Perumal, wildlife photographer, passes away

Perumal, wildlife photographer, passes away T.N.A. Perumal, award-winning wildlife photographer, passed away in a city hospital on Wednesday. He was 84. He was taken to the hospital around 2.30 a.m. after he developed breathing (साँस लेने का) problems, according to family sources. Mr. Perumal, born in 1932, took to photographing flora(वनस्पति)  and fauna (पशुवर्ग) after being initiated into the

field by O.C. Edwards, who is considered the doyen of bird photography in the country. Mr. Perumal called it a chance encounter with Edwards in 1960s in the forests of Bannerghatta that changed his life, turning him from the “gun to the camera”.

Wide recognition

Since then, his photographs have been featured in more than 1,500 international salon or photo exhibitions(प्रदर्शनियों). He received more than 200 awards or fellowships for his photography, including the fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society, U.K.

In 1989, he was honoured as one of the nine eminent camerapersons of India by the Federation of Indian Photographers, and he shared the podium with his long-time collaborator and friend M.Y. Ghorpade, who was by then a renowned industrialist and politician. He is also the author of six books on wildlife photography and butterflies of south India, among others. He also conducted numerous seminars and training sessions.

His son T.A. Jayakumar said his father remained active even till Tuesday. “He went to his office, worked for a bit and returned home. Photography was his passion(जुनून), and this did not reduce till his death. A fortnight ago, he went to do bird photography at Kanakapura with relatives,” he said.