In The Trail of a King With Olympus E-3 D-SLR Camera
January 30, 2009
Adrian was sitting at the park bench that evening, with The White Tiger in one hand and a sandwich in the other. He was half way through the book when a fine looking lady distracted him. She had with her a bulky book that had the picture of a coiled snake on the cover and Adrian peeked to read the title. "It's 'An Account of Indian Serpents on the Coast of Coromandel' by Patrick Russell" said she with a smile and Adrian blushed. Thus began one of the most interesting conversations in Adrian's life.
She was a herpetologist who specialised in Ophiology. "It is the study of snakes and their behaviours." said Odette back at a French restaurant in Earl Street. Adrian felt himself drawn to her and her passion for snakes that when she mentioned she was leaving for India to do a documentary on snakes, he immediately asked if he could join her. She too seemed to take an interest in him for she immediately agreed.
After dropping her, the first place that Adrian went to was Evan's for he needed the perfect digital camera for this trip to India. He picked Olympus E-3 D-SLR Camera, which was deemed to be the perfect choice of a professional photographer. It was of 10.1 megapixels with Live view and a 7x digital zoom. It also had a large view finder and the black body was dust and splash proof. Adrian immediately bought it, as he felt it could meet his stringent demands.
Adrian and Odette flew from Heathrow to Mumbai, the financial capital of India. All along the nine hour journey, Odette spoke of her chilling snake encounters. "The most chilling of all, was with a Black Mamba in South Africa. He was such a trickster. But you know what, Ady, I want to see a King Cobra up close at least once in my life" On that note, they disembarked from the plane at Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Adrian braced himself for his first view of India, the country for which he had so much awe and respect. Odette had plans for a treat in the event of Adrian's first visit to India. They got into a taxi, which had loud music blaring and a queer fragrance about it. "Incense sticks" said Odette as the taxi started moving.
Adrian took out his Olympus E-3 immediately, for he wanted to capture his first impressions of India. What a ride that was! The taxi flew at top speed even in the most crowded streets of Mumbai that Adrian and Odette were holding on to dear life. But that didn't stop Adrian from shooting. A gang of garrulous boys playing gully cricket was an interesting scene to shoot and Adrian made use of E-3's world's fastestauto-focusing speeds to take some interesting pictures. The auto-focus system of the E-3 gave way to calculate the correct focus using 44 different data points. "Hey, will the pictures be good inspite of the shakes?" questioned Odette. "Oh, yes" replied Adrian. I'm proud to say that My Olympus E-3 has an outstanding image stabilisation system. That means sharp pictures that are blur-free inspite of shakes."
Adrian was surprised to see that the taxi stopped at hotel Taj. He walked inside, speechless. They sat at a cafe and Odette ordered Butterscotch muffins and ice tea. "What is it Ady?" she asked. "This place makes you uncomfortable?" "No. Not at all. I'm just awed at how well these people have recovered from the terror attacks. It's...I don't know what to say. I just feel that, nothing can shake the spirits of steadfastness. The people of this country too are no exception. They are strong. Really strong."
After the short stop in Mumbai, Adrian and Odette flew to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. "It's the city of the snake God, the abode of the sacred serpent Ananta" Explained Odette. Once in the taxi, Adrian unveiled his camera. He was struck at the sudden change in the landscape. Thiruvananthapuram seemed to have a green shadow following it around. It was much cooler and greener compared to Mumbai. He captured Kerala's vivid landscape with his Olympus E-3. The 2.5"/6.4cm HyperCrystal LCD enabled continuous live view and it also gave Adrian various avenues to explore.
Once at their hotel, Odette explained what they were to do next. "I've arranged for a taxi to pick us up after an hour. We'll be going to Agastyakoodam, the second highest peak in Kerala. We will be trekking there for a day. Then, we leave to Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed to catch a glimpse of The Highness atleast this time" "Who? Highness? Is there a king here?" asked Adrian. "No, silly. I meant the King Cobra"
Now begins the real adventure, thought Adrian. His heart skipped a beat at the mention of the king of all snakes. He even secretly wished that they do not encounter him during the trip. But he didn't dare mention it to Odette!
Ady and Odette reached the Bonaccord estate just as dusk was lingering by. Surrounded by greenery and semi-darkness, Adrian went on a photographic spree. The camera took some splendid shots with excellent image quality, which can be attributed to the advanced TruePic III image processor that gives way for good colour reproduction, fast processing speeds and improved noise suppression. They were met by an Amritha, their female guide from the forest department. "This trek is a pilgrimage" said she with a serene smile. "We believe that sage Agastya offered penance here." They spent the night at a tent that was pitched amidst the dark woods. The magic of the forest at night, with all its hair-raising sounds reminded Adrian of Nigeria. But he felt that Agastyakoodam was unique in a way he did not know how.
Adrian and Odette defeated the sun in the 'who-wakes-up-first' race and were out with their back-packs and camera. The crunch of leaves, the sound of their breaths and a rare bird-call was all that was heard.
Adrian did not want to miss out in capturing the dew-drenched woods. Even in the dull light, his E-3 managed decent shots, for it came with a built-in GN13 flash. He also noted that his camera had an excellent automatic white balance. This gave his shots faithful colour reproduction. Odette did not utter a word, she was indulged in her search for snakes like a Tapas (penance) Suddenly she stopped. "Look" she whispered to Adrian. "Right below that brush amongst the foilage.” “It's a Chembadutha Snake", shouted Amritha. “Is that how you call it? Great nomenclature”, exclaimed Odette. “A wonderful name for a hump-nosed pit viper.”
At first Adrian thought it was just another branch. But when it moved, he realised it was his first sight of an Indian snake. The snake was of the exact colour of the branch, except that it had a black pattern that ran along its body. Adrian was thrilled. He used the 5x/7x/10x magnified view and took a stunning macro shot, as well. "Careful, Ady. It's venomous" said Odette as he was moving closer and closer to the snake. Adrian jumped at the mention of 'venomous' and Odette chuckled. They moved on a few feet without any utterance when suddenly Adrian jumped. "It's a snake! It's a snake! It's inside my shirt!" Odette rushed to him in a flash and plunged her hand into his jacket. When she saw what it was, she split into laughter.
"It's a bicoloured frog Ady!" she said in between peels of uncontrollable laughter. "It's harmless!" Adrian blushed in embarrassment. Cursing himself under his breath, he walked on, ignoring Odette's laughter. He hid behind his camera. He shot away at everything he saw and was impressed with his E-3's 1/8000 second shutter speed, the three ZUIKO DIGITAL Supersonic Wave Drive lenses and the continuous shooting mode that provided 5 frames-per-second.
"Sir! Ma'am! Here's a Saw-scaled viper!", shouted Amritha again. “Right, Ams. Ady, would you like to check?” But, Adrian blatantly ignored her invitation, for he was not ready to be fooled anymore. "Please. Stop. Look ahead of you!" There it was in front of him, coiled around a branch, a Brownish snake with reticulated patterns that was about 3 feet long. It's head was triangular and the neck had a beautiful white-arrow mark. Adrian went right ahead to shoot it with the best angle possible. But he kept a safe distance from it, for he knew the snake was haemotoxic.
The dual-axis swivel 2.5-inch Live View LCD covered all possible viewing angles and the image monitoring of exposure and white balance gave him the reigns to control the settings accordingly in order to capture the perfect shot. He could also get a perfect view with the help of the large optical view finder. He felt that the view finder's 1.15x magnification enhanced it's accuracy. Odette scribbled away in her notepad. She extracted a measuring tape, tongs and a sack from her back-pack. Adrian watched as she handled the snake with practiced perfection. She held the head with one hand and signaled for Adrian for come over. Adrian went ahead tentatively. He held the other end of the tape and helped her measure it. It came upto 3 feet. When she carefully released it, it slipped into the bushes in an instant.
The Viper’s arrival and the action thereafter was like a dream to Adrian. He was stunned for several minutes later on. Sensing this, Odette let him be, and took his camera instead and decided to explore it. The first thing that struck her was the camera’s bulkiness. It was not portable and it bothered her a bit. She examined the LCD at the rear and was mildly surprised at the various shooting settings that were displayed. She felt she could grip it well enough for shooting and she off shooting very fast, all she had to do was flick the on/off button. The Supersonic Wave Drive lens not only enabled high speed auto-focus but also operated with minimum noise, making it perfect to shoot nature.
When Adrian was back to normal, he realized how different Odette’s life was from his. She enjoyed the company of one of the most dreaded creatures on earth. When he told her this, she said there were many like her, who have dedicated their lives to study and spread conservatory messages about these slithering beauties. “There’s Romulus Whitaker, the Snake Man of India for example. We can actually meet him, you know. He lives in Chennai”
Later that evening, they came across several non-poisonous snakes, some as swift as the wind, and some as lazy as a snail. Odette measured some and kept scribbling in her notepad. They even encountered pond terrapins, geckoes and mongoose, all of which were shot with Adrian’s Olympus E-3. He brought a tripod along, for his camera had a screw thread for a tripod at its base. He discovered that there was an illumination sensor present below the LCD that measures the lighting conditions automatically for better visibility. He got some stunning macro shots and was indeed proud that the E-3 enhanced his photographic skills.
Adrian and Odette bid adieu to Agastyakoodam and Amritha by night fall and stayed at a downtown hotel in Thiruvananthapuram. The next morning, they dined at a small restaurant along the road. It was an interesting meal for Adrian, who had never laid eyes on Indian cuisine before. They went berserk at the display before him. They did not know what to taste- The fluffy white idlis with steaming sambar with brinjals floating in it or Vellayappams with Meen vevichathu, which is fish cooked in a fiery red chilly sauce. He loved the Pootu that was served with grated coconut and sprinkled sugar. The Malabar biriyani made his mouth water with its well-cooked meat and spicy rice. It was indeed a wonderful meal!
Just when they were about to board a bus, a commotion at a near-by shop distracted Ady and Odette. They rushed to see what it was and Adrian had his E-3 out. The commotion was inside the store room of a hotel; men were rushing inside shouting “Vellikettan!” “Mothiravalayan!” Adrian saw Odette’s expression and realized that she could sense the presence of a snake. She asked the men to move aside, which they did obediently. She brought out her hook and inserted it in the gap between two jute sacks. When she took it out, there was a loud murmur in the crowd, for she had with her a bluish grey Krait. Adrian switched his Olympus E-3 to panning mode that enabled him to track Odette who was moving with the writhing Krait.
Odette placed the snake inside one of her sacks, to be released later on. After the incident, Adrian nurtured a new found respect for Odette and her love for snakes. ‘Hey Ady!’ said Odette. “What say we look around the fields there? We could meet up with cobras you know” Adrian and Odette thus decided to walk around the fields nearby. The sun was dipping low and Adrian used an external flash as his E-3 had a hotshoe in order to fit external lens. He even got a glimpse of critical information such as Exposure information, Metering modes, Flash, White balance, Activated AF points and ISO. He was using the navigation pad to find his way around the menu systems when Odette started running. She stopped short and said “It’s a cobra. Not the king” she added, a little ruefully.
But the spectacled cobra was indeed a good-looker. Adrian focused his camera and got a masterpiece of a shot just when the snake was about to strike. Their first cobra was a good luck charm, for they came across several cobras and a Rat snake, the prodigal rat-eaters. There was no stopping Odette, for she was not leaving the Indian soil without the sight of a King Cobra. They took a night bus to Pollachi and reached Topslip early next day. Adrian was glad that his camera had a good dust-reduction system, for even after all that action the previous day, it stood rock-solid.
They began their search for the king across the slopes of the western ghats. Odette seemed obsessed with the desire; she uttered not a word and walked like she was possessed. They came across several snakes - Anaimalai Earth Snake, Bamboo Pit Viper, Banded krait and even a herd of majestic elephants. Adrian took some splendid shots by customizing the white balance controls and also tried out the modes such as My Mode Test picture mode, Spot focus mode,19 consecutive Raw images.
It was almost dusk and Adrian and Odette slouched against a boulder, dry to the bone. Just then, a huge dark snake, with cross bands across its fore body slithered by. There was something about it that made Adrian think ‘This is no ordinary snake’ He shook Odette who was having her eyes closed. She opened her eyes and blinked for a few seconds. Her entire body tensed in an instant and she grabbed Adrian’s hand. “It’s…a King!” she whispered.
The king was about 4m long. He stopped just for a second, just enough for Adrian to catch a glimpse of his eyes. In those eyes, he saw the pride, the ruthlessness, the power of the king. Adrian moved back, with all due respect for the king of all snakes. The beast slowly started rising. And rise it did on them with its hood as raised as Odette's structure. A chill caressed the spine of Ady, as Odette moved forward. “Do you really mean that, Odette?”
Precisely Addy. This is a rare chance...an opportunity of a lifetime.....nothing less than a dream come true for me.” whispered Odette back. The king was hissing subtly sensing the intimidation, preparing for the deadliest of the venomous strikes that would impart a copious flow of un-adultered neurotoxic fluid. Addy was poised with his Olympus E3 that evoked the reminiscence of a Masai warrior. But, Odette's aims were apparently obscure...or why should she tread so near to the deadly reptile with a golden glow shrouding its golden yellow rings running over its glossy black skin, and a satanic glow in its jade eyes?
Addy shifted his shooting mode to burst shooting mode and went on a capturing spree, akin to a terrorist in murderous action with his Kalashnikov, as he watched in live display of the E3, Odette hopping like a flamingo around the serpent, and finally settling just a couple of feet away from the lowered hood of the tired looking animal that was trying for a retreat apparently. He watched her stretch her left arm behind the ferocious reptile and slowly resting it on the creature's hood from behind pressing it downwards gently.
The nature around stood still watching the next scene, as Addy's throat dried up in fright. How he wanted to scream. Odette leaned forward, her left arm still pressing the beast down. She leaned, leaned and leaned and leaned, to finally plant a kiss on the back of the serpents black glossy hood. For a moment everything stood still. The moment eloped. Odette sprang back on her feet in a jiffy for she definitely wanted to live to savour this moment of glory, of conquest for the rest of her life. What more, Addy had sponged the events explicitly on his Olympus E3's memory card, and he lives too, for a bout of circumlocutory amidst the concrete jungles of London.
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