My First “Shot on iPhone” – Capturing the Majesty of Ellora's Kailasa Temple

Certain moments remain deeply imprinted in our minds because they affect our emotions as much as what we observe. My visit to Cave 16 and Kailasa Temple at the Ellora Caves became one of those exceptional experiences. My visit to a UNESCO World Heritage Site marked my first experience while I began my “Shot on iPhone” photography series using my iPhone for professional photography. The combination of historical significance and technological innovation created an experience that I will never forget.

The journey to Ellora brought excitement but my thoughts focused solely on Cave 16. The experience of standing at the cliff's edge to view the impossible structure left me unprepared despite all my prior research. The Kailasa Temple isn’t constructed. The temple exists as a single rock structure which was carved from top to bottom during the 1,200-year construction period.

I gripped my phone tightly before launching the camera app to compose the shot. The perfectly carved elephants and rising towers and symmetrical composition made everything feel like a movie while each sculpture revealed its own unique narrative. I pressed the screen while making a minor exposure adjustment before taking the picture. The first photo I captured with my iPhone left me completely amazed. The basalt rock textures and temple structure outlines and sun-created shadows appeared more vivid than I expected in the image.

I alternated between wide and portrait modes while exploring the temple deeper. The central courtyard with its massive pillars and shrines created an ideal depth for photography. The phone's contrast capture feature allowed me to show the stone carvings from centuries past while avoiding overexposure of the sculptures of Shiva and Nandi. The best part? I didn’t need a big DSLR camera. The compact nature of my phone allowed me to carry everything I needed so I could wander through the temple like a curious explorer instead of a traditional photographer.

The most memorable shot I took was a basic one. The frame contained only shadow, stone and story without any people or distractions. I stayed there for a while after taking the shot to understand that this was more than just a temple. The mountain became devoted because humans themselves transformed it into a place of worship.

Using modern technology to document one of the earliest human-made marvels seems somewhat contradictory. I departed from Kailasa Temple with dusty footwear while my vision remained filled with wonder and my smartphone contained numerous photographs from the experience. My mobile photography adventure started at that moment.

The Last Fifteen Minutes – A Safari I’ll Never Forget

This Tadoba Safari experience remains a highlight which I call "The Last Fifteen Minutes."

A jungle safari delivers a special kind of magic that combines the rush of adventure with the stillness of the environment and the untold stories in leaf movements. My visit to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra took place a few months ago. I had decided to go there because the reserve is known for its abundant wildlife and its most renowned tigers. I arrived at the safari with both optimistic expectations and wild fantasies of observing a regal tiger or seeing a leopard moving stealthily through the bushes. However nature had its own distinct arrangement that day.

The first part of our safari tour remained serene and attractive. We observed spotted deer, langurs swinging from trees, peacocks showing their feathers and bison coming and going in the distance. Personally I wanted to see tigers in person but something I wished to see even more were the sloth bears and leopards hiding in the shadows.

Every curve in the trail generated a powerful feeling of excitement. Every langur alarm call and pugmark discovery in the forest floor indicated the presence of something remarkable. The clock continued to tick. Time took its toll as the sun descended and my chances of seeing something dwindled.

Our guide suddenly raised his hand to signal us to remain quiet, and then we reached the exit trail while his eyes focused straight ahead with complete alertness.

The jungle suddenly revealed three tigers before us.

I could not believe it, three tigers. Three tigers stood confidently in the path about a hundred meters away as if they were forest guardians who stepped out of darkness.

It was like a dream. These tigers appeared peaceful yet powerful while creating a deep sense of enchantment. The fifteen minutes passed silently while we observed the scene. A tiger walked straight through our path as the sun cast golden light upon its body. The third tiger received a friendly push from its companion before the pair resumed their rest. The moment froze me completely as I became lost in awe.

Reality suddenly struck us when we realised that we had delayed our exit. The park gates were about to close so we needed to hurry and leave. The peaceful tiger sighting turned into an urgent rush to escape the park.

The forest sped past our jeep as we traveled through the rough trails like a roller coaster.

Tadoba reserved its most impressive gift for our final fifteen minutes which proved to be an absolute treasure.

When the Hunter Fails: Witnessing a Buffalo Outsmart a Pride of Lions in the Masai Mara

The environment reveals its unpredictable nature to humans during specific points in life. The Masai Mara expedition provided me with breathtaking sunsets, elephant sightings and birdlife views yet the unforgettable moment of a pride of lions' failed buffalo attack left me stunned.

A silent stress filled the atmosphere during that time. Our guide who was both seasoned and sharp-eyed located the pride first when seven lions positioned themselves in golden grass to watch a single buffalo eat in the distance. The air seemed to pause. Even the birds fell silent.

The lions took their positions into formation while we waited with bated breath for their surrounding strategy to take effect. The lead lioness displayed expert hunting skills as she advanced toward the prey while other pride members occupied strategic positions. The buffalo maintained its grazing behavior without showing any signs of fear or awareness.

And then—it happened. A sudden burst of movement. The lions charged. The buffalo turned around in surprise as dust spirals rose into the air from its frightened eyes. What followed was not a clean kill or even a frantic escape—it was a battle.

The buffalo proved to be more than a defenceless prey because it fought with intense ferocity. The younger lion experienced a brutal throw to the ground after the buffalo charged at him. The buffalo protected itself by rotating its powerful horns to attack the lion who attempted to grab its flank. The hunt's direction changed with each of the buffalo's powerful advances and stomping movements.

It became clear: the lions had underestimated their prey.

After several tense minutes, panting and frustrated, the pride backed off, retreating into the shade to regroup. The buffalo—bleeding, but standing strong—limped away slowly but defiantly. It had survived.

That moment left me awestruck. The Masai Mara revealed to me a different reality than the typical predator-winner narrative in nature because it demonstrated how strength and resilience can outlast powerful hunters.

The pride's defeat provided me with both thrilling and emotionally powerful moments of observation. The experience showed me that survival does not need to depend on numbers or planning because sometimes willpower alone ensures survival.

The experience revealed to me something more profound than a simple fact about wildlife. The buffalo displayed strength through its quiet determination to endure despite its obvious weakness. The experience taught me that resilience emerges from situations where you must fight back against overwhelming odds. The buffalo's refusal to back down taught me that true courage exists when you face your fears head-on.

And in this battle the buffalo stood as the real monarch beneath the sunset sky as it walked through the dusty savanna.