The Ethics of photographing Steller Eagles
First, let’s get the cold numbers out of the way. The Steller eagle is the world’s heaviest bird - they can weigh upto 10kgs. Their length can be between 2...
Dawn, mist and a cheetah
The plan for the morning was simple. Today, we were not going on the basis of where we know the lion pride was last evening or to the tree where...
The tough task of Thinking Slow
"Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it." Daniel Kahneman The bridge was around ten to twelve feet long. Around three...
When Plans go Belly-up
The wind howled. Long and impatient. Icy cold. The snow hurled itself across the earth and air. The tiny little fox, snow frozen on it's face, it's brown body standing...
Field Notes from Iceland
I have just returned from a trip to Iceland. We had gone to Hornstrandir, a peninsula in the north, to photograph the Arctic foxes in extreme conditions. More about that...
A different lens on Mara (3) – Time
Time – this is the third and final installment of my three part series on how I looked at Mara a little differently in my last trip there. You can...
A different lens on Mara (2) – Colour
This is the second of three posts on what I tried to capture in my last visit to Masai Mara. You can see my first post on my website here....
A different lens on Mara (1) – Space
This is the first of three posts on what I tried to capture in my last visit to Masai Mara. You can find some context in my last post. *****...
Back to the Mara…with a difference
I so distinctly remember the feelings, the emotions that I went through the first time I had come to the Mara. It was a family trip, a long cherished one,...
Monkey Business
I put my camera down. The scene was too amusing to remain detached and focused on mundane things like composition and carefully considered camera settings. I was sitting on the...
The Elusive Hornbills
The refreshing coolness of the air was what I first registered as I opened the door and stepped out onto the verandah. The joyous awareness of the musical symphony the...
Editing in the era of AI-what’s different?
Bloody. Brutal. Horrific. Every scene around him was just that. One typical war zone scene after another. His eyes stung from the smoke. He smelt the burnt remains of metal...
How do I want my images to be ?
I am not sure exactly when this question started bothering me a lot more than it had in the past. It could have been while I was lost in the...
A leech inside my mouth and other memories
My daughter looked up at me across the dining table, over the remnants of her dinner. Her eyebrows arched up, her face looking mildly exasperated broke into a wry smile...
A different kinda trip
I was in a bit of a funk. A vague sense of restlessness had crept up in me. For a variety of reasons, all very genuine and nothing I am...
Looking for the Red Fox
“ Fox in Socks, our game is done, sir. Thank you for a lot of fun, sir” – Fox in Socks, Dr. Seuss Occasionally, it happens in a group, that...
The Beauty of Less : Minimalism in Photography
"In art, everything is possible. But everything is not necessary." - Arvo Part A photograph is the capture of a micro second frozen in time. In the process of that...
The dance of light, shadow n dust
In 2025, it is estimated that we humans will take around 2 trillion photos. As of now, all of us put together take 61,000 photos every second. 14 billion images...
Will the Eagle land ?
“ We were so far north in Japan that we could actually see Russia.” That was my favorite oh so casually dropped line after our Japan trip. It was also...
Why things don’t work out…
Nothing was working. The swans were not exactly being cooperative. Most of them were busy snoozing, heads tucked in deep under their wings. But that wasn’t the issue. But even...
What makes a good day in the field ?
“ A good photograph must be waited for. You don’t chase it, you let it come to you. You just need to be attentive, present and open.” I read these...
The Joys of being Surprised
The place looked straight out of a fairytale book. I walked down the gently sloping path from the ticket counter. Slowly. I looked around me. I was taking the place...
Finally. It is here !
‘ How did you feel when you saw 80,000 birds in Norway at once? Did the sound of those birds flying at the same time remind you of some music...
Field Notes from Hokkaido
Have you climbed up stairs that are more than a century old ? We had come to Jigokudani to photograph the snow monkeys and were at the rustic ryokan that...
Off on a NEW ADVENTURE !
How cold will -25 deg C be ? I will be able to give you an idea in my next newsletter. Right now, as you read this, I will be...
The Magnificence and the Tragedy of the Rhino’s horn
Last year, a rhino was killed every 15 hours. Let’s zoom out and find out what that actually means. At the start of the 20th century, around 500,000 rhinos roamed...
The Oddity that is the Giraffe
Did you ever see a giraffe? It is like something from between the regions of truth and fiction. Geraldine Jewsbury A giraffe IS such an odd animal. I was sitting...
Born to be Wild and Free
“ The Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth.” – Marlee Matlin A couple of months back I made a much looked forward to trip to...
Craig, the Gentlest of Giants
I looked up in awe. There he stood, tall and majestic, unconcerned about all us puny beings scattered around him. His gigantic long tusks tore at the shrub as his...
Keep that camera aside !
I froze. Even the slightest movement from me could destroy the moment. To my right, around ten to twelve feet away, there was a female white rhino and her calf....
Well…Why Not ?
Many had asked me over the last year or so. I used to recoil at the suggestion. Me ? Now ? At this stage ? Nah…of course not. I have...
Preparing for a trip
Things have changed. There used to be a time when I would approach a trip in a blasé manner, insouciantly setting off with the biggest lens that I had and...
Getting to know the King of the North
Wildlife photography trips are full of long hours with nothing to do. Our ship was steaming away to the next place. We were in one of those phases where the...
High Drama at the Waterfront
There are times when you watch a scene unfold in front of you, right from the start to the very end. Like when you know that the cheetah is hungry,...
The Eternal lure of a Sunrise…and a Sunset
I’ll tell you how the sun rose - A ribbon at a time. The steeples swam in amethyst, The news like squirrels ran ~ Emily Dickinson, The Day The sun...
Look around you
Continuing with my aim to get guest posts for you each quarter, I had requested Shreeram MV, an ace photographer, a good friend and one with whom I did my...
Conversations in my head
How do we take a photograph ? No, not the physical act of focusing and pressing the button. As we watch a scene get ready to unfold before us, as...
Why ?
Why do we do it ? Why do we take a painfully long flight trip to reach a country that is so far, to a climate that is the opposite...
A windfall of bears !
“ Bear in the water…behind us !!! “ That line set up an unprecedented, scarcely believable few hours for us. But, before I get into all that, let me step...
Flying a drone…my first time
“ This is a graveyard for drones” Jens, our guide, announced with a chuckle. This was in 2022, during my last trip to Svalbard. I remembered that line all too...
What are the odds ?
What are the odds of seeing a polar bear ? It’s not easy to sight a polar bear. In fact, its darn difficult. Let me explain. There are an estimated...
Random Thoughts from a Ship’s Deck
Phototrips can be bloody tiring. I reached home a little after noon. A journey that was a tale of delayed flights, missed connecting flights and the general sense of stress...
Hello, Arctic…here I come !
As you read this, I would have either just reached the northern most inhabited place on this earth – Longyearbyen – or set off aboard the MS Origo for a...
Go Slow
I thought it would be good for everyone who reads these posts to occasionally hear from others who are also in this interesting area of wildlife photography, and it is...
More from Happy Accidents
I had recently written about how I had run into problems with accessing all my images which were scattered across multiple hard drives. First, some good news on that front…I...
Post Processing : How much is right ?
Recently, a photographer, I admire and follow, David DuChemin, put out a short reel on Insta. He talked about the adverse reactions that he had received after posting a Before...
Happy Accidents
" We don't make mistakes. We have happy accidents" -Bob Ross Disaster had struck. My desktop was not reading many of my hard drives. Nothing...nothing could be worse for a...
When the mind rules…
What is most critical for getting a good photo ? Your gear ? The opportunities that come up ? How creative you ‘naturally’ are ? ( Don’t get me started...
Bharatpur’s magical sunsets
It doesn’t happen suddenly. It also doesn’t happen at the same time. You first notice it in the waters. One moment they are contemplative and the next they appear to...
Learning to See
Creativity is work ethic. This sentiment was the main theme in one of David duChemin’s blog posts and one that made me sit up and think. ( Don’t follow him...
Foggy Delights at Bharatpur
Bharatpur is bewitched. At least, in winter. Here, you don’t tumble out of a cupboard into a Narniaesque world. Instead, its a slow and gradual process, each slow revolution of...
Trippin’ on LSD – Light, Shadow and Dust
There was a quote I had read that stayed with me. ‘ The eye is always caught by light, but the shadows have more to say ‘ ( I just...
On Portraits and Comfort Zones
I saw one of those standard Insta reels the other day where the photographer walks across to a complete stranger and asks for permission to shoot her portrait. She is...
Pushkar…camels, companions, conversations and… a camera
Pushkar. I can’t remember exactly how Pushkar got imprinted on my mind. Of course, it was a usual quiz question in early years about being the town that featured a...
Picking my top 2023 images
Yeah, it’s that time of the year. The moment I almost dread. But also a useful exercise . The process of choosing my top images makes me look at my...
My moral issues with aerial photography
Our chopper swung sharply to the left, after speeding ahead of the running zebras and, as a single unit, the zebras took an immediate U turn. Dust was flying in...
At the feet of a Super Tusker
“ I just want to see them. I don’t care if I can’t make a good photo. I just want to get the opportunity to see them.” These were my...
In search of Giants
“ Are those elephants ?” “ No…just a mirage.” Followed by a chuckle. That was our guide, Lenny. “ What about those ?” “ Bushes.” Now it was the rest...
“But…we got the caracal !”
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite. Or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake or a pot...
A Giraffe walks into a bar…
He stood deep in the shadows. Silent. Unhurried. He badly needed a drink, but experience had taught him that its better to be cautious. There have been signs that the...
Meet…The Bakarwals of the mountains
I would have loved to have spent a few quiet days after the trek. Any trek gives you time to think during those long walks alone, ensures that you engage...
Trekking from Kargil to Kashmir
It all started rather innocuously. As it usually does. A good friend, S, suggested we do a trek. Something light and easy, nothing challenging, she said. A call to Vaibhav...
All Creatures Big and Small
“ Oh so where is your next trip ? “ “Goa in August.” “ Oh but it would be raining.” “ Yes. That’s why.” “ Huh ?” “ Oh, am...
Stories of Hope
On July 26th, 2023, the Forest Act was passed in the Indian Parliament. Predictably, with no discussion. Predictably, ignoring most of the recommendations that experts gave. Many experts are specifically...
The Gorgeous Photo that didn’t happen
It started in the most innocuous way. It is often rather difficult to spot a polar bear. The distant white spot that you might see on the dull brown landscape...
Keeda
The other day I had a conversation about an image I had posted on Insta with my good friend R. R : That image you posted…the profile of the subject...
A lil’ bit of Puffin love
I admit, I felt a sense of both, deep satisfaction and relief that night as I went over my images. It had been a long, long day and one that...
Normal is boring
All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson When I was writing my goals for my last Norway trip, I was conscious...
A Property Dispute
There are occasions when it all neatly falls into place. Where you don't need words to tell a story, to paint a picture, to spin a yarn. I was at...
The Combat
His eyes were locked on his opponent. A cold, unyielding stare. He meant business. But, so did his opponent. He pawed the ground aggressively, impatiently, like a bull in a...
The Problem of Hornoya’s Abundance
Its difficult when you get overwhelmed. Your mind gets crowded up, you are unable to think straight, you are looking for opportunities where none exist and because you are constantly,...
Field Notes from Norway
I am back home. From near zero and sub zero degree temperatures, straight into the boiling cauldron that Bangalore has become this year. With more than 10,000 images to sort,...
In search of the Arctic Fox
I am back in Norway. This time focusing on wildlife on the other end of the size spectrum to polar bears which was the focus in my last trip. But...
Sunrise with the Black Rock pride
It was dark outside, an inky darkness in a slow, seductive dance with the light fog. We bumped along, occasionally catching a startled hare in our headlights or causing an...
On the Importance of Rules
"Life is short, break the rules." ~ Mark Twain I was mildly confused. I was standing at the Mandovi beach, on the last leg of my trip and looking out...
Random thoughts from the desert
We speed on the highway. A weary landscape lies around us. It lies vast and unattended, hot and searching for a shade. Scraggly bushes pop up chaotically in the middle...
In search of Flamboyance
If, from my work table, I move slightly to my left and stretch my arm to a rather neatly arranged row of books, somewhere in the middle, I will find...
A daylight robbery
Out in the wild, the drama is constant. Every minute is a sequence in the never ending dance for survival. You win some, you lose some. In some cases, the...
Looking for the 2022 Top Ten
With photography, I always think that it’s not good enough” – Lynsey Addario I agree. Still, one should look at what one's work, review it, select the ones that are...
Reflections…
2022 will stay in my memory a little more than most years do. Not because of a truly fabulous trip to Masai Mara early in the year, which was full...
A Standoff
"Chongo might have crossed the river with his brothers!!" That was the news that we heard. From a fairly reliable source. They were on the other side of the river...
The Importance of being…a krill
Maybe, the talk around climate change and the need for conservation activities is increasing. However, there is one critical aspect of conservation that tends to get ignored – marine conservation...
Meeting the King of the North
There are 19 species of marine mammals in Svalbard. 3 species of terrestrial mammals. And a whopping 237 species of birds. That’s a fair bit, but make no mistake, the...
Have you walked in a forest ?
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul - John Muir My footsteps gave off a wet, slightly squelchy sound as I walked. The...
Make way for the Lionesses !
Male lions. They get all the attention and take all the glory. With their flowing, impressive manes, their battle scarred faces, there is a strength of character, an indomitable spirit...
Views from the deck – II
A bird, a curious mix of dark grey ( or is it more brown ? ) and white – brownish wings and a white head and belly - came close...
Views from the deck – I
I dug my hands deeper into my pockets searching for some warmth that could be lurking inside, hunched my shoulders a little, stamped my feet, shivered despite my many layers...
The Magnificence that is the Arctic Tern
It’s a rather unremarkable bird to look at. Visually, there are birds that are far more striking than the Arctic tern, with its white and grey body, a black ‘cap’....
It’s real. It’s serious. And it’s here.
“ Its unlikely that, that bear will survive. It looks tiny in size. There is no ice around the island so its stuck there. The only prey around is the...
The Bear who liked to swim
She popped up again, her fur dripping wet, gave a weak shake of her head, spraying a much lighter shower of water around her and then immediately dove again. This...
In the Northernmost inhabited place in the world
First off, sincere apologies about missing the last scheduled newsletter. I was far away, in a desolate place, totally disconnected from the rest of the world, experiencing a beauty that...
The Legend of the Tano Bora
I like to think that for many years, around campfires and in the cosy comforts of living rooms of homes around the world, the story of the Tano Bora, will...
Masai Mara’s gentle tug at your heart
“Mara ? Again ? ” How does one explain ? Of course, no two visits to the wild anywhere in the world can be the same. Conditions will be different....
The Tale in between
Its an oft repeated cliché that every moment in the wild is a fight for survival. A see saw battle between the hunter and the hunted and a constant drama...
In search of the Himalyan Brown Bear
“ So, do you live here or are you visiting ? “ “ I have come for a visit.” “ Where are you going ? “ “ Drass…Kargil.” A short...
Top 10 images from 2021
Which of my photographs is my favorite ? The one I am going to take tomorrow. – Imogen Cunningham In spite of everything that was happening, I still managed to...
The Leopards’ Tale
Totally out of the blue, breaking the stillness that surrounded us, a party of peahens took off from near the crest of the hills in front, squawking in alarm, outlining...
The Other Panda
Kung Fu Panda, the movie, was a runaway success. As a series, the movie grossed over $1.8 Billion and is the tenth highest grossing animated franchise. Clearly, a lot of...
The ethereal beauty of Singalila
“ You know, this is the first time that soon after a trip, you have not yet shared any wildlife pictures”, a friend observed. It was true. I have rarely...
The abundance of Bharatpur
4273. The agitated, noisy flutter of a dozen wings taking off in alarm broke the stillness of the cold, foggy morning. I was walking down a path, water bodies on...
The striped delights of Kanha
It was quiet. Even the usual forest sounds seemed muted, as if a little wary. We peered into the forest. Alert. Tense. There was a little clearing and we could...
The magic of Kanha
4:30 am : The alarm goes off and we reluctantly struggle out of the warmth of our thick blankets. 5.:15 am : We assemble for a hot bowl of porridge,...
All you who sleep tonight…
The message on my phone, blandly said,” To date we have distributed : Non perishable bi weekly and monthly rations to 25,761 people. Ready to eat hot meals : 57,901....
The Top 10 from 2019
Goa. Allahabad for the Kumbh Mela. Jhalana at Jaipur. Bhadra in Karnataka. Bandhavgarh in MP. Pantanal in Brazil. Masai Mara. 2019 definitely was the sort of the year that had...
The Eloquence of Light
The eloquence of light Straight off…the heading for this post is not an original one. A few days back, while randomly surfing, I saw an announcement about an Ansel Adam...
Tales from the Mara III – The fascination of a hunt
She crouched. Low. Body tense. Poised for motion. Eyes locked in on a single Thomson’s gazelle calf that was grazing a short distance away. Ready to explode into blinding motion...
Tales from the Mara II – Siligi, Supermom
Siligi. It meant, ‘ The Dependable’. A better name couldn’t be there for a cheetah mom with six cubs. Siligi had started of with seven cubs, but one of them...
Tales from the Mara I – The lil’ brave cub
When we first saw them, they were two tiny dots, one much smaller than the other, in a sea of a lovely shade of light green. The Mara had been...
The Top 10 from Brazil
I always thought that making lists is a little boring. Also, a bit presumptuous. That its too early for me to start making such lists of my photos – after...
Tales from Brazil V – Winding up at Southwild
Southwild Pantanal Lodge. Our last stop. It is located a little off the Transpantaneira, on the banks of the Pixaim River was in many ways the perfect place to wind...
Tales from Brazil IV : Oh the wonderful things you can see on Mulberry Street ! ( with apologies to
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I could feel a tiny rivulet of sweat start its journey from the back of my neck, rapidly accelerating in its descent . It...
Tales from Brazil III – ’tis rainin’ jaguars !!!
“ We got a sighting.” The handset crackles, voices exchange messages and those are the magic words from Fabiano, uttered unbelievably coolly, that make us sit up, grasp our cameras...
Tales from Brazil II – on the Transpantaneira
Transpantaneira. The highway to nowhere. For some reason, the story of this highway has always fascinated me. Somewhere in the early 1970s, the then military Brazilian government decided to build...
Tales from Brazil – Birding at Trilha dos Tucanos
‘ So, where is your next trip ?” “ Brazil.” “ Oh wow !! The Amazon ?” “ No, to the Pantanal.” “ Huh ? The Pantanal ? What is...
Tigerrrrrrr…..a trip to Bandhavgarh
“ Shhhh….!!!” “ Was that an alarm call ? “ All of us froze as our jeep crunched softly to a halt on the slightly damp trail. Sure enough, a...
A dip at the Kumbh Mela
The term Kumbh comes from a mythical pot of nectar, but it is also the Hindi name for Aquarius, the sign of the zodiac in which Jupiter resides during the...
Nature’s Nest…photographing birds in Goa
“ I am planning to go photographing birds in Goa” “ Goa ? “ “ Yes.” “ For BIRD photography ? “ “Yes.” “Heh Heh…What sort of birds ? “…(...
Chasing the Tiger at Kanha
The driver took a sharp left turn, off the tarred road and onto a narrow mud track. I closed my eyes, leaned back and took in a deep breath. It...
Tales from Kenya VI – How I planned our trip and a few tips
The trip to Kenya was long in the ‘must do’ list. A couple of years we had made all the plans but then the threat of Ebola came up and...
Tales from Kenya V : The magic of that last game drive
We were in a bit of a quandary. We had spent 7-8 days looking at the wildlife across different spots in Kenya. We were due to reach Nairobi the next...
Tales from Kenya IV – An Afternoon with the Cheetahs
Not every minute, not every incident in the wild is packed with pulsating, adrenaline filled action. Not every opportunity for you as a photographer is one where you are struggling...
Tales from Kenya III : The thrill of a river crossing
I stretched myself, rolled my shoulders, and raised my hand to stifle a yawn. I looked behind me and most of the family was fast asleep. It was mid morning...
Tales from Kenya II : The Hunt
I was anxious. Restless. We had reached the Masai Mara the previous day after lunchtime. A quick lunch and we drove to the checkpost and into the Mara for a...
Tales from Kenya I : Masai Mara. Finally
Masai Mara. I was finally here. I have been planning this visit for at least five years. I have read up voraciously about the place. Pored over countless pictures. I...
The Relentlessness of the Auden’s Col trek
Once you have lived with mountains Under the whispering pines And deodars, near stars, And a brighter moon, With woodsmoke and mist Sweet smell of grass, dew lines On spider...
Rafting down the Brahmaputra
‘ Yay !! We did it !!” We exulted in the sheer delight of having crossed the last big rapid. The water around us was still fairly turbulent but the...
The Ghost Town of Kuldhara
We had finished a fascinating few hours at the ‘living fort’ at Jaisalmer, roaming around the place, gazing in admiration at the architecture of the Raja Rawal’s palace and the...
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek
I paused for a break. Ahead of me … steps. Lots of steps. Downhill fortunately. Going downhill can be hell on your knees but after you have just walked up...
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