The call of the Malabar Whistling Trush, is one of the most melodious pieces of music I’ve ever heard in nature. I’ve always wanted to photograph this bird for a long time. Photographing them can be quite challenging given that they make their homes in the deep forests of western ghats and that they are shy. Valparai is one of the best places to photograph them, as they are all around the town.

Click the play button to hear the call of the Whistling Trush

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The last few years after I moved to full-time photography, life has been a roller-coaster ride: exciting and enchanting. Having worked with some really well known institutions including govt. establishments, I’ve come to realize the potential for photography as a profession is growing. But one thing I’ve always felt is that photographer’s don’t have a platform. Like most photographers, I spend quite a bit of time trying to figure out projects, do paperwork and other mundane work (Its not all field work!). There’s also the issue of people treating photographers badly.

I’ve always felt the need for a platform which enables photographers to focus on their photography while there’s an open platform which’ll monetize their work minus all the muckwork. So when a chance to work with a company that’s about to do the same came, I readily agreed. Picsean Media is started by another fellow photographer Arjun. The idea of Picsean is to source images from photographers all over the world online and come out with publications featuring the same.

The website will go live soon, I’ll really appreciate your Ideas, feedback and any pointers you have for the same. There is a photography contest starting this week, hope you’ll participate and spread the word around. There’s also a facebook page www.facebook.com/picsean you can join to get updates and be in the loop.

Recently I came across an article on 10 famous doctored photos. If you read that, you’ll see one of the images in that has won an award. Now my question is how’s anyone to judge this photograph which may be photoshoped/orchestrated/setup? This is one reason I usually refrain from photography contests. Here’s a set of images photographed at a zoo. I know this is an age old debate but when I read today that a possibly doctored image had won an award I couldn’t resist.

For the first time I’ve submitted some photographs to a competition. I hope they take into consideration all the above mentioned factors and have the right people from the field to judge. I guess I shouldn’t turn too cynical without even giving it a shot :)

Was taking a stroll in front of my house talking on the phone and on the pole wire saw this pair mating. Goes only to say “keep your eyes wide open!” there’s a lot of urban wildlife around.

Here’s another nice photo-article by Karthik, again its urban wildlifing!

I’ve watched the musical “Across the universe” a few times over now and it keeps getting better each time. The artistic exploration that the director goes on is just brilliant. If you are a Beatles fan and love experimentation, then you must watch it. Its also very revolutionary in the way the original music has been played around with. A well directed movie and very theatre like.

The lead actors sing most songs in the movie themselves and how about 80% of the songs in the musical being sung and recorded live on the shoot with ambient noise! A very new approach to un-can traditional studio recording and add elements of reality. Try and catch the director’s commentary on the DVD, where she talks about how each song renders more character and meaning to the movie.

Its been a lucky season. I’ve been fortunate in seeing and photographing young ones of a few key species found in India. The Joy of seeing a new generation of these animals in times which are hard for their survival has been an overwhelmingly emotional experience.

After a really long wait, I finally managed to be there at the right place at the right time to photograph the Baby King Cobras which had just hatched in a nest close to Agumbe.

I also made a short trip to Nagarhole where 2 leopard cubs abandoned in a sugarcane field close to the Nagarhole forest by the mother and have been rescued by the forest department.

The one question that came across my mind each time I saw them was “What’s their future?”

Not many times in life does one come across opportunities like this. Wildlife is full of surprises, and one rewarded and when least expected. Having spent almost 2 weeks in the summer in Kabini and having had no luck with photographing any cats though sighted a few, I didn’t expect I’d get to shoot much in the monsoons. But I was in for a pleasant surprise. I was to see two leopards!

So I did try be lazy and pushed the unavoidable but anyway here it is my new journal amoghavarsha.com/journal

I will still cross post to LJ until it works.

Also I haven’t put up any images lately though I’ve shot a ton. Here’s one for starters

In the summers, elephants spend a lot of time close to water. When we came to a waterhole expecting a tiger, we saw this guy playing without a care in the world. He was no farther than 200ft.

It was a cold august night in 2006 at the army base in Leh, and after biking for more than 4 days I was spending that time resting in my room. I was sharing my room with an army officer and every evening we would discuss quite a few things and he’d tell me quite a few tales. And this is one of the most important things he told me that night:
its preachy, beware!

My new ride, a 4X4 Safari dicor EX – mountain green. Been wanting this for a longtime for all my jungle travels, with 4 wheel drive and green color its just perfect for the forests. With 140bhp under the hood and a refined 2.2 ltr engine, its powerful and more fuel efficient. And ofcourse I’m not selling the zen