World Photography Day: Capturing timeless memories through the lens

Photography has been my passion since childhood. I first picked up a camera 40 years ago, but it was only 15 years ago that I started taking it seriously and bought my own camera. Bird photography became my focus, and through it, I unknowingly developed a deeper connection with this land.

I’m hesitant to talk about my journey in wildlife photography. Nature and the forest were not new to me as a child. I remember going on safaris to Nagarhole and Bandipur. Back then, I romanticized the forest more than anything. It was a time filled with an unspoken fear of the jungle and its creatures. Many of the interesting or unforgettable experiences I’ve had are only partially remembered. I recall the elephants that would come near my grandmother’s house at night, and how we would hear about them in the morning. There was also a time when a tiger moved through the thicket and carried off a calf, and my sister got lost in the forest.

Boldness was my only capital! In childhood, our elders tried to avoid night journeys as much as possible. When it was unavoidable, we often encountered bison and herds of elephants on the road. This was a common experience for us. The jeep would stop far ahead. Once, during a necessary night trip, I boldly declared that I wouldn’t be afraid even if a tiger crossed our path. And indeed, a tiger did cross the road in Muthodi! The children whispered inside the car. My courage had faded by then. The fear I had of the forest and its wildlife began to dissipate when I took wildlife photography seriously and learned about the natural behavior of these creatures. It was my camera that made me lose my fear of snakes. There was a time when I had so much enthusiasm that I thought it would be worth dying as long as I captured a priceless photo of a tiger or leopard. Later, I realized that was sheer recklessness. Though the darkness of the jungle scared me, it also deepened my love for nature. The camera helped me capture nature up close.

A different medium of experience…

Chasing birds brought a new dimension to my poetry and writing. It’s true that when I first started holding a camera, my writing took a back seat. But through photography, I gained a greater understanding of nature, the environment, and especially birds. Many of my friends ask if I’ve stopped writing poetry. “Your poetry has come to a halt. You’ve lost your sensitivity,” they say. But birds have taught me so much about life through photography. Creativity may take different forms, but they all intertwine. The medium of our experiences may change, that’s all. Photography isn’t just about capturing images; it’s also about capturing the mind. As you delve deeper into photography, your perception changes. The more experiences you gain, the bigger they become, and the wider your understanding grows.