WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER & EXPEDITION LEADER
Chetan
Kumar.
From landscapes and streets.
To stories in the wild.
Chetan Kumar is a Bengaluru-based photographer and the expedition leader behind CK Safaris. His photography began over a decade ago with landscapes and street life—an education in light, composition and noticing what is happening around him.
For over three years, wildlife has become a central part of that practice. In Bandipur, Kabini and Bhadra, he looks for the story around the animal as well as the portrait: behaviour, movement, habitat and the moments between more obvious action.
He personally leads small-group and private photography journeys, with a maximum of five paying photographers alongside him. His guidance connects reading the forest and anticipating behaviour with practical decisions about light, settings and composition. Selected image reviews and post-processing sessions help guests develop the photographs afterwards.
More than half a decade working in sales and account management has shaped how he works with people: listening carefully, communicating clearly and making space for different interests and levels of experience.
IN THE FIELD & BEYOND
Present in the moment.
Curious about the next.
A photograph can begin before the animal enters the frame. Years photographing landscapes and street life taught Chetan to notice light, space and the small changes within a scene. In the forest, that same curiosity draws him to the relationship between an animal, the light and its surroundings.
A tiger pausing to drink. A glance towards the camera. His account of the drinking tiger shows the process: returning to an area, responding to what was found and choosing a viewpoint. Read the encounter →
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS
A sense of presence.
A body of work.
From an iconic drinking-water frame to fine art, action, lighting, portraits, behaviour, habitat, birdlife and macro. Selected photographs from Chetan’s own archive. Open each frame to read its story.