Tag Archives: Ismail Shariff-Wildlife Photographer

Ismail Shariff the ‘Snow Leopard Man of India’ shares his journey

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TELANGANA :

What started as documenting his own life in Europe while pursuing his Masters gradually gained direction and came to focus on wildlife photography.

Hyderabad:

 His photographs of a snow leopard from Spiti, Himachal Pradesh broke the internet, literally. Yet the man is still calm, unassuming.

Ismail Shariff, Hyderabad-based nature and wildlife photographer, is known to wildlife and photography enthusiasts as the ‘Snow Leopard Man of India’. His long and passionate association with photography began in his student days. What started as documenting his own life in Europe while pursuing his Masters gradually gained direction and came to focus on wildlife photography.

Picking up his first camera in 2005, Ismail was treated to the magnificent sight of a huge male tiger in 2008 while on a trip to the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh. That was the defining moment of his life. “It became one of the reasons for me to move back to India to pursue of wildlife photography and tourism here,” he said.

Ismail, an alumnus of the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, has been part of nine snow leopard expeditions in the last seven years with the recent one being in 2020, apart from several other wildlife expeditions. The first thing that strikes his mind about snow leopards is the long fluffy tail, blue eyes, thick fur and a true-blue cat attitude. Snow leopards are one of the world’s most elusive animals and the most common way to spot one is high up on the mountain ridges. After an hour or more of patient stalking in Spiti in 2017, he finally spotted a snow leopard passing by. The shots he posted on various wildlife photo websites are trending even today.

“I was obsessed with snow leopards ever since a photograph taken in 2012 by Dhritiman Mukherjee, India’s leading wildlife photographer,” said Ismail, adding that seeing the mysterious ghost of the mountains for the first time in Hemis National Park, Ladakh, was an unforgettable experience in itself.

Ismail said the snow leopard is a notoriously elusive creature. It is also listed as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List since the global population is estimated to be between 4,000 to 6,000. India is believed to have less than 1,000. That adds stars to his journey from just another photographer to being called the Snow Leopard Man of India.

“There were struggles. My parents were expecting me to get a corporate job. But I chose photography as my career. It was tough initially, since you’ve to invest a lot of time and money with very uncertain returns to make a name. But at the end of the day, if you want to be successful, you have to be willing to work hard, even if it means making more than a few sacrifices along the way,” said Ismail, a Computer Science engineer from Central European
University, Budapest, Hungary.

He moved to Paris to work there for two and half years before wildlife photography took over him.

Ismail, who has had solo photography exhibitions on Snow Leopards even in Los Angeles and New York, also indulges in fine art printing. He also works with the Snow Leopard Trust in helping raise funds for their conservation efforts.

source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Hyderabad / by Sowmya Sangam / May 01st, 2021

These photographers are ‘wild’ and loving it

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TELANGANA :

Snow leopard | Photo Credit: Ismail Shariff
Snow leopard | Photo Credit: Ismail Shariff

For World Wildlife Day on March 3, photographers speak of what attracts them to the wilderness

March 3 is World Wildlife day, as declared by the United Nations. A day dedicated to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.” Images go a long way to celebrate wildlife and foster love and concern for it.

But for the wildlife shows on TV, most of us haven’t seen animals in the wild. The beauty of the wilderness would have been lost to us had it not been for the photographers who spend enormous amount of time in waiting patiently to capture that one shot that will make us fall in love with nature and the jungle. Wildlife is a subject of interest to many photographers because they feel it is their way of capturing the beauty in their most natural mood and habitat.

An eagle flies away with her next meal, a piece of fresh fish | Photo Credit: MASOOD HUSSAIN
An eagle flies away with her next meal, a piece of fresh fish | Photo Credit: MASOOD HUSSAIN

Phani Krishna Ravi of Hyderabad Birding Pals, feels birds don’t bother humans if we just let them be. “It is the pattern that we need to learn. Wild birds have a pattern for everything — for eating, breeding, nesting and resting. Understanding their pattern needs patience. The process of understanding actually brings us peace of mind. To be a part of the wild, we need to sync with it. That is when we can understand them better and work to protect them.”

This year’s theme for World Wildlife Day 2019 is: ‘Life Below Water: For people and planet.’ Overfishing, acidification and pollution threaten life below water. The battle to clean our rivers and oceans is a long one. Activities are taking baby steps beginning with a ban on plastic straws, sunscreen lotions and finding the best solution to save marine lives.

Many examples of sea clean up and conservation of marine life can be seen the world over. A few efforts have paid dividends; a good example of this is the return of the sea turtles to Versova beach. The Versova cleanup came to be known as ‘world’s largest beach clean-up project’ by the United Nations. The beach’s dramatic transformation soon saw return of the sea turtles to the beach after 20 years. Naturally that news and videos went viral.

Photographer Masood Hussain | Photo Credit: Irfan Intekhab
Photographer Masood Hussain | Photo Credit: Irfan Intekhab

Does that mean we can overlook our forests this year? Are things any different on land? With shrinking habitats, our wild animals are an endangered lot and sanctuaries are the only spaces that provide them with a safe haven. ? Masood Hussain interest in wildlife photography stems from his dissatisfaction with his pictures when he was shooting people, places and festival moods. “I was only repeating what others have already done, I wanted different,” he says.

He adds, “Wild animals need their space. In the wild you can see them in their element. It’s very different from what one sees in a zoo. The wild is their natural habitat, they aren’t used to cages and small confinements. After going to the wild for photos, I feel sick if I don’t go back and spend a few days there; it is my medicine. When I go to the jungle I go with preconceived ideas of my shots. I go with the wish to capture a bird or an animal in a particular place. The only way to achieve that is to sit patiently and come back with an almost-there shot. The photo gives joy no doubt, but it also makes viewers want to be a part of it, to take care of it. It makes me happy when I see people enthusiastic about going to witness the wild. When one sees an animal in its natural habitat a sense of responsibility for their conservation comes in, it a natural thing to happen.”

Masood cannot pick a favourite photo from his own collection because each photo comes with a story to narrate.

Every photographer who goes to the wild says its beauty is fascinating and not even the hardships they face in the wild can stop them.

Photographer Ismail Shariff | Photo Credit: Vijay Sirdesai
Photographer Ismail Shariff | Photo Credit: Vijay Sirdesai

Professional wildlife and nature photographer Ismail Shariff who just returned from an expedition to photograph snow leopards at Spiti in Himachal Pradesh says, “When you are scouting for a snow leopard in the vast mountains and huge gorges of Kibber, completely disconnected with everyone but the ones around you, there is a sense of attainment, which get extrapolated when you actually see one. While sitting at the top of the mountain ridges surrounded and covered in all white, its not just about the fauna around you, but the feeling of calmness and satisfaction to the soul, for just being there. It’s an unexplainable feeling to be associated with such pure nature.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Environment > World Wildlife Day / by Prabalika M. Borah / March 01st, 2019

Temper that enthusiasm

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA :

A female snow leopard photographed by Ismail Shariff
A female snow leopard photographed by Ismail Shariff

Hyderabad-based wildlife photographer Ismail Shariff on how the lens-totting tribe can exercise restraint in wilderness

The photograph of a snow leopard occupies a pride of place in Ismail Shariff’s edgily-designed studio. The Hyderabad-based wildlife photographer says he was blessed, not plain lucky, to have been able to capture the leopard from barely 15 feet distance in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, this year.

Shariff has been a part of three snow leopard expeditions. Earlier, he had to be content with images where the leopard was a speck in the frame. “Animals in regions like Spiti or Leh are shy. They sense human presence a mile away,” he says.

A cartload of patience helps photographers get the right shot. They wait for minutes or hours, anticipating the animal’s next move. Shariff’s experience was no different, “From where we were staying, we could spot the leopard sleeping and ran out with our cameras. The villagers were also keen to have a glimpse. We felt that when the leopard wakes up, it will walk away from the noise and make its way to a clearing. We positioned ourselves such that we can get images but not be in its line of sight.”

He’s elated to have captured these images, but he mulls over and says, “If the snow leopards could come this close to humans, either they were short of food or they’ve gotten used to human presence.”

Ismail02MPOs06jun2017

Shariff has been an avid wildlife photographer since 2008 and has observed the rise in numbers in his tribe. “There were fewer people exploring wildlife photography back then since not everyone could afford the flamboyant lenses,” he says.

In July, Shariff plans to visit Ladakh to photograph the Pallas’ cat (named after German naturalist Pyotr Simon Pallas). Besides these niche expeditions, he’s also frequented Tadoba National Park (92 times), Kabini and Jim Corbett National Park that are popular among tourists.

The observations while on these trips make him wonder if aspiring photographers compromise on the ethics of wildlife photography for instant gratification on social media.

It isn’t a case of sour grapes or a cry for exclusivity, Shariff clarifies, “There isn’t much money to be made out of photography in India. A few established photographers work with forest departments and voluntary organisations. Their work helps in documentation and conservation activities. For most others, it’s a hobby. There’s nothing wrong with more people exploring this line. The trouble begins when ego kicks in and you want to bend rules.”

There have been instances of photographers getting too close for the comfort of animals and birds — from attempting to veer off course during safaris to getting closer to bird nests. This isn’t limited to India, says Shariff, sharing instances where he spotted photographers getting off a safari vehicle in Yellowstone National Park in the US or crowding to take shots of a Broadbill’s nest in Malaysia.

Dos and don’ts

* The enthusiasm for a great shot needs to be tempered with restraint and respect for wildlife habitats. While on safaris in places like Tadoba, Kabini or Corbett, drive slowly, don’t talk loudly and never get off the vehicle. By irritating or threatening the animal, you also put yourself at danger. “I’ve seen people trying to bribe guides and drivers to take a different route or allow them to get off the vehicle, setting a wrong precedence to others,” Shariff points out.

* Don’t underestimate nature. Respect weather conditions. Shariff recalls being blown five feet high when a gust of wind changed director in Chopta, Uttarakhand.

* Steer clear of mothers with cubs. “Mothers, be it a tigress, lioness, deer, peafowl or a bear, will do anything to safeguard its offspring.”

* Don’t try to film animals in nocturnal situations unless permitted by forest department. Animal movement is pronounced and unpredictable at night. There have been cases of road-kills where vehicles have knocked down animals.

* If one is truly interested in turning their passion for wildlife photography into something meaningful, collaborate with forest departments or organisations that document wildlife and living conditions of people living close to these zones. A niche category that’s emerging, called conservation photography, helps initiate a dialogue.

Factoid: Collaborate for conservation

Dharmendra Khandal is a conservation biologist, researcher, botanist and photographer associated with Tiger Watch in Ranthambore. His efforts have led to capture of several poachers in Rajasthan. Khandal also helped identify several species of spiders.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> LifeStyle> World Environment Day / by Sangeetha Devi Dundoo / June 03rd, 2017