Ashok Dilwali Photographer

He is enchanted, nay bewitched by the lofty Himalayas.He nurtures a passion for the mountains,and unable to resist the call of the wild, he journeys up to the mountains as often as his time permits him .The crass realities of the mundane world become meaningless to him as he wallows in, and drinks deep of nature's unlimited bounty. Meet Ashok Dilwali ,a Delhi based lensman , who has filmed the sylvan beauty of the Himalayas extensively, daring to go where no man has gone before............

Getting into photography: Well it was a natural thing to do I guess.You see my father Shri B.K. Dilwali was aphotographer of repute and it was he who established the two studios belonging to our family ,located inthe capital .( The more renowned of the two being Kinsey Bros in Connaught Place,New Delhi)in the city ,both of which are flourishing till date.In fact Kinsey Bros became operational ,way back in 1905

Actually I happen to be a commerce graduateand a chartered accountant by profession.To assist my father used to handle the affairsof the studios.I wasalso a photojournalistfor awhile. But the turning point came in 1979.I got an opportunity to travel in the Himalayas.Irevelled in nature's beautyand after I returned , life was never the sameagain.

But much before that I had been indulging in amateur photography especially portraiture. You may say photography flows in my blood.

Constraints one is likely to face while conducting nature/mountain photography; paucity of time, lack of basic comforts, inclement weather, danger from animals, landslidesand avalanches, extremes of temperature, draining away of your energy and stamina etal.

Personal opinion about nature photography: to tellyou verycandidly financially it isnot at allviable.It offers no returns. Yousee some of my trips upthe mountains were totallly wasted.Ihad to return without being able to click asingle shot. That was because of bad weather. And this happens quite often.Ultimately the remunerations you get are thrills, great adventures and escapades and above all,gorgeous views of nature-------the majestic Himalayas in my case.

Achievements so far: I have intensely felt and experienced a tremendous sense of self-satisfaction and happiness at being able to glimpse the panoramic views of naure especially the snow capped mountains,It is difficult to define it in words.Inaddition I have several publications to my credit ----covering some of India's loveliest and most picturesque spots,whichhave been recognised farand wide. I admit therehave been no pecuniary benefits,but aswe all know man does not live by bread alone........

Any regrets in life: I deeply regret that rather than coming from within the country, recognition came from overseas. As far as the Govt of India is concerned it has been rather callous.The department of tourism has extensively used my photographs .in their numerous pamphlets and brochures but they have been niggardly so far as remunerations are concerned.I have landed up with nothing beyond my byline.Not that I am short of money or cannot make both ends meet but it is their attitude that hurts you.It may sound a trifle egoistic, but there is no nature photographer in the country who has been able to reach my level--considering the hazards I have encountered and the tremendous amount of energy and devotion( forget about the money involved) that I have put in over these decades.

Future plans: To continue with nature photography as long as my strength permits. Photography is my life's breath, therefore how can I survive without it?

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(As told to Ruchira Ghosh)