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 …
Incredible! How terrific 🙂
Congrats
Hi Kalyan
Congrats on the award & also for the nice shot
Regards
Karthik
see clicking wildlife is far more interesting than clicking models..of course clicking models has it perks too.hmm which is wilder ??
Awesome Dude !! Congrats
Good onya mate, many congratulations.
That’s wonderful, congratulations! 🙂
Whoa….i turn around for a bit and u have changed everything about u yet again! Congrats @**! Hoping for many more to follow after this one and yes, now the expectations are high. =)
congrats
Congrats!!
Keep the good work
Kiran
Congratulations
Hey I got up this morning and opened the Indian Express and saw the pic, b4 I read what it was about, I thgt I should let you know that Indian Express was using your pic. I relaxed a bit and read more.
Congrats, it’s a great pic, I so wanted to make a post about it but work has kept me awfully busy
So are you going to use the prize money to buy yourself a spelling and grammar checker? 🙂
Congrats (again).
You deserve it, dude!
Congratulations!
awesome.. congrats..
Congrats, dude !!
Awesome man… That photo is my favourite… Can I add u as a friend (I have been reading your feed for a while now).
PS: Im Preethi’s collegue… we met at Foss.(hope u remember)
HI chandra, do add me. you dont need to ask 🙂
FOSS.. FOSS.. FOSS.. 😀
Re: Congratulations
Actually I’m curious too. In the press kit, they had low-res picture. These guys printed a high-res version of it. I just hope they mis-use it anywhere. Do drop in for the exhibition which is being held the next 10 days. I will be there on saturday morning.
Ping me on messenger dude. Havent spoken to you in a LOONG time
Re: Congrats
Kanha snaps coming soon. Good tiger and swamp deer shots 🙂
But it will not always pay you for your living 😉
how much does it ‘pay’ to have photography as a profession?
Holy mother of everything!
Now that is something to remember. Awesome work. And many congratulations. Incidentally, I never knew you as an IT professional…only some sort of a legend 🙂
Strangely Inspired
Kalyan,
Congrats on this achievment and I wish many more follows. I have been one of your innumerable blog followers , especially your wildlife/photography journey.Never cared to leave a comment. I feel proud about you , just like most of your friends on LJ here feel. I’m sure their comments and encouragement has played a role in your journey and in this achievement. I’m left strangely inspired by your achievement, thanks! . Today, i decide to appreciate your work, when posted by leaving a comment. So what if it is one more of those 100’s of compliments/comments you receive.
1% of the photographers get paid like crazy. Rest of them get paid dirt. Its even tougher in wildlife
Re: Congratulations
where is the exhihibition, is it in town, I mean in South Bombay?
Re: Congratulations
Dec 10 – 19th at
NCPA, Centre for photography as an Art-Form Piramal Gallery, Nariman Point
Congrats dude !
Hey Kallu,
Long time no hear and then I see a piece about you winning a cool award like this one…so is this what you have been up to ?
Anyways, me will be coming down to b’lore later this month – dec 30th to be precise…can catch up then…
Congrats again…
ciao,
Sibin.
(http://sibin.blogspot.com/2005/12/wild-kallu.html)
Way to Go
Hey kallu,
Congrats!!! Amazing stuff……
Keep at it.
Milin
Photos by you and Yathin are always great, congrats!
Congratulations!!
Congratulations 🙂
Congratulations! :~)
Congrats on your achievement…
Hope you achieve many more such awards.
Congratulations!! I visit your blog quite often to enjoy the breathtaking photography. Keep clicking 🙂
Wow. Truly inspiring. Congratulations.
Thats just wonderful…way to go
Awesome! Congrats dude..
Wish you many more moments of sweet success Kalyan! Big Congrats to you. 🙂
Hey there..congrats 🙂
Since no one has congratulated you as yet – congrats man! This is seriously awesome! Or as the wise men of Yahoo! say ‘Good stuff, boss’
Brilliant!
Awesome picture Kalyan. many many congratulations.
Hey Kalyan…
COngrats doode, I am sure this is going to make every picture you take, explore with more conviction.
Congratulations, dude! Keep on rocking!
Congrats!!!
Great Photo, Kalyan!!
I frequent your site and make sure to view all the photos… They are really amazing… and, of course this prize-winning photo is just awesome…
-Manudath
Great pics. You might want to check out this lovely site I stumbled on ..
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/
Fantastic photographs there. And lots of humor too.
Well deserved.. Congrats dude!
Congratulations! I still remember that picture because Noel has it on the wall in her room.
Kudos!
Kudos,
I have been following ur journal often but never commented..today it was too ahrd to resist commenting!
U r such a motivation!
Keep it uP!
Smiles etc.,
Smyta
(smyta.blogspot.com)
Awesome!
well done.
first off, congrats. Pictures do tell a 1000 words indeed. Well you have done justice to the 105mm Nikkor lens, or is it the other way around ?!!
Either way, fantastic shot–very well deserved. By the way, didn’t you participate in the monthly contests held by Better Photography? You had a good chance, competition would have been tough but you would have loved it.
I hope you send your entries to international online contests too! build that portfolio, NatGeo will knock on your doors soon.
and yeah, i “pray” to god that you land a nice modelling assignment AND more importantly, that you share the snaps 😀
Abhijeeth.