Srikanth Mannepuri shares how photography, patience, and a pioneering natural history film come together

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Come November 20, the Indian Photo Festival (IPF) will host a storyteller who doesn’t just capture the wild — he fights for it. Srikanth Mannepuri, the award-winning wildlife conservationist behind some of the most widely published images from the Telugu states, is stepping onto the IPF platform with one goal: to make people fall in love with the biodiversity in their own backyard.

Srikanth Mannepuri's Art Talk this year follows a simple philosophy: love leads to care

“It’s a very good opportunity to interact with people, especially from the Telugu states,” Srikanth says, adding, “When people speak about wildlife in India, hardly anyone talks about Andhra Pradesh or Telangana. I’ve witnessed the biodiversity here since my graduation days through volunteering with the Forest Department, and IPF gives me a platform to share environmental issues and the richness we have. Since it’s such a reputed festival with artists from everywhere, speaking on that platform is always special. Their reach helps in spreading awareness.”

His Art Talk this year follows a simple philosophy: love leads to care. He plans to showcase the biodiversity of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana — from birds and mammals to sharks and insects — before shifting to the threats they face from overfishing and anthropogenic pressures.

Srikanth didn’t begin with a camera. A biotechnology graduate, he initially loved writing research articles. But he soon realised that the communities living closest to forests were unable to access or understand these papers.

After shoots, he would show villagers close-up images of species they often feared, like the spotted pit viper. “When they saw how beautiful the snake looked on the screen, they were surprised. It changed their perception and made me feel the purpose of my work.”

For Srikanth, patience is the foundation of wildlife photography — and a lesson that shaped him deeply. “Beginners think expensive equipment gives better shots. But if you rush, you’ll only get a single image before the bird flies. If you observe from a distance, you’ll witness feeding, nesting, hunting — so many behaviours. Spending time teaches you, and the bird gets its privacy,” he says.

To Srikanth, the impact of every photo depends on technique and intention. He cites his marlin image, which won at BBC’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year. “Earlier, I shot fish at landing centers from ground level. Then I tried a drone — that perspective revealed what people usually don’t see.”

Some issues, however, require immediate attention — such as the crisis at the Kakinada Fish Landing Centre. “You see manta rays, mobula rays, and marlins in huge numbers. There’s illegal trade. People don’t know the marine diversity we have — even whale sharks.”

In 2017 alone, 72 whale sharks were slaughtered, according to the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department. His drone images from these sites often go to global awards not for acclaim but for visibility. Srikanth is currently creating a natural history film that celebrates Andhra Pradesh’s wildlife and landscapes — a dream he has carried for years. The film will be the first-ever cinematic portrayal of the state’s wild heritage, created with the support of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department.

Though yet to be officially launched, the project began modestly. Srikanth first approached Mani Sharma with the idea. “I requested him to compose the music. He immediately said, ‘Let’s do it together’.” He then reached out to Navdeep through a simple Instagram message: “He understood the importance and started helping me. He connected me with Sai Durgha Tej. Both have been very supportive in getting permits and coordinating with forest officials.”

The mission of the film is clear: to inspire awareness and appreciation for nature and wildlife among people across all walks of life. Srikanth also hopes to take the film to international festivals, showcasing Andhra Pradesh’s rich biodiversity on a global stage.

Challenges, however, are immense. He shares, “Wildlife photography is easy. The toughest part is managing and networking, that’s 90% of the task. (laughs) Photography captures unexpected moments. Filmmaking is about building sequences: alarms, movement, hunting, returning. You need narration, script, storyboard. Even then, the wild doesn’t follow your plan.”

As an Emerging Fellow at the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), Srikanth has been exposed to global conservation strategies. “Meeting people like Steve Winter, Tim Laman, and Kartikeya Gonsalves felt like a huge knowledge box,” he says. Conversations about whale shark tourism in Mexico, for instance, opened his mind to what might someday be possible in Andhra.

For Srikanth, awareness remains the core of conservation. “If my images help someone fall in love with nature, they’ll care about it. That’s all I want.”

— Story by Tejal Sinha

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