When passion for the wild comes alive in pictures

KOCHI: The image of a black-headed gull gearing up for a takeoff, fierce stares of owl varieties, cuddled Bonnet Macaque (monkey) family and colourful Indian Pitta are just among the many wildlife scenes feasting the minds of visitors reaching the Durbar Hall Art Gallery. ‘Whispers from Nature’, the photo exhibition, organized by the Cochin Natural History Society (CNHS) has much more to offer.Portraying the works of 20 wildlife enthusiasts, most of whom belong to different professions, the exhibition features around 280 photographs taken from all parts of the state and outside.“It is quite challenging to photograph wildlife as most of the time you end up not being able to click them. You need to be patient enough to see, to record, and to learn,” says Bijoy K I, working in BPCL Kochi Refinery. The image of two rare red-billed tropic birds taking off is among the many photos taken by Bijoy. “I clicked this picture after going 30km off the Lakshadweep coast,” he said.“We may not always have time for this, but we find it. That is the passion we all have,” says butterfly enthusiast and banker Bina Menon.For photographer Shelbin Digo, capturing the movement of a Nilgiri Marten was a task that required him to climb the Top Station at Munnar for over 10 times. The photo of the rare variety of the fist-sized striped parachute spider is yet another photo of this professional exhibited at the gallery.CNHS president Dilip KG said the exhibition intends to bring people close to the nature and instill an interest.“Wildlife photography is not about the techniques of capturing images, but more about the passion for the wild,” he said. The exhibition will conclude on Wednesday.