A phone call from friends in Coimbatore and a plan was devised – to photograph Blue-tailed Bee-eater in the outskirts of Mysore.
We reached Mysore by lunch, killed time at a roadside restaurant and as the harshness of the sun reduced, we left for the spot where bee-eaters are usually found. At the site, we set up the photography hide, our cameras and of course a perch for the birds.
Soon after we settled in our hide, the bee-eaters activityheightened – some landing on the perch, some with bees between their beak, others with dragonflies. On some occasions even the Green Bee-eater would perch and offer a few poses. The set up allowed us more freedom to experiment with different camera settings, try flying shots, capture some action filled frames.
The frequent activity gave us ample opportunity to make lovely images of this colourful species. We went back to the same spot early in the next morning, made some more images and then bade goodbye.
Photo-taker and Bee-eater | A photographer sits at a safe distance waiting for action
All photographs shot with: Canon 40D, 300 2.8 IS II + 2x TC
Way before I started photography, I heard the song Lose Yourself by Eminem, and the starting line has stuck with me ever since. It goes-
“If you had one shot,
one opportunity
to seize everything you ever wanted
would you capture it or just let it slip?”
This line is a constant reminder and the closest description of what I feel when I’m out on a safari or walking/trekking photographing birds.
Fondly known as Kittu, I’ve been a resident of Mudumalai for three decades. I manage and run Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse; a family run resort near the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
For as long as my memory goes, I have been an ardent lover of wildlife. Growing up on tea estates and Forest Hills, has played an active role in nurturing my love for nature and wildlife. During school holidays at Forest Hills, I made full use of safari and trekking opportunities that came my way.
In 2005, I decided to pursue photography with a Canon film SLR and in 2007, I went digital. The love of wildlife has taken me to various national parks both in India (Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Tadoba, Kaziranga to name a few) and other esteemed forest reserves such as Masai Mara (Kenya). While I keenly keep a track of birding activity at home (Forest Hills Farm and Guesthouse), one might just bump into me during a safari at my favourite forest reserve i.e. the Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
View all posts by Sameer Jain (Kittu)
Soon after we settled in our hide, the bee-eaters activityheightened – some landing on the perch, some with bees between their beak, others with dragonflies. On some occasions even the Green Bee-eater would perch and offer a few poses. The set up allowed us more freedom to experiment with different camera settings, try flying shots, capture some action filled frames.
Lose Yourself Photography 
Very nicely written Kittu
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Thank you Subbu!
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