Over the years, some of our photographs have been recognised at international festivals and competitions — some even appreciated by photographers we’ve long admired. Others have found their way into leading publications and global exhibitions. Here’s a curated series of our most celebrated and award-winning work.
A mother lion and cub take a seemingly philosophical view about the rain, in choosing to stay out in the open whole the rest of the pride rushed for cover. They reminded us of Longfellow's words: “Thy fate is the common fate of all; Into each life some rain must fall.” This image was taken at the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya.
‘Younger siblings eat last’ — a lesson that this forlorn semi-adult lion in the Maasai Mara learned the hard way. A massive lion pride had just made a kill and while the larger lions were busy feeding, this young lion had to content himself with waiting for his turn, head resting forlornly on a feasting family member.
An impala, which is a common antelope in Africa, decides to pose in front of the rising sun, to dramatic effect. The image was deliberately under-exposed so as to not lose the highlights in the sun. Most sunrise or sunset silhouettes are in colour, with the deep orange hues being the dramatic hero of the images. In this less usual black and white treatment, the unsung impala is the hero instead.
Still pools of water make for stunning natural mirrors and this flamingo proves that even when stripped of its natural pink hues, it makes for a stunning subject.
As photographers who work primarily in black and white, we often get asked how we would approach animals or birds whose primary calling card is their colour. This image was an attempt to validate our creative hypothesis that at times, there is enough beauty in form, shape and gesture to make colour redundant.
Rain not only seems to bring out great depth of emotion in big cats, but also offers us the opportunity to get creative with both photography settings and processing. One evening at the Maasai Mara in Kenya, it was interesting to watch a large lion pride getting caught in a sudden shower and how differently they reacted. While some of the cubs welcomed the rain and continued their play with renewed vigour, others tried to seek shelter close to their moms. The mums in turn sought shelter where they could in the open savannah surrounded by massive black boulders. What struck us however, was this one female and cub who seemed to be immune to all the activity around them. They stayed put and with great calm, accepted the drops of rain that fell on them like blessings from above. In the fast fading light, their silhouette, rim lit by sunset, underlined their fortitude and showed a stoic, solid presence against the droplets that pelted down. This was deliberately under-exposed in camera and further in post processing in order to eventually get this look.
Age cannot wither nor rain dampen her infinite fortitude (with all due respect to the bard). A lioness decides to brave the rain rather than rush for shelter, in the Masai Mara in Kenya. This image was photographed back-lit, under-exposed in camera and in post processing to focus on the essential elements that tell this story.
Amid the vast expanse of Solio Game Reserve, two visually contrasting figures meet—one, a towering behemoth of armoured strength, the other, a delicate wisp of white. The rhino, a creature shaped by time and endurance, lowers its head, its massive horn almost touching the egret standing unshaken before it. In this fleeting moment, power and fragility coexist, bound by an unspoken understanding.
The egret, dwarfed in size but not in presence, stands with quiet confidence, as if unfazed by the giant before it. The rhino, a titan of the land, does not charge, does not turn away. Instead, it acknowledges the bird’s presence in a rare moment of stillness.
An iconic white rhino seemingly stands guard in the shadow of the even more iconic Mt Kenya. Photographed backlit at dawn in Solio Game Reserve, Kenya on an overcast day that offered a combination of dramatic clouds and early morning mist, both of which created a wonderful mood for photographs. This morning we seemed to have all the elements of cloud, mist and a visible mountain and all that was missing was an animal to frame against all of them. As luck would have it, this rhino obliged by not just showing up, but also lifting its head almost to mirror the pointed peak of the mountain.
A lionesses moves her cub to a new spot, gently carrying it by the loose skin on its neck, keeping it safe, and a step ahead of potential threats.
Watching this unfold in the wild and being able to capture it has been a highlight for us.
Emboldened by its mother’s presence, a baby langur at Pench Reserve, emerges from the safety of her arms to take a better look at the world.
What fascinated us here, was not only the courageous gesture but also its eyes - expressing mischief, curiosity, wonder and innocence.
Two lionesses emerge from windswept grass in the Masai Mara, eyes constantly alert for the sight of potential prey.
A young elephant in Amboseli walked up to an adult and they shared a long interaction where they just stood next to each other, trunks barely touching. The whole scene seemed almost mystical to us and we were convinced that there definitely was some transfer of elephant wisdom taking place!
If one looks beyond the obvious size and strength of elephants, once can see myriad other emotions. We have tried to focus on one of those in this image.
A baby langur peers out from the safety of its mother's arms, at Pench Reserve in India.
What fascinated us here, were the baby langur’s eyes that seemed to be expressing so many different emotions: mischief, curiosity, wonder and innocence.
Three oxpeckers fly up, seemingly singing ‘Hallelujah!’, when a two-week old giraffe calf and its mother are reunited after a brief spell apart, at the Olare Motorogi conservancy in the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem.
2 cheetah brothers strike an unusual, mind-bending pose on a termite mound, just long enough for us to capture the moment! Not only are cheetahs capable of amazing turns of speed, but they are also the pre-eminent posers of the big cat kingdom.