By Jennifer Anandanayagam
Comedy, amongst many other distractions, has been keeping us afloat amid these times of global pandemic. The photo pictured here depicting an interaction between two rose-ringed parakeets in the Kaudulla National Park, Sri Lanka, while putting an involuntary smile on our faces, has made it to this year’s finalists’ list of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The person behind the capture is amateur wildlife photographer Petr Sochman.
What are the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, you ask? Founded in 2015 by two photographers, Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, the initiative essentially functions with an aim to promote conservation through brilliant and uplifting imagery.
Social distance, please!
Although titled “Social distance, please!”, the capture is actually of two parakeets using their feet to clean the partner’s beak. “The photo is of course taken out of context…but when realising, back home, that the picture made our friends laugh, my wife convinced me to submit it to the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards,” shared Sochman.
Sochman lives in Brussels, Belgium, although his hometown is Prague in the Czech Republic.
“It was a pure accident,” he elaborated, adding: “We chose Kaudulla hoping to see mainly some birds of prey, such as the changeable hawk-eagles or the grey-headed fish eagles. The rose-ringed parakeets were not on my list at all, as the bird also lives here in Brussels where it escaped several decades ago from a breeder and has thrived in the city parks ever since.”
Sochman began photographing the scene, not because he was particularly interested in that specific bird species but because he really liked the light and the interaction between the birds.
Sri Lanka, an island worth returning to
Sochman spent a good part of his childhood in communist Prague and once the regime collapsed in 1989, he tried to enjoy the possibilities that arose, especially the chance to travel and study abroad. His first job, following his education in history and law, was at a law firm in Prague. However, soon after the Czech Republic joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, he was offered a position in the headquarters of the EU in Brussels.
Photography, he said, is something he fell into in pretty much the same “classic route” anyone with a penchant does. “Initially, just holiday pictures and in the end, selecting holiday locations in view of available photo opportunities.” Sochman started mainly with landscape photography but was quickly drawn to the life of animals which he described as being “often very intense in the mornings when one is standing somewhere on location, waiting for the sunrise”.
His first visit to Sri Lanka was back in 2019; his wife and him immediately fell in love with the country. Their trip was dotted with experiences that brought them a combination of culture and nature – visiting classic historic monuments and national parks in search of wildlife.
“It became quickly clear to us that we need to come back soon, and we were very happy to do so in January this year,” he said. Their second visit was almost entirely dedicated to birdwatching, but the duo still had a chance to enjoy other fascinations in the island, local cuisine being one of them.
“We now have a number of cookery books at home; we hunt for ingredients to re-create some of the dishes we ate in Sri Lanka. (It’s) hard to believe that before visiting Sri Lanka for the first time, some of our friends warned us (that) Sri Lankan food is comparatively bland!”
Recalling a favourite moment during his travels, Sochman spoke of the sunset over Sigiriya viewed from Pidurangala. Having been told that the place would be full of tourists albeit with stunning views, he trekked up first just for some shots. “But the experience went far beyond my expectations, even though I had seen many pictures and videos on the internet beforehand. I just had to return there to sit quietly,” he recounted, to watch the sun disappearing behind the mountains in all its glory.
With apologies to its people, food, and history, Sochman shared that if he were to select only one thing he liked about the country, it would have to be its natural environment. “The richness and variety of wildlife is simply incredible.”
Something he didn’t quite enjoy? Apart from the “extreme heat” in the southern provinces that to someone from central Europe felt “really infernal”, it was the impoverished state in which many people lived in the island that affected him. “From the perspective of a visitor who cannot offer any remedy, it is a painful reminder of how little we have control over in our lives and how much it is a lottery, being born into a certain situation. Many people in Europe take things such as social security or healthcare for granted, sometimes losing the wider perspective…”
An amateur photographer is hardly disappointed
Sochman feels that amateur photographers everywhere should cherish the independence they have. It’s a great privilege, according to him, that they don’t need to “get the shot to be paid”. This allows them to better respect the animals they photograph. “If the bird we want to see does not show up, no problem, we can still enjoy being in nature. If our gear cannot cope due to low levels of light, well, we still have that beautiful evening walk. Bearing this in mind, an amateur photographer can hardly ever come back home disappointed.”
Although not deterred by the Easter Sunday bombings of 2019, and even the Covid-19 pandemic, Sochman is happy to come back to the island once travel restrictions in Europe and Sri Lanka are loosened, if in the least, hoping they can contribute their tiny bit to the economic recovery of the country.
Referring to their “guide and friend” in Sri Lanka – Akila Nuwan – who is one of those directly affected by the pandemic, Sochman shared that he is deeply grateful to him. “He is not only a great tour guide but also a keen birdwatcher with amazing knowledge of the Sri Lankan avifauna. My wife and I were very happy to benefit from his knowledge and he gave us great insights into the society of Sri Lanka on top of navigating us through the local wildlife.”
Covid-19 and Belgium
Commenting on the pandemic, Sochman said that although Belgium was heavily affected by the first wave of the pandemic, right now, the numbers aren’t growing that quickly. “On the other hand, my home country, the Czech Republic, has overcome the first wave seemingly fine but things appear to be getting out of control now. I don’t have any medical or epidemiological expertise, but the lesson which I think we need to take from this as citizens is to select our political leaders with care, to avoid populism, and to do our best to put in power trustworthy, reliable politicians who will take responsible decisions in these difficult times where human lives and national economies are at stake.”
This year’s winners for the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards will be announced on 22 October.
