At first glance, you might think this is a man stranded in the middle of a grassy field. But that endless stretch of green isn’t land. It’s Wular Lake in Kashmir, covered by a dense blanket of floating weeds. The local Gaer-Hanz (traditional lotus stem gatherers and fishermen) move through this green maze every day in small wooden boats. For the man in this frame, every push of the oar is a fight against the lake, as the weeds cling to the boat, making each inch of progress exhausting. Beneath that thick green surface, his bare hands reach into freezing mud to pull up nadru (lotus stems), while these waters also provide fish for his livelihood. It is a quiet, backbreaking routine repeated daily to feed his family. From a distance, the scene feels calm and beautiful. But for the man in the boat, it is a beautiful trap, a struggle hidden beneath the stillness. Location: Wular Lake, Kashmir, India Year: 2023