An introvert by nature, Vysakh Nambiar surprisingly speaks openly and passionately about his love for nature photography.

As we sat at a café for our first meeting, he showed me his vast collection of wildlife photographs both online and on his phone.

Vysakh is well researched in Rwanda’s animals.

He drives many kilometres in search of a specific shot, learning about the behaviour of the animals he photographs; both the new and the ones he regularly takes pictures of.

“I have to learn about the animals as much as possible,” he said.

The next time we met was when he and his family went to Lake Muhazi in the Northern Province of Rwanda for a retreat, and to capture the rich birdlife in the marshland.

“I come here as much as I can. The ideal time to catch the birds in action is at about 4pm, as they return from flying around the area,” Vysakh said.

“I love this place because I can get kingfishers with their catch; the photos are full of action. One time, I caught a kingfisher with a fish. It hit its prey on a rock and as it tried to kill it. The splashes of water with the sun setting in the background created an impression of golden water drops.”

Vysakh, an IT company co-owner, took up his grandfather’s hobby of photography while still a child.

“At around the age of seven, I started using a Yashica, which was a black and white film camera, and gradually updated my cameras from hand-me-downs to a Nikon SLR from my dad. In the process, I learnt a great deal about photography,” he said.

His love for wildlife was piqued when, on a family trip in India, their car came to a screeching halt to avoid hitting a tiger that was crossing the road.

“It was dark, but I managed to take a photo of it, though it came out blurry. From then on, my love for wildlife was born.”

Now he takes his wife Shreena and five-year-old son Thanay on his jaunts.

“I knew about his love for photography before we got married, so now we go with him and spend time together,” said Shreena.

“My wife has a good eye for birds. She spots them all the time, and I would like my little boy to learn about passion,” said Vysakh.

The little boy smiles when his father shows him the latest animal he has captured in the viewfinder.

Vysakh’s family came to Rwanda in 1998.

“I fell in love with Rwanda because it is conscious of its ecosystem; for example, the wetlands are conserved and it is there you can find many birds and insects. However, many trees have been cut down for building, which is bad for wildlife conservation. But all is not lost, as there are protected areas where the forests are untouched by human activities.”

“The first thing I bought with my first earnings was a camera, even though the equipment was expensive,” Vysakh says.

His photography gear is top of the range; one of his lenses, a Canon L series 400 2.8 with a 1.4x teleconverter v3 is large and heavy. “The reason why I prefer this lens is that it lets in a lot of light when used at 2.8 aperture speed.”

Vysakh is now planning to open a multipurpose building for photography enthusiasts.

“Most birders don’t want to to spend a lot of money when looking for birds, unlike tourists who come to see the mountain gorillas and big game animals. As I am familiar with the Rwandan wildlife scene, I know one or two spots where they can spot birds, and thus give them tips on where to find them.”

The facility, located in Kagugu, will have a café spacious enough to hold workshops where he intends to tutor upcoming young photographers. It will also have a shop to sell and rent photography equipment, and low-cost hostels with affordable rooms.

“When starting out, photography really doesn’t cater for your needs. Many photographers go into the field thinking they can make money out of it the second they press the shutter release. To be a good photographer takes many photos without ever getting any money. The secret is to be creative,” Vysakh says.

“I am not looking for accolades, but when people from the village want to see my work and you can see their grins and the sparkle in their eyes as they marvel at the photos, that elates me. People in the city are mostly nonchalant as such pictures are online,” he added.

His advice to young photographers is to “glean from the wiser ones as they are more knowledgeable.” Vysakh also takes pictures of food to celebrate different cultures wherever his lens and passion take him to around the world.