Untamed Kenya at your doorstep

By: Dhara Vora  Date:  2012-01-30 Place: Mumbai 

Wanderers, a bunch of talented, amateur travel photographers have captured Kenya at its scenic, wildest best in an exhibition currently underway in the city

"Typically, photography enthusiasts end up sharing their photos with friends or posting it on Facebook. Through Wanderers we attempt to create a platform to these lovers of photography. We are amateur photographers and none of us practise photography as a profession.

A pelican in flight captured on camera by Sudheer Dharmadhikari

Our aim is to promote photo-travelling," says Atmaram Parab, founder of Wanderers, a group of photography enthusiasts who plan photography tours around the world. Founded in 2003, the group's current exhibition is a collection of 130 images that showcase the wildlife and the Masai tribe of Kenya.

Since, venues charge big money for hosting exhibitions, Wanderers holds exhibitions in lesser-known spaces in Borivli, Dombivli, Pune or places where the members manage to organise an exhibition.

So far, the group has managed 21 successful exhibitions. "Our next exhibition will showcase images from World Heritage Sites in India," reveals Parab. Previous exhibitions covered places such as Leh, Ladakh, Bhutan, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Konkan and the Andaman Islands. 

The Masai tribe, native of Kenya, photographed by Rekha Bhiwandikar

The present photographs were selected from 600 entries, all taken during different months spanning 2010-11. The final photographs selected include the works of members Rekha Bhiwandikar, Nirbhay Patil, Pramod Patil, Sudheer Dharmadhikari, Tushar Nidambur and Parab.

Parab sends mail alerts to every member in the group and plans each trip accordingly, based on the response. The group has members from all over India. At least three trips are held, annually. Every group has a mentor to accompany them.

The next trip of Wanderers will head to Sundarbans, Kaziranga and Majuli, which is the world's largest river island, situated on the Brahmaputra River. This trip will focus on capturing avian activity in these wild destinations.

Till February 5, 12 to 8 pm

At PL Deshpande Art Gallery, Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi.

Call 9892182655 EMAIL atmparab2004@yahoo.com

केनियन सफारी मुंबईत

वन्यजीव, प्राणी आणि पक्षी बघण्यासाठी कॉंक्रीटच्या जंगलातून खर्‍या खुर्‍या जंगलातच जावं लागतं. आफ्रिकेतील विशेषत: केनियातील जंगल हे पृथ्वीतलावरचं सध्याचं सर्वात समृद्ध जंगल आहे. पर्यावरण तज्ज्ञांच्या मते ज्या जंगलात सिंह, वाघ, गेंडा, हत्ती व रानरेडे (गवे) असतात ते जंगल अन्न साखळीच्या दृष्टीने उत्तम असतं. स्थलांतर करताना झेब्रा, जिराफ अशा प्राण्यांच्या झुंडीच्या झुंडी केनियात पहायला मिळतात. इतर ठिकाणी जे प्राणी-पक्षी पाहाण्यासाठी भरपूर कष्ट घ्यावे लागतात ते केनियाच्या जंगलात सहजपणे पाहायला मिळतात. स्वप्नवत जंगल सफारी , नेत्र दीपक  वन्य जीवन , सुंदर समुद्रकिनारा व वर्षभर आल्हाददायक हवामान ह्या साठी केनिया प्रसिद्ध आहे. स्थलांतर करणारे असंख्य पक्षांचे थवे आणि प्राण्यांचे कळप पाहून मन हरकून जात. वन्य जीवनाचा निखळ आनंद घेण्यासाठी, तीथल्या उत्साहाचा आणि भारावलेल्या वातावरणाचा आनंद घेण्यासाठी आयुष्यात एकदातरी केनियाची सफर केलीच पाहिजे.

‘वॉन्डररर्स’ या हौशी छायाचित्रकारांपैकी काही जण आत्माराम परब यांच्या नेतृत्वाखाली केनियाची सफर करून आले. अशाच 'वॉन्डररर्स' पैकी  रेखा भिवंडीकर, तुषार निदांबूर, सुधिर धर्माधिकारी, प्रमोद पाटील, निर्भय पाटील आणि आत्माराम परब यांच्या छायाचित्रांचे प्रदर्शन पु.ल. देशपांडे कला दालन, रविंद्र नाटयमंदिर आवार, प्रभादेवी, मुंबई येथे २८ जानेवारी ते ५ फेब्रुवारी २०१२, सकाळी १२ ते सायंकाळी ८ वाजेपर्यंत आयोजित करण्यात आले आहे. हे प्रदर्शन सर्वाना विना मूल्य खुले आहे. 

An exhibition on Kenya’s scenic landscape

Sneha Mahale, Hindustan Times

Mumbai, January 25, 2012

A wild elephant guides its calf in Yala, about 250 kilometres south of Colombo, Sri Lanka on Monday, February 26, 2007. According to Sri Lanka's wildlife department, there are about 4,500 elephants roaming the country's forests, of which 150 are killed every year by ivory poachers and farmers who complain their crops are destroyed by the wild animals.

For wildlife enthusiasts and photographers alike, a trip to Kenya is a great opportunity to make some unforgettable memories the great wilderness, contrasting landscape and a wide range of predators and prey in action. Now, you can catch some of these moments at PL Deshpande Art Gallery, Ravindra Natya Mandir, Prabhadevi, as part of a group photography exhibition titled Kenya — A journey into the Wilderness. The 130 pictures on display have been shot by six amateur photographers, during trips made over three years.

“These moments were captured during different seasons, as different animals and birds can be found at the same spot depending on when you visit,” says Atmaram Parab, one of these photographers, who clicked his pictures on display during visits in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

 And the famous Masai Mara isn’t the only focus of the exhibition. While the big cats, hippos and rhinos find a place of pride in the works, the photographers also visited the Aberdare Range for their African elephants and Lake Nakuru for their flamingo and pelican population.

Parab says, “We also shot the endangered Golayat Heron at Lake Baringo and managed to catch the striped hyena at day time.” And during the migration season, they were able to watch several wildebeest, zebras, giraffe and several types of deer.

Some kills and chases added to the excitement, and a particular incident of a lion chasing a deer made for an interesting discussion.

Parab says, “After a long chase, this deer jumped over an electric fence nearby. Though none of us could see what happened to the deer, we and even the lion waited for 30 minutes near the fence for its return.”

Catch Kenya - A journey into the Wilderness at PL Deshpande Art Gallery, Prabhadevi, from January 28 to February 5. From 12 pm to 8 pm.