Capturing small wonders in big frames

Hyderabad-based macro photographer has been capturing rare species that naked eye usually misses with his mobile

Hyderabad: There are a lot of exotic tiny creatures that often miss our eyes, being so tiny and not exactly what we can see in the city. And those little living things are what interest city-based macro photographer Durga Shankar.

Working as an analyst with a leading multinational company, Shannu, as he is popular, has been driven by the passion to capture the small wonders of nature, that too with his mobile.
Popular on social media as Shannu_pixels, his attempts to capture many rare species have won accolades from different parts of the world. One of his clicks has been even been listed under ‘Top 20 surprising captures worldwide from nature’ by Brightside magazine last year. Shannu’s works have also been featured in some well-known sites that promote photography like Nature, Reddit, Einstein feed, Ifyouhigh, Blowing up History, Bored Panda, BBC Wildlife Magazine, Insects of our world, etc.

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Shannu uses his Redmi K20 Pro smartphone with an external mobile macro lens, a Prosumer Glow V2, to capture the species that the naked eye usually misses. “Our wildlife sanctuaries are home to these rare, beautiful and elusive species that live in harmony with mother nature,” he says.

Born and bought up in Hyderabad and a graduate from Osmania University, Shannu’s passion for macro photography was noticed for spotting and capturing ‘Mourning cloak butterfly eggs’ in Telangana. This species is usually found only in North America.

“I love nature and especially insects, that’s the reason I chose macro photography and brought a macro lens for my mobile and started capturing different kinds of insects in Hyderabad,” he says. Initially, it was hard to figure out the nuances involved in locating these tiny species and getting close to being able to click them with his camera. “Slowly, I learnt the ways of it and picked up different techniques and rules of macro photography. The reason why I chose macro mobile photography is, it is unique and one of the toughest arts in the photography world. We need a lot of patience and efforts to capture one perfect macro shot” says Shannu, a former brand ambassador and content creator for Redmi India mobiles.

The youngster is now well versed with the names of insects and their families. “I am learning entomology so I have an idea about species names and insects,” he says. Shannu’s captures include Small Carpenter Bee, Gypsy Moth, Southern Stink bug, Damselfly, Hoverfly, Squash bug eggs, etc. As monsoon is the season for mating, a lot of insects are seen around. Shannu visits Durgam Cheruvu, Ameenpur lake, Uppal and the Vikarabad forest to capture these beauties.