“Focus”, a wildlife photography exhibition by the photographer Raghavendra Kodangala, organised by Banna organisation, was inaugurated here on Monday.
Thirty-five photographs on wildlife were on display. They include those of wild animals and birds such as Pied Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee Eater, Heron with Great Stone Plover, Common Langoor, Mallard Duck, Small Blue Kingfisher, Wild Boar, Cormorant, Turtle, Pipit, Large Egret, Yellow Booted Green Pigeon, Palm Squirrel, Hog Deer, Asian Barred Owlet, Ashy Woodswallow, Long-tailed Shrike, Wild Gaur, Pelican, Garden Lizard, tigers, tuskers and rhinos.
The 30-year-old Mr. Kodangala told The Hindu that this was his first wildlife photography exhibition. The photographs were taken in the last one year. He had taken these photographs at Kaziranga National Park in Assam, Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra, Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, Gudavi Bird Sanctuary in Sorab, and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya in Karnataka. “I was interested in nature since my childhood. This attracted me to wildlife,” he said.
Earlier inaugurating the exhibition, environmentalist N.A. Madhyastha said that with people encroaching jungles, the number of wild animals and birds were going down, so too was the number of wildlife photographers. Newspapers were not giving much importance to articles and photographs on wildlife.
A lot of patience was required to take wildlife photographs.
“A wildlife photographer should keep his eyes and ears open and mouth shut while taking photographs. Wildlife photography is most challenging but very rewarding,” Dr. Madhyastha said.
Art critic A. Ishwarayya said the line between an amateur and professional photographer was indistinguishable as far as wildlife photography was concerned. This was because even an amateur might take good photographs.
Since forests were fast disappearing, it made sense to document all wild animals and birds. The Government needed to do more to protect wildlife. Exhibitions such as the present were not only entertaining, but also educative. “If a photographer does not like wildlife, the pictures taken by him will never be good,” he said.
Wildlife videography was financially more rewarding than wildlife photography. Newspapers were not paying writers on wildlife as they once used to. “All photographers should widen their horizons and take interest in wildlife photography”, Mr. Ishwarayya said.
The exhibition at Modern Building near Hotel Kediyoor is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. till October 5.
Banna president Dinesh Kini welcomed the gathering.
Raviraj Valalambe compered the programme. South Kanara Photographers' Association Udupi district unit president Sridhar Shettigar was present.
