HYDERABAD: Amberpet boy Srivari Bhargava is ecstatic to receive the highest photography award by Royal Society of Photography, London -the oldest photographic society in the world. The RPS offers three levels of distinctions which set recognised standards of achievement throughout the world and Bhargava has bagged the ARPS award.
“To the best of my knowledge, there are not many photographers in India who hold this distinction, and in my circle of photographers which includes some of the most popular photographers in India and around the world, there are only two who staked claim to this award. Further, I am not aware of any other Indian photographer who achieved this distinction under the age of 25,” he says. Excerpts from an interview on what got him started, in his own words.
How I started wildlife photography: Like many others, my interest in wildlife was cultivated while watching wildlife documentaries on television. However, when I went on our customary regular family vacation to Ooty and had a chance to observe wildlife from close quarters en route, I thought why not photograph and film wildlife behavior myself rather than simply watch it on television.
Where all I travelled: So far, I have travelled extensively in India covering national parks on all corners of the country. Some of my favourite jungles in India are Bandipur and Kabini in Karnataka, Ranthambore in Rajasthan, Tadoba in Maharashtra, Satpura in Madhya Pradesh, Kaziranga in Assam, and Corbett in Uttarakhand. I have also been in Kenya in East Africa where I witnessed the famous wildebeest migration and spent a lot of time with the big cats as well. I think East Africa is beautiful, raw, and provides photo opportunities like no other place and I plan on going back there soon. I also plan on heading to the Arctic region to photograph Polar Bears, and to Costa Rica in search of exotic birds.
How does photography help conservation: People usually want to conserve what they love, but not all of them have the time or patience to travel world over to see animals. So I think making people fall in love with wildlife through photographs will inspire and motivate them to help save forests and its inhabitants.
Going forward: Right now, I absolutely enjoy spending time in the wild and photographing unique behavior and natural history moments. I also enjoy introducing people of all ages around me, especially young kids, to the idea of vacations in the wild, and I think the more people spend time observing our beautiful natural heritage, the better chance we have of conserving them. Down the line, I hope to explore more options of exposing people to nature and wildlife, such as setting up eco-tourism camps in lesser known forests where tourism is currently not prevalent.