Alirio Saldanha is a name that needs no introduction. He is well-known in the photography fraternity of Goa and around the world. He has to his credit membership of many prestigious creative and commercial photography institutions that make him a celebrated personality.
A qualified commercial photographer with an honorary degree of excellence achieved from The American Image Press, Mr. Saldanha is recognized internationally and has won multiple prestigious national and international awards for his contribution to the art of photography. An avid and passionate photographer, his work speaks volumes about his love for this profession. Combining passion with hard work reaps the fruit of success. Alirio Saldanha’s success story attests this.
A true Goan, a pure-hearted Samaritan and a staunch believer in God, Mr. Saldanha is firmly attached to his Goan roots and its people. His mission is to elevate the state of Goa and its people and provide career-oriented training through his inheritance of the academic institute – Stenodac Institute for Career Training and Professional Education.
Stenodac came into existence in 1971, founded by his parents – Patricio and Rosita Saldanha. After inheriting this legacy, Mr. Saldanha took charge and has transformed the face of professionally trained careers. He has helped thousands of youngsters in Goa by providing quality and contemporary skilled education. They have benefited immensely by getting employed through institute placement to prestigious firms in Goa and across national borders.
Mr. Saldanha has traveled widely and covered more than 65 countries. His love for travel takes him to places either in search of new trends and innovation in photography or purely for his passion to travel. If he is not traveling, he diverts all his focus towards training students who are aspiring photographers, hobbyists or amateurs and wish to excel in this field. He gets great satisfaction in sharing his passion with others who show equal enthusiasm in learning the art.
He enjoys imparting his vast reservoir of knowledge with his students and involves himself thoroughly till they can find ground in this art and beyond. Many photographers of various professional levels have benefited from his training methodology. For Mr. Saldanha, it is not just a business venture; it is his life passion and mission which he shares with others.
Shaping Passion into Profession
After acquiring prestigious degrees of excellence in photography from around the world, Mr. Saldanha decided to work on his dream project – providing training in creative photography. He worked with renowned brands and advertising firms and conducted multiple photo shoots and even led films. He has been also the man behind the launch of many successful careers in modeling and fashion. While speaking to him about his passion, Mr. Saldanha shares that, “Photography is one of the most widely chosen hobbies in the world.” He adds, “You will not find one family anywhere in the world, who is not inclined towards photography. There would always be at least one person in the family who would be passionate about this art and owns at least a basic camera or cell phone camera to capture moments. Even with the popularity of video-making, nothing compares to capturing a moment through the lenses that get frozen in time. Look around you. What do you see? You see pictures, photographs, graphics, illustrated images everywhere. Photographs bring people and places from every corner of the globe into our living rooms. Pictures are a timeless treasure that everyone owns and hold dearly to their heart. Despite this being an art form, the single most important factor behind a great picture is the photographer. And by gaining at least basic knowledge of the principles of photography, an individual can take full advantage of everything this art has to offer. With the onset of new trends and technologies, it has become essential for photographers to understand and use them. But, we must not forget that such devices are only tools. Without the skills and artistry to see the picture, such electronic marvels are worthless. Eventually, it is the person behind the lens, who primarily and finally produces that beautiful piece of art.” He encourages all his students to transform their passion into a profession. Then they don’t need to work for success; their passion will bring success to them.
Today, Mr. Saldanha is one of the pioneers of the art of photography in Goa. To propagate this art in Goa, he launched the “Stenodac Academy of Photography and Digital Imaging” in May 2001. The academy is the first fully equipped professional Photography Institute in the State. It is an extension of the 47-year-old Stenodac Education Group. The academy trains aspiring students on international standards, using state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and training techniques. Being a qualified teacher of photography himself, Mr. Saldanha shares his vast in-depth knowledge and experience in professional commercial photography to coach his students in a very contemporary way.
He has the most advanced photography studio in Goa which has a ceiling-mounted pentagram and the courseware and studio equipment is upgraded on a regular basis. At the academy, Mr. Saldanha coaches his students by using the latest DSLR and the new generation DSLM (mirrorless) cameras. Stenodac Academy is the only Institute in India that provides cameras and lenses and all related equipment to each student during the course of training.
Today the academy stands as Goa’s premier professional training institute in photography. Mr. Saldanha is living his passion while making his dream a reality. He aims at taking this legacy forward to the new generation.
The Man Behind the Lens
Mr. Saldanha is a member of prestigious Indian and International photography related organizations. He has associated himself with the top faculty of institutes like Brookes Institute of Photography in California, and underwent specialized training from India’s top Institutions – Shari Academy of Professional Photography, Mumbai and the Light & Life Academy, Ooty, India. He was also the spokesperson for Canon India at the time of the launch of Canon Digital Cameras in India.
Mr. Saldanha is invited as the speaker to photography conferences, talk shows, and renowned social groups to talk about this art. He is also an exclusive columnist for many newspapers and e-zines covering subjects on the newest international trends in digital and creative photography.
He engages in collaborating with various photography-promoting programs, bringing together the photography fraternity from all around the world onto one platform to communicate their ideas and views. He is also actively organizing many contests of photography and is invited to judge international and national level events.
The Perks of Dedicating His Life Time Service in Education
- Awarded the Best International Standards Institute in India at the International Excellence awards held in Thailand on January 28th 2018, handed over by famed Bollywood Actress Madhuri Dixit.
2. Awarded the International Quality Award for International standards in Education on 17th January 2016, handed by former Ms. Universe, Sushmita Sen.
3. Awarded the national Icon of the Year Award 2015 by Mr. Amar Singh (Politician) and Goa’s Dy. Chief Minister Mr. Francis D’Souza in the distinguished presence of the legendary athlete Mr. Milkha Singh, on 9th of October 2015.
4. Awarded the Education Excellence Award by Mr. Prahlad Kakkar, the Ad Guru, on 13th of April 2013. It was for the first time that an institute from Goa won a national level honorary award.
5. He has been selected to receive a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, on June 2018.
Alirio Saldanha has a vision, and he sends out a strong message to the Youth of Goa. He says,” In today’s world, the most sensible advice I wish to offer every young person is to “invest in you”. Recognising your dream and living it, is the best way to be successful and happy in life. Perusing your passion as your profession makes you want to work hard and specialize in it. Henceforth, the knowledge you acquire in the process along with the qualifications builds your way up the success ladder. Nobody can ever take that from you. Whatever may happen in the years ahead, a trained person who is qualified has the power to make it big. And they will.” He ends on an important note – “Never let your real talent fail the chance to grow or become completely worthless. Give an aim to your life. Use your passion to build upon your skills, no matter what, and make it so evident that everyone leads by your example.”
