If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your
life. That is the story of Andrew Pegado, or so he beilieves. Having started
out when he was in Class 8 in People’s High School, Panjim, Andrew has come a
long way since then. “I had a friend whose father worked overseas. He owned a
DSLR way back then. It must have been approximately 1988. Having tinkered
around with the camera and taken a few sample pictures of a lotus pond in front
of my house, I worked up the courage and volunteered to shoot my neighbour’s
wedding for free. Printing pictures was an expensive affair then, but Timoteo
Lopes seemed satisfied with the end result,” quips Andrew.
Word quickly spread about Andrew’s lensmanship, and having
become the talk of the village, he was on call for all events that were locally
organised. “My first break came through with Channel V. Having hired me to
handle the photgraphic part of their road show with Dina King and Shaggy, the
opportunities seemed to keep finding their way to me after. Since then, I have
had countless shoots with them, all of which have been satisfactory.”
Today, Andrew is a photographer that is synonymous with
Goa’s nightlife, and a figure that trots the world, constantly handling events
for the likes of the Discovery Network and the United Nations.
However, he was once but a shy history buff. Why, one may
ask. “Simply because I loved it then and still do now. Yet my hobby turned into
my profession and there was no looking back since then. I have discovered that
there is learning beyond formal education, and people should follow their
heart,” he concludes.
