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
Great Pictures!
really enjoyed them.
Wow.. The Master Shot’s
Fantastic pictures!
amazing pictures….. 🙂
Awesome pictures , looked so real and intensified a desire to take a trip closer to nature this year …. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Amazing pictures sir .. My favorite will be desert fox mom and cub and the expression caught.. wish you loads of luck and photos for this year 🙂
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Loved the pics! Super! Sharing on FB. Cheers, Amit aka Amz Bass
Love the Flamingoes in the sunset 🙂 And glad to know you are doing such wonderful travels around the world.
Happy New Year!
These are the awesomest wild photographs ever seen by me that are clicked by an Indian photographer.
Superb job 😀
awesome 🙂
gr8 job 🙂
by seeing these photos i feel that it was worth readin abt u
Hey Kalyan. Stunning pictures and the story they tell is very interesting. Good luck for this year; hope you have a even better year capturing awesome scenes. Best, Richa
mesmerizing Images.. you had a wonderful year 2011.. all the best for 2011..
Thanks a lot for sharing. Wonderful photographs!!
Simply superb, what to say, madly in love with them..!
Hats off for your “Cheetah hunts an Impala in Masai Mara, Kenya” picture.. its ultimate.. nothing is better than it… Dinesh
This is fantabulous!!! Keep them coming 🙂
Amazing pictures…white pelican joining…..,A Masai Giraffe rests under a Balanites tree in Masai Mara….,Cheetah hunts an Impala in Masai Mara…are realy excellant pictures
I just don’t have words! Mesmerizing!!! You have an amazing skill.
Take my suggestion, please put your copyright onto each of the mind-blowing pics.
Beetle on sand dunes caught my attention. Others were spellbinding.
MindBlowing!!!
These images are mindblowing. Some fantastic moments captured. I loved the pelican and the silhoutte of the hunt pictures very much.Simply awesome work. Thanks for sharing!
These are mindblowing pics! Some fantastic moments captured. Loved the pelican and the silhoutte hunt shot. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome…stunning…magical!
“Cheetah hunts an Impala”, “A Masai Giraffe”, “A Koompassia tree” are my favorite!!!! Kudos! Nice photography Kalyan!!
Awesome shots… nice..
Awesome pictures Kalyan. Thanks for sharing.
Brilliant work Kalyan..!!
awesome shots kalyan … thanks for taking us along for this wonderful journey
Inspiring work! Phenomenal is the word! Brilliant!
Bloddy Brilliant. I am Speechless!!!!!!
Absolutely stunning !!!
each one speaks a million words…
Ridiculously remarkable shots, absolutely breath taking.
Amazing and mind-blowing…I have enjoyed each and every photograph!
Superb shots. Each one enchanting on its own.
Incredible pics!..i just loved the cheetah hunting in kenya…SUPERB!
breath-taking pictures, Kalyan.
Amazing pictures sir.
*love* them!
Really Amazing pictures.
very nice pictures.. do keep me posted
excellent photographs.thanks for sharing them the photos were so realistic that i felt i was witnessing them in person.
You are amazing. and have best skill in photography.. all the best in 2012..
awesome collection Kalyan….
Impressive photos. Why dont you share a tutorial on settings used?
Thanks!
really picturesque, natural and outstanding photos !! great work.
amazing captures…lot to learn from these…keep up the good job and keep inspiring us.
regards,
Kishore
[…] Best of 2011 in photographs | Kalyan Varma Journal A Jackal tries to catch winged termites that emerged after a downpour Lions in the shade of a large ficus Lioness […]
Awesome captures.. Loved each of them.. Sharing with my friends. 🙂
Simply awesome!!!!