Capturing the wild side

Animal Enthusiasts

Metrolife spoke to a few Bangaloreans to understand where they go to satiate their thirst for photography.  People of all age groups are seen flocking to places such as Hessarghatta Lake, Hebbal lake, Nandi Hills and T G Halli during weekends, for their tryst with nature.

The pictures are clicked and upload­ed online where enthusiasts comment on each other’s work and provide tips on how to get a better shot.

It has also created an atmosphere where it has made individuals more environment conscious and generated awareness on certain endangered species.

It has also unleashed a debate on whether these photo enthusiasts are tampering with the environment in their attempt to get a good picture.

Harish, an advocate, says that a family trip to Kenya in 2007 got him interested in wildlife photography. “I bou­ght a new camera and was able to capture many species and identify them. I really enjoyed it and have been into wild­life photography since then. The main thing about wildlife photography is that you need to respect the anim­al and its habitat.

For the sake of a picture, you can’t disturb them.” Harish is also part of an online community that discourages nest photography.  Wildlife photography comes with a lot of responsibility and the sooner people realise it, the better it is for the preservation of wildlife. Nitin, a chartered accountant and a bird photographer, throwing light on some of the issues says, “In Bangalore I have seen people being very insensitive toward birds in the Hesserghatta Lake.

A decade ago, the number of photographers I knew were a small number, but now it has almost doubled. I’ve seen people in huge vehicles making a dash toward the birds on the lake bed, not only threatening them but also disturbing their habitat. While vehicles are used for photographing birds, it’s important to note that many species also nest on ground and driving on the lake bed could destroy their nests.

Bird photography is not just about the fun of getting a perfect shot but also very important to study the bird, its habitat and understand its behaviour.”Most people claim that the transition to photography emerges from a prior interest in wildlife. Gurudeep Ramakrishna, a marketing communications professional, says, “When I was in class seven, I went for a 15-day trip across Gujarat and that triggered my interest in wildlife.

Then when I bought a camera five years back, photography was a natural progression. In terms of some of the unethical practices people indulge in to get a better shot, mimicking bird calls through electronic equipment is a common practice. It hampers the behaviour of the bird and is a terrible thing to do.”

Ashish Tirkey, an amateur photographer on the other hand says that though the interest in wildlife photography is good, it disturbs people who actually do it for a living. “ My sincere request to people pursuing wildlife photography as a hobby is to either ask for the credit for their photographs or price them.”