Into the Wild

Four women wildlife photographers offer Cosmo a mesmerising peek into their neck of the woods—through some of their favourite photographs that don’t just showcase the natural beauty that the wildlife is brimming with, but also the man-made dangers that are lurking in its midst...

- Humra Afroz Khan

Aarzoo Khurana

“I am a big fan of photographic storytelling, and try to capture the wild in its most natural settings. Wildlife photography is my way of acting as a bridge between the insides of the woods and the outer world. Baby animals, especially langurs and deer, are my favourite subjects. They are curious and adorable—peeping out, tumbling over, unmindful of all the dangers around.

A few years ago, I clicked a photograph of a baby deer and a blackbird in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. The blackbird called Drongo kept hovering over the fawn, and eventually landed on its nose and started pricking it. The poor baby kept trying to shoo her away. Interestingly, the viewer tends to assume that the two were friends. However, on the contrary, the fawn was actually really irked and just wanted Drongo to let it be! That has got to be one of my favourite images of all time.

Wildlife photography is extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. There is a lot of travel involved. Besides, we leave for safaris early mornings, and the temperature inside the forest is usually extreme...during winters, the mornings are freezing, and in the summer, noons are scorching. And, you have to work with heavy gear for long hours. For me, it was a task to convince my parents, too. Initially, they were very uncomfortable with me going off to remote areas and venturing into the forests. Now they are warming up to the idea and have made their peace with the fact that wildlife photography is an integral part of my life.”

Aishwarya Sridhar