The travel and tourism industry has boomed tremendously in the last few years. Despite a dry spell after the severe pandemic, the tourism industry is back to its feet. Among various other factors, nature and wildlife photography has played a key role in uplifting the tourism sector. One of Gujarat’s promising photographers Neel Sarkhedi is making waves on social media for his incredible photography skills. His stunning clicks have not just impressed the audience, but have also helped in discovering the best tourist attractions all over India.
An entrepreneur by profession, Neel was always passionate about being a wildlife photographer. He made his foray into this field in 2019, and since then, he has proved his mettle and creativity. Unlike the mainstream desk job, Neel’s work demands to go out and explore different habitats and capture moments of wildlife creatures. Along with being a wildlife photographer, Sarkhedi is an ardent lover of nature. A majority of the pictures from his trips showcase the beauty of nature and wildlife present today.
It would not be wrong to say that Neel Sarkhedi is playing an instrumental role in scaling the tourism sector. So far, he has visited many wildlife sanctuaries, forests and national parks including Gir Forest, Ranthambore National Park, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Jhalana Reserve Forest and Kabini National Park. Out of all these visits, Neel has captured some of the finest photographs of different wildlife creatures like tigers, leopards, Asiatic lions, hyenas, desert fox, eagles, raptors and many other creatures. Adding to it, the photographer has some clicks of picturesque locations of pristine waterfalls, beautiful valleys and mountains from his recent visit to North India.
However, many feel that an increase in the number of tourism activities are a hindrance to wildlife. Sharing his take, Neel says that the increase in tourism has somehow helped in raising awareness about environmental and wildlife conservation. “For the people visiting in the national parks, forests and wildlife sanctuaries; there are officials from the forest department who accompany them during their visit. It has helped in preserving the natural habitats of animals. Rather than tourism, other factors like pollution, deforestation and overexploitation are a major threat to nature and wildlife”, says Neel.
As Neel Sarkhedi brushes his photography skills, his further plan is to have a photo studio of his own. Through his work, he not only wants to showcase the best of wildlife, but Sarkedhi is even raising his voice to preserve the environment by not harming the habitats of wildlife species.