hues & pixels photography group © Hirak Bhattacharjee
HP Spotlight Feature
September : 2021 1
hues & pixels photography group
HP Spotlight Feature: Hirak Bhattacharjee In our SPOTLIGHT Feature this month we would like to introduce you to photo artist Hirak Bhattacharjee. He is from Kolkata India, he is a Ph.D in Geology who has always had a passion for photography. His main interests are Travel, Landscape and Astrolandscape photography. We are happy to present his work here. Best wishes to him, keep inspiring!
Hirak Bhattacharjee
Copyright © 2021 Hues & Pixels Photography Group 2
hues & pixels photography group
about me I am based in Kalyani, a township approximately 40 km from Kolkata. After completing my Master’s in Geology from Jadavpur University, I got a Ph.D. in Geology from Allahabad University. I have always nurtured a passion for photography, and am now looking forward to changing careers - from being a professional miner to a photoartist. In 2020, I was awarded an AFIP distinction from the Federation of Indian Photography. I was also a finalist in Nature’s Best Asia Photography Competition in the same year. I have also been featured in a number of digital platforms magazines like Asian Photography Magazine, Indian Photo Arts Magazine, and Hues and Pixel Magazine, Venus (Laowa) Indonesia’s Instagram page, and in famous astrophotography platforms like Nightscapet, New Milky Way, etc. The print version of Smart Photography Magazine is also expected to feature me in their upcoming issue in October, 2021. Travel, Landscape and Astrolandscape photography are my main interests. I am presently using Sony A7RIII and Sony A7III cameras. My main astro lens is Laowa 15mm F 2.0 Zero D and Sigma 14-24 F 2.8 Art series. My landscape lenses are 24-70 Sony GM, 100-400 Sigma Contemporary lens. Recently I added a 70-200 Sony G lens (F4.0) and a Sony 50mm F1.4 G lens in my kit with a target of developing skills on human interest and street Photography. I normally always reach my site with time in my hand. I do a reki survey mostly with my phone, check the frames and then bring out my camera attached with the desired lens and tripod(if longer exposure) to shoot with. For astrophotography too, I mostly visit the location during day time, check the compass and use softwares like Photographer’s companion and Sky View 2.0 to locate astral positions and to get precise idea of Milkyway rise or set, Moon rise or set. For post processing my landscapes, I mostly used Adobe LightRoom and Photoshop. But for my astrophotography apart from aforementioned softwares, I use Starry Landscape, Starstax, Luminar 4.0 for stacking multiple images and fine micro contrast adjustments. 3
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Mirror Reflection During Dusk It was during December’2020, I viisted Kashmir for the first time in my life. During that trip, one night I stayed in Dal lake and in a houseboat. I reached the location around 4pm and hired a shikara to explore the beauty of Dal Lake during sunset. It was during such a moment I shot this image using my Sony A7III attached with Sigma 14-24mm Art series lens to create a mirror reflection. 4
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Bridge Over Pin River and Night Sky It was during 2017, I visited Pin Valley for the first time and immediately I fell in love with this location (because of my geological background and its huge geological structures). in April’21, I tried to combine two of my most favourite things Geology and Night Sky Photography in reality. During day time I crossed this bridge while reaching Mudh Village (my accomodation for the night) and later in the night around 2 AM I reached here and waited for Milkyway rise to start shooting. I used my Sony A7RIII attached with Venus Laowa 15mm F 2.0 Zero D prime lens and I shot multiple images and later stacked them for a clearer final image. 5
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Startrails from Rural Bengal
During my many photographic discussions, many of my fellow Bengali friends asked me, whether astrophotography is possible from Bengal or not. So, during January’21, I tried my luck from Ayodhya Pahar locality of west Bengal (Purulia dist). I reach this location during sunset and right after sunset, I started to shoot for this startrails facing North. I shoot for about 3 hours to create this startrails. I used my sony A7RIII attached with Sigma 14-24mm Art series lens for this shooting. 6
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Twilight Hour from Bromo It was during X-Mas holiday time in 2018, I visited Bromo-Semeru National Park of Eastern Java for the second time. It was my first trip with my camera, so I was very excited and reached the sunrise point almost 1 hour before sunrise. It was during the blue hour that I tried to portray the beauty of this volcanic range and to keep proof that people are actually hiking for sunrise in Semeru range (background mountain). I used my sony A7RIII attached with Canon 24-105 F4.0 L series lens along with an adapter for this shoot. 7
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Turbulence and Last Light
I have worked for more than 12 years in Indonesia. During this period, I explored many parts of Indonesia. It was during July’19, I visited a place namely Gigi Hiu (Shark’s teeth in english) of South Sumatra Island. Once you reach there, you can immediately feel how appropriate the name of the location is. It was during sunset time that I tried to shoot this one with my Sony A7RIII attached with Venus Laowa 15mm Prime lens and 4 stops ND filter to it. My main objective for this shot is to shoot long exposure in such a fashion that, I shouldn’t lose motion texture in the water to create the story and drama. 8
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
First Light Hitting Mount Kanchenjunga and Breaking the Valley I visited Singalila National Park during November’20. During this trip, I camped in a place called Chandu (it is part of Singalila National Park, but from Nepal Side); from Chandu you can see Mount Kanchenjunga range along with Kumbhakarna range, Goekarna range, Kabru range. So, with so many layers and so many 6000m+ peaks, it feels almost heavenly during sunrise. I tried to shoot a panoramic image with my Sigma 100-400mm lens attached to Sony A7RIII body rather shoot with a single exposure image with wide angle lens to get better dynamic range and higher pixel product for my final image. 9
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Mount Kanchenjunga and Polaris During November’2020, I visited SIngalila National Park for a dedicated phototrip. It was 2nd night in Chandu, when I tried my luck to shoot startrail over Mount Kanchenjunga. I used my Venus Laowa 15mm prime lens attached to Sony A7RIII and I shot for more than 2 hours. During the post processing I cropped the final image to 1:1 and finalized it with more clearer view of Kanchenjunga as my midground element. 10
It was during Dec’2020, I visited Kashmir and I planned to stay one night in Gulmarg. After reaching Gulmarg I almost feel like living in heaven! It was during sunset I tried to create a composition by keeping the Shiva temple in the foreground to the Pir Panjal range in the background. I used my Sony A7III attached with Sigma 100-400mm Contemporary
lens
for
this
image.
© Hirak Bhattacharjee
hues & pixels photography group
Serenity from Winterland
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hues & pixels photography group
Work Links:
Website: https://hirakonmotion.blogspot.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hirak.bhattacharjee.73 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hirakbhat/ 500px: https://500px.com/hirakbhattacharjee/
We wish you the best of luck in the future, We are happy that you are part of our group, Keep sharing your work and inspiring us Image credits: All photos © Hirak Bhattacharjee and used with his permission Copyright © 2021 Hues & Pixels Photography Group 12