Interview: "The Creator has given us a wonderful world and we must cherish it". Dr.Mayur Davda

DT SEA: Dr.Mayur, tell us how this love for photography came about?
Dr.Mayur Davda : I am a self-taught photographer. I started with dental photography and soon realized that I had an aptitude toward general photography as well. Slowly I drifted toward wildlife photography. I have several images published in esteemed magazines like Lonely Planet and Sanctuary Asia.

Having a keen interest in nature and wildlife I pursued Ornithology and Botany at Bombay Natural History Society for 2 years.I soon realized that I was fond of macro photography and had an eye for details. And that’s how I stepped into the world of macro.

The biggest turning point of my life was however entering into the world of Fine Art Photography. It is a Niche field and not many people enjoy or understand fine art photography as of today but it’s a vast field by itself.In fine art photography I specialize in high speed macro or liquid collisions. Thanks to splash photography I was published on the Cover Shot of Better Photography magazine and interviewed by them as well as smart photography.

I have had 2 interviews on National Television for fine art photography. My exhibitions include some of the most prestigious art galleries of India like Jehangir Art Gallery and Kalaghoda Art Festival.

What inspires you as a photographer?
I get inspired by minute details of nature the most.
The CREATOR has given us a wonderful life and we must cherish it.

What role does photography play in a dental practice?
As of today dental photography has more than 50 applications in dentistry. There is no branch / field of dentistry which cannot reap the benefits of good dental documentation. It is a powerful tool for education, marketing and publication. Its value must not be underestimated.

Do you advocate that every dentist equips himself with an advanced kit?
Advanced dental photography set up is now a subjective term.
I do not believe that investing on a DSLR, macro lens and flash is ADVANCED by any means.
It is in fact a basic requirement just like rotary files and an endo motor is in our day to day life.

Is the cost involved in procuring the right equipment a deterrent to many?
Ignorance is the root cause of dentists not having the right equipment not the cost.
Most people feel that buying a DSLR + Macro lens is expensive.
Honesty an entry level DSLR and a macro lens together cost less than that of iphone 7 or Samsung S7. It is just the mind set and I’m sure we can overcome this someday.

Please share with us  some essential criterias to select a camera for dentistry?
This is probably the most frequently asked question on my blog (www.dentalphotographyschool.in) Dental photography or any other form of photography is an art form and our compositions are the most important artworks. Contrary to popular belief, expensive full frame DSLR cameras are not essential for dental photography.

Since photography is all about light, flash becomes the most important aspect of photography followed by a good lens (A 100 mm macro in dental photography) and then the DSLR.
I always request my friends to invest minimum on a DSLR and maximum on flash.
Cameras like point and shoots or bridge cameras have no role in dental photography.

Dr.Mayur,Tell us a little about your dental photography school?
Dental photography school was established in the year 2013 and it’s been 3 years since we have been educating dentists across the globe and inspiring them to take up DSLR dental photography in their daily dental practice. Currently we are the pioneers of dental photography training and research in India. We have extensively lectured in conferences, IDA national and state & dental universities across India. We also conduct online dental photography courses which is very popular among dentists across the globe.

Last year we had delegates from 48 countries participating in the same his year we hope to make a bigger impact and expecting participation from at least 100 countries.

Our main aim is to simplify dental photography and be available for trouble shooting for dentists. We have a separate section called Ask the expert wherein we get hundreds of questions daily and we answer each one of them individually. Some frequently asked questions have been put up on the blog for others to go through.

We also conduct contests on dental photography so that we can encourage the youth to take it up in daily dental practice.

So, what is your personal preference for a good camera and why?
A.Given a choice I would buy the most inexpensive and light weight camera in the market.
B.Invest well on a lens
C.Invest maximum of a flash
“The Reverse Concept” as we name it in dental photography school.

As of today Canon 1300D would be an ideal choice because it has all the features that a dentist needs, its light in weight and has WIFI. Wifi is very important for me because I like to show my patients their photographs immediately so that they can relate to the procedures and it increases their confidence in me. It makes the entire protocol more transparent.

Lastly they love me more for the great images I take for them, especially the portraits so much so that they love sharing it on social media. It helps me transfer the images instantly onto a big screen like an iPad/ Tablet and makes for a great educational tool as well.

The ideal lens for me would be Canon 100 mm NON IS lens and Ideal flash would be Studio lights.

So, its Cheese time!