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 …
I cannot add any more to what Mekin said, congrats again.
Your an idol now.
Wow…insanely awesome!
Go go go you!
Woooooooooooooooooo!
FLOSS… MOSS… CROSS… TOSS… DOSS?
Finally a thread where I can participate in constructively
Congratulations! Awesome stuff.
Way to go, dude. Congratulations!
Re: Congratulations
Hope to be there this evening, hope to meet you there.
congrats!
Wow! congrats!
Re: Congratulations
My flight’s at 4pm today and the inaugration happens only at 5. So I guess I wont be able to make it. We’ll catch up the next time.
Congrats dude! That pic rocks! Remember saving a copy when u posted it on LJ ages ago!
Nice !
Very good work !
Cheers To you!
Rohit
http://www.ourdelhi.blogspot.com
If you hang around with me more, you will become a language nazi too. 😉
About time u realised. Will do so asap. 🙂
I thought you must be feeling bad that no one has congratulated you as yet on this.. Congrats :-))
just the beginning ..
guess we have seen just the beginning 🙂 … congrats ! for the first milestone
Well deserved. Congratulations. I’m glad the world can share your art. I’ll be proud to say I truly saw some of them first!!
You are the best 🙂
heh, and I do plan to make this pic fully free under a CC licence.
Great news dude! Really proud of you.
Congrats!
Yo Kalyan
Great stuff, congrats – Nandu pointed me to this, I’d been missing LJ for a while.
Do you plan to move some of these into a CC licence?
Congrats, dude! You is teh rock.
thats awesome dude, congrats
Congratulations!!!
Thats awesome!, congratulations.
Re: Yo Kalyan
Abolutely. All the pictures have been in CC already. I really should sit down and do a proper site one of these days.
there should have been no second thoughts..this was a superb shot
congrats…keep it coming
you rock!
Congrats K congrats… I wish u keep winning many more awards and doing things that u really want to do 🙂
oops I forgot to sign in before posting comment 🙂
That was me
-Parimala
Congrats
Hi Kalyan…
This was one of the pictures that has made me a frequent visitor to your site. I admire all your photographs, captured with such detail and perfect angel.
Way to go !!!!
Congratulations !!!!
Aweesome!
Congrats Buddy:)
Congrats ! 🙂
-nerdy
You rock man, and of course this calls for a treat. 🙂
congrats
kalyan,
congratulations on the recognition for the hardwork and passion u have put up @BR Hills.as Mekin says passion is the pill for success .once again gr,gr8 going.
regards,
Kiran J J
congrats
kalyan,
congratulations for the recognition for the hardwork and passion u have put up @BR Hills.as Mekin says passion is the pill for success .once again gr,gr8 going.
regards,
Kiran J J
Awesome Kalyan! What a totally deserved encouragement you got 😀
Well done!
Congratulations Kalyan!
Thats an awesome story to capture….
Here’s wishing you many more achievements in future! Keep it going 🙂
Hey congratulations
Great pic… am adding you to my friends list… hope you don’t mind
thanks
130th comment
I can’t say anything that hasn’t been said 129 times before! Call when you find the time….and come and autography my copy of Sanctuary! I suppose you will be feted all over town…call us when the festivities are over!
we’re all happy abt this
cheers. we’re happy.
rocksea
Congratulations dude! Read this in a Mumbai newspaper and was waiting to get back to Bangalore to see this on your blog. Great going! Too bad I didn’t know the dates in Mumbai else Sarita and I could have met you there.
Kartik
congrats
you rock
Sanctuary missed your name ?
Hi,
Did Sanctuary miss out on your name or wot ?
This looks more like Kalyan – the security guy broke into their systems and planted the foto.
heh heh…
anyways, good job mate.
– another blade in your fan club
Re: Sanctuary missed your name ?
Well they treat the photography awards differently. More info at : http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/photography/index.php
congrats
Congrats!! Kalyan
Rock on!
congrats
Congrats!! Kalyan
Rock on!
Congrats!!!
Hi Kalyan,
First of all Congratulations on the award. I think you reallly deserve it. I really admire the drive in you to do the things you love the most. Keep up the good work. By the way, I’ve been seeing your awesome pictures posted in the INP yahoo group for quite some time now.
Cheers
Hari
My gallery : http://haril.fotopic.net
amazing!
congratulations.
Lured to ur page by ur very cute pic. Congrats though!