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
Really there is no words to speak.Awesome photographs.hate off to You.
Superbly fantastic photography, i liked the one wit Giraffe below the tree
outstanding shots. stupendously creative work. well done. Congratulations.
Hi Kalyan,
Lovely pics and hope to see more. Thanks.
Excellent photographs. Gr8 photography!
Great Work, Kalyan, Nature Loves you lot, thats the reason your able to capture them. Thanks
amazing 🙂
Fantastic Pics !!!!!
Loved the CHEETAH family !!!!
Keep the good work going….
Terrific Terrific shots Kalyan…. mindblowing each and every one of them. Kudos to ur efforts, presence of mind (esp. the cheetah hunt silhouette)… just awesome.
All clicks are awesome. I read about you in Rashmi Bansal book. I am attracted towards you. Now after seeing your clicks i fall in love with your photography. Amazing..Cheers for you 🙂
Hey Kalyan, you click with such absolute passion that these moments look more real and exquisite than their veracity. You go beyond excellence… thanks so much
Hi Kalyan,
All images are outstanding. Very nice.
Amazing Images !
Masai Mara images are brilliant.
Awesome. How nice it is to be close to the nature.
Hi,i just happen to read Connect the dots, and got to know about you!.These photographs seem amazingly brilliant!! 🙂 I’m spellbound with your photographic brilliance!! 🙂
Got to learn alot from you and your passion 🙂 Thankz 🙂
wonderful features. very inspiring. will try and join one of your workshops.
i am not getting words to express about these pics. there are really amaging
Great work..Sirji!! you made them alive…
Awesome snaps!
Great work sir. And I agree, the “Hunting Cheetah Silhouette” was the best !!!
I like the shot of Flamingos. Truly awesome! A perfect shot in a perfect timing. No wonder when Indian talents with perfections are taken into International level why more awards could not be won as like \Wild secrets of Wild India\ winning the ‘Best Television Series’ award.
Some of the most awe-inspiring photos I’ve seen! Hats off to you, Kalyan!
Fantastic awesome great may be I cannot go in person
But a satisfaction of seeing things as if they ae closeby Tnx a lot
amazing pics
Pics are awesome. Esp the cheetah silhouette !! Chanceless. Great Inspiration to me !!
probably you heard this many times. But Kalyan – speechless ! I dont know whether these species would exist a century later but the evidence you are creating with your photographs is going to remain and provide vital clues about life now to the later generation.
You are creating so much awareness for wild life conservation.
Bless you-
revathi
Kalyan – Fantastic album , the Cheetah shot was the one for me as well, Stupendous! This album just shows that pursuing your passion and patience really pays!
It’s awsom sir…..i’m living in bangalore….and iam also ur fan….i intrester\d in photography feild but i couldnt to take that feild in my study..OOOpz….any iam trying now……
http://piclickmoviemakers.blogspot.in/
………….Surrender to your Work………
Awesome clicks.. Hats off..
God Bless
Excellent photographs mostly the cheetah family , tiger and all big cat photos also elephant in water and so many other (almost every click.) … nice captures … your work inspired me thanks 🙂
Blessings and good wishes Kalyan. Your photographs extend their meaning far beyond animals, because within their spontaneous behavior and your passionate inordinate patience, one sees glimpses of ourselves and our silent experiences.
Awesome photos..speechless!!!
Taken part in a photography competition in my organization which is an engineering company.. got first prize in heritage category and won gift coupons for crossword… purchased connect the dots by rashmi bansal and came to know about u… u r awesome sir… great shots indeed. Have no words to describe ur work..
Keep it up…
All the best..
You guessed it right. Cheetah hunting silhouette is the best of the best collection here. Another notable are the fox pics. I don’t know how you managed to shoot them they are extremely elusive (even in a zoo). We’ve never had a success tracking them down.
Nice portraits of Cheetah family.
Great photos….. Loved thm all.. waiting see more..!
Simply WOW !!! Your patience is amazing.
I Loved all the Photographs and downloaded the all. Today I read a book ‘Connect The Dots’ of Rashmi Bansal thus I got to know about you. I really loved your passion for Wild-Photography. Sir I too have a passion for Photography hope to meet you once in my life.
Wow!!! Excellent Photographs.Keep sharing
Nice photography…Expect more amazing pictures.
Fantastic pictures.
Nice picture …..
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Amazing Photographs!
Excellent Photographs.Keep sharing.
Great work. Keep blogging.
wow really amazing work dear i am tour guide form india and its really helpfull thanks
you can alos read my post form kashmir tourism
Thanks for posting, i will share the link on social media, very useful and interesting post.
It’s really a wonderful post that you are sharing !! The pictures are awesome. Keep blogging and we are expecting something more special. If you want to capture a unique and awesome picture visit Kerala. they give a unique experience
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