22 September,2017 09:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Krutika Behrawala
Come face to face with snow leopard cubs and fighting darters at a wildlife photography exhibition
It's rare to spot a snow leopard cub on a tarmac road like Subramaniam did in January last year near Kalsar Village in Ladakh
A management graduate based in Mumbai, 47-year-old Shivaram Subramaniam quit his corporate career in 2012 to follow his childhood passion -- wildlife photography. In the last five years, he has travelled for nearly 675 days to various jungles of India, framing snow leopards, tigers, elephants and even darters.
Shivaram Subramaniam
A curated set from his clicks is part of the photographer's debut exhibition, which will be inaugurated by noted environmentalist Bittu Sahgal this evening. The exhibits feature glimpses of his travels to the Hemis National Park in Ladakh, the Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve and even Bharatpur National Park, where Subramaniam is involved in the removal of juliflora, a weed that degrades the habitat by converting the wetlands into grasslands. "I travel nearly 15 days a month. My most soul-satisfying trip was a 23-day, 6,000-km solo bike trip from Mumbai to Leh, and back. While Ladakh is my favourite wildlife destination, it can't beat Corbett," he says.
Incidentally, his most challenging shot was capturing the snow leopard in Ladakh. "The conditions make it difficult. These animals are seen mostly in peak winter when temperatures range between minus 20 to 30°C. Also, the high altitude of 5,000 metres-plus makes walking with big lenses and cameras extremely difficult. I have been lucky to have spotted these beautiful animals on all five of my visits till date," he sums up.
