Neel Sarkhedi recalls the lessons he has learnt as a wildlife photographer

Neel Sarkhedi

To get that perfect shot through their lens, photographers spend days, months and years. Photography might look fascinating, but it isn't a cakewalk to be a patient photographer. Especially when you are in nature and wildlife photography, one might have to wait for long to get the desired click. Among many talented photographers, Neel Sarkhedi has established himself as a promising name.

He hails from Ankleshwar, Gujarat and has been practising photography for more than five years. Beginning his career in 2019, Neel is an entrepreneur by profession. However, his love for capturing pictures of nature and wildlife species saw a transition in his career. While Neel has been a nomad and has been hopping from one place to another to capture beautiful moments of nature, he says that wildlife photography is a learning experience for a lifetime.

Elaborating about it, the photographer said, "I have become patient enough ever since I have deep-dived into the field of photography. I consider myself a student for life as many new things are coming up with technology innovation." Recalling one of his trips to the Gir forest, Sarkhedi stated that he had to wait for more than 3 hours to capture the images of Asiatic lions with their cubs. "What people see is the beauty of nature amidst the flora and fauna. But the effort behind capturing those moments cannot be summed up in words", reveals Neel.

Apart from this, during his recent trip to Himachal Pradesh, Neel got to capture some of the finest photographs of snowy valleys, waterfalls and Himalayas. But on his visit, the photographer realised that it is significant to understand the weather conditions as well. "It is not always safe to take out the camera gear amidst unpleasant weather like heavy rainfall or snowfall", Neel added. Besides this, the wildlife photographer has captured clicks of many wildlife species including the lion, tiger, eagle, desert fox, leopard, raptors, wild dog and elephant to name a few.

Moreover, Sarkhedi has even visited different wildlife sanctuaries like Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Kabini National Park and Jhalana Reserve Forest. Despite all the challenges in this field, Neel Sarkhedi feels blessed to take up a profession that makes him travel the most. The creative photographer has witnessed the diversified cultures of the country and has also captured the rarest species through his camera lens. As the travel restrictions are lifted in many destinations, Sarkhedi soon plans to visit different wildlife sanctuaries of India and other parts of the world.