ABOUT ME
VIRAJ WEERASOORIYA,
PHOTOGRAPHER BASED IN SRI LANKA
I am VIRAJ, an IT Professional and Nature and Wildlife Photography Enthusiast. I love capturing Nature, Wildlife, and Landscapes.
My passion for photography grew from a very young age, especially for Wildlife, the beauty of nature, and adventure, instilled by my loving parents, who used to take us to the National Parks in Sri Lanka. I learned how to respect wilderness, the mystic beauty infused in nature. I listened to the sounds of wildlife and the unique nature around me and loved the deeply hidden adventure in the surroundings. Since then, those adventure moments have never faded away.
Born and grew up in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and moved to Indonesia in 2003 to pursue my career and live in many parts of Indonesia for almost two decades. Some of my favorites are where I could enjoy, admire, and capture the breathtaking nature and landscapes of Java, Sumatra, Bali, Borneo (Kalimantan), and West Papua.
“Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson.
Using borrowed SLR camera gear, my passion for Wildlife and capturing moments through the lens started between 1997 and 1998. Officially, I started my photographic journey with my first camera in 2004 using a Minolta DiMAGE Z1, the first easy-to-use powerful Single Lens- Reflex (SLR)-type digital camera in the National Wildlife Park in Sri Lanka. Later, I upgraded myself with a Nikon DSLR D50, D300, D800, and D810, and later moved to a Sony Mirrorless A7. I am shooting now with a Sony A9 Mirrorless full-frame body supported with Sony and Samyang gear.
As a nature-wildlife-landscape and travel photographer, my studio is the outside world where I am. The only equipment required is a camera, passion, and the willingness to grab any opportunity that leaps me on a new adventure.
“Photography can only represent the present. Once photographed, the subject becomes part of the past.” - Berenice Abbott.
The years have rolled by, and I realized that photography is a true passion and art, more than a career or a hobby. It has always engaged me and enforced a love and affection towards nature and its surroundings.
I invite everyone to visit my website and social media pages to see some of my works and samples in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The collection is growing, and everyone is welcome to participate and leave a like or comment, as every click, like, or short message inspires me to keep growing.
“The more pictures you see, the better you are as a photographer.” - Robert Mapplethorpe.