Look Who’s Shooting: K A Mandanna

K A Mandanna Wins Bronze in FIAP Nature Biennial 2010

This photo of Wild Dogs hunting a Sambar deer won Mandanna a bronze honour in the 15th FIAP Nature Biennial. Photograph/K A Mandanna

“I want to take wildlife photography seriously, and hope to contribute my bit towards wildlife conservation”

K A Mandanna, a wildlife photographer and documentary filmmaker from Bengaluru, has won the Bronze medal in the Mercedes-Benz 15th Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique Nature Biennial World Cup 2010. The photograph that won Mandanna the award is that of wild dogs bringing down a sambar deer. He recalls the image, saying that he had heard the cries of an animal while he was in Eravikulam National Park, Kerala. “I grabbed my camera and headed in that direction immediately,” he said. “From a distance, I saw a pack of wild dogs hunting a sambar deer in the stream. I wanted to reach closer, so I camouflaged myself by hiding in the grass. For three hours, I waited, inching closer to the action. After a while, the wild dogs zeroed in on the kill, and I started making pictures,” he said.

In the past, Mandanna has worked on several wildlife documentaries, and therefore, wildlife photography came naturally to him. “I want to continue shooting a lot of wildlife pictures now. I want to take the medium seriously, and make the appropriate efforts towards wildlife conservation,” he said.

-Supriya Joshi

Tags: November 2010, Look Who's Shooting, Wildlife Photography, photograph, kerala, K A Mandanna, Eravikulam National Park, wildlife pictures, Nature Biennial World Cup 2010, Mandanna award