How did your interest in wildlife arise?
My interest in wildlife photography began with a trip to a national park where I had the opportunity to observe wildlife up close in their natural habitat. It was thrilling and I realised that capturing these moments not only satisfied my artistic drive but also allowed me to share the beauty and fragility of the wild. The passion grew into a commitment to raise awareness about conservation and inspire people to appreciate and protect these incredible species that share our planet.
How do you describe your journey as a photographer and a person?
My journey as a photographer and a person has been a quest for connection and discovery, it’s about exploring the world through my lens and sharing that perspective to foster appreciation and change. The challenges of capturing some elusive species in extreme circumstances has taught me resilience, patience and respect for my subjects each click of a shutter is a step in a journey that is as much about self-discovery as it is about documenting the world around me. It has deepened my empathy and compassion towards conservation and storytelling.
What is your view on Nature Conservation? How can we, as wildlife photographers, help to protect our Mother Nature?
As a Wildlife photographer, I believe we have a unique role in wildlife conservation, our work can bring a unique perspective to understand the complexity of nature and the delicate balance between our ecosystem and ensuring the survival of countless species. Through our images we have the power to highlight the challenges and the vulnerability of wildlife drawing attention to the urgent need of protecting the lives of endangered species and their habitat. We can raise awareness and inspire action among public and policymakers to drive meaningful change.
Can you give our readers the best wildlife photography tips? Do you have any recommendation on settings or gear for wildlife photography?
Certainly, here are some tips:
1. Know your subject: research the species you are photographing to understand their behaviour, habitat and best time for observation, will help you anticipate their best actions for compelling images.
2. Be Patient and persistent: wildlife photography often requires long waits and patience is the key in the field as wildlife is full of uncertainty and you must learn to adapt to different techniques and make the best out of the situation presented to you.
3. Focus on your composition: use the rule of thirds, leading lines and framing to create a balanced and engaging composition, pay attention to the background to ensure it doesn’t distract you from your subject.
4. Respect the wildlife and their habitat: always prioritize the wellbeing of animals and their environment, keep a safe distance and avoid disturbing their natural behaviours, adhere to ethical guidelines or regulations. Remember our goal is to photograph them without impacting them.
5. Understand your camera settings: understand different modes, wildlife photography often involves rapidly changing light and environment. Knowing how to quickly adjust the settings like shutter speed, aperture and ISO allows you to switch on field in extreme low light conditions and action moments to capture sharp well exposed images.
6. Lastly, enjoy the experience and the connection with nature, it is as much about the journey and experience as it is about capturing stunning narratives.
What plans do you have in the future related to Wildlife Photography?
I plan to continue exploring new and diverse habitats to capture unique and compelling images in their natural environment, I aim to focus on lesser-known species and remote locations, bringing attention to the biodiversity that often goes unnoticed. I am particularly interested in photographing the lynx and the Amur leopard since they are on brink of extinction. I also plan on working on a long-term project documenting the impact of climate change on wildlife both the struggles and resilience of species adapting to rapidly changing environments.
Tell us something about the gears you use.
I started o f with a SonyA7M3 body with the Sony 200-600mm lens and eventually moved to a SonyAlpha1 with a combination of lenses. (70-200mm and 400mm Sony) (Sigma 150-600mm and 500 mm). I think for me what works right now as a great combination is the SonyAlpha1 with 200- 600mm, I feel I have somehow got my best images on this combo.
Since the Camera is high resolution and has a full-frame censor it provides exceptional image detail and clarity with good low-light performance and has an excellent Autofocus to track moving subjects with precision. The 200-600mm is a versatile lens covering a broad focal length range allowing you to photograph wildlife at a distance and is also quite pocket friendly, the lens comes in handy when the light conditions are favourable. The 400mm is a perfect fixed focal length lens when photographing subjects at a distance with good optical stabilization and great for low light situations and shallow depth of field, which is great for subject isolation and creating a beautiful bokeh.
