Dethan Punalur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Dethan Punalur
Born (1954-01-01) 1 January 1954 (age 72)
Alappuzha, Kerala, India
EducationRaja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts
Occupation
  • Wildlife photographer
Years active50

Dethan Punalur is an Indian wildlife photographer based in Coonoor, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu.

Life and career

[edit | edit source]

Dethan Punalur was born as V. Devadethan in Muthukulam, Alappuzha District, Kerala, India, in 1954, to V.K. Vasu and C.K. Omana. He completed his schooling at Muthukulam High School. Dethan earned a graduate degree in painting and sculpture from Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts and was a scholarship recipient.

Later, Dethan moved to Coonoor in 1978 to work as a photographer. He has provided photographic coverage of the hill town for more than 50 years.[1][2]

Achievements

[edit | edit source]

Awards & recognition

  • National Geographic - Dethan's detailed imagery of monkeys and documentation of their behavior over the years have won him accolades, including from National Geographic[3][4][5][6]
  • Pravasi Bhushan Award[2]
  • All Kerala Photographers' Association "Excellence in Photography" Award[10]
  • Mirror: Photographer of the Month[11]
  • Employment News - Front page photo[12]
  • Madras Wildlife Award
  • The Times of India Award
  • Tourism Department (Ooty) Award - Four-time recipient[8]
  • Tourism Board Summer Festival Award (Ooty) - Three-time recipient
  • Kerala University Union Award - Three-time consecutive recipient[13]
  • Kollam Horticulture Society Award
  • Kerala University College 125th Anniversary Competition Award
  • Butterfly Art Foundation Award
  • Top Ten Photographer Award

Books

  • Guru - An Album (Nithya Darshanam in Malayalam) - Released in 2009, the album contains photographs of Guru Nitya Chaitanya Yati, an Indian philosopher and author of 200 books in English and Malayalam. Guru Yati is considered only the third direct teacher in the lineage of the philosopher, spiritual leader, and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.[14]This book of photos is based on Dethan's nearly exclusive photographic coverage of Guru Yati, spanning more than two decades from 1978 to 1999.[15][16][17]

Publications

  • His photos have appeared on the websites and in the print editions of major publications, including National Geographic, BBC/BBC Earth, HuffPost, Malayala Manorama, Mathrubhumi, Kerala Kaumudi, The New Indian Express, RTL.hu, Wired, Popular Mechanics, Australian Geographic, Welt.de, Nature, and Condé Nast Traveller.[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

Other milestones

  • Dethan is a member of the International Nature and Wildlife Photographers Association.[32]
  • His macro-lens photos of small objects, such as a fly blowing bubbles ("fly bubbling"), have been prominently featured.[33][34]
  • His photographs of Ooty and the Nilgiri mountain ranges, which capture their varied moods, are much sought after, including by international photo collectors.[2]
  • He has contributed more than 3,745 images to Getty Images, the world's largest provider of visual content.[35][36]
  • He has used most types of cameras, ranging from box cameras (e.g., the German-made Agfa Synchro Box), which were prevalent through the 1970s, to mirrorless cameras that appeared nearly 15 years ago.[32]
  • He has conducted more than 32 photography exhibitions and classes at various photography clubs and camps.[37]
  • He has written more than 61 articles on photography.[38]

Critical Responses

[edit | edit source]

"Dethan Punalur's camera captures images ranging from minute moments in nature to highly thought-provoking scenes. They are a combination of literature and knowledge," says film maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

"Dethan Punalur's camera's eyes travel beyond familiar common habits to rare sights...It is worth noting that [Dethan's] viewers are being led to experiences not merely through the use of free techniques available in photography," Adoor adds in his review of Dethan's "Image Book" in Mathrubhumi daily."[39][40][19]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 25 October 2017
  2. ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 30 October 2012
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 9 November 2014
  6. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., April 14, 2024
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., Chinta, 15 July 2025
  8. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  11. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  12. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). Metro Manorama Print Edition, Trivandrum, 24 December 2011
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 20 April 2020
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 12 April 2025
  19. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 17 July 2025
  20. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  21. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 20 April 2025
  22. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 1 April 2023
  23. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 2 August 2019
  24. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 8 December 2015
  25. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 17 May 2021
  26. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 30 August 2024
  27. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 25 August 2020
  28. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 25 August 2020
  29. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 20 February 2007
  30. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  31. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  32. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 19 August 2022
  33. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 11 March 2024
  34. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)., 11 March 2024
  35. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 17 August 2025
  36. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 14 Mar 2023
  37. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  38. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).Madhyama Syndicate, 11 Mar 2024
  39. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 27 December 2024
  40. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). 12 April 2025
[edit | edit source]
Retrieved from "http://70.231.62.181/index.php?title=Dethan_Punalur&oldid=24948625"