FIELD NOTES
Field observations, training experiences, and conservation work from across Nepal and the region, documented by
Om Prakash Yadav
Field Notes is a collection of real field experiences from forests, grasslands, and wetlands across Nepal, documented by wildlife photographer Om Prakash Yadav.
Here, Om shares observations from wildlife photography trips, ethical reflections from the field, and stories from conservation and training work. These are not just stories or photographs, they are moments that reveal how wildlife lives, how people work to protect it, and what it feels like to be present in wild places.
In Field Notes, you will find:
Wildlife Field Work: Encounters with species in their natural habitats
Ethics and Practice: What it means to photograph responsibly
Trainings and Workshops: Field-level experiences teaching and learning
Conservation in Practice: Collaboration with communities and conservation efforts
Behind the Scenes: The quiet realities of life in the field
Each story is grounded in real observation and respect for wildlife and wild places. Field Notes is an invitation to see beyond the captured image and understand the work, patience, and responsibility that shape it.
The Photograph I Never Took: A Tiger Encounter in Bardia National Park
We watched each other in silence: the tiger hidden in the grass, and us frozen in the jeep, waiting. For ten minutes, nobody moved. The face never appeared. The tiger walked away, and so did we.
Training the Frontline: Working with Wildlife Guides Across Nepal
From wetlands in the east to grasslands in the west, I had the opportunity to train wildlife guides across Nepal in ethical and impactful wildlife photography.
Surrounded by Flycatchers: A Lesson in Boundaries
In 2015, while documenting Asian Paradise Flycatchers nesting in Meghauli, Chitwan, I was quietly surrounded by five adult birds after the sound of my camera gave me away. It was a clear reminder that nesting season is not the time to push boundaries.
My First Wild Tiger: A Field Encounter in Bardia, 2013
In 2013, when wild tigers were still rare in Nepal, I spent six days in Bardia National Park waiting for a single encounter. On a hot afternoon by the Karnali River, a female Royal Bengal Tiger appeared without warning. This is the story of my first wild tiger and what it taught me about patience and ethics in wildlife photography.
My Journey into Wildlife Photography in Nepal
My journey into photography started in 1995 with a magazine on a train in India. From working in IT to travel photography, PhotoWalk Nepal, and finally wildlife photography, this is the story of how I found my path into the field and towards conservation.