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
Awesome pix!!! Loved all of them 🙂
Awesome pictures sir.
Simply Superb !!
Lovely moments captured Kalyan!
The Impala hunt is one of the most impressive images I have ever come across which depicts action and has the elements making it an artistic capture!!
Wish you a great year ahead and look forward to more in 2012!
Awesome clicks!!!
Cheetah family and cheetah hunt are my favorites!!!
These are absolutely stunning! I can’t say which one impressed me the most. Have you published a collection of these pics?
Wonderful collection there Kalyan ! Thanks for sharing..
Saw your website for the first time. Great pics! Nice to see a good Indian photographer taking quality pics in India
Thanks a lot for sharing these amazing moments, Kalyan.
Truly inspirational work…. love the hunt in silhouette and pelican the most !
absolutely masterpieces !
Have a rocking new year !!
Awesome captures!! Everyone one of them is lovely !! And I agree the cheetah hunt stands out !!
Awesome set of pics. The cheetah hunt is the best of the lot along with the cubs playing. Hope u have a great 2012 as well
Apart from the Impala Hunt.. The rains in Masai, white pelican approaching.. and the extreme closeup are my favorites. Great source of inspiration! Thanks!
Really Mesmerizing.. Kudos to the photographer.. just loved every bit of it…
Really Mesmerizing… Greta Piece of work.. Loved every bit of it…
Excellent journey through your eyes Kalyan. Truly inspirational work.
amazing….great work..keep going,wish u a great year ahead..
Fantastic pics! loved all of them…
Simply spell-bounded with these pics..
Amazingly extra-ordinary and awesome photos sir…
all the photos are tooooo good!!! simply hats off to you.
thank you very much for sharing these photos on your website!
Amazing ….. spell bound Images .. No words to express !!!!
wonderful collection
wonderful
wonderful collection sir
Just amazing 🙂
Thanks for sharing your work with us. We can only try and imagine how much bliss you must have found in the process! Please continue to capture many more priceless moments!
Wonderful pics of wildlife! Thanks for the early release – before NatGeo or other channels 🙂
Absolutely Brilliant 🙂
Beautiful pics! Loved each on of these.
No adjectives–only stunned amazement!!! Sometimes you come across a picture regarding which I can say–“I wish I had taken that…” Your album–I had to say that after EACH PIC…Congratulations and Thanks once again–for enriching my life!!!!
excellent pics!! 🙂
These are some of the very best wildlife photographs i have ever seen.
Man, you are just too inspiring.
God Bless You
this is the first time i have got to see this many collections of yours.
they are superb
Amazing photographs…the cheetah hunting in the dusk is simply superb!!!
Fantabulous snaps….! Its lot of hardwork and dedication i guess….!
fantastic!
awsome pic sir!!!!no words to xplain ur brilliancy….just xcellent talent sir !!!
Outstanding Kalyan. All the best for 2012.
Kalyan,
These are spellbinding…Awesome collections..Hopefully it’ll be a even better 2012 for you…NY wishes!
Wow!!! what a ride it has been for you in 2011… Fantastic collection..Brilliant work. Wish you a great success in 2012..
Vow… Great pictures… Liked it a lot
AWESOME !!! LOELY !!! PICTURE PERFECT !
Saw your website for the first time. Simply superb!!
Amazing!!!! Indian wildlife at its best…
Lovely pictures 🙂
Feeling so happy after seeing the pics … Brilliant work !
One word: Awesome.
Lovely Pics! I remember meeting u @ BR Hills. You made the no-eventful jeep safari interesting as you educated our gang about Tree parasites and the stealthy underground spiders until we spotted a leapord !!
great pictures. loved them all
Thanks for such wonderful photos. Brilliant.
superb pics kalyna, wish u very happy new year 2012.