I'm Hitesh, an amateur photographer from north London, and very much still learning the craft. Photography isn't my job. By day I'm a network engineer, and I've spent the last ten years keeping networks running for the people who rely on them. The camera is what I pick up to switch off from all of that.
I go out before sunrise for the landscapes and stay put for the wildlife, chasing the few minutes when the colour is at its best. Some of my favourite pictures came from a trip to Leh Ladakh, high in the Himalayas, where the still waters of Pangong Tso turn the mountains into mirrors and the light changes by the minute. Just as many come from close to home: a grey heron on a rooftop, gulls banking low over the water, a squirrel halfway up a tree, the neighbourhood cat giving me a hard stare.
I started out on an iPhone and moved to Canon, first the 5D Mark IV and now the R5 Mark II, with a Sigma 150–600mm that has taught me a lot about patience. Every outing teaches me something new about light, timing and fieldcraft, and plenty of shots still don't work out. This site is where I keep the ones that did.
Instagram is where my pictures land first. It's my running diary of early starts and long waits: new shots straight off the camera, the ones that nearly worked, and what I'm learning along the way about light, settings and fieldcraft.
You'll find the Pangong Tso mornings, the herons and gulls, and whatever turns up on my next outing. I'm still growing the account, so if you enjoy what you see here, follow along, leave a comment, or send me a message. I'm always happy to swap tips with other photographers, especially fellow beginners.
Follow @hiteshwad2022