The year 2011 has been one crazy ride. I ended up spending most of the time in the field – photographing and filming across India, Africa and southeast Asia. This also explains the lack of updates on my journal the last few months. Below is the collection of some of my favourite photographs from the field.
The year started with a long filming assignment starting in Rajasthan and then Kutch in Gujarat. After filming there, we moved to Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra, where we spent 2 months filming tigers. Then again back to Gujarat to film lions in the famous Gir National Park. Spending long periods of time in each of these places was very rewarding in terms of the individuals we were able to follow over time. Watch out for the film ‘Secrets of Wild India’, which will air sometime in 2012.
After the filming assignment, I spent July in Borneo, August in Anamalais and September in Kenya. The year ended with a personal trip to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India.
Below is a selection of some of my photographs from these journeys
Some of the small hills in Rajasthan are excellent habitats for leopards and they are quite easy to see in human dominated landscape
A langur gives out an alarm call having sighted a leopard sitting on a boulder below
A beetle on the dunes in the Desert National Park in Rajasthan
Demoiselle Cranes in Keechan
Thousands of Demoiselle Cranes come to Keechan village during winter every year
A Hedgehog rolled up in defence on a highway
A Desert Cat kitten in Banni Grasslands, Gujarat
Desert Fox from Little Rann of Kutch
Desert Fox pups playing while the mother is out hunting
Flamingos in Kutch
A young male tiger from Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve
One of the tigers who would sit inside the bushes all day long and only venture out when all the tourists had left
Known as the Telia tiger, he was the dominant male in the area and had the best places of Tadoba as his territory
My most memorable moment in Tadoba was when this tigeress walked towards us, while we were on foot, setting up camera traps
Cicadas are sap suckers and excrete a spray of water. During summers this is a common sight in central India
A young male Lion in Gir
Lion cubs sit with one of the mothers as the other one goes out hunting
A lion cub sleeps in the shade of a tree
Lions in the shade of a large ficus
A Jackal tries to catch winged termites that emerged after a downpour
Lioness
A Koompassia tree in Borneo
Slow Loris, one of the small, nocturnal primates from southeast Asia
A Spider, with excellent camouflage
A male Orangutan in Danum Valley, Borneo
Tarsier – a small, primitive, nocturnal primate, Borneo
The Long-tailed Macaques enjoying a grooming session
Impatiens growing on wet rocks along a stream in the Western Ghats
Extreme close-up of veins of a dried leaf
Imago emerging
A stream in the Western Ghats during the monsoon
A close-up of Indrella ampulla — a snail endemic to the Western Ghats
A White Pelican joining a group of foraging Pelicans at Lake Nakuru, Kenya
A Masai Giraffe rests under a Balanites tree in Masai Mara, Kenya
One of the highlights of my trip to Masai Mara was the time I spent watching this playful family of Cheetah with her three cubs
Two of these cubs were later predated by Eagles
Cheetah hunts an Impala in Masai Mara, Kenya. This is probably the best picture I made this year
A tower of Masai Giraffes. Two of them are necking — a ritual to establish dominance
A female Southern Ground Hornbill forages in the grasslands of Masai Mara
Rains on the grassy plains of Masai Mara
A Stream Sapphire damselfly in Pakke Tiger Reserve
Two male Stream Sapphires try to impress the female sitting on the twig
The Himalayan foothills in Manas
Forest floor in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary
Mind calms down when people watch these….delighted. Thanks Kalyan for such magnificent frames.
Not just some of the best images you’ve taken but some of THEE most awe-inspiring images I have ever seen. A glimpse of the many faces that Nature goes puts on and the many names she goes by. Stellar.
severely brilliant !
All the shots were just Brilliant!!! the one in Borneo of the tree against the night sky, the Giraffe under the Acacia and The cheetah chase during sunset stood out. Ever considered trying to photograph for a novel by Wilbur Smith!:)
A Magnificent Album. Real pleasure seeing these pictures
Amazing photographs as usual. wish you a wonderful new year ahead. Happy clicking.
Lovely Shots Sir. Seriously, as someone posted it up, being an Amateur photographer myself, to see all this photos and get Awestruck, I am blessed.
Lovely shots and amazing photos..You are really an amazing photographer…Hats off
wonderful pics Kalyan…time spent in the jungles are really worthwhile and soothing.
they take you into a ddifferent world…a world which city dwellers rarely can see.
best wishes for 2012
Amazing captures!!! Nature unfolds only before its most passionate Lovers… Will be looking forward for some more exciting moments!!!!!
It is very very nice photographs i liked it very much
thanks again for sharing
Thanks for sharing these Kalyan!
A year truly well spent! Congratulations and wish you the very best!
For a learner like me , this is mesmerizing and inspiring . Feel blessed to have seen these great pictures . Truly great Sir
Hi Kalyan,
Great work! Thoroughly enjoyed them, especially the Pelicans and the image of the cheetah hunting. Award wining pictures these. Have a super 2012. All the very best,
Diinesh
Awe inspiring! How intricate and dazzling is nature! And what genius to be able to click the lens at exactly that moment!
I loved the Cheeta Mum and her playful threesome.
[...] : Kalyan Varma What : Best of 2011 in photographs Spicy : Kalyan Varma has brilliantly accounted his year in pictures, remembering his trips to [...]
Each Photographs are very Exploring the Beauty of Nature ! …nice la !
Truly Amazing pictures!! Great Work!
rare collection…nice to see once
waiting for you to visit Corbett/Kalagarh/Sonanadi
Wow! Wonderful pics! Nicely taken!
You are amazing buddy,,, please post details about your cam and exposure details..
Your photos are just stunning , especially i would say that your photo of the hanging orangutan could virtually take the viewer to the location, and the silhouette of the cheetah chase is the best action stilhoute I have ever seen before. Good luck for you for your further efforts. I am from kerela. My house is in Mannarkkad, near Silent Valley NP. In case of any needed assistance for your trips to nationalparks of kerala,you can contact me at 9524778620.I am also a young wildlife photographer and would like to get your views about my recent blog, wildindianexplorer.blogspot.com
As always, stunning photos. Hope 2011 was a very interesting year for you.
FELICITACIONES POR TU TRABAJO!!! UN GRAN DELEITE PARA LOS OJOS Y EL CORAZÒN… MERCEDES
These are simply stunning, each one better then the other!
I remember the cicadas of Kolsa range.learnt something new about them from your pics.Thanks for the visual treat
WOW!!!…Speechless….
Kalyan.. yet again amazing pictures buddy. My Favs’s –
1 – Cheetah hunts an Impala in Masai Mara, Kenya
2 – The Himalayan foothills
3 – Family of Cheetah with her three cubs
Way to go! All the very Best!!
Great snaps Kalyan. It was a treat to watch ..and thanks to my friend Madan Rai for sharing as well
Amazing! Tnx for sharing:)
Fantastic! The expressions you have captured are beyond words.
You should have a followup thread on how much you have struggled to get these photos
Thanks for sharing!
PS: One of the agenda’s for this year is to go on one of your photo tours. Hopefully it will materialize
Amazing work Kalyan!. You really have an eye for wildlife photography and your work is truly a feast for the eyes and mind…Keep up the excellent work.
Just turned in the page Yahoo “Maasai Mara – The Greatest Wildlife Spectacle on Earth” and found out your personal website. The opening page with Lion with black background is really awesome. Went thro all your photographs for hours. A trip to Western Ghats made online in hours free of cost. This year’s photographs were really stunning in quality. Grt to hear an Indian did all these works…When I can see ur webpage with “Yellow-throated Marten and Manjampatti White Bison.” Also expect some action shots with Shutter priority mode in Wild India and Wild Africa. Also pls include an article describing the differences that you have come across from experience reg. wild India and wild Africa.
Jawdropping photography – thanks for posting
just an esctacy to watch and learn from, i hv always wanted to b a wildlfe photographer like u buddy but cant get the right way, wil u make me ur apprentice!!!!!!
You are amazing Kalyan…. Nice pic… showing your hardwork…. Speechless…..
severely brilliant,Amazing work Kalyan!
Woow !!! I am speechless!!
Absolutely elegant. It is truly a visual delight..
Hey Kalyan,
Was going through all the photographs and realized it must be a breathtaking experience to witness nature and nature’s creation so closely !! Extreme close – up of veins of a dried leaf .. must say the beautifully complicated pic among all. Keep sharing and inspiring .. wishing u another thrilling year 2012
What a splendid year you have had
. Let 2012 be more interesting! good luck
Nature has it all.. Every color, every shade, every thing that we are and cannot be. In every pic there is this sense of freedom.. Freedom that is visible because there are no inhibitions that man has developed with time. Kalyan when you are so close to the nature, is it the time when one can understand the basic purpose of being ? just curious.
I have always loved the landscapes and jungles and have seen a lot of pics but there is something different about these pics. Took 3 days to figure out..
Every pic shows a connection. Everything does exists in duality and these pics look complete because they show the comfort of fair give and take.
awesome pictures….good work, thanks kalyan.