Eye on the Wild, an exhibition of photography 

Riaz Cader has been an avid photographer since he first took ownership of a camera back in 2001. Fuelled by his passion for wildlife much of Riaz’s photography covers animals in their natural habitat. His travels have taken him off the beaten track to the distant corners of Sri Lanka where he has been priviledged to photograph nature at its best. Eye on the Wild, his maiden exhibition will take place on May 30 and 31 at the Lionel Wendt.

When did you take up photography?

I first took up photography back in 2001 with a small point and shoot digital camera and got a film Nikon SLR which I used from about 2003 for a few years. It was when I was in university in Australia, when I first got a digital SLR. I began to seriously take up photography when I returned to Sri Lanka in 2009 and over the next few years slowly invested in professional range lenses and cameras.

What interested you in the subject?

My interest in photography stemmed from my fascination of the natural world. I was bitten by the wildlife bug from a young age and spent a lot of time reading up on animals, watching natural history documentaries and always cherished visits to any national parks although they were few and far between during my school days. I am at heart a conservationist first and a photographer second.

What do you photograph?

I predominantly photograph wildlife - birds, and other animals found in Sri Lanka during my travels to the national parks and marine protected areas. I am fortunate in that I work in the field of tourism and travel into the field with foreign film crews and clients which always throws up plenty of image taking opportunities. I also appreciate interesting landscapes and will photograph iconic cultural sites such as the Galle Fort, Polonnaruwa or the Sigiriya Rock Fortress. I think it's important to build up a diversified portfolio of different images to showcase your work.

What's the most challenging aspect of photography for you?

Wildlife photography is very addictive but also has its challenges. For starters you don't know what you will see and the quality of a sighting. You can travel to a national park and spend a full day and come out empty handed. Lighting conditions are often tricky and most animals tend to be active at first light or late in the afternoon so early starts and long days in the field are a must. Having an understanding of the environment you are in and the behaviour of an animal is also vital, as you should be able to make a prediction of what it would probably do next so you can prepare yourself for that image opportunity.

Why did you decide to hold an exhibition?

I've spent a lot of time and money investing in camera gear and travelling and I guess the exhibition is an opportunity to showcase my work and raise my profile as a local wildlife photographer. More importantly, as a wildlife photographer, you also have the opportunity to raise awareness on what we still have left and conservation challenges we have at hand and I hope to be able to do that through displaying my images.

How long have you been planning this exhibition?

Eye on the Wild, covers my photography work over the past 8 years with images taken from 2005 to date on display.

What can we expect to see?

There will be a wide array of wildlife images from encounters with whales and dolphins out at sea, to the leopards, sloth bears and elephants which are among my favourite subjects to photograph from the dry-zone jungles to rare endemic species found in the wet zone and the highlands of this country. A variety of avian species will also be featured from all corners of the country as will be some interesting landscapes including an image of an approaching storm at Yala.

What plans after the exhibition?

Continue to travel around the country and keep clicking with perhaps a greater focus on taking more landscape and habitat based photos. I would also like to travel to Africa, which remains a favourite destination for any wildlife enthusiast due to the sheer volume of large animals found in this continent. In the not so distant future, I would also like to work on a coffee table book but need to ensure that this is something different to what is out there. There are already some very impressive publications on Sri Lanka's wildlife out there which are doing the country proud.

By Tina Edward Gunawardhana