Richa Agrawal highlights her journey and inspirations as a wildlife photographer
Richa Agrawal was born in Kolkata to an affluent Marwari household. Her family businesses included real estate, hospitality and tea plantations. Richa completed her higher education schooling in Delhi at Birla Vidya Niketan school and eventually graduated with a Business Management degree from IILM, Delhi. Apart from her education, Richa had a strong passion for photography. To hone her skill, she did a three-month photography course in Surval Montreux, Switzerland.
She then went on to pursue a three months Masters course at Middlesex University. Richa got married and moved to Goa in 2003. She went on to start a horticulture orchid plantation on her terrace with about 1000 plants. She also started a school in Borda and successfully grew the school Bloomz International to an institute with over 500 children in a little over four years. Soon after, Richa took a step back from her career to raise her two beautiful children. However, now with time available, and the support of her husband and family, she has decided to rekindle her passion for photography.
“Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by animals and waited to be grown enough to shoot them through my lens. My oldest memories are of family holidays where I would see my mother’s passion for taking pictures and creating memories,” says Richa. That’s where her love story with photography began but it was not until she visited Kenya and saw the big 5 that she discovered her passion to capture wildlife in their hometown. She discovered an unparalleled love for big cats. A love for them in colour and in monochrome.
When she holds her camera up ‘I’m in my happy zone,’ she remarks. Like a child waiting for the next sugar rush pumping through her. She was always encouraged to take portfolios of people, but her first love would be the wild; from the chase of a hunt to a single buffalo dominating a herd of elephants, the ecosystem of the jungle and its inhabitants has always intrigued her. It’s a passion that was not for professional ends. But simply pure love.
Her theme for a recently concluded exhibition of works was titled ‘Amani’ (aa-mah-nee) – ‘peace and tranquillity’.
The Swahili word for peace features prominently in daily life in Kenya. Associated worldwide with calm and reason, Amani is not just about the absence of chaos; it denotes tranquillity, peace of mind and serenity.’
“Ever since I was a child I was fascinated by animals and waited to be grown enough to shoot them through my lens. My oldest memories are of family holidays where I would see my mother’s passion for taking pictures and creating memories,” says Richa Agrawal
“Asante Sana Africa – thank you very much, Africa, for being a part of my passion,” Richa notes.
One of Richa’s serious concerns in that a lot of the beautiful species we see in the wild, helpless against the greed and power of humankind, are at the risk of extinction and she believes that people should start to support their preservation. She, therefore, hosted an exhibition of her wild-life photographs recently with the intention of dedicating the proceeds of this exhibition to the Wildlife Trust of India, who’ve been working diligently on wildlife conservation for the past 20 years
