Salil Bera was born in India in 1973. Photography, a childhood hobby, became a profession when he gained a diploma from Bangiya Bijnan Parishad college and became a photojournalist in Kolkata. Bera began working with the popular daily Kalantar. He joined The Statesman, in Siliguri, in 2000, became chief photographer (features) with the Hindustan Times in Kolkata in 2002, and currently works working as senior photographer with The Week magazine.
Bera has twice been selected as Best Photojournalist by the FDCI (Fashion Design Council of India) at the Indian Fashion Week, and has won prizes in the Arts & Entertainment Category of the Mumbai Press Photo Competition, the Sanctuary Asia Wildlife Photographer’s Award, and an honorary mention at UNEP Photo Competition, Japan. He has been awarded a junior fellowship from the Government of India Culture Department, and in 2011 won two first prizes from the Government of West Bengal’s Wildlife Wing.
