Wildlife photographer Raghav Mehta showcases his bird photographs in an exhibition in Kochi

Short-eared owl
| Photo Credit: Raghav Mehta

The short-eared owl flies close to the agricultural fields in Washington, USA, in the winter months, looking for vole, its food. A full-frame photograph of the bird shot mid-flight by wildlife photographer Raghav Mehta captures the beauty of the bird down to its minutest detail. 

On display at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery, as part of an exhibition, Raghav says the photograph took three and a half years of work. He spent time studying the bird’s behaviour — its feeding and migratory patterns. He identified a spot in the fields in winter where it was likely to visit. “I did several recces of the place and finally, one day, got the photo. It was -21 degree Celsius and I would just wait for hours on end,” says Raghav.

Birds in Folklore is Raghav’s debut exhibition and includes over 20 of his bird photographs clicked in the US and in Kerala and Karnataka. And every frame has a story behind it, too. “Each species has its own character traits and unique behavioural patterns. Photographing them over the past 10 years, I have learnt a great deal about them,” he says. 

Blue-eared kingfisher
| Photo Credit:
Raghav Mehta

Photographing birds in the wild is a meditative process that requires total focus; but it is also equally challenging. Raghav narrates the events that led to his photo of the blue-eared kingfisher, which he clicked in Thattekkad in Kerala. The small, shy bird found in the forest streams in the leech-infested forests of Thattekad, was a lucky find. “I was actually on the lookout for the oriental dwarf kingfisher, but then I spotted this blue-eared one close enough for a good photograph,” he says.

Sparrow
| Photo Credit:
Raghav Mehta

He has observed over 700 species of birds in their natural environments and is constantly inspired by their colours and their vibrant personalities. He has a collection of amusing anecdotes about his experiences as a bird photographer as well. “Once, in Texas, the US, when I was lying on the ground trying to photograph a hooded warbler, a small, bright yellow bird, another hooded warbler decided to rest on my back. The biannual migration of these warblers across the Gulf of Mexico is a remarkable feat of endurance and navigation. They are extremely tired after migration and need plenty of rest and sleep,” says Raghav.  

The idea of the exhibition is to highlight the beauty of birds and to create awareness on the need to conserve their habitats, adds Raghav.

Birds in Folklore is on till January 19 at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery.