Photographer Nidhyan Maniarasu came across a herd of over a 100 elephants during a trip to Bhavani Sagar. They trundled with their kith and kin; their grey skin covered in dust. Nidhyan caught the scene in his camera and the stunning photograph welcomes you at the wildlife photography exhibition organised by the Nature Conservation Society (NCS) at Chandra Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Peelamedu. According to N.I. Jalaluddin, President, NCS, the exhibition has over 700 photographs of birds, animals, reptiles and landscapes taken by the city’s wildlife enthusiasts.
Tree snakes, kraits with their distinct crossbar patterns, a spectacled cobra with a raised hood…the reptiles section of the exhibition shows snakes in all their glory. Nidhyan’s macro photographs of damsel flies with their colourful bodies and transparent wings are also eye-catching.
Photographer Vivek’s depiction of the sad state of Coimbatore’s tanks is reflected in a picture of a parched river bed with a lone lifeless fish. A new-born crocodile looks round-eyed at the camera in Ajay Kumar Ramamoorthy’s photograph. His shot of a rock lizard with intricate patterns on its skin is striking.
Look closely at Dr. Tolstoy’s breathtaking landscape photographs of dry-deciduous forests, grass hills, and moist lands, and you can spot an elephant or two amidst the greenery.
Award winners
The exhibition also has photographs of an Impala and a giraffe couple taken at the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, by R. Senchudar Tamizharuvi. Do not forget to admire S.P. Nagendra’s photograph of an elephant and a tiger swimming along the same river. It won him the prestigious ARPS award.
And then there are the birds. The blue-winged parakeet, oriental white eye, black and orange fly catcher…they are all there, framed and labelled for all to see. But among all the sought-after birds that most photographers dream to shoot, the organisers have also given space for the photograph of a crow — he sits by a shore all alone, staring pensively ahead.
Did you know that you could spot the sand grouse in your backyard if you’re lucky? All you have to do is look closer. The sandy-brown bird is found in large numbers in our city, explains photographer Saleem. A photograph depicts a male sand grouse with a beautiful necklace-like pattern around its neck.
“We were pursuing the tiger in an open jeep,” says Jalaluddin, speaking of the photograph of a tiger clicked by Rathna Varshini at Bandipur. “We followed him for two kilometres.” They lost track of the animal and drove further and spotted two leopards with their kill. “We were watching the leopards when suddenly, we saw the tiger standing right behind us!” And Varshini got her photograph.
The wildlife photography exhibition will be on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. till November 7. It is open to all. Entry is free. For details, call 94896-02878.
