves being one, writes Rashmi Rekha Das
Every photograph is a reflection of a cherished moment in one’s life and when it comes to wedding photographs, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable trusting your memories to someone who knows the ins and outs of how to use his camera rather than asking someone to take photos with a low-end point and shoot. A picture is worth a thousand words, and on your wedding day, you would want your pictures to say your entire story. Future generations of your family will look back on these wedding photos. They will be treasured heirlooms and should be of high quality.
Looking for a wedding photographer? Abhilash Boon Patnaik is your guy. Traditional wedding photography and candid wedding photography is his forte. Simple and pure moments are what you will find in his pictures. This young man has the talent to create photographic memories of a lifetime with the click of his instrument.
Boon is a different photographer! You ask why? It’s because of the way he nurses his passion. People, on a general basis, see wedding photography as a service. But Boon believes that wedding photography is beyond that. He believes it is an art, something that one can only master with experience, knowledge and a hint of artistic touch. Thus, he is also the right man to shoot your special day.
Boon, a self-taught photographer, is so passionate about photography that he quit a lucrative job offer. Hailing from Nabarangpur, Boon came to Bhubaneswar seven years ago to pursue MBA. He was recruited by Agarwal Packers and Movers in Hyderabad as assistant HR manager but he rejected the offer to become a photographer.
All he had at that time was a DSLR camera gifted by his parents on his birthday.
He started doing street photography. Meanwhile, Boon received an offer from one of his friends to shoot his sister’s wedding. Excited, Boon did not let the chance go by.
“I shot that wedding and fell in love with wedding photography. I fell in love with the emotions and moments attached with a wedding ceremony. Everybody appreciated the photos. That was the first time I earned some money from doing photography and I decided to do photography full time. I started learning since I did not have any experience in the field. I met Guzar Sethi, an eminent photographer from Delhi. He taught me the dos and don’ts of the business. It was Sethi who made me choose wedding photography as a specialisation,” recalls Boon.
In last two wedding seasons he has covered more than 30 big fat weddings. Besides, he has also covered events sponsored by Mtv Coke Studio and Mtv Bollyland concerts. Along with friends he had conducted a workshop with Daboo Ratnani, leading fashion photographer of the country.
Boon is leading a six-member team of photographers and videographers. What is interesting about the guy is that he never gets tired. Sometimes, he shoots for more than 24 hours but he hardly feels tired. “It feels good to be behind the camera and make others happy by capturing their best moments of life,” Boon says.
Apart from wedding photography, he has done photo sessions of celebrities like Amit Trivedi, Arijit Singh, Huma Qureshi, Rahul Bose, Benny Dayal, Sukhwinder Singh and writer Ravinder Singh.
When asked about the traits required to be a good photographer, Boon says, “You have to be a good human being to become a good photographer. You have to learn the art of being patient if you are in a wedding. You have to play the role of a businessman also to deal with your customers and advertise your brand well. Photography taught me how to stay calm in difficult situations. Keeping these things in mind, if you continue to chase your dream with hard work success is yours and fame will knock at your door one day.”
Recounting one of his emotional moments during a photo shoot, Boon says, “My sister was getting married and my team was handling the photography and videography part as it was tough discharging all the brotherly responsibilities as well as capturing the best moments of my sister’s life. During ‘bidayi’ my sister hugged me and she was crying. Instead of consoling her, I was worried whether my teammates captured the moment or not. Thank God, my teammate Sujit Jena was there and had clicked the moment. It was the moment which made me realise what photography means to me.”