Dr. Jai Prabhan is a 68-year-old nature enthusiast and birder who visits the Dwarka waterbody in Sector 23 regularly. He is a pathologist and consultant by profession and a bird photographer by hobby. Prabhan’s journey as a birder started when his friends visited him and took him out to explore the birds of Jim Corbett and Nainital.
“We used to write down the descriptions of the birds we came across and discussed them in our meetings as there weren't many advancements in technology at that time. Today, we have the benefit of technology and with a click of our fingers, we can Google whichever bird we capture. We didn’t have this opportunity in our time,” said Prabhan when CitySpidey asked him about the start of his career as a birder.
He got his first camera with a 100 mm lens and started photographing birds seriously in 2007. He slowly transitioned from Kodak 100 mm to Canon 550 (Rebel). He now owns a telephoto lens attached to a Canon EOS R6.
“Bird photography is one of the most exciting career options but unfortunately there aren’t many opportunities for people who want to opt it as a profession. One first needs to seek financial stability which will help them support their hobbies. It isn’t very lucrative,” he said.
Some benefits of bird photography as stated by Prabhan:
Bird photography helps you stay physically fit as you are supposed to be on your feet all the time. You might have to climb a tree and work out regularly to help your body stay in shape for the extreme conditions you might face during a shoot.
Being with nature gives you peace of mind. The process of nature photography is very harmonious. It makes you want to stay fit as one gets into a self-disciplinary lifestyle.
“I’m not a city man, I love the peace nature brings to me,” he ended with a laugh.
