From Code to Captures: The Vibrant World of Photographer Konark Basu

Showcase is an effort by 58Miles to bring beautiful journeys of some of the amazing photographers of India & aboard . You will read about their journey , techniques , style and can see the outcome of their art in stunning frames. We asked them some questions to deep dive in to space and here we are....

Introducing 58Miles showcase photographer Konark Basu from Kolkata.

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in photography?

I am a street and travel photographer based in Kolkata, India. I am a Software Engineer by profession and photography is my passion. I started photography in 2017. I am a member of the Federation of India Photography (FIP). I have achieved distinction like Excellent FIAP (EFIAP) from The International Federation of Photographic Art and EFIP from the Federation of India Photography.

My photographs have been awarded and exhibited in different salon competitions around the world. I have received awards from many prestigious photography platforms like – Lalit Kala Academy (Gujrat), HIPA, Siena International Photo Awards, Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year, Paris International Street Photography Award etc.

I follow a lot of photographers and get inspired by their work. Some of the Legends are – Raghu Rai, Raghubir Singh, Henry Cartier Bresson, Fan Ho, Gary Winograd, Alex Webb, David Alan Harvey, Steve McCurry and many more. I am also inspired by a lot of young and contemporary photographers’ work from India and Bangladesh.

What inspires your photography, and how do you choose your subjects or themes?

My photography inspiration came from painting. From my childhood, I was fascinated by comic books like Tintin, Asterix, Chacha Chowdhury, Nonte Fonte, and others. I fell in love with the pictures, cartoons, and sketches from these books so much that I started learning to paint during my school days. As I grew up, my fondness for painting gradually drew me to photography.

Currently, I shoot mostly street, travel, and human interest. I have a fondness for the colors and texture of the streets, most of my pictures are in colors. Colors affect human moods and emotions, for example, blue create calmness, green is relaxing, orange gives an energetic vibe and red evokes passion and optimism. I love experimenting with colors in my photography.

What has been your most memorable photography project or shoot, or any inspiring story around it, and why?

For me, shooting street photography in my city Kolkata is what excites me the most. I like to explore the alleys of Kolkata, interact with people, capture their stories, talk to them, have tea and snacks in the street.

What is your photography kit ? or we would say, what is in your camera bag?

I use Fuji Gears. If I am going for a street shoot I typically carry one body (Fuji XT3 or XT4) along with one prime lens (18mmf2 or 23mmf2 Fuji lens).For Travel I generally carry 2 bodies(XT4,XT3) and a few lenses – one standard Zoom (16-80f4) and one Ultrawide(10-24f4).

What advice would you give to photographers who are just starting out and looking to make a name for themselves?

Don’t stress yourself to achieve something, just follow your passion. Think less about the destination and just enjoy the journey.

You can find Konark Basu on : 

Instagram : konark_basu