Composing the Wild: How Preeti and Prashant Turn Wildlife Into Emotional Black-and-White Art

If you’ve ever scrolled past a wildlife photo and felt nothing more than “oh cool, an animal,” Preeti and Prashant Chacko are here to flip that script—in the most soulful, black-and-white way possible. Working together as @composingthewild, this Dubai-based photo-artist duo isn’t just taking pictures of animals. They’re crafting emotional portraits that hit you right in the heart, the kind that make you pause, breathe, and really see the wild.

Their journey didn’t begin in some rugged jungle or idyllic savannah. Nope. It started with two city kids from India who thought wildlife existed mostly in zoos. Then life tossed them a plot twist: a move to Durban, South Africa in 2010. One safari later, they realized they weren’t just witnessing animals… they were witnessing freedom. And something inside them lit up.

Armed with a Nikon D90 and a kit lens, they went out chasing every moment they could. But the real game-changer came when friends dragged them to a photography tour in Zambia—where Prashant almost showed up with only his Blackberry camera. Thankfully, they upgraded the gear and the mindset. Professional mentors, countless safaris, and thousands of images later, they discovered what truly mattered: emotion over documentation, storytelling over species-checking, soul over spectacle.

Today, their work strips away color to reveal sensitivity, stature, grace, and strength—qualities that remind us that wild animals aren’t monsters. They’re sentient beings deserving respect, empathy, and protection. And through their lens, the wild becomes timeless.

You can find Preeti & Prashant Chacko on the web:

#1. The Conversationalists

#2. Some Rain Must Fall

#3. The Broad Hint

#4. The Care Bears

#5. The Sentinel

From City Life to the Call of the Wild

Preeti and Prashant’s story hits different because it wasn’t born from childhood safaris – yet when the bug bit them, it bit them hard. When they moved to Durban for work, wildlife wasn’t even on their radar. No cages, no fences—just raw nature doing its thing. It shook them in a way that stuck.

Their first safari to Phinda Game Reserve, where they saw animals roaming completely free for the first time was an eye-opener to them. In the beginning their drives at Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Park with Prashant behind the wheel and Preeti behind the lens were fun and unforgettable.

But they were also the beginning of a deeper calling. As they leaned into photography tours and invested in better gear, they realized they weren’t just learning how to take pictures. They were learning how to see. And that shift would define the artists they’d eventually become.

#6. Judgement Day

#7. Haven

#8. Colonel Haathi’s March

#9. Feline

#10. Guardian of the Mount

The Duo Dynamic: Two Eyes, One Vision

Working as a couple behind one artistic identity isn’t always easy—but for Preeti and Prashant, it’s magic. They’ll shoot the exact same scene from almost the same angle, yet come back with two wildly different images. That difference is their secret sauce. Preeti gravitates toward tenderness—quiet glances, mother-child bonds, subtle emotional beats. She’s the patient one, willing to wait out long silences for a moment of pure connection.

Prashant, meanwhile, is the guy chasing drama—big skies, bold lighting, sweeping animal-scapes that feel cinematic. Put those perspectives together, and suddenly the wild becomes a layered story instead of a single snapshot. They don’t chase species. They chase moments—fleeting, powerful, human-like moments that reveal the soul of the animal. Their styles complement each other like rhythm and melody, creating a visual harmony that defines @composingthewild.

#11. Harmony

#12. Fortitude

#13. Diminution

#14. Princess and her Perch

#15. Hallelujah

Turning Photos Into Art: The Nick Brandt Mindset Shift

Every artist has that one person who flips their worldview upside down. For Preeti and Prashant, that person was Nick Brandt. His work didn’t just inspire them—it rewired their creative DNA. Suddenly, wildlife photography wasn’t just about documenting animals anymore. It was about honoring them. About creating images that don’t scream danger or ferocity, but whisper beauty, dignity, and emotion.

This mindset shift pushed them to slow down, feel the scene, and wait for expressions that reveal an animal’s inner world. They realized that fear-based imagery only distances people from wildlife. But beauty? Sensitivity? Grace? Those spark empathy. And empathy builds protection. That’s the mission behind their work today: to create art that makes people care. To show the wild as something beloved, not feared. Brandt didn’t just influence their technique—he influenced their purpose.

#16. Precious Cargo

#17. The Female

#18. Deer in the Headlights

#19. Devnagiri Roar

#20. Flamingo Noir

Why Black and White Became Their Creative Superpower

Most photographers chase color. Preeti and Prashant ran the opposite direction—and it became their iconic style. Black and white lets them strip away distractions, forcing viewers to sit with the heart of the moment: the textures, the expressions, the emotional weight. It also adds something priceless—timelessness. When an image is freed from color, it no longer belongs to a specific place or decade. It becomes universal. Eternal.

And that timeless quality isn’t accidental. It reflects their hope that future generations—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren—will still get to see these same wild beings in real life. Their monochrome world isn’t just an artistic choice; it’s a message. A reminder that wildlife is fragile, precious, and worth fighting for. Black and white, for them, is not limiting—it’s liberating. It opens emotional doors that color sometimes closes.

#21. To Sleep Perchance to Dream

#22. Innocence

#23. Look Left, Look Right

#24. Skyfall

#25. The Ascent

Awards, Recognition, and the Road Ahead

The world has taken notice—big time. From winning Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year (2022) with their iconic image “Hallelujah,” to scoring gold at TIFA, placing at Spider Awards and reFocus, sweeping honors at Better Photography Magazine, and earning “Best Photographer” at World Art Dubai 2025—their trophy cabinet stays stacked.

But here’s the thing: they don’t create for awards. Awards simply affirm that their mission resonates. Every accolade nudges them further, pushing them to explore new stories, deeper emotions, and stronger conservation messages. Their journey is about elevating wildlife art to a place where people feel before they think. As they continue evolving with mentors and new experiences, one truth stays constant: Preeti and Prashant are here to make sure the wild is seen—not as a threat, but as a treasure.