The Wild Side

For the past week,a steady stream of Delhi’s who’s who trooped into galleries five to eight at Lalit Kala Akademi. On view was a wildlife photography exhibition by Kamal Morarka,chairman of Sariska Tiger Foundation,former Union minister and ex-vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Inspired by the legendary photojournalist Henri Cartier Bresson’s words,“You do not take a picture,the picture takes you,” Morarka travelled extensively from Nagarhole National Park to the Kabini forests in Karnataka and further down South to tiger reserves like Sariska in Rajasthan and Kanha and Pench national parks in Madhya Pradesh. The photographer’s wanderlust also took him to Masai Mara in Kenya and Kruger National Park in South Africa.

His pictures,mostly of tigers,portrayed the magnificent beasts in wild and ecstatic moods. Elephants,rhinos,zebras and giraffes also made an appearance in his works. Morarka extensively photographed exotic birds like Grey Pelicans,Storks,Cormorants and Eagles in their natural habitats. Shot from unexpected angles,the pictures offered a story while focussing on the details.

An industrialist,Morarka’s interest in wildlife photography started when he first visited the Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan. The Siberian Cranes that arrive there every winter greatly interested him. His first exhibition on wildlife photography was held in June,earlier this year,in Mumbai.