Photo Stories Breathe Life into the Subject—Here Are My Attempts

 My journey into photo stories, photo essay, narrative photography, and documentary photography began with a slow realisation that a single frame was rarely enough. I wanted to capture the syntax of the wild, moving beyond the isolated portrait to build visual essays that breathe life into their subjects.

The camera is my tool, but the narrative is always provided by the way we see. My journey as a narrative photographer is simply an ongoing attempt to do justice to the stories the world is already telling. Here are a few of the stories through the eye of my camera.

Kaziranga and Its One-horned Rhinos

I love Kaziranga; because here they are not caged or fenced as an exhibition item for the homo sapiens. The rhinoceros, elephants, wild buffalos, deer, the occasional tigers, and many other smaller animals roam free in this 430 square-kilometre expanse across the flood plains of Brahmaputra. Kaziranga lies between the Brahmaputra and the Karbi Hills. Much of the park is marshland interspersed with large pools fringed with reeds, patches of elephant grass, scattered trees, and thickets; inhabited popularly by the great Indian one-horned rhinoceroses.

I took an early morning walk around the park with my lens, and the woods there is bustling with birds, both resident and migratory. Sighting rare large birds, like, wooly-necked stork, grey-headed fish eagle, the lesser and great adjutant, which
are declared vulnerable and threatened by International Union for Conservation of Nature, is very satisfying.

We took a safari in a private Gypsy into the central range of the park. We began seeing elephants, buffalos, deer, otter, and more; our eyes searched for the one we came travelling 3,000 km from the south of the country – the great one-horned rhinos. We could see large animals in flocks gracing far in the valleys; they all looked grey and one can’t figure out whether they are elephants, buffalos, or rhinos. We were losing hope, and suddenly, there was a loud rustling of tall grass around us; we knew something large is approaching. The guide knew what was happening, and told us to look out. And there came two solid rhinos charging towards our vehicle. They came to a screeching halt as it came face to face with our vehicle. They looked magnificent and stood majestic. Now I know why they are called the pride, not only of Kaziranga, but also of our country. 

Kites Observe Strong Family Practices

Kites, like their close relatives eagles, soar high, and frequently hover over our cities. Winter is their breeding season; they descend down from the skies and spend more time in the comfort of the earth, trees, and their mates. Visiting a camp of kites during this season is not an intelligent decision.
Winter has set in; and a pair of kites got busy doing the annual maintenance of their old nest.

Their nest is a rough platform of twigs and rags placed in a tall tree fork. Both the male and female take part in nest building, incubation and care of chicks. I kept watch from distance. As they built their nest, they often mated. Slowly the mother settled down to lay eggs and hatch. I began to frequent this camp of kites at the far end of our campus in Bangalore, and watched them standing on the top of a tall building close by. They began to become hostile and protective about their space. It takes a little over 30 days to incubate. The male provides the female with food during incubation. She rarely leaves the eggs unattended for more than a few minutes at a time.

Finally the eggs hatched and there were three chicks. The mother and father birds guard them from other predator birds, snakes, intruding humans, and anything moving.

I kept watching. Chicks stayed at the nest for nearly two months. Siblings show aggression to each other and often the weaker chick is bullied. Here parent birds were found to take special care of the smaller chick. Body feathers began to appear after about 20-22 days. Chicks stood up on their legs after 17–20 days and began flapping their wings after about 30 days. After 50 days, they began to move to branches next to the nest. And it was only a matter of time they just merged with the rest of kite folks around.

The Majestic Bengal Tiger Is an Endangered Species

The Bengal tiger ranks among the biggest wild cats alive today. The beautiful, awe-inspiring tiger is one of our planet’s most iconic animals. The tiger is estimated to have been present in the Indian subcontinent for about 12,000 to 16,500 years. Today, it is threatened by poaching, loss and fragmentation of habitat. The International Union for Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) has declared Tigers as Endangered species. The wild tiger population in the wild is estimated to be less than 4,000. This is down 96% from 100 years ago (with an estimated 100,000 a century ago). Between 2015 and 2021 there was an average increase in the tiger population.

Driving through the forestlands of northern part of West Bengal is a pleasure. The mountains of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and the plains and tea gardens of Siliguri take your breath away. The deep valleys are filled with huge pine, sal, and teak trees. Teesta River carries the rain waters down to the Bay of Bengal, protecting the valleys from flooding. I kept looking out for the great Bengal Tiger; and finally I found them in the Tiger Safari at Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. And now I could return back to the South in contentment.

Western Ghats Are Older than the Himalayas


India’s Western Ghats, also called the Sahyadri, is a north-south chain of mountains or hills that mark the western edge of the Deccan plateau region. It runs parallel to India’s western coast, approximately 30–50 km inland, the Ghats traverse the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it ranks among the top eight biodiversity hotspots in the world. It is home for some 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species and 250 reptile species.

It is well known for its majestic beauty. It holds a range of peaks, valleys, waterfalls, and wild life reserves; some celebrated ones are, Munnar, Vagaman, and Thekkady Wildlife Reserve in Kerala, Nilgiri hill stations (Ooty, Coonoor etc.) in Tamil Nadu; Dandeli, Coorg, and Chikmangalur in Karnataka; Mollem National Park in Goa; and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. The highest peak in this range is Anaimalai hills in Kerala, which has an elevation of 2,695 metres.

Though the Western Ghats are older than the Himalayas, it is not the oldest mountain range in India. The entire mountain range is blessed with plenty of rain fall. Most mountains have many streams and numerous waterfalls. Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri are the main rivers originating from the Western Ghats.

The Great Salt March

Travelling through Vedaranyam, Nagapattinam, at the eastern cost of Tamil Nadu, I was suddenly taken aback by the sight of the vast expanses of salt evaporation ponds. A salt evaporation pond is a shallow artificial salt pan designed to extract salts from sea water.

I could not drive on. Seeking permission from my co-traveller, I took a walk through the salt fields. I met Bala, a worker at the salt fields. He spoke to me about the salt fields, owned by large companies; though working for them for years, and for meager wages; he had no much idea about the company that gets the benefit of his hard toil. Bala was very articulative about the tough nature of their work. The hardest is the heat. Scorching sun is beating on them directly; adding to it the white salt fields reflect light and heat back to them: like getting cooked in a slow fire.

It is the year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. My thoughts went back to Gandhiji, his companions, and the great Salt March to Dandi, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, which was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a direct action campaign of tax resistance and nonviolent protest against the British salt monopoly.

In 2022, in the independent India, would Bala or others be able to take a march of dissent to uphold their rights and dignity?

Ingenious Crows of Kalimpong

Crows, often denounced as annoyance by city-dwellers, and as invaders and thieves by farmers, in fact are interesting birds. Fables associated with crows announce their intelligence. The fact that we can spot crows almost everywhere on this planet speaks of their adaptability. Crows eat anything; they live anywhere; back their folks for good and for bad. Yes. Crows are toughies; and they are survivors. They are here to stay.

Crows have huge brains! They have the largest brain-to-body ratio of any bird. Their brain to body ratio is even bigger than humans. Therefore they do a lot of intelligible things, like, making tools, making vehicles at traffic to help crack hard nuts, and others.

Something that amused me as I was birding in Kalimpong, West Bengal, on a rainy day was seeing a crow gathering all remaining biscuits from the hotel yard and flying away. It came back again and again carrying away more and more biscuits. I followed it thinking that it is taking
it to feed its young; but to my surprise it kept piling it up in the cavity of a tree. Yes. Crows store excess food. Crows store food in trees or rain gutters, or even bury food in the yard and cover it with leaves or grass. Like squirrels, crows retrieve the stored food when needed.

Velankanni, Full of Grace

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also known as the Velankanni Church, is a Roman Catholic church located in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India.

It is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Christians in India, and is also known as the “Lourdes
of the East”. The church is said to have been founded in the 16th century after a series of Marian apparitions: the apparition of Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm.

What first caught my attention is the large and imposing church structure, built in the Gothic style. It
is decorated with intricate carvings and statues. As I spend the entire day in the church premise, the pilgrim centre began unfolding itself: the huge statue of Jesus in blessing posture, people hastening to the sea shore, some after getting their head shaved as a sign of surrender and consecration, to have a pardoning dip in the holy waters of Bay of Bengal, and so on. For me the most edifying was devotees walking a 600-metre long sand path on their knees in the scorching sun of coastal Tamil Nadu. What reaches the other end of the 600-metre stretch is metal tested in fire.

The Floating Palace of Jaipur

The awe-inspiring Jal Mahal Palace (water palace), built and rebuilt with sandstone between 1650 and 1800, is an architectural showcase of the Rajput and Mughal style architecture of Rajasthan. It, standing majestically in the picturesque Man Sagar Lake, is a beauty to behold. The Man Sagar Lake, in the backdrop of the surrounding Nahargarh (tiger-abode) hills, holds the Jal Mahal like a lotus in full bloom. Of the five stories, only the top floor with a roof garden is visible above the water. The Jal Mahal was built in the lake by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber (there are other claims) for bathing with his queens and pundits. Then or later it was used as a duck-hunting lodge. The dam, which was built later to combat severe droughts in the area, submerged the lower portions of the palace.

As you reach the lakefront, the sunlit sand coloured stonewalls of the palace standing in stark contrast with the deep blue of the waters and the lush green surrounding mountains take your breath away, you fall in love, you walk along the shore lost in fantasy and romanticism. Soon you are surprised by the sightings of not so common birds like, black-winged stilts, pelicans, red-wattled lapwing, moorhens, and more.

Jaipur, bathed in the colour of hospitality—pink, is an adventure in the land of palaces, forts, and kings. The Jal Mahal, with its waterfronts and backdrops, has everything a tourist looks for in the Pink City: palace, lake, landscape, birds, and of course, the travel vibe.

Tree-living Crabs of Goa

Crossing the swollen Mandovi River on a ferry near Panjim, Goa, one is welcomed by Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary right on the shores of river Mandovi along the Western Ghats. It is one of the most protected bird sanctuaries of Goa. Though it is famous for birds it also is home to exotic wildlife in a wild mangrove setting. The diverse flora of this region comprises Teak, Red Sandalwood, Rosewood, Jungle Jack, and many more tropical evergreen and semi- evergreen trees.

It was low tide, I was walking through the marshy mangrove in search of birds, I noticed the fantastic fiddle crabs who help preserve our important coastal wetland ecosystems. Soon enough, I was taken aback by surprise, seeing a crab running up a tree. Though it looked very surreal, it created enough interest in me to go looking out for crabs on the thickly growing trees around me. I had to find enough
of them to conclude, yes, they are tree-dwelling crabs; living in tree holes and beneath the barks.

The Gentle Giants of Nagarhole


The morning mist was still hovering over as I approached the Nagarhole Elephant Camp. It was all very quiet but suddenly there was a deep, resonant trumpeting sound shattered the silence—the call of one of nature’s most majestic creatures—a male tusker. An elephant, unhurried and magnificent, slowly emerged. I stopped, took position at a safe distance. Slowly it became playful and bouncy but had no intention
to hurt anybody. It looked around with an air of authority and ownership, pushed a tree for a while, then took a sand bath; and it kept repeating it.

The Nagarahole National Park, with this elephant camp in it, is
spread across 843 square kilometres and the elephant corridor begins
at Mudumalai in Tamil Nadu and covers Sathyamangala, BR Hills and Bandipur Tiger Reserve and extends up to Brahmagiri Forests. With ample food, and plenty of water the elephants thrive in this forest. One never gets tired of watching these gentle giants.

Wild Wanderings Through Thekkady

My visit to Thekkady, nestled in the lap of the Western Ghats in Kerala, India, overlapping with Periyar Tiger Reserve, also called the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, felt like walking right into the thick pristine forest. Renowned for its wildlife reserves, lush forests, and picturesque landscapes, Thekkady offers a unique opportunity for travelers to immerse themselves in the wonders of nature.

Thekkady is one of the most renowned wildlife reserves in India. Spanning over 900 square kilometers, this sanctuary is centered around the picturesque Periyar Lake and Mullaperiyar Dam waters. The sanctuary boasts a rich variety of wildlife, from the elusive tiger to the lazily hanging Malabar giant squirrel. Elephants, gaurs (Indian bison), and sambar deer are common sights.

With over 265 species of birds recorded within its boundaries, it is also a haven for birdwatchers. It was a pleasure to see the Great Hornbill in all its magnificence right in the wild. Other often-sighted birds are the great cormorant, oriental darter, Malabar parakeet, and a variety of kingfishers and woodpeckers.

MOG Celebrates the Life and People of Goa

Art is the universal language of humankind and has the power to connect people from all over the world. The Museum of Goa (MOG), Panaji, was conceived in 2015 by artist Dr Subodh Kerkar. The lack of cultural spaces in Goa, particularly those dedicated to contemporary art, led Kerkar to envision an institution that would democratise art and make it accessible to a larger audience.

In the local Konkani language, MOG means love, representing the museum’s commitment to promoting art practice, culture, and histories. By engaging diverse audience it ensures art to be accessible, affordable and inclusive, both physically and digitally.

Much of the works here are by Subodh Kerkar celebrating Goa’s history and people through contemporary art. A large sculpture titled Chillies discusses how this South American spice was introduced to India by the Portuguese sometime in the 16th century.

The Western Coast: An Eternal Love Affair between the Mountains and the Sea Waves

 The western coast of India is a range of mountains and their valleys embraced and washed by the Arabian Sea. The western coast runs between Kerala and Gujarat and extends from the Arabian Sea to the Western Ghats. Its total length is 1400 km, width ranges from 10 km to 80 km, and the elevation (mountains) ranges from 150 m to 300 m above sea level. It includes the Konkan, which is the Northern part of the coast that includes Goa and Mumbai and extends from Daman to Goa; Kanara, which is the central stretch of the coast that comprises three coastal districts, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi district (South Canara), and Uttara Kannada (North Canara); and the Malabar Coast, which is the southern stretch, a long and narrow coastline that extends from the South of Goa to Kanyakumari.

For the people of inland India the sandy beaches of Western Coast is a haven of entertainment and rejuvenation. Take a road trip from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu to Bhuj in Gujarat: you will stand in awe at beaches and mountains; majestic forts and palaces; temples, churches and mosques; ports and fishing harbours; backwaters and waterfalls; and culture, food, and more.

Here are the photo stories PDF

From the photo stories series done for Together Magazine.