Cartoons on Wildlife Photography for Dusty Foot Productions

Dusty Foot Productions headed by the dynamic wildlife film-maker Rita Banerji came out with a manual on wildlife photography for students of its conservation film-making venture, Green Hub last year. I wrote and drew some cartoons for the manual, on the technical aspects of wildlife photography, and also illustrated its cover (the image above, with the gibbon, hornbill and the rhino checking out a video camera).

(On equipment maintenance)

(On using natural light)

(On focus)

(The rule of thirds)

(On the types of cameras used for wildlife photography)

(Aperture)

(On the different modes of shooting)

(On ISO)

(On shutter speed)

(On various shots used to frame a subject)

(On editing/sound editing)

Thanks to Rita Banerji for commissioning me for these cartoons that I had a blast doing, and to Nina Subramani for designing the manual!

Taking Symbiosis to the Next Level

On symbiosis, oxpeckers and hippos from my Gocomics page today.

Sleep- A Poem by Sloth

A sloth is my guest writer for this weekend's strip, and he writes on his muse- sleep!

From my column with Mid-Day today. You know exactly how to spend the weekend now, don't you?

Prints available on my webstore here.

The Fourth R

Remember the three Rs. Forget the fourth!

The single biggest favour we can do to the planet is to not reproduce. From my column with BLink today.

Prints and merchandise can be purchased here.

Nagzira Navegaon Tiger Reserve- An Illustrated Map

(Click on the images for a larger view)

Last year when the Wildlife Trust of India commissioned me to illustrate a map of Nagzira Navegaon Tiger Reserve, things came around full circle for me, as it was this very place that inspired me to start drawing cartoons on wildlife! Situated in the Gondia district of Maharashtra, and a little over 150 km from my hometown, Nagpur, Nagzira-Navegaon, not only boasts of some of the country's most sought-after fauna, but is also regarded as one of the most scenic landscapes is Central India. The map was drawn with a focus on endangered and threatened fauna, as well as the lifestyle of the Gondi tribal people, who inhabit the areas around the reserve and whose lives revolve intricately around the region's wildlife.

Here are a few close-ups from the various sections of the map-

Intended for rural awareness, the map has also been translated to Marathi and is being displayed at various sites within the reserve for tourists as well as locals.

(The Marathi version of the map)

An additional poster on the fauna of Nagzira was also created from the illustrated elements in the map-

A big thanks to the WTI and IFAW for commissioning this assignment!

Karvi flowers bloom in Mumbai

Hey Mumbaikars, do you know that as we speak, a rare flower endemic to the Western Ghats called 'Karvi' (Storbilanthes callosus) is in full bloom in your very city after 8 years? The karvi blooms only once every 8 years and turns the city's famous Sanjay Gandhi National Park into a carpet of lavender. The bloom lasts just for a few weeks, so make sure you drop everything and go witness it right now!

The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today.

Animals faster than Usain Bolt

It's three golds for Usain Bolt! But what's faster than the fastest?

Meet the gold medalists of the land, air and sea- the cheetah, the Peregrine Falcon and the Black Marlin! And congratulations, Bolt!

Prints and goodies on my webstore here.

RIP Machhli

India's oldest and most famous tigress, Machhli, breathed her last today, in her home, Ranthambor National Park. Said to be the most photographed tiger in the world, Machhli was bestowed with several titles such as 'Lady of the Lakes', 'Tigress Queen', 'The Queen Mother' (owing to the fact that more than half of Ranthambor's tiger's today are her progeny!) and 'The Croc Killer' (based on the famous incident in which she fought and killed a 14 foot long Mugger crocodile). True to her titles, Machhli lived a queen's life and died at the age of 19- a remarkable feat for a wild tiger. It is a sad day for wildlife lovers in India as Machhli joins Ranthambor's conservation legend Fateh Singh Rathore in heaven today.

Sadly, India also lost veteran conservationist Mr. Ashok Kumar today morning. May both their souls rest in peace.

The Bronzed Drongo

Anyone who has seen the Bronzed Drongo of the Western Ghats and the Himalayas hawk insects in the air will agree with me- its mid-air athletic display is worthy of an Olympic medal! Defined by the forked tail and the bronze-like sheen on its feathers, the Bronzed Drongo is a familiar resident of Indian hills. 

A big congratulations to all our athletes who have won at Rio, and to all those who are going to win!

The comic appears on my Sunday column with Mid-Day today.

Contraception for Wild Elephants

A comic on Karnataka's decision to introduce contraception to control the wild elephant population in South India, from my column with The Hindu BLink today. Who are we, a disgraced population of 7.4 billion, to control the population of one of nature's most superior beings?

Illustration for Current Conservation

Current Conservation Kids runs a monthly column by ecologists who describe what a typical day is like for them at work. These illustrations were done for a column by shark boiologist Phl Doherty who studies the world's second biggest fish- the Basking Shark.

The latest issue of the magazine can be read here. While you're at it, do check out the fantastic cover illustration on coral bleaching by Prabha Mallya!

The Snake Torture Festival

It's that day of the year again in India, when thousands of snakes across the country are captured from the wild, have their fangs hammered out and burned, and are subjected to the worst form of torture, including force-feeding with milk and sprinkling of vermilion into their eyes. Naag Panchami is a festival meant to worship and revere snakes. The best way of doing so is to leave them alone, in the wild. 

The comic appears in my Sunday column with Mid-Day today.

Read a series of cartoons I created in collaboration with indiansnakes.org that debunks snake myths here. Celebrate Naag Panchami cruelty free.

Snake Myths Busted

I collaborated with the amazing folks at Indiansnakes.org  to bring out some cartoons that debunk snake myths that are prevalent in India and lead to harassment, capture and even death of snakes. Naag Panchami, a festival in which snakes are meant to be worshiped, ends up being a day of horror for snakes; particularly cobras, as they are captured from the wild, defanged and rendered helpless, force-fed with milk and tortured.

Indiansnakes will soon be publishing vernacular versions of the cartoons and distributing it as posters. Thanks to the dynamic Shaleen Attre and Jose Luis for teaming up!

Let this Naagpanchami be cruelty free. Say no to snake worship and report the capturing of snakes to your local forest department.

The Peregrine Falcon on E-bird

The Peregrine Falcon on E-bird! From my column in The Hindu Bl-ink last weekend.