Photography & Me

Praying Mantis 101

2012-06-10T14:19:00.000+08:00

I started this blog about 5 years ago, and at that point of time, I had no idea where this blog would be headed. I wasn't sure of what to do in this blog, what to post, or anything, whatsoever. I just wanted a site where I could post my photos. I never knew that I would continue posting for 5 years! And the URL of the blog, Praying Mantis 101, was just a sudden idea that came into my mind. Well, needless to say, the Praying Mantis was my favourite insect, and it still is. I find the praying mantis very fond of humans, especially the larger ones. They don't always try to escape. They sometimes watch you, and look straight into your eyes. And I don't know why, but most of the large praying mantises I come across just love to fly onto my face.

Well now that I've been posting for 5 years, I guess it's time for a break. Not that I want this break, but because I need it. I spend quite a lot of time going out for photography, and as much time organizing and posting these photos on my blog. And I'm no freebie - I'm a student who needs to focus on studies as well. Now I'm in 11th grade, and for me these 2 years are the most vital, the most important 2 years when it comes to deciding my future. And apart from that, I stay in a boarding school now in Bangalore, and they don't let you access the Internet that often (it's India!).

So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you, who have viewed my blog, and posted your wonderful and encouraging comments. It is only because of you guys that I feel the urge to continue posting. And now I won't be doing so for a while, but that doesn't mean its the end. I may appear again during my holidays for one or two posts. And in the meantime, you could always browse through the 500+ posts I've published on this blog.

So that's it!

Thank You all for your support! Wishing everyone the best in their future endeavours!

Cheers, Shawn

The Snake on the Tree

2012-06-09T13:37:00.002+08:00

Rat snakes, probabaly the most common snakes here in Kerala. But I never really got to photograph one well due to their shyness and speed. But just a day before school, this little rat snake decided to give me a treat.

I was walking to my neighbour's house when I spotted the snake on a mullberry tree. I thought these snakes were poor climbers, but well, I was proven wrong. The snake was happily resting on the tree, perhaps waiting for a bird or lizard to appear so it could grab and have a snack. Or maybe it was just watching the world from a different point of view.

The snake didn't slither away when I came close to shoot it. But it was very well aware of me, as it kept sticking its tongue out whenever I moved.

A beautiful snake indeed. I'd be glad if these snakes are around as they're harmless, and useful, as they help reduce the rat/rodent population in the area.

Narrow-Mouthed Frog

2012-05-28T17:49:00.000+08:00

I was hanging out with my neighbor at his place one rainy evening, when we hear several loud frog calls from a nearby stream. Upon taking a look, we spotted a pretty large frog in the shallow water.

As I didn't have my camera with me, my neighbor lent me his Nikon L110 to grab these few shots. We sneaked closer to the frog, till he hopped onto the gravel.

I haven't been able to precisely identify this frog, except that it is a species of Narrow Mouthed Frog. This can be seen from its small and pointed mouth. It could be a Jerdon's Narrow-Mouthed Frog, but that species is near threatened and only found in the evergreen forests of South India.

Night in Bangalore

2012-05-27T16:31:00.001+08:00

A night shot of a rather busy street in Bangalore. I went there early this May for an admission into a school there. Yeap, that's right, I'm leaving this dreaded place (Kerala).

Riverside

2012-05-26T16:26:00.000+08:00

I recently took a ride to see a relative at his home, about a night from mine on train. Just a minute's walk from his house is this beautiful river, surrounded by lush greenery.

I've been to many riversides but none of them actually caught my attention like this one. Not many people actually come to this particular spot, and so it was clean and unpolluted. I was excited when my cousin told me that Smooth Otters often frequent this spot. However, it's a matter of luck when it comes to spotting them. We didn't get to see any while we were there.

Close to the river is a tiny path that takes you to the main road ahead. The path is so narrow, it's just wide enough for one of us to barely fit through. The tall sides are full of burrows too, probably filled with snakes and other creatures.

Further down the river, a narrow wooden bridge has been constructed across, so that people are able to walk from one bank to the other. The bridge is extremely shaky and one will definitely have to hold on to the side railings in order to get across!

A view of the river, taken from the tiny bridge.

Dead Water Snakes

2012-05-25T23:28:00.000+08:00

While walking along the mounds in the middle of the wet fields, I came across 2 dead snakes. Now I don't know how they were killed or who or what killed them. The first one, as shown below, was lying in the shallow water with its ventral side up.

I then took the snake up with a stick and placed it on the ground to try and identify it. All I can say is that it is a species of watersnake, maybe a keelback.

And after walking several minutes, I encountered another dead snake, this one too, in the water with its ventral side up.

I'm concluding that these snakes died probably due to humans or birds like herons killing and throwing them away. I did spot a live one but it immediately swam into the muddy water before I could grab a shot.

Birding in the Wet Fields

2012-05-25T00:38:00.000+08:00

There are a number of large, wet paddy fields close to my house here. Although not 'biodiversity hotspots' in any way, a walk through these fields once in a while might yield some interesting results. During the monsoons, these fields are said to be filled with water snakes, especially in the muddy water. Anyway, I decided to head out to one of these large fields one afternoon to practice birding.

The most common birds here were these storks/herons.

Since it was sunny and bright, it was possible to shoot the birds in flight with fast shutter speeds, without worrying about shake.

Another common bird within these fields was the Purple Swamphen. I never knew of such birds in the locality, as these wet fields are so far the only places I've ever encountered them.

Look at this guy peeking from the tall grasses! He was barely visible from such a distance.

A group of birds

And one flies off!

Dragon Enlarged

2012-05-24T18:11:00.000+08:00

This handsome little dragon allowed me to get up close and personal so I could take as many shots of him as I wanted.

Bokehfly

2012-05-21T23:32:00.000+08:00

A graceful butterfly fluttering over red flowers, sucking nectar from each of them. I love the blurred background!

Big Frog, Orange Frog, Forest Frog

2012-05-17T01:39:00.000+08:00

Unlike many other wild creatures, amphibians like frogs aren't that commonly seen in my locality nowadays, perhaps due to urbanization which has depleted their population. The only amphibians you commonly do see here are Asian Toads (they are really common) and these large frogs that spend most of their time in water.

For once I caught this guy outside after a spell of rain. Usually, these big frogs spend their entire day in my outdoor pond, and only head out at night.

The distinct yellow line that runs along its back shows that it belongs to the family of fanged frogs.

A few days back I happened to come across a new species of frog in this region - one that was brightly and beautifully coloured.

I spotted this guy one night outside my neighbor's house. I love it's colours and patterns! Bright orange back with tiny black dots, and black and white legs!

The frog was extremely friendly and allowed me to take some pretty close-up shots.

Lastly, I had come across a medium-sized frog in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. This fella was hiding in the buttress of a really large tree. I'm not exactly sure of what species this is, but it does look similar to the colourful one above.

Oh, Snap!

2012-05-16T00:36:00.000+08:00

As I was leaving the Periyar Tiger Reserve, I heard several loud calls from a nearby tree, and upon a closer look, realized it was a Malabar Grey Hornbill. And since I'm not the kind of guy who's so used to seeing such big and beautiful wild birds, I got really excited. It was the first time spotting this bird, and I wanted to get some good photographs. But well, you never always get what you want at the first try, so before I could even get close to it, the bird flew off. All I have is this shot, perhaps just enough for identification.

Indian Dhole

2012-05-12T01:49:00.001+08:00

I've kept the best things for last.

The highlight of the entire trip to Periyar Tiger Reserve is without doubt the sighting of several Indian Wild Dogs, also called Dholes. These canines were feasting on a fresh wild sambar on the bank of the lake.

I wasn't expecting this during the ride. We didn't spot this group of Dholes on the way into the lake (it's a to and fro course), but only on the way back. That meant one thing- these Dholes had attacked and killed the sambar deer as we were travelling deeper into the lake.

As our boat drew closer to the scene, most of the dogs fled further up the bank. They are known to be fearful of humans.

There was, however, this particular daring individual who stood his spot, not letting go of his precious meal.

He looks up at us, and then continues feasting. As you can see, the water around the sambar had become bloody red.

The deer is about thrice the size of the dhole, but since these dogs hunt in packs, they are bold enough to attack and overpower large and dangerous animals such as wild boars, water buffaloes and even tigers.

Dholes are classed as endangered by the IUCN, due to ongoing habitat loss, depletion of its prey base, competition from other predators and possibly diseases from domestic dogs. I could consider myself lucky to have spotted a pack in action.

Nilgiri Langurs

2012-05-10T01:02:00.000+08:00

Nilgiri Langurs, or Nilgiri Leaf Monkeys are an endangered species of old world monkeys found mainly in South India. As I was driving along one of the roads in the reserve, I spotted a group of these Langurs hanging around on the trees overhead, watching the cars and people pass by.

These monkeys used to be a common species in India, but are now considered endangered due to excessive poaching and habitat loss which has resulted in a drastic decrease in their population. I spotted one individual during the boat ride too, but only for a few seconds short of grabbing a shot. The ones here were difficult to photograph as well as the back-light made their bodies dark and unrecognizable.

Anyway, the extremely common Lion-Tailed Macaques were abundant in the reserve.

Wild Mammals around Periyar Lake

2012-05-09T12:34:00.001+08:00

As I mentioned earlier, most of the wildlife we encountered in the reserve were during the boat ride in the lake. Apart from birds, Sambar deer were extremely common along the banks of the lake. They were always seen grazing on the grass in groups.

Birds in the foreground and deer in the background

A small Smooth Otter captured my eye during the ride, but unfortunately, the boat was pretty far away and the otter only stayed for a few seconds on the bank before diving back into the deep water. These cute little creatures are supposed to be rather common here.

Wild Bison were considered a common species here, but we only spotted 2 groups of these beasts.
I'm guessing they don't head out during rainy or dewy weather.

It's not that easy to tell from the boat, whether the animals were bison or deer, due to the distance and the fog. Had it been a bright and sunny day, the chances of spotting wildlife would have been more, and I could have been able to photograph better too.

Birds of Periyar II

2012-04-28T18:28:00.001+08:00

Most of the birds I spotted within the reserve's lake were water birds, like Cormorants and Snakebirds. I had a little more luck when it came to shooting these Snakebirds, as they would sit there on their spot quietly and watch us pass by in our boat.

Snakebirds, also known as Darters, are water birds found mainly in the tropics. These birds are usually found in freshwater lakes like these, as well as rivers, swamps and marshes. They are called 'snakebirds' due to their thin and long necks, which resemble snakes, especially when they swim in water with their bodies submerged.

These birds are rather sociable; they usually mix and hunt together with other water birds like Herons and Cormorants. Although they are known to gather in flocks, the ones I spotted here in Periyar were lonesome individuals.

There was another common species of Darter in the reserve, a slightly larger one. However, I could only snap a single shot of the bird, that too a rather mug one. Certainly, my 200mm can't be used for serious birding!

Apart from these Snakebirds, another common bird was the White-Throated Stork (or Wooly-Necked Stork). Despite the fact that they are rather large birds, my photographs didn't turn out too well as the birds seemed rather shy, and flew off when we got close.

An individual flies off as our boat drives closer.

I managed to grab these two shots of the bird in flight, by pure luck!

Sure enough, shooting birds in Periyar was a great experience for me and it enhanced my birding skills. What about the other wild animals in the reserve? Coming up next.

Birds of Periyar I

2012-04-27T00:14:00.000+08:00

The lake in Periyar Tiger Reserve is filled with birds, literally. Don't believe it? Check these photographs out:

As you can see, a flock of birds, mainly cormorants, were gliding over the water surface. These cormorants are abundant in the reserve, and very often, they tend to fly in large flocks like these over the water surface, and all of a sudden, they would plunge into the water. A few seconds later, their heads and necks would show up, with the rest of their bodies submerged in the water.

I was never good at photographing birds, but this time, due to their abundance, I managed to capture some decent shots of the cormorants.

And sure enough, I guess I'm slowly starting to learn how to shoot birds and other subjects in flight!

A happy couple.

A group of cormorants perching in line along the branch of one of the numerous submerged trees in the lake.

Alright, enough with the Cormorants. I spotted several raptors in the lake too, but well, these birds were fast and pretty far away, and so I couldn't photograph them well with my 200mm. However here's one of them as it flew off with it's fresh catch - a large fish from the lake. He must have had a five-star dinner that evening!

A Yellow-Billed Babbler. This bird was found close to the Visitor Centre in the reserve. I realized why it's called 'Babbler' upon listening to its calls.

More birds coming up next, in 'Birds of Periyar II'!

Periyar Tiger Reserve

2012-04-26T16:09:00.000+08:00

So finally, after weeks of pleading and begging, my Dad decided to accompany me to a trip to Periyar Tiger Reserve, a wildlife sanctuary in the state. The last time I visited the reserve was almost 6 years back, and I remember spotting a Giant Squirrel. It was a sudden plan, and so we only reached the reserve by noon. We passed by several tea plantations like these on the way.

The main attraction in the reserve is the boat ride through the lake, where one may encounter wildlife along the banks. The lake is filled with partially submerged tree trunks, which are used for navigation.

People walking towards the boats. The boat takes 1.5 hours to complete its course to and fro.

The weather wasn't really suitable for spotting wildlife. It was gloomy, with rain clouds above and hardly any sun. Furthermore, the mist. Here are some shots I took of the landscape, which was pretty amazing, to say the least.

In addition to the low temperature there were strong, cold breezes too.

Wildlife at Periyar coming up next.

Bell

2012-04-26T13:24:00.001+08:00

Bell came into my life on 10th April this year, as a weak and dying baby bird. My dad had spotted him falling from another bird's claws and onto the ground. Not wanting him to die, he brought the baby bird home, hoping that my sister and I would take care of him. The initial stages of feeding were difficult; we couldn't tell what species he was, and what he actually fed on. We later managed to identify him as a Rufous Treepie, a very common bird in the area. However, over the days, he slowly started to recover, and soon became really active. He would stand on his toes, chirp out loudly with his mouth open wide, and flap his tender wings whenever we came to feed him. He was so adorable! On 19th April, something miraculous happened: When I placed him next to a line of moving ants, he slowly turned his attention towards them, and even tried pecking at the ants! His natural instincts seemed to start kicking! I was overjoyed; it seemed to me like the dream I had, of one day letting him fly off into the wild, would come true after all. But alas, the very next day, that dream was shattered. He was gasping for air, and unable to stand when I went to feed him that morning. My sister started crying. How could this have happened! He was so active and healthy the previous day! We held him in our palms for a while, and soon, he closed his eyes and stopped breathing. He was gone. I have no explanation for this; I believe I fed him the right food, and followed all necessary precautions. Maybe he was just destined to die? I mourn over his death, but yet, am glad that I managed to keep him alive for 9 more days. These days with Bell have taught me how to be responsible, and how to sacrifice time that I could have spent out there enjoying.

We had Bell buried in one of our plots. Here's a video I took of him, as my sister cleaned him with a warm, damp cloth.

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R.I.P Bell(??/4/12 - 20/4/12)

Pine Forest at Vagamon

2012-04-20T15:04:00.000+08:00

Vagamon also holds a Pine Forest covering several hectors of the mountains. Although this patch of forest is rather small, it contains a considerable number of pine trees to block out the rest of the landscape from our view. As it was a pleasant climate, the forest was perfect for a stroll too: The ground was covered with dry, smooth pine litter, and the atmosphere was great. Luckily, there weren't much people there at the moment to spoil the calmness and tranquility in the area.

One good thing was that there were hardly any waste materials or litter around. Maybe visitors are finally starting to realize the importance of clean and unpolluted environments.

Lying down on the ground and looking up at the sky through the canopy was just so relaxing!

We actually took an hour's nap here; it's really hard not to fall asleep in a place as serene and quiet as this!

As you can see, the hills and meadows are visible towards the edges of the tiny forest.

Vagamon

2012-04-15T17:34:00.000+08:00

I recently had a trip to Vagamon, a hill station around 60 kms from my house here. It is a great spot for a day's outing, and for me, it's perhaps the closest spot where I'll get to experience nature and some peace. Since I visited in April, it wasn't too cold- in winter, temperatures may go down to 5 degrees Celsius, accompanied by thick mist and fog. During the monsoons, there are several waterfalls as well in various locations around the hill station.

We climbed a pretty high mountain, called the 'Mountain of the Holy Cross', as the 14 stations in the Way of the Cross have been put up along the path to the peak. It is a famous pilgrimage center for Catholic Christians in India. The way up was so steep, that we climbed only till the 7th station and stopped as we were really exhausted. The sun was up too, but that didn't really bother us as the wind was so strong and cool.

You can see my cousin and sister posing by one of the stations, in the following photograph.

Vagamon also has vast stretches of beautiful green meadows and scenic valleys on the smaller and rounder hills.

The landscape is just breathtaking! These photographs aren't able to depict even a fraction of what it's like seeing it in real life with our own eyes.

And of course, tea plantations.

Vagamon has amenities for trekking, mountaineering, rock climbing and even paragliding! However you need a certificate and licence for paragliding and rock climbing.

Green

2012-04-15T01:28:00.000+08:00

Living in a sub-urban locality in the Kerala state of India, green is a colour I see everywhere. And I see it so often that sometimes, it'll just bore the hell out of me. So here's a collection of all things green. These photographs were shot over the past few weeks.

Speeding

2012-04-14T19:27:00.000+08:00

Sorry for another long pause without any blog posts! I'll be resuming my posts from India right after this one. Anyway, here's one last photograph I wish to show you guys, also taken in April 2011 in Orchard, Singapore. I shot this sports car, an Audi R8, as it zoomed past on the opposite lane. As I pressed the shutter, I moved my camera along with it, and obtained this shot, which shows the car in action.

Singapore - A Closed Chapter?

2012-04-09T22:17:00.000+08:00

Now I have recently posted several posts on Singapore, although the photographs were actually taken about a year ago. But it seems like Singapore has become a closed chapter for me. You see, I just had my status of Singapore Permanent Resident cancelled due to several reasons. All male citizens and PRs of Singapore have to serve 2 years of National Service (Army) from the age of 18. Since I happen to be studying here, and because I don't see the need for wasting 2 precious years, which I could spend for studying - for college/university, I decided, considering also my parents' opinions, to go ahead and cancel my PR. NS in Singapore can be really treacherous and tough, and although it might take a big toll on you, it sure does build up your body and character. I'm saying this from hearing my senior friends' experiences serving the army. However, now that I've opted out of it and cancelled my PR, I'm doubtful if I can visit Singapore again - the country I grew up in. I'm pretty dejected about it, but well, I'm sure that if I become too overwhelmed I can always choose to return to Singapore after serving my 2 years. For now, I'm trying to move on with life, and see where it'll take me. Singapore was just a chapter in my life, and I'll be looking forward to the many chapters yet to have reached.

Evening at Lakeside

2012-04-07T22:23:00.000+08:00

Lakeside, although located in the middle of a busy town, is an ideal spot for a quick and refreshing stroll. As the name suggests, the park is located along a large lake, and holds two small 'islands', the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. I used to regularly go for early morning jogs and evening walks here with my friends or family, as it was a mere 15 minute walk from my home.

The sparkling apartments at night, seen on the other side of the lake

Urban Singapore

2012-04-07T15:58:00.000+08:00

I grew up in Singapore, and spent almost my entire childhood there. Yet I was never able to appreciate what Singapore offered me, like beautiful skyscrapers and modern cities, perhaps because I grew up seeing them all the while. I was interested only in nature and wildlife and therefore never took my camera out when I was anywhere in the urban jungle. I always wanted to visit India, to enjoy its natural beauty. Well, the grass is always greener on the other side! After staying in India and experiencing what India really is like, my presumptions and attitudes switched. So when I returned to Singapore for a month in April 2011, I went ahead to enjoy the real Singapore- it's urban beauty, bustling cities and tall buildings.

Anyway, enough talking. Here are a collection of photographs of Urban Singapore!

A part of Vivo City in Harbourfront

Bridge leading to the famous Sentosa Island from Harbourfront

Orchard, the top shopping destination for most Singaporeans, and for many others around the globe!

The Cone in Wheelock Place, Orchard

And this is what it looks like from below:

Shots taken from the Marina Bay Sands. I've posted a lot more photographs of the Marina Bay Sands and more, in an earlier post, Singapore Cityscapes.

A fallen building!? No, that's just the escalators to the MRT train station in Novena.