Inverness photographer shares his passion for all things creative
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The phrase ‘a picture says 1000 words’ is particularly true with Inverness photographer Sanjay Das.
The 48-year-old’s impressive snaps have helped him amass over 2000 followers on social media.
Sanjay has a passion for all things creative. He takes photos part-time and from landscapes to weddings, he captures many beautiful moments on camera.
He believes the photography community can become competitive when money is involved however he tries to stay creatively motivated instead of financially driven and believes helps stay authentic.
“Money matters but not more than life,” he said.
Sanjay is originally from India and moved to Inverness in 2005. He worked in the hospitality industry in India where his skill set was developing quickly. His seniors thought he would be a perfect match for a managerial job in Inverness, as they had connections here.
He had never travelled to Scotland before and thought it would be a good opportunity to casually see some more of the world. He never imagined that it would be his future home for life.
Sanjay joined the Royal Highland Hotel as operations manager and, although the job was very demanding, fell in love with Inverness. He brought his wife and son over and they both loved Inverness just as much as he did and Sanjay said within the first year, him and his wife knew they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
He believes Inverness is the most beautiful place in Scotland, with a naturally stunning landscape and friendly, welcoming people. He said: “People here don’t just talk, they listen.”
It was the areas natural beauty that attracted Sanjay to taking photos in the first place. However he moved away from capturing landscapes to capturing people as he discovered a love for “capturing moments”. As his love for photography grew, Sanjay started to be asked to do jobs for friends and family however he could never find the time.
Sanjay’s hospitality job was not allowing him to spread his wings as a photographer so he left and currently works at Capgemini which offers more flexibility to pursue his photography passion on the side.
His different experiences in careers have made him a problem solver and says that these experiences come from making mistakes. Making mistakes is how you learn and grow and Sanjay is always trying to be better in terms of his photography.
Sanjay is part of a creative group called ‘Caledonian Photographers’ where members share photos and discuss ideas to help each other improve. He works well when collaborating with other artists as sharing ideas and contacts is the best way to create exciting projects. For example, Sanjay recently did a shoot with aeroplanes and supercars which would not have been possible without the range of people involved.
When taking photos, Sanjay tries to stick to authenticity as much as possibleg. For example when photographing a wedding, Sanjay tries to blend into the background and not be intrusive. He finds this captures the moments others would otherwise overlook and encapsulates the true feeling of the day and place. He captures memories on camera that can be cherished forever and that is why he loves what he does.
“The destination is the same for all of us,” he reflected. “It’s the journey that makes us different.”
