Salted Fire | Ode to Mangala
-
PrizeGold in Nature/Earth
-
PhotographerKP Madhavan, United States
-
Website
-
Instagram
A lone figure walks across the salt flats of Death Valley as a storm ignites the sky with fire and shadow. Salted Fire | Ode to Mangala explores the mythic tension between solitude and sublimity—where the human spirit is not dwarfed by nature, but absorbed into its immensity. Shot moments before a desert storm broke overhead, the image captures a fleeting convergence of light, scale, and elemental awe. This is not a portrait of power, but of presence within the unknown.
KP Madhavan is a landscape photographer whose work explores solitude, scale, and atmosphere. Mentored by National Geographic photographer Colby Brown, he blends technical mastery with artistic storytelling, capturing the quiet dialogue between wanderers and the wild. His images evoke the weight of transition and the pull of the unknown—whether under storm-lit skies or the hush of twilight. With a cinematic eye and a relentless pursuit of excellence, he transforms landscapes into emotive narratives, inviting viewers to step into the journey.
Awards Awards & Recognitions
• Juried Selection, PhotoPlace Gallery (Landscape, Middlebury, VT, 2024)
• Speaker, Sierra Club – A Life Less Ordinary: The Art of Nature Photography (New York, NY, 2025)
Exhibitions
Solo Exhibition
• Solitude, SoHo Photo Gallery (New York, NY, 2024)
Juried & Group Exhibitions
• Landscape, PhotoPlace Gallery (Middlebury, VT, 2024, Juried Selection)
• The Last Picture Show, SoHo Photo Gallery (New York, NY, 2024, Group Exhibition)
• In Dreams, For Real, SoHo Photo Gallery (New York, NY, 2024, Group Exhibition)
Publications & Features
• Landscape Photography Magazine (February 2025, Image & Write-Up Feature)
• Landscape Photography Magazine (February 2025, Image & Write-Up Feature)
Additional Achievements
• Mentored by National Geographic Photographer Colby Brown, refining advanced post-processing and field techniques.
• Member of SoHo Photo Gallery, where his work stands out for its cinematic storytelling—blending mood, scale, and introspection in landscape photography.