Born in Sangli, Maharashtra in 1948, Gopal Bodhe, a photographer by profession, had his first grooming in photography for his livelihood at the tender age of 10 in a small photographic studio. Over the last 46 years, photography has been his heart and soul. He has mastered and pioneered the art and science of aerial and infra red photography which are the most challenging branches of photography.

Total devotion, deep concern, intense love and affection for photography are apparent in his photographs. Infinite patience, sensitive eye & coolness of mind are reflected in his photographic images.

His photographs are technically perfect, aesthetically very pleasing and always reflecting his vitality. He has expressed his love for nature, ecology and environment preservation through the medium of photography, making it a tool for education, awareness and topographic documentation.

His voluminous work on aerial photography reflects his love for the country, its historical background and its natural beauty. He has carried out an important job of topographic documentation of various regions of our country as well as contributed to creating awareness regarding heritage conservation and environmental preservation by holding exhibitions, workshops & slideshows all over the country.

He has used infra red photography as a guide to assess the diseases of forests, status of pollution, depth of water and other scientific information. He recently has done photography in Ladakh for documentation of Indus valley, mountains and lakes.      

He is the first Indian to publish books on aerial photography with mesmerizing views of our country. His book on Goa was widely appreciated all over the world and has been useful in promoting ecotourism in the country.   


Artist's Statement:

"Photography is - Recognizing the Moment and being able to capture the moment, as we experience it through our perceptions and senses. Photography is - seeing what is, what is not, and what can be. Photography is - paying close attention to detail and learning a little bit more about ourselves, the people and objects around us, and the world we live in, as we know it. Photography is - appreciating the beauty and substance of what we can see and our ability to translate this beauty to others. Photography is - a marriage of science and art through the application of technical knowledge and the expression of thoughts and emotions. Through all this, photography is - Preserving History."

"Photography has become a way of life and an ideal medium for me, in which I can express my ideas, thoughts, emotions, and opinions through the images I produce. In no other area of my life, besides photography, have I been able to appreciate the production of my efforts both aesthetically and technically."

I believe that the single most important thing I have learned through photography is "Creativity". Photography contains an unlimited amount of creative potential, which can be manipulated to produce beautiful images with relative ease. All that is required to achieve these results (besides good equipment) is the desire to excel in every photograph I shoot and a small portion of patience. Although the extensive use of technical knowledge does help a lot when photographing, it is the love of photography itself which leads to the greatest of photographs.