Prodigious Wildlife Photographers of India
Wildlife photography is widely believed to be one of the most challenging and rewarding genres of photography, in that the subject of the photograph is dynamic. Animals move, they blink, they turn their heads, or they fly off in some cases. Every photograph captured perfectly has a legacy of a thousand missed opportunities since wildlife photography thrives on chance. Photographers must be vigilant enough to be able to capture the perfect moment.
Recently, Aishwarya Sridhar, 23 became the first Indian woman to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. Her photo won among 50,000 entries from over 80 countries across the world.
Only 100 images were shortlisted, and she won the award for her photograph in the Behavior Invertebrates category.
The announcement was made on October 13 at the Natural History Museum in London. It is the 56th year of the prestigious award.
Her image titled 'Lights of passion' was captured using one of Canon's premium DSLRs -- EOS-1DX Mark II and has won the 'Highly Commended' award at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020.
Taking to Twitter to share the news, Aishwarya Sridhar wrote: "A big moment for India and for me as a young wildlife photographer. Being the first and youngest girl to win this award from India in the Adult category, it's a huge honor for me to receive this award!! Thank you to the entire Jury and WPY team."
Aishwarya Sridhar is a wildlife photographer, writer and filmmaker by profession. She is also a conservationist. In 2019, Sridhar received the Diana award by the Princess Diana foundation for her efforts in wetland conservation.
She is also the youngest member of the State Wetland Identification Committee appointed by the Bombay High Court.
Similarly, here are some of the other incredible wildlife photographers of India:
Rathika Ramasamy
DD National has featured Rathika as the first woman wildlife photographer in India. Based out of New Delhi, she started her stint in wildlife photography in 2004. She was quickly drawn to bird photography and now she specializes in the field. Over the last decade, she has travelled to most national parks and sanctuaries in North India and Africa to document some of the rarest bird species- many of which are endangered.
Her work is an endeavor to educate people about the rich natural resources this country possesses and the importance of preserving them. Ramasamy has also had her work showcased by numerous domestic and international publications. She went on to be selected as one of the top bird photographers in 2008. Her work was exhibited alongside several other bird photographers. Her first book, Bird Photography was published in 2010.
Kalyan Verma
Kalyan Verma is a wildlife photographer, filmmaker, naturalist, and explorer specializing in environment, science, and ecology in India. He works as a freelancer with many of the world’s leading publications and broadcasting networks such as Nat Geo and BBC. Over the last 8 years, Kalyan has worked on several landmark wildlife series for the aforementioned channels. He founded an online community for wildlife photographers, called India Nature Watch, which ultimately became the largest online portal for aspiring and upcoming wildlife photographers in Asia.
He has also worked on a number of documentaries and books concerning conservation and activism in collaboration with scientists, conservationists, policymakers, and educators. Verma’s unique blend of journalism and an artistic eye is what draws people to his work and compels them to look beyond just the visual.
Sandesh Kadur
Sandesh Kadur’s first interaction with wildlife photography happened at a relatively young age when his father gifted him an SLR and a number of Nation Geographic films for his birthday. He spent most of his early life extensively studying and researching the biodiversity in India, Mexico, and South America and even has a degree in wildlife photography from the University of Texas. As a professional wildlife photographer, he has immense expertise on India, especially the Western Ghats and the Himalayas.
His work, whether still or video, is a means to inspire wildlife conservation, which is something he is deeply passionate about. His impressive repertoire has been showcased in various books and magazines all over the world, while his documentaries have been aired on channels such as BBC and Discovery. He has also racked up a number of awards over the years, including the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year and two nominations for the Green Oscar.
Shekar Dattatri
Shekar Dattatri was enthralled by wildlife from the age of 13, which is when he joined the Madras Snake Park as a student volunteer. This fascination soon turned into a passion for photography and eventually, wildlife filmmaking. He is a three-time National Award winner with his first film ‘A Cooperative for Snake Catchers’- winning the National Award for Best Scientific Film in 1987.
His next two documentaries also won the same award which led to his decade-long allegiance to films as he continued to work with some of the top broadcasters of wildlife programs such as the Discovery Channel, Nat Geo and the BBC Natural History Unit. In the year 2000, he decided to change paths and started working in close proximity with conservation NGOs in India.
Sudhir Shivaram
Sudhir Shivaram is a native of Karnataka. His journey in wildlife photography began in the year 1993 when he left his job as an engineer to pursue photography full-time. He is extremely devoted to the cause of wildlife conservation and strictly follows ethical practices while photographing animals. His work is a marriage of his skill and his passion and concern for the depleting natural resources.
His work ethos is based on the feeling that in order to truly comprehend the message behind a photograph, a profound understanding of and concern for wildlife is vital. He is one of the founding members of India Nature Watch, along with Kalyan Verma, and is also an esteemed member of the Canon Professional Photographers’ Panel.
Sunjoy Monga
Born in Mumbai, Sunjoy’s love affair with wildlife began at a very young age. After having been gifted a pair of binoculars and a Roliflex camera by his father, his exploration into and development as a nature watcher and wildlife photographer got the head start it needed.
He has authored a number of books including the highly acclaimed City Forest and penned innumerable columns in newspapers on the need for conservation, the dangers of poaching, and a sharp decrease of the city’s flamingo population. He has also been a consultant on a lot of projects. To propagate his cause further among the youth, he has initiated an environmental awareness drive called the ‘Young Rangers’.
Shaaz Jung
Shaaz Jung is a naturalist, big cat tracker, professional wildlife photographer and cinematographer. Having studied Economics at Utrecht University, Shaaz left the corporate world to follow his passion. He helped establish eco-friendly wildlife camps in South India and East Africa where he now runs specialized guided tours.
His camp in South India is known as The Bison and he has a close affiliation with Africa Under Canvas, where he often leads wildlife and photographic expeditions. He is also a founder and trustee of The Buffer Conflict Resolution Trust of India (BCRTI), a non-profit organization that addresses conflicts within the buffer regions of protected forests in South India. Shaaz has spent years studying game movement and specializes in tracking leopards and black panthers.
Wildlife in India is abundant and diverse, to say the least. The sanctuaries and national parks across India provide wildlife photographers an incredible outlet for their work. Wildlife photography is far more significant than most of us realize. Their work, whether purposeful or not, is a visual representation of the much larger cause of wildlife conservation. Several species of animals are dangerously close to extinction and documenting these animals ultimately leads to the masses being educated about such an elaborate ecosystem.
