Leaping leopard: How a doctor's patience won him a wildlife photography award
Dr Thomas Rajan relives the fraction of a second that won him a 2015 Sanctuary prize.
During a trip with his brothers to Kabini jungle reserve in Karnataka last January, Dr Thomas Rajan spotted a leopardess on a tree. He readied his camera in anticipation of the feline’s next move. It turned out to be a long wait. The light was fading and the group had almost given up. Suddenly, the animal stirred. “I quickly changed the camera settings," said Rajan,a keen photographer. "She ran down a tree in a fraction of a second."
Freezing the blur created by the leaping leopard, Rajan managed to capture the speed and power synonymous with the animal. His photo won him the 2015 Sanctuary Wildlife Award for photography, which were announced last week. Photography is one of the categories of the awards instituted in 2000 by nature and conservation publication Sanctuary Asia to honour people who are working to protect India's wilderness.
Said Rajan, "Although I have a lot of beautiful images from the wild, this one is a favourite of mine because it captures the dynamic essence of wildlife photography in motion."
A surgeon by profession, Rajan hasn't always had the time indulge his passion for photography. But over the last five years, he has been travelling extensively to forests in India, the US and Africa. "It involves a lot of travelling, time and commitment,” he said. “A lot of time is spent away from family and work. It is very important to strike a right balance between your personal life and your passion."
Here are some of the other images that competed for the top prize.
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Freezing the blur created by the leaping leopard, Rajan managed to capture the speed and power synonymous with the animal. His photo won him the 2015 Sanctuary Wildlife Award for photography, which were announced last week. Photography is one of the categories of the awards instituted in 2000 by nature and conservation publication Sanctuary Asia to honour people who are working to protect India's wilderness.
Said Rajan, "Although I have a lot of beautiful images from the wild, this one is a favourite of mine because it captures the dynamic essence of wildlife photography in motion."
A surgeon by profession, Rajan hasn't always had the time indulge his passion for photography. But over the last five years, he has been travelling extensively to forests in India, the US and Africa. "It involves a lot of travelling, time and commitment,” he said. “A lot of time is spent away from family and work. It is very important to strike a right balance between your personal life and your passion."
Here are some of the other images that competed for the top prize.
Second prize: Anuran’s Pearl by Shubham Kamlakar Alave
Amboli bush frog (Amboli, Maharashtra)
Joint third prize and editor’s choice: Fairy fire by Abhishek Jain
Foxfire Mycena (Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala)
Joint third prize: Gill and Gull by Aditya Padhye
Brown-headed Gull (Bhigwan, Maharashtra)
Special mention: Kicking Up a Storm by Praveen Mohandas
Asian elephants (Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand)
Special mention: Fading Rays by Radha Rangarajan
Longheaded eagle ray (Karwar, Karnataka)
Special mention: Fruit for Thought by Kiran Poonacha
Short-nosed Indian fruit bat (Bangalore, Karnataka)
Special mention: Monochrome Monarchy by Aditya Singh
Royal Bengal tigers (Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan)