KOCHI: Photography is all about capturing a beautiful frame at the right moment. Making this statement ring true, self-trained wildlife photographer Arun Gopi has captured beautiful frames of the endangered blackbuck in the Western Ghats, a habitat where it is rarely found.A temple priest at Sree Krishna Swami Temple, North Paravur, Arun always had a love for wildlife photography and started developing the interest in the past three years. “It was on one an adventure trips to Mudumalai Tiger Reserve last week I got an opportunity to see and click the picture,” he said. He noted as per the statistics, blackbuck numbers are witnessing a drastic downfall; most of them are seen only in north India. Getting a picture in the Western Ghats was a rare treat, he said.
Arun said as soon as he and his friend spotted the animal, they stopped the vehicle and clicked in different angles from inside the car. “The six blackbucks were not frightened which was also surprising. I don’t think anybody had got a photo of this species from this area,” he said. Though capturing blackbucks was the greatest achievement of this trip, he also clicked other wildlife, including a sleeping leopard. “In the beginning, I was afraid to travel to forests, but as I got into it, it became interesting. My family was also sceptical about my wildlife journey, but now they are convinced about my skills,” Arun said.
He studied the techniques via books, YouTube tutorials and from friends who share the same interest. He added the passion has gained him a lot of friends, including amateurs and experts, who help him improve his knowledge and skills. Arun is a part of PhotoMuse (first museum for photography), though not an active member.
Arun said he receives rave reviews for the wildlife photos he uploads on his Facebook page. When he goes on his shooting sojourns, he stays away from home and work for about four days at a time. “Whenever I take leave, I hand over duty to another priest. The temple committee and my family’s cooperation is a great support system. With the passion only seeing a steep growth, I wish to capture more rare and unique frames through my lens,” he said.