KOCHI: In most families, there is seldom a unanimous choice while choosing a holiday destination. While some would prefer a hill station, others might want an adventurous trip or a pilgrimage spot. But it is not so in the family of Dr Vinod Kumar as the trips are either to a wildlife reserve or a place known of its scenic beauty.“I was interested in photography even before joining medicine,” Vinod told Express. “But as digital camera was not popular at that time, I left it in between.
But again I took it up and introduced the same interest to my family too.” He slowly realised his inclination towards wildlife and bird photography. “If all the family members have a common interest or hobby, things are easy. My wife Jiju too picked it up and since our daughters grew up watching us, they gradually developed an interest for photography,” he added.
His daughters Ashwathy, 18, and Swathy, 12, also travel with them carrying a camera. “They have never shown any reluctance. On the other hand, they are always excited about the trips. We have driven to various wildlife sanctuaries, including Kabani, Parambikulam, Wayanad and Thekkady,” he said. He mentioned currently they have captured more than 285 species of rare birds and intend to increase the number. “We track the movement of rare migratory birds, understand where it could be and set out on our journey to capture it,” he added.
His wife, Jiju mentioned the family always make sure to travel at least once a month by planning well in advance. “Masanagudi is one of our favourite places and we visit it once a year without fail. Most of our trips are short ones and even to travel to capture one single species,” she said.Jiju noted their daughters got very excited when their pictures started getting appreciated on social media. This encouraged them and they became curious about photography and getting good pictures. “After we come back home from our trips, all of us select the pictures we have taken and file them in a common folder,” she said. She highlighted some of their works have been part of exhibitions.
“All four of us are self-trained and kept on experimenting with our works. We took suggestions from our friends and family and gradually got to know the art,” she added. The family also owns a Facebook Page ‘Chirpy Clicks’, where the photos they clicked especially birds from various forests are uploaded.
Vinod mentioned his eldest daughter Ashwathy is preparing for entrance and has shifted to the hostel, and so they have not made many trips this year. But they expect to make one to Munnar by October along with her. Both Vinod and his wife said their daughters are not interested to take up photography as a profession, but prefer to take it forward as a passion.