Going wild with nature
Ruwini Jayawardana
It is hard to believe that the image of the white Kadupul flower, a
striking contrast to the dark backdrop, is actually captured on lens in
the city environment but renowned wildlife and nature photographer
Luxshmanan Nadaraja promptly clarifies that this is indeed the truth.
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Spider on a pitcher plant |
A bird in wilderness |
“You can photograph nature anywhere from the city or other regions of
the country. Yala and Wasgamuwa are among the sites in which I took most
of the photos. My interest renews itself each time I visit the jungle.
However it is very difficult to find those which are undisturbed my
human activities,” the gifted photographer opined.
Armed with 25 years in the field of photography Nadaraja believe that
it is best to reserve a certain area for wild animals. He says that it
is best to leave those areas for animals to roam around at their will
without taking it upon ourself to ‘develop’ them.
“We always talk of protecting acres of land in animal reservations.
There are constant debates on how to ‘improve’ parks like Yala.
Conservations is a worn-out topic today,” he noted.
“Restricting access to nature too destroys it. People should be given
a chance to witness the wonders of nature but access should be
controlled. If it is over visited it reduces the value of the site.
The best example is Yala, which swarms with local and foreign
travelers each day but people are not given the opportunity to visit
places like Wasgamuwa.”
For Nadaraja photography had actually been an excuse for him to trek
through the wilderness. Growing up in the Hambantota region, Nadaraja
had schooled at his hometown and St. Peter’s College.
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An Indian elephant |
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A fungus Nai Hathu |
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A viper |
“When I left for Colombo the jungle too had left Hambantota. It was
no longer there when I returned,” he lamented.
He had worked at Studio Times under Nihal Fernando who sharpened his
interest towards the art.
The 40 pictures which make up Nadaraja’s exhibition are shot in
various areas in Sri Lanka excluding the North and East. Five panel six
feet high pictures which are divided into two are also included in the
exhibition which is unfolding at the Barefoot Gallery till January 4, 10
a.m. to 7.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Glancing through
the sets of colourful and black and white images which adorn his book,
‘The Nature of Sri Lanka’ is a treat to one’s eyes.
The elephants, leopards, snakes, birds and fungi, captured in its
natural dwelling places create a sense of awareness about the isle’s
bio-diversity. However Nadaraja confesses that luck has a key role to
play in freezing nature’s wonders in print.
“I took to photography as a pastime. Of course I am happy if I manage
to get exceptionally good pictures,” he added adding that there are very
few areas to specialize in photography in Sri Lanka.
“Wedding photography is the major professional segment in the country
along with commercial photography. However I do not like to specialize
in one field as you will get stuck in one category. Wildlife photography
is a very popular subject because more people have access to the latest
equipment. Knowledge is also spreading via the Internet.”
He says that he enjoyed taking to the profession as he had battled
with the art in the black and white era. He now shoots most of his
images through the digital camera but admitted that it was a fascinating
sight to see the images emerging out of the paper after processing the
film. |
