I'm a photographer and writer, operating at the intersection of art, conservation and technology, documenting wild spaces, changing landscapes and human stories
Humble Beginnings
I grew up in Mumbai, a dense, vibrant metropolis of endless energy that hides surprising pockets of wildlife if you know where to look. As a kid I spent a lot of time reading National Geographic magazines and dreaming about the rest of the world. I've been following that dream ever since, and I feel I am just getting started.
My journey behind the lens began with a hand me down Agfa Silette that I lugged around in family trips. Later I was able to use my father's Canon AE-1 for my darkroom classes at the university. I still shoot black-and-white film on that AE-1 today. It forces me to slow down and truly observe the scene before pressing the shutter — a grounding antidote to my high-speed digital bodies. Since the AE-1, I’ve mostly shot with Canon gear.
A Serendipitous Turn Toward Conservation and Advocacy
Prior to bird photography I was avidly shooting landscapes, cities, streets, portraits and like. Then in January 2017 an unused airline credit led me to the Monteverde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica. That single trip ignited a enduring passion for birding and wildlife photography and soon after I bought super-telephoto lenses that allowed me to photograph wildlife respectfully from a safe distance.
That pivot built into a series of meaningful collaborations, including The Future Is Now — a photographic initiative on King Tides and rising sea levels, and remote educational outreach for school children during the Covid 2020 lockdowns. These experiences led to my deep involvement with the San Diego Bird Alliance, where I currently serve on the Board of Directors, advancing local and global conservation efforts.
For the past six years, a central focus of my field advocacy has been the California Least Tern (CLTE) — a small, highly vulnerable seabird nesting on San Diego's beaches. Documenting their intimate behaviors has yielded imagery featured widely in species advocacy and habitat protection campaigns for the CLTE.
Engineering Solutions for Habitat Monitoring
With a background as an electrical engineer, I bring a technical lens to environmental stewardship. Together with my son, we design and build field-deployable technology prototypes tailored for low-impact habitat monitoring.
The objective is clear: build autonomous, round-the-clock monitoring tools that provide crucial real-time biodiversity data to habitat managers. It is immensely encouraging to see a new generation of young changemakers active in this intersection of technology and field biology and I am optimistic about the recovery of threatened and endangered species in urban margins and wild ecosystems around the world.
Recognition & Publications
My photographs and storytelling have won awards and honors in local, national, and international competitions — including the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards Top 100 and in the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year book. Several of my images have appeared in publication outlets such as Birds & Blooms and BirdNote and environmental advocacy media across California.
