BENGALURU: A tiger's snarl, big cats gently rubbing their noses together, one sitting by a pond nonchalantly slurping the muddy water.These are among the many portraits captured by 14-year-old Amoghvarsha Patlapati, an amateur wildlife photographer, which show the majestic creatures in their full glory. They are on display at Chitrakala Parishath from June 1 to 5.
Amogh's tryst with the wild began during his childhood days. His parents - PS Harsha, who is commissioner, department of information and public relations, and Dr Chaitra Harsha, joint MD at a biopharma company - are avid nature explorers and used to take him along on their trails through forests, creating the base for what is now his passion.
"I received a camera for my 9th birthday and have been snapping the wild since then. My first photograph was of a bird close to my house and I have recorded 140 species so far," said the 9th grader.
He balances his studies and hobby by ensuring that almost every holiday is utilised by spending time in the jungle. Amogh manages to dedicate six hours to wildlife photography every day and his forest stays have ranged from two days to a week.
"The wild means everything to me. I feel other people should also get to experience it like me so that they can understand its importance. We need to save it to preserve our own species and to ensure that naturally occurring flora and fauna is not wiped out," he added.
Amogh said he does not feel frightened by the presence of wild animals around him and his closest encounter was with a tiger that was less than three metres away. His go-to locations in Karnataka are Nagarahole, Bandipur and BR Hills among others.
On promoting the art of capturing wildlife among more youngsters, Amogh opined, "Free workshops should be conducted for younger children so that they can be acquainted with the art and develop a taste for it. That would be a good way to expand the pool of wildlife photographers in the country."
The snapshots are on display between 10.30am and 7.30pm.
