Behind the Lens: My Wildlife Photography Process

People often see the final image—the leopard in Jhalana or the kingfisher mid-dive—but they rarely see the hours of waiting that come before it. I typically shoot with a Canon 80D paired with a Sigma 150-600mm lens. This gear gives me the reach I need to capture wildlife without disturbing their natural behavior.

Whether I am out at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or tracking through Ranthambore, the approach is the same. I do not believe in heavy post-processing. I prefer getting the lighting and composition right in-camera. This means learning how to handle high-key and low-key environments on the fly. It is a technical challenge, but it keeps the images authentic.

I am not just there to click buttons. I study animal behavior, listen for alarm calls, and check pugmarks to anticipate where the action will be. If you are coming out on a session with me, expect a fair bit of dust on your shoes and a lot of talk about the species we are tracking. Wildlife photography is gritty and unpredictable, but that is the only way to get real results. I also spend a lot of time on nature photography outside of the big safari drives, looking for textures and patterns that others might walk right past.