Best of 2011 in photographs
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
Nice collection Kalyan.
Great work Kalyan. My personal favs- the lioness and the pelican joining the group. Have a great 2012.
Fantastic creations and work Kalyan. Indeed the blog was silent for a long time and the images are speaking now regarding the reason for such a long silence.
Have a great year ahead.
Cheers.
Great Pictures. Hats off to your hardwork and guts. Thanks for sharing
Hi Kalyan,
awesome awesome collection! have a great year 2012 and will wait for 2012 best shots!
rgds
Dinesh HEgde
Lovely pictures Kalyan I agree silhouette shot is the best
Amazing photoes ….. and may 2012 bring in many more.
That’s an amazing collection of pics, many bests there. Congrats.
Thanks for sharing all your hard work. It is a lovely collection, wish you good luck for all the years ahead!
excellent pics sir… it was a virtual tour.
Thanks for sharing. happy new year 2012.
Cheers Kalyan
These are wonderful images. Thank you for a wonderful Monday kick-start!
Happy New Year Kalyan!
Fantastic pictures! Enjoyed viewing all of them. Thanks for sharing. Keeping them coming in 2012 too!
Beautiful pictures 🙂 Thanks for the share Kalyan. Must have been a tough task for you to choose the best among your clicks. Wishing you the best for 2012 in all your endeavors.
Cheers!
Vivek
Wow, superb collection some are dream shots…
What a brilliant set of images! Very inspiring! Thank you for sharing this!
Wishing you a world of opportunities this year for many more such brilliant images of the wild.
Regards
Gowri
Lovely worek Kalyan 🙂 Truly Inspirational
Superb work sir…
waiting eagerly for the ‘secrets of wild India’…
happy new year…
stunning images spanning across the biggest to the smallest . Keep them coming
Ultimate collection.. some of them were truely enchanting and breathtaking.. especially the cheetah hunting.. 🙂
Kalyan,
I absolutely loved all of your images here, specially the silhouette of the Cheetah hunting the Impalas.
Brilliant work as always!!
All the best for 2012
Cheers!!
Beautiful images Kalyan. Enjoyed all of them. My fav are the pelican joining the group and lep hunting the impala.
Wishing you the best for 2012.
Cheers
Kesava
Brilliant set of images.. as usual 🙂 Happy New Year Kalyan.
Kalyan,
Am seriously in loss of words. Impeccable is what i have to say now. Fantastic images to complement the post about how your 2011 was.
Take my bows.
Shiv
Mind-blowing! keep up the great work.
Kalyan, brilliant stuff…. real treat to eyes, good luck always!
Awesome images, Beautiful Shots,Timing everything sir…. Stunned with every images of yours.. Happy new year…
Love all of them…my favorite is the cheetah hunt..have a great 2012..
Awesome stuff Kalyan!
The damselfly and the Impala shots are stunning to say the least
Wish you a great year ahead 🙂
Kalyan,
Amazing shots..! Mind blowing pictures..! Wishing u a wonderful 2012..!
You can never stop surprising people with ur pictures..!
cheers buddy..!
You need to put like button on these photos 🙂
Wonderful wonderful images , dude . Each one shows the effort and the understanding of both the subjects and the photography which has gone into it . If I have to pick my favs among these gems , I rate the Rain image in the Mara , Cheatah hunt and the pelican in the top 3 !!! Have a great Twenty Twelve . Staf safe and Enjoy Maadi 🙂
Beautiful!!!
Super pics…just loved all of them….!!
Excellent images Kalyan! Wishing you a very Happy New Year.
Amazing stuff man… Wish you all the very best for 2012 and hope you continue the magic…
p.s. The cheetah chasing the impalas it gonna forever remain etched in my memory. Kudos.
Absolutely amazing pictures there … Wish you a very happy and exciting 2012,
Wow…!!! Ultimate !!!
Hi,
Who ever u are friend. Just enjoyed the lovely capture.. Keep it up as talents are inborn and it is at its best when it is exhibited. Cheers.
Awesome photos! Great work!
Outstanding photographs !!! very less words to describe it.. loved the pelican & cheetah hunting very much.. Wishing you more best photographs for years to come…
Outstanding gr8 work Kalyan..TRULY AMAZING we can see real nature beauty though your camera lense
Great stuff as usual
Simply fantastic work, sir. World class, as always. I hope this year brings you as much and more joy and success.
Excellent photography!!!! Very very impressive.. stunning shots1
The best collection of photographs I’ve EVER come across! Hats off 🙂
Nice work. Was a treat to watch all the photographs.
Amazing photos… simply superb…
Thanks for sharing this pictures.Excellent photography.My 7 yr son enjoyed the most.
Awesome stuff. Liked the leopard chase silhouette shot and the cubs with their mom. Should also link to the tree light painting links from this page.
WOW!!!! Great Work Kalyan! Proud to say I’m your student! 🙂
Have a fantastic 2012!!
Cheers