Goa – a ‘lens’caping Paradise
A special feature on the occasion of ‘World Photography Day’: 19 August 2017
Is photography a hobby or are you a professional Destination Photographer? One of the biggest perks in photography is ‘travel’ as it takes you places to get some of those noteable spots for those unforgettable images.
Capturing beauty has been among the most revered art of all times. From sketching the Camera Obscura, to developing a film camera role, photography has evolved over a period. For these photography skills, one thing that compliments would be a place of scenic beauty and one such divinely beautified destination is ‘Goa’.
Goa is a photographer’s delight when he or she gets behind the lens to capture those mesmerizing un-mistakeable landmarks which will not only be admired but make one and all gravitate towards it in a matter of time. Photography is another medium that throws a spell on travelers especially the new age ones looking for new experiences.
Goa is a very unique Indian travel destination and a place people travel extensively over and over again to soak under the sun or rain, absorb in wholly the picturesque scenes of the State be it architecture, heritage, hinterlands and more. It’s a place to lighten your heart, free your mind and connect with your soul through a lens.
As a boon, it also offers some of the most beautiful landscapes to capture, from a photograph’s perspective. Every year, thousands of photo enthusiasts visit Goa for a ‘lens’caping holiday! Every single touristic location of Goa is ideal for those best photo shoots. The golden sands, paddy fields, whitewashed churches and chapels, temples and places of religious worship, the forestry, flora and fauna, marine life, adventure, food, festivals, folklore..name it and it’s all there under one roof.
A lot of tourists both International and domestic are widely opting to travel to unexplored destinations of Goa and have been quite experimental with their travelling choices nowadays. Whether the shimmering and palm-swaying beaches of Goa, azure waters, green hinterlands, exotic wildlife and birds, waterfalls, cuisine there are newer segments being added to the lens. Goa is a photographer’s paradise all through the year. It is a destination that offers a platform for fashion, lifestyle and glamour photographers, wedding photographers, wildlife photographers, travel photographers who are adding more spectrums.
Menino D’Souza, Director, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Goa said, “Goa is an ideal destination for photography and it is a fact that photographers from India and abroad travel to Goa and work on special projects capturing various angles and segments of tourism. One such is avi-tourism where renowned ornithologists travel from miles to the State between Octobers to February every year to photo shoot birds of Goa and the migratory species. Likewise professional photographers who are into lifestyle photography or wildlife and nature photography find no place better than Goa to take on an assignment. However tourists should be cautious while engaging in selfies and not venture close to certain unsafe areas. Goa is a picture postcard from any angle and we compliment the photographer’s fraternity from Goa, India and abroad who have highlighted this through their skills.”
Renowned Goan heritage promoter and ace photographer Sanjeev V. Sardesai believes that photography helps ‘freeze’ time of today, into ‘memories’, for generations in the eras of future, to introspect the past. Photography helps to carry emotions from place to place, and there is nothing more super that can be said about this art. He said, “A destination, where the art of photography can do justice to nature & every other subject, can only be at God’s Own Abode – GOA!”
Pantaleão Fernandes, a Goa-based writer, photographer and author said, “For a photographer, Goa reveals her secrets slowly. Just when you think you’ve covered it all, a photograph opens up before you, surprising you. Each month, each season, each year there is something new that attracts the eye!” Fernandes into photography since 2003 is very passionate about Goa and her vibrant culture, and spends most of his time exploring villages in the deep hinterlands, to experience firsthand the warm spirit and culture of the villagers and documents these experiences.
