K.M. Anand is a doctor by profession and a photographer by passion.

When the world came to a standstill during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the 62-year-old Kochi-based paediatrician had taken up his Nikon Z8 to beat boredom but it sparked a passion for photography in him.

Anand, who has won several national and international accolades for his photography skills, recently bagged the Kerala State Wildlife Photography Award.

A silhouette of a leopard perched atop a tree in Kenya's Masai Mara

Anand said he didn't realise when his late-blooming hobby became the driving force of his life. "Nothing beats the excitement of waking up early, feeling the fresh breeze and admiring nature," said the doctor who runs Milestones Clinic for Children in Kakkanad.

The son of Mohan Rao, a former official of Travancore Titanium Products, and Radha Mohan, Anand pursued his MBBS from Trivandrum Medical College Hospital and MD in paediatrics from Jaipur.

He told The Telegraph that he had not learnt photography but always had a penchant for clicking pictures of objects around him.

Dr KM Anand

"Taking photos of birds and animals is a great stress-buster and helps me in my medical profession. As a doctor, I could move around a bit during the pandemic. I took a photograph of a sunbird taking off while I was at home. I won the first award instituted by the Kerala government coinciding with the Wildlife Week celebrations in 2021 for that picture," he said.

Gifted with a keen eye for detail and composition, Anand is fond of taking macro photographs of snakes, birds, frogs, insects and mammals. He also dabbles in dance photography where he likes to capture the swift and rhythmic movements of the dancers’ hands and feet.

Anand's wife Sandhya Rao, an ophthalmic surgeon, has been urging him to hold an exhibition of his photographs for quite some time.

"I know very well that an exhibition of my photographs is long overdue. Holding an exhibition calls for huge responsibilities. A few of my doctor friends, who have also dabbled in photography, can probably organise a joint exhibition with me," Anand said.

Apart from the two Kerala state awards in 2021 and 2024, Anand has won international awards instituted by Nature inFocus and the Journal of Wildlife Photography.

For those interested in taking up wildlife photography as a serious hobby, Anand has a word of advice. "One needs to have oodles of patience to become an exemplary wildlife photographer. Wait for the perfect shot. Understanding animal behaviour goes a long way in helping you click the perfect picture. The only predictable thing is unpredictability when taking photographs," he said.

Anand does not have any role models in photography but has huge admiration for the works of Indian photographers Gyana Mohanty and Sudhir Sivaram.