Our Fonder Rahul Sachdev has been awarded the coveted Highly Commended title at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards 2025, hosted by the Natural History Museum, London. Selected from over 60,000 global entries, his image, a slow-shutter portrait of an elephant dissolving into a forest of towering greenheart trees has been recognised for its deeply atmospheric portrayal of harmony between animal and habitat.

“For anyone serious about wildlife photography, standing on the NHM stage someday is the dream. If not everyone, it definitely was mine,” says Sachdev. “To have my work chosen from tens of thousands of entries still feels surreal. It hasn’t fully sunk in.”

This recognition adds to what has been a remarkable year for the Pune-based photographer. In the last twelve months alone, Sachdev has earned accolades from HIPA, Asferico, and now NHM, marking his first visit to London and his debut appearance at the iconic Natural History Museum.

Speaking about the making of the image, he reflects:

“I was dwarfed by the forest just as much as the elephant was. The soil, the trees, the animal everything felt like one living organism. I chose a slow shutter because there was no other way I could convey that sense of oneness. I didn’t make the picture thinking of awards. I just knew I wanted to merge the elephant with the forest, as if they were breathing together.”

“This award feels like one step in a lifelong quest. I carry it with gratitude and humility, and with renewed resolve to keep telling stories from the wild with heart and respect.”