Does this picture look familiar ?

It was good enough to win me the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year‘ title it seems. Since most of you do not get Sanctuary Magazine, here’s the information that’s been written inside about the front cover:



“Kalyan Varma is the Sanctuary ABN AMRO Wildlife Photographer of the year 2005.
This is his image of a worker ant Harpegnathos saltator assassinating the de-alated queen”

This brilliant and aesthetically beautiful image reveals a worker jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator murdering the queen. The image was shot in Karnataka’s BRT Wildlife Sanctuary in the Southern Western Ghats. The queen had just torn off her own wings after a successful mating and was scouring the forest floor in search for a suitable nest site. To minimise predation, the queens time their exodus from their natal nests only when they are absolutely ready to mate. Thought this de-alated queen was ‘murdered’ a large number of her sisters successfully established nests, thus completing their life’s mission – passing on the colony’s genes.

This is like the ultimate dream for me to win the best wildlife photography award in this side of the world. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’ll win this award and that too the actual ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005’ title. Thank you BR hills 🙂

The press conference happened yesterday (now you know why I’m in mumbai) and the awards ceremony is going to happen tonight. If you are in Mumbai, check the front page and page 8 of today’s Indian Express. There’s a half page interview in it (thanks ashbirder for the info). The online version does not have any pictures and they have badly misquoted me everywhere and I *hate* to be called an “IT professional”. It’s come in other papers too it seems. More later …

159 Comments

  1. khoj · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Hey!

    Congrats,Kallu!!

    Wayto go 🙂

  2. goofy_duck2004 · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congratulations!! May you win many more.

  3. madhav · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Hey, that’s awesome! Congrats!

  4. aathitude · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats dude!

  5. eh_donia · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats again!! 🙂

  6. eddd · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Wow, that’s supercool!

    Congrats!

  7. gromhellscream · December 9, 2005 Reply

    woah!!! congrats :))) awesome…

  8. jbritto · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats!

  9. prashanthks · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Mate, too kewl. Rock on.

  10. fox2mike · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Awesome, Congrats dude!

  11. ashwinne · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Spectacular!

    Congrats!

  12. themadman · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Oh goodness, this is great news!

  13. fiery_fiona · December 9, 2005 Reply

    wow!

    congos!

  14. knutties · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Super. Congrats Kalyan.

  15. dilip · December 9, 2005 Reply

    National Geographic should happen very soon. There are legends out there and it will be good fun.

  16. acmurthy · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Whoa!

    Congrats man! Rock on!

  17. derherr · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congratulations!! thank God you din’t go behind all those modelling assignments! and am I still your manager? 😉

  18. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats!!
    -Madhu

  19. theju · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Awesome , Congrats , U rock.

  20. aish11 · December 9, 2005 Reply

    KEWL!!!!U have a flair for it!!!No doubt u got the award!!Wishin u many more!Congratz!

  21. bhavanar · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats! You deserve it!

  22. klooloola · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats!

    Awesome photo too!
    Too many photographers focus on only “mammals”
    Its is always nice to see different photos.

  23. sunson · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Awesome! Congrats! So Happy to hear this!

  24. shivku · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats to you…Amazing stuff.

  25. anupma · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats, man! This is superb. I remember it was this picture that made me add your LJ to my friends list.

  26. birdonthewire · December 9, 2005 Reply

    That is quite awesome. Congratulations!

  27. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congratz

    Great work! Way to go…

  28. the_exquisitus · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats dude.
    This is truely amazing. ^:)^

  29. say_yes04 · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Always the oppurtunist aren’t you 😀

    [g,d&r]

  30. chirdeep_shetty · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats

    Congrats Dude. Excellent snap ! I remember seeing this snap framed at the jungle lodges office in M.G.Road. Btw… kanha snaps ?? 🙂

  31. say_yes04 · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats Kallu. And as usual *treat *treat

  32. anomalizer · December 9, 2005 Reply

    *bows down*

  33. jackol · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Awesome picture! Congrats!

  34. brainz · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Briliant! Congrats!

  35. noelladsa · December 9, 2005 Reply

    * in my elvis singsongy voice *.. You’re the devil in disguise..oh yes you are ..devil in disguise..

  36. preets · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Sooooooooooper! Congratulations!

  37. mekin · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats dude …

    you continue to be a *super-star* 🙂

    you are living proof to – “do what you are passionate about & you will excel in it”

    Do sms/mail when you organize the grand party in bangalore 😛

  38. smriti · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Very awesome! Congratulations 🙂 The picture looks very much at home on the cover somehow..!

  39. amitshah · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congratulations!

    This is great.. congrats!

  40. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats!

    Hi Kalyan,

    Great to know that you have bagged the prestigious award. More power to your camera.

    Viswaprasad Raju
    mygutterspace.blogspot.com

  41. code_martial · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Soooooooper! You rock dude!

  42. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats to the Wildlife Photographer of the year 2005

    Hi Kalyan,

    Excellent Picture, Congrats for being the Wildlife Photographer of the year 2005,

    ravikumar_penshetty@satyam.com

  43. prady · December 9, 2005 Reply

    WTG .. Kallu !!!

  44. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Wonderful

    Just amazing. Great pic and great news.

  45. trupti · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Wow!! That’s awesome news … Congratulations!! 🙂

  46. jd_knight · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats dude 🙂

  47. amoghavarsha · December 9, 2005 Reply

    w00t!!! Man that’s uber-cool!! congrats!

  48. zeeshanmn · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Congrats!

  49. fiveonehalf · December 9, 2005 Reply

    Wow!! Thats amazing!! Way to go!!

    CONGRATS!!

  50. Anonymous · December 9, 2005 Reply

    congrats….

    Hey Kalyan,

    i’ve been following your blog on an off for some time.

    Congrats!!! That is a well deserved award.

    Keep Clicking!
    cheers,
    kiran
    http://zkiran.blogspot.com

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