Photographer Kola Venkateshwarlu has literally hit gold with his frame capturing the playful mood of famed tigress Dotty’s cubs at a waterhole in Bandhavgarh National Park.
The Kodad-based lensman, widely acknowledged as one of the best in shooting habitat pictures of tigers across reserve forests in India, will be presented the gold medal in the Nature Digital category of the India International Photography Council Awards 2019 on August 19.
The event marks World Photography Day.
Kola Venkanna, as he is popularly known, was on a routine visit to Bandhavgarh this May when he saw the mother and the three sub-adult male cubs enjoying a splash in the water.
“For someone who was in the jury for the last few years, it is a welcome change to receive the gold medal for the tiger picture and in the photo travel section, the best image award for the picture I shot of Kambala buffalo race in Udupi (Karnataka),” says Venkanna whose photography career spans 35 years.
‘Special feeling’
“This is not the first time that I got this award but it is always a special feeling to get one for the tiger picture. Frankly, there is no greater joy than capturing the national animal on camera,” Mr. Venkateshwarlu says.
The Best Image Award in the Nature Digital category has been bagged by Narendra Venkata Ramana of Guntur for the Sarus cranes picture.
In the photo journalism digital section, the gold medal will be awarded to D.T. Harikrishna of Nellore while K.V.S. Giri of The Hindu (Hyderabad) will get the second prize in the ‘best image’ category for his picture of BJP supporters sporting masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the general election campaign in Hyderabad. Ch.V.S. Vijaya Bhaskara Rao of The Hindu (Vijayawada) will receive the third prize for his picture ‘Walk in Pipes’ in this category.
In the Monochrome Open digital category, R. Kumaraswamy of Karimnagar has earned the gold medal for his picture ‘Desi Daru’ and P. Vinod Kumar of Hyderabad the ‘best image’ award in this category for his ‘Uphills’ photo.
