Wildlife and cameras fascinated Shreyovi Mehta since she was a baby. Her parents, Shivang and Kahini, turned their adventures in the wild into exciting bedtime tales. By two, she began joining her father on trips, immersed in nature’s wonders.

Surrounded by camera gear, Shreyovi touched her first DSLR during a Ranthambore trip at just two years old — a moment she still vividly remembers eight years later. Her love for photography had just begun.

By four, she had her mother’s old point-and-shoot camera. At six, she handled her first professional camera. With guidance from experts at Nature Wanderers, a wildlife photography tourism company, she quickly mastered framing, angles, and settings.

By the age of 10, she had already visited 10 national parks and Masai Mara, spending 30 to 40 days a year in the wild on safaris and expeditions. “She always loved being in the field with me,” Shivang shares. “She used to be eager to try the equipment.”

In November 2023, during a Bharatpur trip, nine-year-old Shreyovi noticed two peahens walking along an illuminated forest path. “The sun was just rising, and the light was almost divine,” recalls Shivang of the magical moment.

Shreyovi crouched, framed the shot, and captured the stunning photograph. ‘In the Spotlight’ shows the peahens silhouetted against a peachy sky, framed by trees. Her sharp eye caught what her parents missed.

The photograph earned her a runner-up spot in the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. This October, it will be exhibited in London — fulfilling a dream inspired by her visit to the same exhibition last year.

Shreyovi’s mornings start at 4:30 am, practising with mentors before school. Weekends are spent exploring wetlands and forests, honing her craft. “She’s quite resilient and never shies away from challenges,” Shivang says proudly.

Here are a few of Shreyovi’s favourite images over the years:

During a winter walk in Bharatpur, Shreyovi noticed these spider webs sparkling like jewels thanks to the morning dew. Her mentor Allen Jacob guided her to take the perfect picture.

Shreyovi stationed herself for hours to get this image of a darter or snake bird landing in the pool. Since they go on a feeding frenzy in the winters, she had to understand their behaviour first.

Shivang and Allen tasked Shreyovi with finding a perfect subject to match with the beautiful skyline during a bird walk at Bharatpur. After walking for more than a kilometre, she found these mynas perched perfectly against the sky.

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