Ripan Biswas talks spiders, flies and idyllic encounters with dolphins
WITH BBC WILDLIFE PICTURE EDITOR TOM GILKS
Why focus on the small creatures rather than the big ones?
Small creatures are always overlooked, yet play a vital role in the environment. Without them our ecosystems would collapse.
What macro species is the most challenging to photograph?
Spiders, because they are frequently moving. Under high magnification, the smallest movement causes blur, so you have to wait for the spider to stand still.
What’s your biggest ‘Oh drat it!’ moment to date?
I was on a four-day shoot in Kaziranga National Park and I didn’t realise my camera was set to ‘Jpeg basic’ mode. My photos were completely un-printable and couldn’t be entered in any contests.
What is the hardest thing about macro photography in the field?
For me, working in India, it’s the heat and humidity. Drops of sweat are all over your gear and you feel dehydrated and tired. Unfortunately, most of my subjects seem to like these two things.
What’s the worst bite or sting you’ve sustained in the name of photography?
I’ve been bitten several times while working with weaver ants. They have very powerful mandibles, and after chewing your skin they douse the wound in formic acid. It hurts…
What’s been your closest shave?
Once I was shooting a butterfly and didn’t see the venomous cobra beside it. I jumped out of its way just in time…
What’s the most extreme shoot you’ve ever done?
In 2021, I spent two weeks photographing dolphins in the lower regions of the River Ganges. I spent all day, every day, in a small boat with no toilet, searching for these elusive creatures. They only surface for a fraction of a second when they need to breathe. Whenever one emerged, I had less than a second to position my camera, focus on its head and press the shutter, all in the scorching heat (and humidity), from a rocking boat.
Ripan is a wildlife photographer from India. See more of his work at ripanbiswas.com.
Amazing UK winter wildlife spectacles to photograph
You might think you have to wait until spring to get outdoors and start snapping, but you’d be wrong. Head to discoverwildlife.com/best-ukwinter-wildlife-experiences for inspiration on what to see now.
• BITTERNS
Head to the former gravel pits at River Lee Country Park in Essex, bag a space in the hide, and see these herons flying in to roost in the reeds at dusk.
• SHORT-EARED OWLS
The tussocky grassland at Aust Warth on the Severn Estuary is a great spot to enjoy these predators hunting rodents.
• RED SQUIRRELS
Seedfeeders at Leaplish Waterside Park in the Kielder Forest, Northumberland, attract this iconic winter mammal and February is mating season when males will be very active!
