Lensman shoots wildlife to bring frames alive

A weeklong exhibition on wild life and nature stared at Ravindra Natya Bhavan in u00a0Dadar yesterday.u00a0Pegged as a treat to nature enthusiasts' eyes, the exhibition showcases a distinctive collection of around 300 images of nature and wildlife by conservationist and naturalist Dr Anish Andheria.

Andheria, who is the director of the Wildlife Conservation Trust and head of natural history and photography of the Sanctuary Asia magazine, is displaying pictures shot during his trips to different wildlife sanctuaries and nature parks in India, Kenya and Alaska and other parts of the world.u00a0

The event, which is being organised by Sanctuary Asia magazine, is Andheria's first exhibition in India.u00a0Clicked using a Nikon F-50, F-90x, D-200, D-300 with an assortment of lenses, Andheria boasts of a collection of around 1 lakh unique images of wildlife and nature, clicked in a period of over three years.u00a0

So what motivates Andheria, who is a doctor by qualification, to take up wildlife photography? "I am not a photographer by profession. I work with the forest department. I just try capturing whatever wild life comes my way and prefer clicking them the way they are," he says.u00a0

Be it a leopard perched atop a tree or a Giant squirrel baring its teeth or hundreds of housebats dangling upside down in a cave or a chameleon changing its color or a tiger basking in the sun, Andheria has shot them all and frozen different aspects of wild life to the make his wooden frames come alive.

Asked about his best shooting experience, Andheria said, "I have had lots of experiences but the best and most thrilling is experience was that when I was busy clicking pictures of wild dogs in Kanha sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, I was being watched from behind by the preying eyes a tiger from a distance of 400 metres."

Another unique feature of the exhibition is that not a single negative image has been put up on display despite the nature facing attacks from every quarters across the world.u00a0"Through this exhibition,u00a0we are trying to instigate people and evoke love of natureu00a0in them -- and not createu00a0fear psychosis," Anish summed up.

The number of wildlife and nature clickedu00a0by Dr Anish Andheria in a period of over three years