Drip Drizzle Drops

Taking the rain in stride at Udawalawe:

"It was raining so hard" recalls Thilak upon his return from a trip to Udawalawe, recently. "I couldn't see past the end of my lens". But, as the Zen master said, "In winter we shiver, in summer we sweat", what can a photographer do even when the elements are against him?

Run and hide because nothing can be more miserable than working amidst the rain, the mist, the fog and muddy paths..."Or so we let everyone think" says Thilak with a wink.

Obviously shooting in the rain opens many doors. Or rather umbrellas. "The first day out, in steady soaking rain I took my umbrella in place of my tripod, and I missed the tripod terribly".

Laments Thilak. But this had not prevented him from capturing many a breathtaking sight the rain offers - from dramatic skies to brooding clouds and elephants enjoying mud-baths.

The potential for creative work offered by raindrops seems immense. No wonder nature photographers like Bruce Heinemann believe "bad weather is good weather."

There is nothing like the forecast of rain to start looking for great scenic opportunities. Thilak's pictures are proof - "shooting in the rain" is great. n

Aditha