Reminiscences of a Wildlife Photographer PHOTOGRAPHY

A beacon of light
in the field of wildlife photography
“... the language of nature ... plain,
simple and utterly brilliant.”
Anyone interested in wildlife photography must have, in all likelihood, heard of
T. N. A. Perumal. He is a photographer ‘par excellence’ and his pictures, whether pictorial,
portrait or behavioural, are always technically perfect. He never fails to capture his subject with
good composition, correct lighting and sharpness, giving it natural representation in its habitat.
I first met him in 1986 at Bangalore, in the house of the great Hanumantha Rao, an icon
of his time in wildlife photography. Since then we have been meeting frequently, and my
admiration for his depth of knowledge in the art and technology of wildlife photography has
always been growing. His interest in wildlife photography was kindled by his chance meeting
in 1960 with O. C. Edwards, an English schoolmaster, while walking in Bannerghatta, near
Bangalore. Edwards was an early pioneer of photography in India and Perumal became his
worthy pupil.
Perumal feels that “one good photograph can educate people about the environment much
more than a shelf full of books.” He prefers his photographs to talk for him. He believes in
the 3 Ps—Patience and Perseverance always Pays. Sometimes it takes long planning to create
a ‘chance’ to capture an outstanding picture. His famous picture of the close-up of a barn owl
flying with a feed for its chicks near its nest is a living example of his philosophy of the 3 Ps.
His present book with his best 252 pictures, both black-and-white and colour, will forever be
a beacon of light in the field of wildlife photography.
Vivek R. Sinha, ARDS
Wildlife photographer, conservationist and
author of books of his photography of tigers
Long before the digital photography revolution, long before the rationale of shooting wildlife with a camera
rather than a gun had become fully accepted ... there was T. N. A. Perumal. Black-and-white photography
then was considered an art form, no less than the fine art of painting, forests were undisturbed and it was
possible for a man like Perumal to sit for days in hides, machaans, or just quietly by a bird-stocked wetland
and wait for the image to fall magically through his lens onto his camera plate.
Then, when the work of gathering images would be done, Perumal would take out his equipment
and spend hour after laborious-but-meticulous hour, bathed in red light, in his developing studio. This is
where the magic all came together, as the brush of sunlight and the palette of film merged to produce the
masterpieces that are now contained within the covers of this book.
I have known, admired and been influenced by the ethics of Perumal for over almost four decades
now. Sanctuary Asia, the magazine I edit, owes him a debt of gratitude for shining a light on the direction
we eventually took. “Silence, patience, and respect for your subject are the best ingredients for wildlife
photography,” I remember him telling me in Ranthambore where I met him, together with his late friend
M. Y. Ghorpade. A traditionalist in terms of his values, Perumal has, however, always been an experimenter.
I will never forget the brilliance of the images he shot, using interrupted infrared beams to trigger owls in
mid-flight. Even today he brings nature alive in ways that only he knows.
I am honoured and delighted that he asked me to pen a few words for this book. Anyone interested in
wildlife or in the art of photography should sit with him and by osmosis they will learn. And if you cannot
sit with him, then sit with his images. They speak his language, which is the language of nature ... plain,
simple and utterly brilliant.
Bittu Sahgal
Editor, Sanctuary Asia
VI
VII

He is his own stern critic ...
Contents
I have known Mr Perumal for over 33 years. We met by chance
at Bannergatta which is about 12 miles from Bangalore. He had a
gun in one hand and a bird, which he had shot, in the other. I was
carrying a camera. I understood his shikaree’s urge quite well since I
myself had used both shot-gun and rifle before laying these down
to take up the camera for wild-life photography. He greeted me with,
“You are Mr. Edwards”, and it sounded almost like the famous words,
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume”. After this we met frequently and went
out to photograph wild-life. His shikaree’s instinct began to be satisfied
with and replaced by wild-life photography. At this he made rapid
progress. Mr. Perumal is a mild-mannered man yet one who possesses
the qualities which make for success. He is his own stern critic and is
not easily satisfied with photographs which might pass muster with the
less critical. His developing and enlarging technique kept pace with
his improvement in tackling wild subjects. He gave up his job as radio
engineer, and was employed by Mr M. Y. Ghorpade of Sandur as chief
photographer of his “The Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Ltd.” As
Mr Ghorpade himself is an FRPS and a very keen and accomplished
wild-life photographer, Mr Perumal, in his company, has had the
opportunity of seeing and photographing many wild animals both in
India and in Africa. Thus he has an impressive collection of wild-life
photographs of mammals and birds, and also a fine collection of colour
slides.
He has been exhibiting his work both in India and abroad in
international exhibitions with much success. He has won numerous
awards and certificates of merit.
Mr Perumal is in demand by organisers of exhibitions in India as a
judge for the Nature Section.
His superb pictures of the Indian Great Horned-Owl were taken with
electronic flash synchronised with the camera shutter and activated by
the bird breaking a ray of connecting light. This device was of his own
making.
His distinctions: AFIAP in 1963, EFIAP in 1968, ARPS in 1978,
FRPS in 1979.
Preface 2
Acknowledgements 5
Reminiscences of a Wildlife Photographer 9
Pictorial Photography 57
Nature Photography—Black-and-white 69
Nature Photography—Colour 155
Notes to Pictures 306
List of Digital Pictures 317
Nature Photography in India: Past and Present 319
T. N. A. Perumal: Profile in brief 326
—An Appreciation by O. C. Edwards ARPS, EFIAP, pioneer bird photographer of
India, on the occasion of a “One-Man-Show of Wild-Life and Nature Photographs
from India and Africa by T. N. A. Perumal,” organised by A. P. Photographic
Society and Max Mueller Bhavan Hyderabad in 1980.

Preface
“Some unknown, unseen forces direct one’s life, Perumal,” were the words of my esteemed
friend and mentor, the late Shri M. Y. Ghorpade of Sandur. How true! It is my firm belief
that the good deeds of my parents and the benevolent directions of our family deity—
Angalaparameshwari of Thiruppazhanam, Thanjavur—have been watching over me and have
directed many friends and well-wishers to touch my life.
From a traumatic start to an enriching new life
I have no recollection of seeing my mother. She delivered me into this world and left me
when I was ten months old. I lost my father to meningitis when I was in school. Turmoil
and helplessness followed, days filled with fear of penury and relentless family tensions and
squabbles.
My hobbies—radio, electronics, reading, wildlife and shikar literature, to name a few—were
passports to a new world; one that exposed me to mentors, friends and new situations ... As
I have said in my essay, later in this book, “a new chapter opened for me, which has been an
eventful one filled with travel and enriching wildlife and photographic experiences”.
Evolution: from gun to camera
I was introduced to the discipline and intricacies of target shooting. As a rifleman, I made
forays into forest and jungle with shooting of one kind in mind. Thankfully, my shikar days
and experiences were limited. I soon exchanged gun for camera and embarked on more
enlightened adventures. I must say, however, that my short stint as a hunter, when I studied
wildlife at close quarters, gave me a valuable understanding of animal and bird behaviour,
body language, habits and vocalisations. This knowledge has served me well in my career as a
photographer.
Sharing the journey
I have visited fascinating forests and jungles, swamps and sanctuaries, across India. I have even
been fortunate enough to go on a photo safari in East Africa. Wildlife photography rewards
the patient photographer with exhilarating moments and memories, often set in magical
environments. I have had many. For years, my family and friends have been trying to persuade
me to record my experiences and their natural outcome—photographs—in a book. Their
consistent encouragement has given gave me the confidence to overcome my trepidation and
bring out this book of my life’s work.
The rationale of ‘Reminiscences’
The task of selecting photographs seemed intimidating. Having a rationale to guide the
selection helped (it also gave a logical flow to the book).
For a brief while, early in my career, I was interested in pictorial photography. Some of
my work in this genre makes its appearance in the first section of this book. The two
following sections feature the results of my lifelong passion: wildlife and nature photography.
I have experience in all three mediums of photography—conventional black-and-white, colour
transparency and digital. So I have selected photographs that seem to best represent my work
in each, under the broader categories of black-and-white and colour.
I share the rich experiences my career choices have gifted me in an initial essay. My
thoughts on the changing nature of nature photography in India, a practical guide to wildlife
photography and notes on some selected photographs appear at the end of the book.
There are many people who have contributed to, and vastly enriched, my journey as a
photographer. They are gratefully remembered on the following page.
I hope going through this book gives you some of the joy that creating it has given me.
2 3

Reminiscences of a Wildlife Photographer
My very first bird photograph (1960)
Oriental White-Eye at nest
PHOTOGRAPHY has always enthralled me. Clicking pictures of
scenery, friends, relatives and animals with borrowed Kodak Baby
Brownie, 120 Box Brownie or folding pocket bellows cameras gave me
immense joy and a proud sense of capturing memorable images. This
hobby is a natural extension of my early penchant for drawing during
my school days.
All things mechanical, electrical and electronic fascinated me.
‘Popular Mechanics’ was a big influence on my choice of hobbies.
In school, I won prizes in the hobby section for a model house with
streetlights powered by a battery and a flying model of a fighter plane
made of thin cardboard, rubber band and propeller carved out of light
wood. Coincidentally the prize was the classic: Around the World in
Eighty Days. Evening bazaar in K. R. Market, which used to be flooded
with post-World War II U. S. Army disposal electronic gadgets, was
my favourite haunt. All my pocket money (the princely sum of four
annas a week) was spent on collecting gadgets for my experiments in
radio and electronics. Assembling a crystal radio and other electronic
gadgets occupied my mind. Words cannot describe my excitement when
I successfully assembled a valve radio receiving signals from Radio
Australia—and I could hear the laugh of the kookaburra, Voice of
America and Big Ben of BBC crackling in my set.
Natural history books, shikar classics and true-life adventure
stories were another source of endless fascination. They were my
favourite reading, transporting me into a world of jungles and wild
animals. Later, this world would become a reality. I have wandered
through such environments, in Bannerghatta and elsewhere, in the
company of people like my good friend Nanjegowda, the Shikari of
Sampigehalli, or my staunch friend, philosopher, guide and fellowphotographer,
Y. Upendra.
One has to celebrate the magic and mystery of the forest atmosphere.
I have marvelled at red wattled lapwings on an aerial sortie, giving their
agitated did-he-do-it calls, warning of an intruder. Words cannot do
justice to the elation one feels walking through the familiar incessant
drizzle that defines a forest in the monsoon season, listening to the
soothing sounds of water dripping from wet branches to the leafy forest
floor beneath. Nor can I describe the happiness I feel at hearing forest
symphonies like those of the bulbuls—red vented, white browed and red
whiskered—as they flit from one patch of forest cover to another. The
lively cackling calls of grey partridges emerging from the fields around
the forest will always symbolise the spirit of countryside and forest to
me. The forest represents so much, and is represented by so many …
and I’ve not even come to the impact that its animal inhabitants have
had on me.
My love of photography, reading and the outdoors—in combination
with my love for things mechanical—has shaped my thoughts, my
choices and my career. It has given me a lifetime of experiences and
memories, some of which I share with you in the following pages …
8 Reminiscences of a Wildlife Photographer 9

Pictorial Photography
In the early years of its existence, the world-renowned Mysore Photographic Society of Bangalore
counted more pictorial photographers than nature enthusiasts in its membership. This was not the
case for long. The reason for the reverse trend—a preference for nature / wildlife photography—was
because the parameters of pictorial photography are ill-defined and very subjective.
In nature photography, the parameters are clear: the subject has to be nature and no manipulation
is permitted. Truthful statement is the most important criteria. In pictorial photography, the subject
can be animate or inanimate; it is its treatment, one’s personal expression and vision that is important.
Of course, nature can be pictorial.
The following pages cover a selection of my work as a pictorialist; a brief interest that was soon
replaced by a lifelong fascination with nature / wildlife photography. I must add that my early attempts
at pictorial photography were at the insistence of the great stalwart in pictorial photography, the late
C. Rajagopal, who was eager that I explore the genre.

Pair of Green bee-eaters
perched on Calotropis plant
in a pictorial composition
Merops orientalis
Moon and owl
(superimposed)
Thiruvadavur,
Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Kalkere, Bannerghatta,
Bangalore, Karnataka.
58 59

Black
white
&Photographs

Wild buffalos Bubalus bubalis Kaziranga, Assam
Gaur Bos frontalis Nagarahole Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka.
78 79

Colour Photographs
Analog and Digital

Nilgiri tahr
mother and kid
Hermitragus
hylocrius
Nilgiri tahr mother and kid Hermitragus hylocrius Rajamalai, Eravikulam National Park, Munnar, Kerala.
Rajamalai,
Eravikulam
National Park,
Munnar, Kerala.
192 193

Indian antelopes or blackbucks sparring Antelope cervicapra Maidenahalli Blackbuck Reserve, Karnataka.
Common langur
Semnopithecus entellus
Bandipur National Park, Karnataka.
200 201

Medium egret landing Mesophoyx intermedia Ranthambore, Rajasthan.
Common kestrel (female) Falco tinnunculus Hesarghatta, Bangalore, Karnataka.
238 239