Caught on camera

Travelling has become an intrinsic part of Kazuo Ninomiya’s work schedule. The managing director of Nikon India is quick to add that he travels quite a lot for work. “On business trips, I always try and explore a city in the time available. On average, I travel four times a month, with the trips varying depending on the territory and the nature of my business in that particular region,” he says. 

Of course, it is not at all surprising that Ninomiya’s standard travelling kit consists of a camera — his Nikon D7200 — that he carries whenever he is set for travel. Although he developed an interest in photography by clicking random pictures of his friends and family, it gradually developed once he started carrying his camera to all his business trips as well. “I love photography and there isn’t a better way to relieve stress than doing what you love. During my regular business travel, photography is the one thing that I look forward to,” adds the 47-year-old.

Before his tenure at Nikon, Ninomiya used to work with a consumer electronics firm in Bengaluru. During his stint in the tech capital, he got several opportunities to visit bird sanctuaries such as the Kokkare Bellur and Ranganathittu bird sanctuaries, where he has been a part of bird photography tours. “Apart from the bird sanctuaries, I have visited a few national parks like the Bannerghatta National Park for photography tours. I continued these tours at Nikon Singapore, too. It was amazing to see many Indian species of birds at the Jurong Bird Park as well. I started clicking pictures of different species of birds across various locations, which is how I developed an interest in wildlife photography.” 

Quiz him on his most exciting experience as a lensman so far, and Ninomiya replies, “After one of my photographic visits to a bird sanctuary, I had shared an image of a bird with a friend, who was so impressed at the outcome that he took up photography. That was exciting and inspiring for me, as I was able to encourage someone to pursue photography.” 

Trying to make the most out of his stay in India, Ninomiya wants to visit all the 32 heritage sites in the country. He has already visited the Taj Mahal, Ajanta-Ellora, Agra Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, old Goa and the Elephanta Caves so far. Next on his list is the Kaziranga National Park in Assam. “I want to visit a national park and watch rare wildlife in action. At Kaziranga, I am looking forward to seeing the great one-horned rhinoceros.” While his personal trips are planned as  per the comfort of his family, it is places that hold significant heritage value that draw his attention. “This enables me to get more insights into the culture and traditions of the place.” Looks like the travel bug has bitten Ninomiya hard.