Nov/Dec 2023

November /December 2023 29
first camera and started playing with it.
When I moved to London 16 years ago, I
always made sure I lived close to a park
or a forest to enjoy nature and practice
my photography skills.
I love that Wanstead Park is just a few minutes’
walk from where I live. I try to visit the park
every week if I can. I can easily spend four
hours or more just trying to see and capture
something new in the park.
While shooting birds, I use a 500mm zoom
lens so I can shoot from a distance and
not disturb them. The UK’s favourite bird is
pictured here, the European Robin, known
simply as a Robin or Robin Redbreast. It is
found across Europe, east to Western Siberia
and south to North Africa. Robins are small,
insectivorous birds, around 12cm to 14cm in
length. Unlike other small birds, Robins are
not so shy, and one can get really close to
them if they don’t feel threatened.
My name is
Deepak
Dembla and
I’m an IT professional.
Photography, stargazing,
fitness and dancing are my
passions. COVID lockdowns
made me explore Wanstead
Flats and Wanstead Park more
than ever with my camera. And
ever since, nature has always
surprised me with something
amazing: wildlife, beautiful sunsets
and sunrises or something amazing
in the sky, like a beautiful rainbow or a
comet, the moon and planets. I must say,
it’s a treasure!
I never had any formal education in
photography. While in college, I joined
an astronomy club called ABAA. This is
where I met Dilip Kumar, former president
of the club. I was inspired by his amazing
astrophotography, landscape and wildlife
photography skills, and bought my
As a non-migratory species, Robins can be
seen throughout the year, although there
are quite a few legends surrounding their
relation to Christmas. One legend goes
back to Victorian times, when the tradition
of sending Christmas cards started. They
were delivered by postmen wearing brightred
coats. These postmen were nicknamed
‘Robins’ or ‘Redbreasts’ with the popular early
cards of the era displaying the Robins who
characterised them. A theme which continues
to this day.
But legend also has it that the Robin’s
redbreast has a direct link to Christianity. One
fable suggests that when the baby Jesus was
in his manger, the fire which had been lit to
keep him warm started to blaze up. A brown
Robin, noticing that Mary had been distracted,
placed himself between the fire and the
face of baby Jesus. The Robin fluffed out its
feathers to protect the baby, but in so doing,
its breast was scorched. This redness was then
passed on to future generations of Robins.
To view more of Deepak’s wildlife photos,
visit swvg.co.uk/deepak
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