Welcome to another of my wildlife photography blogs for Africa Geographic!! What an absolute pleasure to be here sharing news, views and experiences from the real home of wildlife photography … Southern Africa.
My favourite leopard "Little Bush" - Sabi Sands, South Africa Photo © Chris Martin
I grew up in the UK and spent my life in the outdoors from childhood. I’ve had a camera in my hand for as long as I can remember and have used it as my “excuse” to travel the world as an adventure photographer all my life. But nowhere has continued to excite me and motivate me as a photographer as much as Africa. I’ve spent the past 28 years soaking up it’s sunrises and sunsets. Now it’s home, I love Africa with a passion, and I will never leave!! The wildness of it’s landscape, it’s significance as the birthplace of humankind, and not least the vast beauty of deep blue African skies contrasting with the burnt red earth. It “captured my soul” and opened my eyes to a continent that offered a lifetime of photographic and conservation opportunity.
These days, my photography sets out to capture the stark and often brutal wilderness that is still typical of Africa, and the beauty of its creatures, large and small, that despite the often destructive nature of the human species, continue to thrive on the continent. Africa is a timeless landscape with unrivaled opportunity for a wildlife photographer to hone his art. It possesses a ruggedness and romance that for any wildlife photographer will always be a challenge to capture in his, or her, own unique way.
And so to the blog …. Photography is all about sharing. Sharing experience, sharing images, sharing our passion for both photography and the natural world. I’d encourage you to make this as interactive an experience as possible. Drop me a line here on the blog. I want to hear from you!! Whether it’s to do with comments on one of my images, aspects of your photography that you are finding a challenge, tips and tricks to improve, your favourite wildlife photographic location. Let’s just get sharing. Let’s get controversial!!
Simplicity - Sabie River, Kruger National Park, South Africa Photo © Chris Martin
The main thing is … as photographers we never stop learning. Pro and amateur alike … we will all learn from each other. The day we stop doing that, is the day we might as well pack it all in!! So next week I’m going to start with my “Top 10 tips” on how to capture better wildlife images. Nothing within the list is going to be revolutionary in it’s thinking, but so many photographers have helped and inspired me to grow as a photographer by sharing their approach, and in doing so they’ve left me with a checklist that I remind myself of whenever I’m out there in the field. Its just a starting point for us to develop talking points in our new blog.
Until next week …. enjoy your shutter time!!