15-year-old Wins Prestigious Askary Awards

This photograph of a Blue Tailed Bee Eater won Akshay this award at such a young age. Photograph/Akshay Harith

This story was originally published in October 2010.

“My father’s work inspired me to pursue photography.”—Akshay Harith

Bengaluru-based Akshay Harith is a 15-year-old wildlife photographer, who has just won the 2010 Askary Awards. His set of images on the wildlife theme has won him the award. The Askary Awards have been annually awarding young photographers from Karnataka below the age of 35 years since 1997.
“I feel very happy that I won this award. This award adds to the two I have won this year,” Akshay says, on winning the Askary Award. A tenth standard student from Christ school in Bengaluru, Akshay has been practising wildlife photography since 2007. “I got inspired to pursue photography after seeing my father’s work—he has been a great inspiration. I learned about photography techniques by visiting various websites, magazines and exhibitions.”
Akshay explores areas around Bengaluru on weekends and tries to photograph wildlife he has not encountered before. “I basically look out for subjects that interest me in some way,” he says, “If the composition looks good, I frame the picture and shoot.” One of the award-winning photographs shot by him is of a Blue Tailed Bee Eater. He says, “I was especially interested in this bird not only because of its colours, but also because of how beautiful it is. I was twenty feet away from the bird, sitting in my car, when I spotted it. I photographed it immediately, and it is the first photograph I have of this bird.”
Birds are Akshay’s favourite subjects. “What excite me are their colours,” he says, “I love capturing birds of all kinds, from a Sunbird to an Albatross. I want to visit Africa someday to capture the wildlife there.”

-Written By Supriya Joshi