Your work blends creativity with strong storytelling. How would you describe your visual style, and what emotions do you aim to evoke through your images?
I try and photograph compositions that strongly appeal to me or what I resonate with. It is a mix of portraiture with art, capturing elements of nature, light, subtle mood, or behavioural records. A sense of mysticism is what I try to achieve. I want people to feel the stillness of a dawn to the tension before a hunt through my work. If my image can make someone feel a deep admiration and a sense of responsibility, then it has done its job well.
Many of your photographs feel more like paintings than wildlife portraits. What inspires your unique artistic approach to wildlife?
There’s a lot, but I really get inspired from my solitude, where I let my imaginations run wild and let those thoughts marinate till I actualise the perceived composition. I really get inspired by Claude Monet, how he painted light, atmosphere, and his deep understanding and fascination with painting something that is static, yet makes you feel like a moving imagery.
How do you balance creativity with authenticity when working in the wild? Do you plan your compositions or allow the moment to guide you?
Following an old-school approach, most of my images are composed in the field. This allows me more creative freedom. I go without expectations and try to make use of the moment and light that is offered to me by nature. I have planned compositions as well as spontaneous ones. Nature rarely follows a script. I enjoy spontaneous compositions more because I have already lived the planned compositions in my head.
When did your journey into wildlife photography begin, and what sparked your deep connection with nature?
I come across as a photographer; in reality, I am an animal person. Since childhood, I have lived and worked with and for animals in one way or the other. Photography is one of the avenues that I truly enjoy exploiting, as it allows me to foray into their world. I started in 1998 with a Nikon FM10, a fully manual film camera. There isn’t a single moment that I can isolate and say what really sparked my interest. It has been a slow and gradual evolution.
Looking back, what has changed the most in your creative process from your early days to now?
Coming from the film camera days, we had a lot of limitations. The compositions that were almost impossible to achieve with those tools are now very easy to come by with new, highly sophisticated technology. With the evolution of technology, vision expanded to venture into newer frontiers.
What are some defining moments in your career that shaped who you are as a photographer today?
During my tenure of research on the world’s first radio telemetry project on King Cobras in Agumbe, I had opportunities to document some of the rarest and never-recorded events. Images from the project gave newer insights on King Cobra behaviour and ecology. During this period, I had a chance to work with some of the best filmmakers and photographers from around the world.
Your images often showcase challenging lighting, rare behaviours, and dynamic compositions. What are the essential technical skills a photographer must master to attempt these kinds of shots?
Even today, I read the camera user’s manual diligently. That lets me know what each button and setting of the camera will help me achieve. Knowing your subject and your gear is the key.
Can you walk us through your thought process when creating a complex image from visualizing the frame to the final click?
It is a work of patience. By patience, I do not only mean to patiently wait for the species. I mean one should go on a long haul and not “chase” compositions, as when I chase, I restrict my imagination to follow a path. On the other hand, I study a lot about the terrain and species and have a mental library of the compositions that I could make. Adding more layers of complexity step by step lets me push myself further.
Which gear or specific techniques have played a significant role in elevating your work?
Camera trapping and photographing wide-angle-macro images has really helped me catapult my work to a different level.
Many of your images feel experimental, bold, or unconventional. How do you push yourself creatively while ensuring your work remains ethical and respectful to wildlife?
I try a lot. My experience of working with animals closely, helps me here to be self-disciplined enough to be ethical. It helps me decide when I am stressing the species or the habitat and when to stop my approach. Within this framework, I have to make the most of the situation, gear, and skills that I possess.
Have there been moments where your creative vision required patience or risk? What did those experiences teach you?
There are plenty of occasions, especially when more of my work revolves around working with venomous snakes and going around in the forests on foot in the night. It is really humbling to feel that I am at the mercy of nature.
Your photographs reflect deep observation and understanding of animal behaviour. How important is natural history knowledge in creating powerful wildlife images?
There are two things here: one, you just get lucky to capture animal behaviour; secondly, natural history knowledge is as important as knowing your camera. It helps you anticipate and predict behaviour and compose the shot accordingly. Without understanding animal behaviour, wildlife photography remains superficial.
Has any particular species challenged you the most from a creative or storytelling perspective?
Yes, the Great Indian Bustard! They are very shy species and I am too shy to chase them considering the fact how critically endangered they are!
What are the biggest creative challenges in wildlife photography today, especially in the age of social media?
Algorithm-friendly images following viral trends push one towards creating mundane work. This completely overshadows the originality of work.
What misconceptions do people have about the realities of wildlife photography behind the scenes?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that booking safaris and buying good gear is all that one needs. Also, people feel it is very glamorous to be a wildlife photographer. Another misconception is that one can salvage a bad image by over–post-processing.
How do you hope your work influences viewers especially in terms of conservation, empathy, and appreciation for the wild?
It is a very quiet call to protect the habitats, consume less, and check human population. All the species shall bounce back with zero human intervention. Showing the unseen creates interest and empathy. I hope to touch more and more lives to change them into responsible and nature-loving citizens.
What role do you believe creative photography plays in reshaping how people perceive wildlife and nature?
Creative imagery can transform conservation from a scientific issue into a human one. When people emotionally connect with an image, they’re more likely to care about the species or ecosystem behind it. Art becomes a soft, compelling advocate for protection.
What new ideas, projects, or creative directions are you excited to explore in the coming years?
I do not plan; I take it as it comes, one step at a time. Always excited to see what tomorrow brings, without expectations. Having said that, I really look forward to exploring more habitats and bringing newer compositions and not following the “trends.”
