AFVOA Newletter August 2020

Section 6 – eConnect Reviews CV 2 No. 02 / 2020 Page 210 of 237 Isn’t wildlife photography risky? Of course it is. Risks present in different shapes and sizes. While wild animals patently pose the highest of risks if they feel that they are threatened, snakes, insects and a host of creepy-crawlies add to the risk environment. Snakes, particularly cobras, have the uncanny knack falling just in front of you, leaving one with very little reaction time. The oft-stated dictum in the financial investments environment ‘higher the risk, higher the returns’ works equally well in this domain. The slide show provided an insightful answer to a wondrous query on nature’s bounty, raised by Mahakavi Bharathiyar in one of his famous songs which starts with the following lines நிற்ப�ேவநடப்ப�ேவபறப்ப�ேவ நீங்கெளல்லாம் ெசாப்பனம்தாேனா ெவ�ம் ேதாற்றமயக்கங்கேளா .... (Loosely translates as ‘The ones that stand, walk and fly, are you all just a dream or mere optical illusions?) The ‘wildlife’ as we call it is just not wild. The animals and birds have a very deep sense of bonding, emotions and are full of life. They believe in peaceful co-existence. They don’t kill unless they are hungry. They do not interfere with nature or trespass into human habitat. They do not attack unless they are attacked. Some breeds of birds, of which Sarus Crane is one, mate for life. If they are called wild, what are we then? Ms Rathika stands out for her unusual and a path-breaking career she has chosen. The veterans were witness to her humility and patience when she explained her experiences in detail. Its no wonder then that she is the recipient of many national and international awards and is now a big name to reckon with in this rare domain. The members of AFVOA congratulate Ms Rathika Ramasamy and raise a toast for her continued success and many more happy clicks. In his closing address, the President rightly echoed Ms Rathika’s mantra - “If you have to shoot, shoot with your camera”. The Members who missed the meeting today may like to visit www.rathikaramasamy.com for a visual treat of her still and video shoots. JAI HIND