Shooting in the wild
Roopinder Singh

Sunlight and Shadows: An Indian Wildlife Photographer’s Diary
by M. Y. Ghorpade. Viking.Pages 168. Rs 1,495.

A book on wildlife from an author who was also a political figure, an introduction by Indira Gandhi, it sounds like another era. It is; the photographs are black and white and capture wildlife with rare elegance, besides giving the reader a degree of intimacy that is beautiful.

The allure of black and white photography has always been tremendous, since it has in it the ability to strip off the distraction of colour and bring forth the essence of what the image seeks to capture.

Ghorpade means monitor lizard and the author was a minister in Karnataka from 1972-1977 and a Member of Parliament in 1986. He was also chairman and Managing Director, Suandur Manganese and Iron Ores Ltd. This is a second revised and enlarged edition and it includes the photographs taken by the author, an award-winning photographer, since 1983 when the first edition was published.

The technical skill in capturing Spotted owlet in flight must be appreciated, but what really sets these photographs apart is the feeling with which these have been taken. The author’s empathy is clear for all to see, yet he does not fail to show us the harsh nature of wildlife. A boar chased by a pack of wild dogs fights for his life, two tigers have a tug of war over a kill, blackbucks joust, the pages of the book come alive with almost 100 photographs.

Unlike many coffee-table books, this one has depth. The text is a detailed diary of a wildlife enthusiast who has covered major sanctuaries, including Sandur, Bandipur, Nagarahole, Khana, Gir, Kaziranga, Swai Madhopur, Bandhavigarh, and the beautiful Bharatpur. The reviewer is also familiar with some of these sanctuaries, and shares the author’s passion for photography, and thus is in a good position to admire the hard work, passion and dedication that has gone into the making of this volume. Surely, this political leader is to be commended for being someone who’s much more than just a politician. This is a book that you want to dip into.

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