Travel photography is an intricate art that very few have mastered. We all take the occasional picture or two when we wander out into the unknowns, but what makes a casual click stand out from the professional ones? Most would be under the impression that it is the camera, but Eshan Goonetilleke is here to tell you otherwise.
Eshan has long been involved in the field of photography, and he is talented in every aspect including products, people, landscapes, and wildlife. When he’s not immersed in photography, Goonetilleke works as the General Manager at the Singhe Group of Companies.
Brunch had a conversation with him about travel photography and what it entails. He told us that on weekends, one would usually find him either hiking or on a wildlife trek, but obviously since the pandemic he has not been able to indulge in his hobby.
Before he started, he had zero knowledge on photography: “Neither one of my parents owned a camera, nor did anyone I know. My brother decided to buy a camera when he was in China, not for himself but for his girlfriend – now wife – to take pictures of them.” He explained that once his brother came back to Sri Lanka, the camera was just lying around the house untouched, which he picked up and played around with. Goonetilleke attests his interest in photography to have stemmed from his best friend, who was a professional photographer. Once he had sufficient interest in the field, and received adequate training from his friend, he went out and purchased a proper camera in 2016, and that’s where it all started. 
Describing the turning point for him as a travel photographer, he credited it to the day they ventured on a waterfall hunt in Nawalapitiya. “One of my friends had a drone, so that’s what prompted the trip. That day was my first experience photographing with a drone.” There was a clear image in their mind that they really wanted to capture at whatever cost: “Kadiyanlena Falls in Nawalapitiya flows across the roadway; it goes under the bridge and falls on the side of the road. We were imagining what if a red bus goes under it and we captured that image.” So they waited patiently for over half an hour, in the cold temperature, early in the morning for a red bus to pass by. Once they finally got the picture they wanted, this was one of his images that went viral for how artistic and unique it looks. He also added that any trip he takes to Adam’s Peak is incredibly memorable for him because it’s a place that’s very close to his heart.
Of course, photography is a challenging hobby. We asked Goonetilleke what is the most difficult part when it comes to his travel photography, to which he said his only challenge is the light. “When it comes to landscape photography, it has to be done in the morning light around 6.30 a.m., when the sky starts colouring and the sun starts rising. It’s a very small window so you have to get to your destination by that time, which means if you were to set yourself up for a perfect picture with the perfect light, you need to start travelling at around 3 a.m.” He added that it’s the same in the evening, where they have to remain at the destination until 5.30-6 p.m. where the sun starts to set, again for that soft lighting effect. “It’s very difficult to be at that base unless you camp out, and in Sri Lanka, many mountains and hills are not allowing campers as previous campers have ruined the environment by littering, so for us that simply want to get a picture, it’s quite difficult.” Another challenge that he listed was the unpredictable weather in the hill country, where most of the gorgeous landscapes are situated.
Sharing some advice for aspiring travel photographers, he observed that their most common mistake is thinking that bright colours make the picture look better, when in reality, the pictures of highest quality are not studied. “Everybody needs to study good photography, both in Sri Lanka and abroad, there’s so many photographers they can learn from before they begin photographing themselves. That will teach you a lot.”
With the pandemic, we’ve all been restrained to our homes, unable to get any travelling done. We asked Goonetilleke where the first place he intends on travelling to after the pandemic has simmered down is. “My main idea is to get back to the wild. Over the last five years, I’ve travelled to most of the places in Sri Lanka so I’ve covered most of it; that doesn’t stop me from going back but I’ve become more inclined to wildlife areas. The first place I’ll be going back to is probably Yala or Wilpattu.” In terms of landscape photography, he said his next destination will depend on the season and the weather; during a rainy season, he thinks that a waterfall hike would be nice because the waterfalls need to have water for them to look attractive. During the dry season, places like Anuradhapura would be his go-to, because good sunlight is assured. He added that he does have a list of places to travel to after the pandemic, such as Knuckles Range, Mannar, and Jaffna, but it all depends on when this will end. He hopes that this will all come to an end soon and he can keep pursuing his passion.
Instagram: @eshanhg
