On a late Saturday afternoon, as we descended the ghat roads to Coimbatore, Nanjan Dharuman comes into focus. He’s sitting on the side of the road overlooking Thattapallam estate, his camera surveying the lush hills around.
His photography friends call him the ‘Light Master’. That is how good he is with using light in his photography. Dharuman is a self-taught nature photographer and keen birdwatcher from Mullur, in the Nilgiris. There is nothing he enjoys more than exploring Nature in his beloved Nilgiris. “Every sunrise I see is more beautiful than the previous one. Similarly, Nature has something new to offer every day.”
Dharuman’s first click was with a box camera when he was just 12 — a photo of his uncle. He initially took pictures of people, but a love for birds made him take up bird photography. Kunjapanai in the Nilgiris is one of his favourite bird spots.
“Photography has taught me three important lessons — patience, perseverance and dedication,” says Dharuman. He speaks of how he once spent seven months documenting the nesting, hatching and first flight of a Shaheen Falcon. “It was my most thrilling experience,” he says. The 66-year-old photographer says he learnt through trial and error, from other friends, books such as Focal Book of Practical Photography by Paul Petzold, and magazines such as Better Photography . He was also inspired by Iqbal Mohamed, founder of Light & Life Academy (LLA), in Lovedale.
Dharuman spent seven years photographing the Shaheen Falcon
The 19-odd years that he spent in plantations, growing tea, coffee and pepper, prepared him for a full-time job as a photographer, he says. And when the few pictures Dharuman put up on the online portal India Nature Watch received positive reviews, it motivated him to hone his skills further. The photographer has also visited the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Amboseli National Park. “It was a memorable trip. Normally, people go there to shoot mammals, but fortunately, I got a good bird guide who helped me photograph 108 species of birds.”
But, the Nilgiris itself provides him with ample subjects for his photographs, says Dharuman. He heads out every day (three hours in the morning and again in the evening), with his Nikon D 300, a Sigma 150-500 mm lens, a Nikon 70-300 mm VR lens and his keen eye, seeking new adventures in the Blue Hills. At the moment, he is immersed in his ongoing project on the Crested Treeswift.
So, what is his favourite photograph? “All my photographs. I’m not done yet. Maybe the best is yet to come.”
Tips from the master
Have patience.
Wait for the animals or birds to come to you rather than chasing them.
Morning and evening light are the best for taking photographs.
Don’ts
Don’t use flash.
Don’t get too close to the animals or disturb the bird’s nest.
Don’t over-process images in Photoshop.
