BENGALURU:One of the leading nature photographers, MN Jayakumar, is exhibiting 42 images of some of the birds he has encountered till date to celebrate 2018 as the Year of the Bird, as declared by National Geographic in partnership with the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. In an interview with CE, the retired forest officer talks about his passion for photography and challenges in capturing birds. Excerpts:
About the exhibition...
The thought about the exhibition ‘Birds as Art’ came to mind when I was reading about 2018 being declared as the International Year of the Bird. The USA government promulgated the Migratory Birds Protection Treaty to protect migratory birds between 1916 and 1918. Before the treaty, millions of birds were getting slaughtered for agricultural purposes. Hence, bird populations were dropping. This year being the 100th year of signing of this treaty, has been declared Year of the Bird. I realised nothing about this has been written or spoken about. So to create awareness, I decided to do an hold an exhibition. Also, I wanted to focus on birds as pieces of art in themselves, and hence, I have digitised a few photographs to give an appeal of an oil painting. I wanted to make it in such a way that people use bird photography as art that is affordable.
Where did you click these pictures?
India, East Africa and Galapagos Islands. When I decided to do this exhibition, I went through my 400 photographs and shortlisted some after several rounds of elimination to 42. Few photographs that are displayed were shot two years ago and some 15 years ago.
The pictures have been clicked with such precision - against the right background, bright colours and action...
Clicking the right shot can take 30 minutes to even four to five days. For example, to click a picture like The River Tern with Chicks, it can take a few hours to about five days. The bird had to protect the young chicks from predatory birds and also feed them. The parents would take rotations to chase away the predatory bird and sometimes, come back with no feed for the chicks. When they are fed once, you need to wait for 45 minutes for the next feed. The feed could happen on either side of the river. Standing for so long in the sun can burn you.
Tips to capture birds...
The best shots can be clicked either two hours post sunrise or two hours before sunset. These are the ‘golden hours’. Your reflexes need to be sharp, as the time you get to click would be only one or two seconds. So you either get the perfect shot or miss it. That’s why knowledge of bird behaviour is helpful. You need to be patient, alert and ready all the time.
Is it different from other kinds of wildlife photography?
The principles are the same, but the size of the birds and the swiftness with which they move makes it a little more challenging. Birds are tiny and to get all the details, such as the texture of their feathers and colours, you should be able to capture at least 40 per cent of the subject in the frame.
Being a forest officer, was the wildlife photography easier for you?
It was easy to observe and learn bird behaviour. I started reading a lot of literature, but to click one picture is a backbreaking exercise. You need to travel to places where you can spot them. Wherever I have been posted, I would make sure I spend about 20 days in a year exclusively for wildlife photography.
How did you get into photography?
I was working as a deputy conservator of forest in Mysuru between 1991 and 1995. A lot of photographers who want to go for wildlife photography in places such as Bandipur and Ranganathittu would come and meet me. I have met several celebrated photographers, such as Hanumantha Rao. One day, one of my colleagues commented that photographers from across the world are coming here to click pictures and I am just wasting my time. My sister-in-law was in the Netherlands then. I asked her to get me some equipment as it was difficult to get it here during those days. That’s how I pursued it and learned more through trial and error.
Birds as art
The exhibition is on till July 3 at Sublime Galleria, UB City. The art pieces are priced between `12,000 and `19,000.