My journey into photography began in 2010—completely by chance.

At the time, a friend at my boarding school was preparing images for a photography competition. Curious, I decided to participate as well, even though I did not own a camera. I submitted a few photos taken with my phone, not expecting much, but hoping I might win a small prize.

The competition’s theme was biodiversity. Two of my three images were rejected early, but one remained in the selection. Months passed, and I had almost forgotten about it.

One day, my school principal asked me to step out of class. To my surprise, he informed me that I had won first prize. The award was my first camera—a Canon EOS 1000D—and I had the opportunity to represent my school at the award ceremony in Belgium.

That moment changed everything.

With my first camera in hand, I began exploring photography more seriously. I was especially drawn to wildlife and decided to invest in a telephoto lens, allowing me to observe and photograph animals from a distance.

I never studied photography formally. Instead, I taught myself through practice, patience, and time spent in the field, learning from experience and from other photographers along the way.

What started as coincidence soon became a lifelong passion.