Wildlife photographer Sudhir Shivaram (with camera) with budding lensmen at a workshop in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, April 27: He has shot a huge number of beasts — but with his camera.

Sudhir Shivaram, the Bangalore-based wildlife photographer, was in the city to teach the budding shutterbugs a trick or two about capturing animals in alluring frames. Held at a hotel, the workshop marked the conclusion of a weeklong photography exhibition, Drishti Raaga, yesterday.

The 42-year-old engineer-turned-photographer taught advanced digital photography during the sessions. As a student, he used to run a photography club in his college. Teaching the technical aspects, he asked the participants to also follow ethical practices while shooting the subject in the wild.

Apart from being a photographer, Shivaram is also a wildlife conservationist. “I strongly believe that mere knowledge of hardware and developing skills will not make one a good wildlife photographer. He must also feel himself as an integral part of nature,” he said.

Shivaram has travelled all across the country clicking candid images of big cats, elephants, birds and other animals. He narrated many anecdotes from his career, which spans over almost two decades.

“Initially I used to visit forests every weekend. My greatest moment of joy came when I first spotted a tiger after years of roaming around in the jungles. I followed the tiger’s trail for almost 250km observing its behaviour,” he said.

On being asked why he chose this genre of photography, he said: “You tend to get bored by looking at things that surround you, but a jungle excites and inspires a photographer.”

About 75 enthusiastic shutterbugs attended the workshop. “Though I am more into fashion photography, but wildlife photography has always fascinated me, and hence, I came to learn from the expert,” said Avinash Nayak, a participant.

Shivaram also accompanied the participants to the Nandankanan biological garden today morning to explain them about the problems faced while shooting in the wild.

The photography exhibition held at Lalit Kala Akademi also drew curtains with the workshop.

Film screenings, an interactive session with photojournalists and workshops conducted by noted lensmen were held as part of the exhibition, which was organised by city-based photography club Mushroom.