Phalgun Patel 2023
Phalgun was born and educated in Bangalore, India. He completed his master's degree in film and photography at Light & Life Academy near Ooty, Tamil Nadu, and continued to work in the commercial photography industry for six years. Phalgun began his wildlife career in the towering Sal forests of Kanha Tiger Reserve, where he trained to be a naturalist guide. Based in Central India, he has guided extensively in varied habitats, ranging from the golden grasslands of Panna to the biodiverse rainforests of the Western Ghats. He also leads trips to the high mountains of Ladakh in search of elusive snow leopards, wolves and other trans-Himalayan wildlife. Recognized as a skilled interpreter and expert in animal behavior, Phalgun became an Expedition Leader with Natural Habitat Adventures in 2023. A photography pro, he is passionate about helping travelers return from each adventure with surreal images.
In his free time, Phalgun loves to dive in reefs across the globe to observe incredible marine life. He also enjoys spending time in the mesmerizing hills of Chikmagalur, Karnataka, where he is slowly converting part of a coffee estate back into a montane forest.
What's in My Camera Bag
Camera Equipment
Canon 5DMark4 (full frame)
Canon 500mm f5.6 IS
Canon 1.4x teleconverter
Canon 10-20mm wide angle f2
Canon 100mm macro
180mb/s SD and CF cards
Two batteries
Post-Processing Software
Adobe photoshop and Lightroom for photo edits
Adobe premiere pro for video edits
What Our Guests Say
Phalgun's spotting skills were superb! He and Conan were very knowledgeable about what we were seeing and directing us on ways to spot when wildlife was blending into the background.
Phalgun was incredible! Knowledgeable, energetic, fun and easy to be with on long days in the cold. He was very, very patient when we asked, 'Where is that snow leopard on that mountainside? Tell me again where!' for the tenth time. He clearly loves his job and the animals he protects - you could feel it every moment you spent with him.
Phalgun was very experienced, enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful! He made the trip run smoothly.
